With the anticipation of snow at some point, im currently in the process of getting skis/ boots in order to be towed/ dragged behind the Land Rover.

I’ve brought the boots ( These ) but before I buy the ski’s, will any pair fit? As you can probably tell my ski knowledge is very limited…

And is there any difference between blades and proper skis (Binding wise) as blades look perfect for what I want to use them for…?

Cheers

Chris

With the anticipation of snow at some point, im currently in the process of getting skis/ boots in order to be towed/ dragged behind the Land Rover.

[tannoy] Darwin to the forum…[/tannoy]

Any skis will “fit” for what you want to do (even blades). Bindings are a bit of a minefield – if you’re buying new, no problem. If you’re buying second-hand then there might not be enough adjustability in the binding to accommodate the difference in size between your boots and the original owner’s boots. Really depends on how big the difference is and the type of binding – rental skis usually have the bindings mounted on rails to avoid this issue, but most people don’t do this for their own skis.

Please post the videos…. 😉

EDIT: Awesome boots by the way, got to be about 20 years old!

Presuming you can’t actually ski, what happens when the tow vehicle has to stop suddenly, and you steam straight into the back of it and smash your face through the back window ?

Just a thought 😉

Bindings on most blades are likely to fit all boot sizes. If you’re going to buy some nice cheap skis to go with the boots, get some with rental bindings – they’ll have enough adjustment in them to fit any boot.

Those boots were ‘collect in person’ from Buxton so you can’t be too far from me (Macc). Can I come and watch?

If the Land Rover’s towing up a hill I’ll join in. I heard rumour of a rope tow in Wilboarclough but I think that was a few years ago.

Presuming you can’t actually ski, what happens when the tow vehicle has to stop suddenly, and you steam straight into the back of it and smash your face through the back window ?

Met Parachute?

[tannoy] Darwin to the forum…[/tannoy]

Proper LOL

As ^^ re fit (and video) but the easiest way is to take the boots and see if they will fit.

Apt user name BTW 😉

EDIT: Awesome boots by the way, got to be about 20 years old!

Snaptastic plastic.

Presuming you can’t actually ski

You’d presume wrong. I’m by no means an expert but I can go/stop/ turn easily enough, plus it’ll be on a long rope so plenty of space before face planting into the back and it won’t be going very fast. Worked fine with sledges last year…

Bindings are a bit of a minefield – if you’re buying new, no problem. If you’re buying second-hand then there might not be enough adjustability in the binding to accommodate the difference in size between your boots and the original owner’s boots.

It will definitely be secondhand, so im assuming my best bet would be just to message whoever im buying them off to see what size they them set to? What kind of limits would there be? I.e. Would ski’s that were set for size 10 boots fit size 11?

Boot sole lengths differ from model to model.

And rear entry boots like those will have a longer sole than a four clip style boot of the same shoe size.

Best bet is to ask what sole length the boots are that were used with the skis.

It’s not so much the size of the boot but the ‘boot sole length’ (in mm) that matters. Those boots should have stamped on them something like BSL=3**mm.

Bindings really do have to be right – too loose and you’ll pop out of them (ouch), too tight and they won’t release when you need them to (ouch).

Blade bindings will be very accommodating and if they look like what you need then get them, they are good fun on the snow anyways.

I clearly should have thought about this earlier on during the year, Blades don’t appear to be selling for cheap 🙁

Anyone got an old set kicking around? 😛

Brilliant idea – post the video. You need to put someone in the back of the car with the video camera.

I towed my mate along the road on a mount board which is even more hazardous! He just dived into the hedge when he need to stop.

Ah yes being towed is indeed precarious.
Many years ago in an Italian resort (Passo Tonale I think), the only way to the gondola station to ski the glacier, was a towed by a tractor. 2 ropes, 6 people in all. It just took one person to have a wobble and everyone was down. Not pleasant.

Higgo – we skied in Hayfield this year (with Nick Craig). They’d set up a mini tow rope and with a small donation to the Kinder Mountain rescue team would allow all day fun and frolics. Take your old gloves though, the rope will rip them to shreds.

skis > blades

blades are awful, awful things. get skis.

(this post was no help on the bindings front, but please don’t get blades. they’re awful)

I’m leaning towards blades under the assumption they are a bit more maneuverable/ more interesting for just pissing about on…? + From what people have said, bindings are less of an issue…

Oh, and thanks for all the help 🙂

blades won’t work well in uncommpacted snow, as your ‘footprint’ is so much smaller.

you’ll also look like a tit 🙂

you’ll also look like a tit

I don’t need any external influence for that 😉

hungry monkey – Member
blades won’t work well in uncommpacted snow, as your ‘footprint’ is so much smaller.

this. Blades work on well compacted pistes (for people who can’t handle grown up’s skis) Bit not on fresh snow.

you’ll also look like a tit

this ^ 100%

Been towed up the mountain by skidoo a few times and it’s a lot of fun, particularly if they’re in a hurry.

‘The hardest thing about using blades is coming out to friends and family.’ My instructor after one nearly took out the whole piste.

Bigfoot is what you need, and make sure the driver goes really fast, heightens the experience.

EDIT: Awesome boots by the way, got to be about 20 years old!

Dadmin was still using his when first I met him, I understand he only got “upgraded” three or four years ago

Been towed up the mountain by skidoo a few times and it’s a lot of fun, particularly if they’re in a hurry.

The Hayfield Lifties were running an unofficial “highest overshoot” competition where for skiiers who knew what to expect, they would run the rope tow as fast as they dared. The skiier would carry on higher than the lift return wheel and plant a marker to show who went highest. I was some way short of the top marker!

40mph across a rutted, icy field, on a snowboard behind a hilux is an experience…

Just don’t fall.

Snaptastic plastic.

yup, those bad boys will be ripe for shattering around now

This the kind of thing you are after:

Nordica Blades

For the sort of slope you can drive a landrover up you can probably use any skis, although normally you would want the correct length. As others have said skis may not be adjustable enough in the binding to fit any boot, if you get ones that are roughly the right length then there is a good chance the previous wearer will have had similar sized feet. The correct length will depend on the style of ski – there are usually a lot of old style straight skis going cheap on ebay. Make sure the bindings are set quite loose if you are inexperienced and especially when skiing over unknown obstacles.

Normally blades don’t come with quick release bindings. One the one hand being so much shorter the risk of rotational injury is less, but on the other a getting smacked in the back by your own blade really hurts. Standard blades aren’t good off piste – but then landrovers aren’t great in thigh deep powder either! There are some blades which are “wider” / “fatter” than others and so better. Blades are really designed for carving though – not straight line speed. There is a lot of negativity about blades, although I think at least 50% of it is just snobbery.

I have a pair of old ex hire (so easily adjusted bindings) carving skis. IIRC they are 175s. One has some damage right at the “tip” at the back which was glued back together by the local ski repair shop. Its a non load bearing area and has been fine for general mucking about on Scottish slopes.

I have a pair of wide blades which have seen very little action and whilst fun I could be persuaded to part with; as I would quite like to get some half decent skis.

If you are interested in either or both of those I will pop up the loft later and get some pictures and more accurate details.

However I think you are mental.

..

Thanks for all the info Poly! and YGM

don simon – Member
[tannoy] Darwin to the forum…[/tannoy]

Please post the videos….

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhtx0ytqKcg&list=UUlOM1e65R1lAoIP0XBwt2GQ&index=1&feature=plcp[/video]

😀 Great fun (apart from a compacted spine) Edit it down to 2.5 mins and try to get it on midweek minimovies this week

*noob alert* what’s midweek movies?

For example Last week’s midweek minimovies

They are always looking for fun stuff

Looks crackin fun that. Did you tow that car out the pond or leaave it?

Did you tow that car out the pond or leaave it?

It was empty and had a ‘Police Aware’ sticker on it, so best to leave it! Had been shifted by the time we came back so I assume it had been towed out (Either that, or someone had pushed it into the pond 😛 )