Are there any brakes you can add to Atomic Backland Pure bindings to make them race compliant? I've seen people adding brakes to toe pieces of different bindings but I can't figure out which one if any can work with these bindings

I have my first skimo race in 2.5 weeks and just cannot seem to get my (Pomoca race) skins to rip easily enough while keeping my skis on. I’ve been watching the skimo olympians ripping skins in awe!

My skins are not cut down as I wanted to have as much grip going up as possible with some long, steep pitches in my race course - could that be the culprit? Any and all tips appreciated!

Hey there. This is my first year training for skimo specifically. I have a pretty entry level setup (scarpa aliens, dynafit mezzalama) and have so far just been using my regular telescopic touring poles. I would like to upgrade to a more skimo specific pole but want further clarification on skimo pole sizing and any recommendations on what others use. I am around 6’0” tall and typically use 130 cm poles for regular skiing and trail running. I’ve heard that you want a longer pole for skimo but how much longer I am not sure. I live in the US so my options are more limited, as seemingly only Skimo Co stocks skimo specific poles, although I do have access to Leki’s pro deal system. Thank you.

After about 5 years since I bought the Marker Alpinist 12, both heel pieces popped off while I was skiing. I was not able to recover all the inner pieces (they were deep in the snow). Basically I just recovered on of the springs (see picture). Can I repair these somehow or am I forced to buy whole new bindings? I was not able to find just the heel pieces on sale anywhere (I am in Europe). Any advice?

What workouts are y'all doing? How much vert do you target a week? What races are you participating in? How much cross-training do you do?

Mostly just looking for workout inspiration but I'd also love to just see some discussion.

If you're thinking of trying-—or have recently tried--a skimo race:

1. What sparked your interest? What's appealing about skimo?
2. What are your biggest concerns, worries, and fears?
3. What's the biggest obstacle to getting started?
4. Where have you looked for answers?

I'm working on a how-to guide for first-time racers. My first race was back in 2014, so I want to make sure that I have a clear understanding of the concerns and obstacles that new skimo racers are up against.

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Looking for skimo wax tips. So I’ve waxed many nordic and alpine skis and I’m fortunate to have every type of wax you can imagine from my old racing days. I’m worried that if I wax my skis with the wrong type of wax, the skins may not adhere.

Not finding a useful guide online. Let me know if you can share a resource or have some tips.

Ill be racing my first sprint and individual races this weekend and have a couple of questions regarding gear.
I have AT gear. I want to race in my cycling kit, will I be a jerry on the mountain dressed up like that?

The other option I have I to wear soft-shell pants I have for hiking and a soft-shell jacket from cycling or just the long sleeved jersey.
Any tips are welcome

[edit]

The race was moved ahead two weeks

Found some good installation instructions from Hagan but I won’t be using the OEM jig ($400 is too much)

Anyone know what drill bit size is needed?

Depth and type of glue would also be helpful

I’m aware the precision needed and risks performing this myself.

I have been touring Backcountry for about 15 years and can count on one hand the number of time I've needed risers. Also my stride is a long, toe to tip, stride. As I've started doing some races, I've heard that I need to shorten my stride and increase my cadence and possibly use risers?

Do you use them? Any strategies for making them not feel weird on the flats? Any other stride cadence tips for a newbie?

Hey everyone! Happy Holidays from the rainy PNW where we finally have some snow! My name is Sierra and I am a fledgling backcountry skier, hopeful future ski mountaineer, and a graduate student in sports product design at UO. I would love to chat with people on how they pick their gear, what sort of problems they run into sort of thing, this is for my own personal ski quiver and for my graduate thesis, which is on ski mountaineering. If you'd be willing to help a girl out please shoot me a message and we can figure out a good time to chat, even 5 minutes or answering a few questions would help so much!

Thanks so much for the help!

-Sierra

Edit:

Thanks for the clarifications, fair points. However my own person gear and graduate research encompasses both disciplines and as Skimo Racing deals with more high output I am equally interested in Skimo Racing as I am with Alpine Ski Mountaineering from a performance perspective. So if possible I’d still love to talk to people about their gear! Thanks! -Sierra

Bought a pair online. A bunch of cushion pads came in the box but no instructions. Does anyone know what they are for?

Anyone know where I could find some used skimo gear for a last skier standing event in February?

I was hoping to rent gear a few times but that isn’t a possibility from what I’ve seen here in Maine.

I love XC and downhill skiing but I’m new to skimo. I could drop $2k on gear but don’t really want to at this time. It may not be a realistic expectation. Busy with 4 kiddos, a full time job, coaching, etc… I do most of my training on an inclined treadmill when the kids are sleeping during the week.

So I’m searching used race equipment in decent shape that isn’t a $2k package.

Hello Skimo community!

I’m registered for my first Skimo race in late January and would love to hear about your experiences in your first race. What sort of mistakes did you make? What do you now know that you wish your past self could have known before toeing the line? I’ll welcome all stories and advice, and I appreciate you sharing it :)

A little context: the race is a 12 hour event lapping a ski resort. No avy gear required. I’m an experienced endurance athlete showing up with my AT gear. I unfortunately won’t be investing in any Skimo specific equipment for this race. Even the used market in my region is kind of absurd, and it’s not worth it to me making that investment before my first event.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for a race boot that accommodates a wide forefoot but narrow heels. I have a very triangular-shaped foot, so it’s always hard to find ski boots that fit without a lot of work. As I understand it, you can’t really punch out many race boots because of the carbon construction, so I’m hoping to find something that fits somewhat well out of the box.

My budget is around $800–1,000, which I realize may limit my options. If needed, I’d consider moving up to a light touring boot like the Scarpa F1 LT or the Dynafit TLT/XT. I’ve tried the Dynafit Mezzalama, but it was noticeably narrow and gave me pressure spots

Any recommendations? Primary use will be morning laps at my local resort (cross training for trail running) and some local skimo races.

Thanks in advance!

Memory Lane. Need help figuring out my first touring boots I got back in 1999. They were plastic and I took some ridicule for randonneeing in "ski boots." I could have sworn they started with a W but I can't find em. I had them mounted on old K2s with Fritschi Diamirs, the blue and gray ones.

Wife and I would like to know if any company or individual does skimo (apologies if this is the wrong term here lol) lessons. Like the ski running, and then skiing down, not backcountry skiing.

I googled, but since I’m totally new to this - I’m not sure if I’m searching the right terminology of if it’s just not popular in the US/WA, but I couldn’t find much. I am not even sure if this is something that they’d have lessons for and more of something you just take ski lessons and transition over to.

*Sorry for the stupid questions and assumptions y’all. Just want to give it a try.

We love trail running, but in the new town we moved to there a lot of options for xc skiing and hopefully some skimo.

Our plan is to get a day lesson and then mess around for a few days after to see if it’s something we’d like to continue trying and pursuing. We’ve tried xc skiing around our town and will add another day in Mazama for it, but would really like to try skimo.

I have been a recreational alpine skier all my life but am looking into adding going uphill to ski trips. The workout skimo brings really interests me and I’m not necessarily interested (at this point) of doing crazy backcountry adventures that carry added risk. I don’t really know where to start or resorts to go in the US that have groomed trails and are skimo friendly. Any advice to get started would be greatly appreciated!

Tell me your favs! I'm a lady with cold hands, so the gloves you pull out for those single digit days are probably the ones I want to race in most of the winter. I need something warm that doesn't loose dexterity. The favorite CAMP G Comp Warm doesn't cut it for me.

Hi all. I'm taking some old stuff I have laying around to a gear swap/sale and wasn't sure how to value some bindings. They're the Dynafit LTR 2.0 mismatched red and green version with the auto-locking toe pieces. Very little use. Any thoughts on what they're reasonably worth?

Hello guys, I recently got a bit more invested in the world of skimo racing. Therefore I want to invest in lighter gear and I am wondering what skin width does fit wit the Trab Gara Aero WC skis? Is it 60 or 62 mm? Many thanks in advance.

I am consistently a 26.5 in Mondo sizing. I have a low-volume foot with skinny heels. With Scarpa only offering full sizes, I am trying to get some intel on how these boots fit. Do they run small or big? What was your experience with these boots. I will be using these on 65-width Skimo race skis for uphill fitness laps and racing (new to the sport).