First impressions of the Altai Hok Skis

[Kyle Meyer]

As some background, I'm a somewhat avid snowboarder. I've ridden for 15 years. I taught snowboarding for two years in college at a local ski resort. I'm comfortable with the steepest and most technical double black diamond terrain I've come across at resorts. I've carried my snowboard up a handful of volcanos around the pacific northwest, including this weekend when some friends and I climbed Mount Saint Helens. But I'm only a beginner downhill skier and an occasional cross-country skier.

That said, I just got back from a two night ski-in ski-out cabin trip with my wife and another couple where I took the Altai Hok skis with the universal bindings. Everyone snowshoed except for me. There was very little difficult terrain and the trail to the cabin was well worn. I had so much fun on these skis.

Everything I love about Tenkara fly fishing is what I love about these skis—they are a compromise of sheer performance and versatility in exchange for simplicity. There is no wrestling with skins, no slipping on steep uphills like with a waxless base, no trouble navigating tight woods and climbing over logs, and no trouble making simple linked turns down moderate slopes. Simply put, these are good enough at getting around in the woods that they disappear.

I'm extremely pleased with the price, performance, and simple ease of use these skis offer.

Anybody else get a pair of these yet?

[David Chenault]

Sweet Kyle, which size did you get?

My 145s arrived last weekend. If finally snowed yesterday. I hope to get them out on a few multiday trips this coming long weekend.

[Kyle Meyer]

I got the 125's. We have pretty heavy snow around Portland, OR. And, I'll be using these mostly in the spring as a snowshoe replacement and to backpack in areas that are typically snowbound until July or August. I'm interested to see your take on the difference between the two lengths, though!

[spelt with a t]

Waiting on snow.

[Tommy Franzen]

I've got my eye on these. Kyle, did you get the universal bindings? I'm so used to the superb traction of my MSR Lightning Ascents, so I'd love to hear how the integrated skins work on steeper hard stuff

[David Chenault]

When you don't have cause to worry about float, nothing beats snowshoes for going up steep stuff.

Skins grip steeper hard snow just fine, but its like friction rock climbing in that good technique and keeping the skin flat on the snow is key. The Hoks do have good edges to you can always set an edge and traverse.

[Kyle Meyer]

Having never used skins before, I was really surprised at how much traction I had going up moderately steep pitches. I am 6' tall, 195 pounds, carried a 10lb backpack, and pulled a 50lb pulk up a forest road without a single slip.

Here's my wife trying out the skis:

[James Stewart]

Dave, I'm looking forward to what you have to say about the 145's. Definitely something I'd be looking into for next winter. Do the Karhu's get much action with the Hoks around?

[Duy Tam Nguyen]

According to Nils, the company's owner, the universal bindings can only accommodate up to men's size 13…woefully small for me and possibly many others.

Just a heads up.

[Kyle Meyer]

Not sure that's totally true depending on the boot. I forget offhand what the numbered adjustments on the binding go up to, but I think it's either 8 or 9. My size 12 patagonia boots are set to #6 on the binding.

[Ross Bleakney]

Nice to hear you got yours. I ordered mine a few months ago, so I should get mine soon. We have a good base, but it is kind of crusty right now. That's actually a pretty good test for these skis (with fresh snow I'll use existing skinny skis).

[Chris Morgan]

Very cool. Looks like an ideal form of winter Oregon bipedal locomotion.

[David Chenault]

Got the 145s wet today. I think Kyle's summary in the first post can't really be improved upon.

While I used the 125s this past spring a lot, it was never in powder, to say nothing of the quite dry snow we had in the upper elevations today. I could set a skin track no problem, but the smaller skin area forced me to keep it low angle. Heel elevators have no place here. With the forward mount your descending stance will be a bit different, but they cut turns no problem. Not a substitute for a heavy metal turn-getting rig, but fantastic on rolling terrain and for gettin' places.

[michael adamski]

Kyle, would you consider using these as a splitboard replacement? I would think these skis would be faster and more agile than snowshoes. Transitions would be faster than dealing with a splitboard. I just wonder if the universal bindings would accommodate size 12 snowboard boots.

[Kyle Meyer]

I'll have to get a lot better at skiing to see them as a replacement for snowboarding, but maybe with the right boots and using 75mm bindings! I'll try out my snowboard boots when I get home—they're size 11.5 but are fairly low profile (Burton SL-9s). The transitions would definitely be faster (none!)

[Kyle Meyer]

Oooh, I'm actually really excited to try this. I just hopped around in my room and the skis feel really good with the snowboard boots. There's a lot more control than there is with soft boots on or trail runners. There may be enough to really downhill ski in these bad boys! I think I'm going to really test this combination on a snow camping trip in February.

My boots are size 11.5 that Burton says are the equivalent external size of a typical 10.5 boot. I can fit in the bindings two notches from the end, so I think size 12 boots would likely fit, even if it was a close call.

[Howard E. Friedman]

Kyle:

On your first trip with the Hoks, how would you characterize the performance of these skis for going uphill versus skiing down hill? Were you satisfied with the uphill traction and the down hill control? What kind of boots did you use?

[Paul Cernak]

I'm tryin' them out this weekend at a local mountain. They seem very well built. Good construction and sturdy. I'm a bit concerned about the longevity of the skins. My thinking is that a little DWR could help the longevity. There are a couple products I've seen that may help. One is Glop Stopper Wax:
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/skins/glop-stopper-wax/

Another is Black Diamond Free Glide Skin Care:
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Snowsports/ClimbingSkins/PRD~5013-943/black-diamond-free-glide-skin-care.jsp

Anybody have experience with these?

One review of the Black Diamond Free Glide Skin Care said that it made the skins too slippery and they didn't do their job up hills.

Any thoughts?

[Tommy Franzen]

I've used these skis twice now, once with the universal bindings and once with Voile 3 pin 75mm bindings. As expected, the 75mm bindings offered a lot more stability on the downhills. They were so fun that I had to order a pair. These will essentially replace my snowshoes here in the PNW. Certainly snowshoes still have their place (Cascade concrete, short steeps, long snow-less approaches), but I will be seeking out conditions and terrain suited for these skis now that I have them. As far as climbing, they climbed just as well as those who had snowshoes, in about 4-6" of soft snow. Coming down was WAY more fun, which is where these shine! I have concerns about the durability of the X-Trace, and can't imagine that they would work with trail runners (although I will probably try this in the Spring). For longer tours on forest roads I'll take some longer waxless-based skis, but for kicking around off trail near Mt. Hood/Santiam pass, these will be a treat to use.

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