Despite having used a number of lighter weight touring skis in the past, I've always opted for owning heavier touring skis that favour the downs rather than the ups. My current setup, Icelantic Nomads with Dynafit Rotations, won't win any records for uphill speed or light weight, but they are sensationally fun for downhill runs in the backcountry and when skiing the lifts. With the opportunity to demo the G3 FINDr 94's, I was keen to see how these stacked up to my normal touring setup, and how well they held on in our current variable snow conditions. On a recent trip to South Ramshead with some friends, I gave the FINDr 94's a test run to see how they performed in some typical Australian touring conditions.
The FINDr 94's were an absolute dream on the uphill. Even with a slightly heavier AT demo binding I immediately noticed the weight difference compared to my Icelantic's, providing (almost) effortless skinning on the moderate slope up from Cascade's trailhead. The traditional camber profile of the ski gives excellent edge contact - especially noticeable on the early morning skin after I realised I had brought the wrong ski crampons along.
While not as applicable when fitting a binding with brakes, the magnetic contact points built into the FINDr's makes fitting the skis to a pack, or even just carrying them for a short portage, efficient and stress free. No more digging through your pack for a ski strap, or dealing with skis that want to do anything other than behave and sit base to base - the magnets are surprisingly strong and reliably hold the skis together.
I enjoyed the low weight and uphill characteristics of the FINDr 94 on our skin up to South Ramshead, but the real surprise came on our ski back down. I felt a little unsure with the FINDr's getting bounced around on the crust at higher elevations, though nothing that was uncontrollable or bone chattering and as we dropped elevation slightly, the FINDr's came into their own with easy edge control and a nice flex and turn shape you would expect from a heavier ski. The carbon layup and titanal mounting plate provide enough stiffness that the skis respond reliably when you let them run. In the 177cm length, the FINDr 94's have a 20.7m radius - a little longer than I would normally prefer. Nevertheless, I found that the early rise tip provided a noticeable reduction in effective length and allowed for exceptional manoeuvrability in the trees.
For a dedicated touring ski, I rate the FINDr's pretty highly. The 94mm waist is super versatile and provides enough float while still being quick edge to edge. The weight is a nice balance of easy skinning without the bone chattering effect that Rando style skis produce. I was really surprised by how manoeuvrable the skis felt as the trees tightened up at lower elevations, an unexpected ease in producing fast, tight turns from a relatively long radius ski. Overall, the FINDr is an excellent choice for a lightweight touring skis that performs well in variable snow, sacrificing little downhill performance while remaining manoeuvrable and fast on the uphills.
Keen to try the G3 FINDr's for yourself? In addition to our extensive AT and XC Ski hire fleet, current season skis are available for Demo. Contact Mont Hire to book.
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Mont has proudly been the sole sponsor of Kowen Races since their inception five years ago, supporting this outstanding Canberra initiative that fosters a supportive trail running community. Founded by Pam Muston with support from her daughter Claire, and backed by the Wamboin Fire Brigade, the event continues to grow in size and spirit.
