REVIEW: ALTAI HOK 145cm

Ski Review: Altai Hok 145cm- Work and Play All Day!

The Hok is inspired by indigenous skis of Eurasia, that are relatively short and fat, with a permanently-fixed skin underfoot- designed for skiing on deep soft snow, through dense northern forests, and highly variable terrain.

As a starting point- many people are referring to the Hok as a “ski-shoe”- a hybrid between a snowshoe and a ski.  Having now had a chance to put these skis through their paces- I am firmly of the perspective that these are skis- period.  And although they can be easily used by the novice skier on gentle terrain- they require skiing skills in order to effectively use them on steep terrain.

Specs

The Hok can currently be had in two different lengths: 125cm and 145cm.  There is also a children/youth’s version of the Hok- the “Balla Hok”.  I bought the 145cm.  Apparently Altai originally designed the 125cm, and was not planning on a longer version.  As I have yet to test the 125cm- I cannot compare them.  But- I am thrilled with the performance of the 145cm- so I am happy they made them longer!

Here is a summary of the 145cm Hok specifications:

• Profile: 124-110-122mm.
• Weight: 5lbs, 5oz (2.38kg)
• Camber: single-cambered; with a rockered tip, and slightly open tail.
• Flex pattern: smooth, even, soft flex.
• Full-length steel edges
• Broad, elongated, raised tip.
• Nylon skin, permanently attached to the mid-section of the base.

The Hok has a smooth, even, soft flex that is designed to perform in fresh soft snow.  (I have not yet tried the Hok on dense/hard, and/or icy snow- I would predict that they would be brutally inefficient.)

The rockered-tip makes for efficient flotation, trail-breaking and climbing; and efficient turn initiation.  The raised, elongated tip offers excellent trail-breaking performance.  The slightly open tail allows for great manoeuverability- you can even quickly back up with these skis on!

I have been using the Hok in a XCD context- xcountry and downhill skiing through dense northern forest in moderate terrain.  I have not been covering great distances on them.  But I have been putting them on some very steep slopes- wanting to test the climbing and downhill performance.

My initial interest in the Hok was purely utilitarian.  I am forestry professional- spending a lot of hours doing field work in the woods- in all seasons.  I have always used snowshoes for winter field work- often skiing into the field site, carrying snowshoes on my pack, or on a pulk/sled.  The maneuverability and traction of the Hok initially interested me in a replacement for my snowshoes.  This would allow me to travel lighter and complete my field work and travel with the same equipment.

I have been pleased and surprised by the ski-performance of the Hok.

Bindings

There are a number of binding options.

Altai sells the Hok with the optional “Xtrace” universal binding.  You can where whatever boots you wish with the universal binding.

The Hok comes pre-drilled for a standard NN, 75mm-3 pin binding.

There is also an optional binding adapter plate that can be used to easily use a wide range of XC and Telemark bindings.

I bought the Hok with the universal binding so that I might try them out.  I have some interest in using a winter field boot with the Hok- in a work environment.  I am reasonably impressed with the universal binding.  I find it strong and supportive.  It is fine for shuffling along on the Hok.  However I find it very restrictive.  I find when I try to push the Hok to perform, in a K&G context- I find the universal binding too restrictive- the instep strap prevents me from fully extending my stride.

I also bought the binding adapter plate- I plan on mounting an NNNBC-Magnum binding on this ski. 

Quality and Durability

I cannot speak to durability yet- but these skis are beautifully made.  The burlap topsheet and indigenous-inspired artwork are unique approaches to ski art- especially in an era where there seems to be a hideous return to 1980s bright colors and neon!

Xcountry Performance

Well- being a lifelong xcountry skier I was not surprised to find that the Hok is not a high-performance xcountry ski- it is short, wide and has very little camber.  However, stiff, double-cambered skis do not perform in deep soft snow.  Altai has the flex pattern of the Hok just right for deep soft snow.  The rockered tip offers superb early-tip rise, keeping the tip floating on top of the snow.  The broad, elongated, raised tip breaks trail through deep snow very effectively.

I am actually quite surprised to find the Hok a decent kick-and-glide ski in deep, soft snow.  If I really push the ski to perform, and aggressively weight and unweight the ski- I can get decent K&G performance.

The loss in xcountry glide is traded-off against incredible maneuverability.  You can truly xcountry ski anywhere, and through the densest of northern forest, with these skis.  My backyard, backcountry skiing is through dense mixedwood forest- with two to three hundred meter verticals.  On long Nordic touring skis I am forced to stick to trails, woods roads, fields, and open hardwood stands.  The maneuverability of the Hok opens up a whole other world to explore on skis- allowing me to find new routes and ski into places that would normally require snowshoes, or hiking boots!

Climbing Performance

With that nylon skin underneath the Hok has enough traction to climb up amazingly steep slopes.  The topography around here is dissected by endless rugged, steep stream and small river valleys.  With long touring skis I have to find very strategic access points in order to climb out of them- otherwise I would constantly be putting on climbing skins.  The permanent skin of the Hok allows me to climb up out of a ravine whenever and wherever I wish- again greatly expanding the exploration opportunities.

Downhill Performance

To be honest- I expected the downhill performance of the Hok to be downright disappointing- I was wrong.  The Hok is downright FUN on the downhill.  Again- they offer decent glide, and the open tips offer effortless turn initiation.  In deep, soft snow, these skis are an absolute blast on the downhill.  And again- the manoeuverability allows to charge down through steep, dense forest- runs that I would never be able to pull off with my long touring skis.

I have been playing around with different turning techniques on these skis.  In deep, soft snow I find I can easily use Alpine techniques to turn these skis.  BUT- I find that I get much better performance from Nordic turns, such as step/jump turns and traditional telemark strides.  Similar to my observations when xcountry skiing with the Hok- I find I get much better glide the more I weight and unweight the skis.  And the more assertive/aggressive I am in my striding the better these skis glide down the hill.  I find that if I stay evenly weighted on these skis and simply steer my way through turns- I can really feel the skins dragging and killing my glide.

Although I have yet to try the 125cm Hok- I greatly appreciate the stability of the 145cm.  I’m thinking that the 125cm Hok might be a little too short for any serious downhill skiing at speed?

The downhill performance causes me to offer caution to new “ski-shoers”.  If you are not a backcountry downhill skier- be careful on the Hok.  The inherent climbing ability of the Hok will allow you to climb up slopes that could easily be beyond one’s ability to safely ski down.  Yes- those skins do slow the Hok down- but if the slope is steep enough you will still pick up speed very quickly, requiring downhill skiing skills.  Whether one calls it “skishoeing” or not- the Hok will quickly teach you it is a ski on a steep downhill run!

Flotation

What can I say?  This is a powder ski.  With a full 110mm underfoot, and that rockered tip- the Hok wants to floats to the top of the pow.  At my weight (185lbs) I get as much, or more, flotation from the 145cm Hok, as I do from my 195cm Madshus Annums (109-78-95mm).  We live in age where every ski for some reason needs to be “good” at everything.  But a powder ski needs VERY little sidecut.  What it needs is a rockered tip, lots of surface area, and the right flex pattern (I have always thought the Annum/Guide would have been a better powder ski if it was wider underfoot- you don’t need all of that sidecut in the pow!)  The Hok is a dream in truly deep, soft snow.

From Work to Play

These skis have met and exceeded my hopes for a utilitarian “work ski” for the dense northern forest.  I can hike into work sites; follow compass shots through the densest bush; measure trees; record field data; and set up plots- all on skis!

What I did not anticipate is how much FUN this ski is.  And it also allows me to explore areas I never would have been able to on long touring skis.

Skiing with Little Children

My wife and I have four children at home (ranging from age 2 to 13).  We have backcountry skied with all of our children since they were very young.  The two youngest spend a lot of time in a “Chariot”- we carry their toddler skis and snowshoes with us.  The two oldest can keep up with us on everything except the most grueling of tours. 

The Hok is a real dream when skiing with young children.  The combination of traction and maneuverability makes it so easy to pull/carry weight through deep snow; turn around on a dime; or chase after someone that has taken off into the bush and/or a ravine (I don’t know about your kids- but mine have always gotten a thrill out of heading off into some rat’s nest that is a real nightmare on long touring skis.

Over the last few weeks my wife and I have brought the Hoks and a long touring ski between us.  One of us stays close to the little ones on the Hok- while the other can fly back and forth and ski ahead with the older children.  We switch back and forth between the Hok and the long ski during the tour.

Long Nordic touring skis are definitely the way to efficiently fly over long distances in the backcountry.  But the Hok is definitely a better ski for farting around and playing with little kids.

I can also easily pull a kid-loaded sled on the Hok without ski poles.  A new development in our sliding afternoons is to pull the little ones up the hill and then fly back down the hill- all on the Hok!

Man- these skis are awesome.

Conclusions

Here are my current conclusions:

• The Hok is an incredible piece of work equipment- especially if you work in a climate where there is lots of soft snow to travel and work on.  On soft snow, the Hok has made my snowshoes almost obsolete!

• The “ski” performance of the Hok is surprisingly pretty darn impressive (in soft snow).  Nordic xcountry and downhill techniques bring out this performance.  You need to assertively stride on these skis to unlock the grip of that skin and get a good glide.

• These skis climb like a goat, are incredibly maneuverable, and float in the deepest pow.  If you live in the Northwoods- the Hok will open up a whole other world of places to explore on skis.

• Although I cannot speak to the 125cm Hok- I can confirm that the 145cm Hok is a true Nordic ski.  In the appropriate snow conditions- the 145cm Hok offers true XCD performance.

• The universal binding although versatile- is quite restrictive.  If you plan on doing a lot of skiing on the Hok- moving to a proper ski boot and binding will not only offer even better performance- but it will be easier on your feet!

• The Hok is the perfect ski for going out and playing on snow with young children.  The combination of grip and maneuverability leave your hands completely free to deal with and play with your little ones. (I am beginning to consider the Balla Hok for my four-year-old son.  He is so much an explorer that to date he has much preferred snowshoes to skis.  I had better get a second pair for my two-year-old daughter though- she is already a determined skier and will want to keep up with her brother!)

What can I say?  The crew at Altai Skis did it right with the Hok.  Well done.

I look forward to trying the 145cm Hok with a burly BC-XC NNNBC boot.  I will give you and update when I do!

REVIEW: MADSHUS EON WAX

Speed and Grip!

I finally bought the Madshus Eon with a waxable base.  I bought them on clearance back in September 2015.  I believe they are from the 2012-2013 production.  They do not have the current black-yellow top sheet- they are silver.

My pair is 205cm (the longest you can get an Eon).

The Eon is the slimmest of Madshus’ “xcountry-downhill” (XCD) series.  I would describe the Madshus XCDs as hybrid alpine touring/telemark-xcountry skis.  They do not offer the classic xcountry performance of a stiff, double-cambered backcountry-xcountry ski.  They are a less efficient xcountry ski than a Scandinavian backcountry ski (i.e. “fjellski”) as well.  They are designed to offer “modern” (i.e. Alpine) downhill performance- while still being light enough to xcountry ski with.

(The Madshus XCD line is a carbon copy of the last generation Karhu XCDs: Eon= XCD GT; Epoch= XCD 10^th Mountain; Annum= Guide)

Fischer’s S-Bound series is designed to offer similar performance.  In my experience the S-Bounds seem to be a little more weighted towards climbing and downhill skiing.  The S-Bounds in general have more of a parabolic profile, and the waxless “off-track crown” on the S-Bounds is clearly designed for climbing traction.  The S-Bounds, in general, do have a stiffer flex pattern than the Madshus XCDs- this in general offers better performance on dense/hard snow than the Madshus XCDs.

(There are a number of other manufactures of this hybrid class of Nordic skis including Rossignol (e.g. BC90, BC110, BC125) and Alpina (e.g. Discovery series))

Specs

Here is a summary of the Eon Waxable specs:

• Profile: 83-62-70mm
• “Single-cambered”
• Flex pattern: smooth, even, soft flex, with a slightly-rockered tip
• Full-length steel edges
• Low-profile tip
• Track groove
• Sintered, waxable base

The Eon is often described as being “camber-and-a-half”…from my perspective the Eon is clearly a single-cambered ski.  The Eon is, in my experience, noticeably stiffer than its wider siblings- the Epoch and the Annum- this contrast may be the primary reason for referring to the Eon as “camber-and-a-half”.  It is also available in longer lengths.  A 205cm Eon has noticeably more “camber” than a 195cm Eon.

Like the Epoch and the Annum, the Eon has a smooth, soft, flex.  This flex pattern offers good performance on fresh, soft snow- brutally inefficient on dense/hard snow.

The Madshus XCDs are slightly-rockered in the tip- UTE magazine described the Eon as having approx. 10cm of rocker in the tip.  (This is quite different than Fischer’s “Nordic rocker”, but in my experience, produces similar early-tip rise- at least in a xcountry K&G context).  The slightly open tips of the Eon are very noticeable when initiating downhill turns.

The Eon, unlike a traditional BC-XC ski, has a low profile tip (i.e. more like an Alpine ski).

The waxable Eon has a high-quality sintered base.  I have hot-glide waxed them, and grip-waxed the traction zone underfoot.  They hold wax very well- and they are very fast.

This winter- I will be testing this ski against a 205cm&195cm waxless Eon; as well as a 210cm Asnes USGI Combat ski (waxable).

Quality and Durability

There has been much apprehension about the build-quality of Madshus XCDs being built in China.  My family (my wife and I have 4 children at home) has multiple sizes of the Eon, Epoch and Annum.  I personally have put well over 1000kms/season on my 205cm waxless Eons over the last 6 years.  I must confess we have never had any problems with these skis.  My waxless Eons, in particular, take some serious abuse in late-winter, early-spring skiing through the woods.

Xcountry Performance

From a traditional perspective- the Eon is not a very efficient xcountry ski- it is not stiff enough to offer an efficient Nordic “kick”.  (Although I do find that the Eon with an NNN-BC binding offers more “snap” than with a NN-75mm-3 pin binding).  The xcountry “kick and glide” performance of the Eon is greatly affected by the length of ski that you choose.  For example, at my weight (185lbs) I get significantly better K&G performance on my 205cm Eons than on my wife’s 195cm.

 

I have tested the current Fischer E-109- it is significantly stiffer and more cambered- the E-109 is a much more efficient xcountry ski than the Eon. 

My Asnes Combat skis (see my review) are much stiffer and more cambered than the Eon- they offer much more efficient K&G performance then the Eon.

The waxable Eon is significantly faster than the waxless Eon- it’s actually amazing how much faster it is!  And with appropriate grip waxing- I get better K&G and climbing traction than the waxless Eon- in most snow conditions that I ski in (cold snow).  The waxless Eon still shines in warm wet snow though- I am certainly not going to part with them!

All of this being said- the Eon is a very popular backcountry-xcountry touring ski.  Many, many people appreciate the “relaxed, smooth ride” (and of course the downhill performance).  The Eon is noticeably straighter and stiffer through the tail, than the tip.  As a result- the Eon tracks very well for a ski with so much sidecut (though it does not track as straight as my Asnes Combat skis).  I understand why people like the Eon as a xcountry ski- though I personally wish it had a stiffer flex pattern.

Another excellent use of the Eon is for a backcountry ski for children (or very light skiers).  The flex pattern of the Eon is soft enough that children can control a 165cm Eon from a relatively early age.  My oldest daughter (who is still as light as a feather), for example, has been on a 165cm Eon since she was 7 years old.  Finding BC-Nordic skis for children can be a real challenge- learning how to ski on fresh snow, on a stiff, cambered ski, is no fun for anyone!

Climbing Performance

With appropriate us of grip wax I can climb a much steeper slope than I can with the waxless Eon (the waxless “Omnitrack” on the Eon is clearly designed for K&G performance- not climbing).  I have yet to deal with grip wax and a climbing skin…

Downhill Performance

The Eon offers what I would call “moderate” downhill turning performance…

This has to be put in context…

In fact, compared to a traditional BC-XC ski (with a stiff flex/camber), the Eon offers excellent “modern” (i.e. Alpine) downhill performance- the slightly open tips, and ample sidecut, offer decent turn initiation, and a reasonable turn-radius.  However, compared to other hybrid telemark-xcountry Nordic skis- the Eon’s relatively straight, stiff, tail make it a less efficient turner than skis with a more uniform, parabolic profile and flex pattern.  I personally think that the performance of the Eon is more weighted towards xcountry performance, than many of the other hybrid skis available.  Effectively steering the Eon requires quite a powerful boot/binding- unless you are on ideal snow/terrain.  I ski the Eon with a NNN-BC binding (currently the Alpina Alaska for a boot) - I find the Eon is easier to manage by using a striding-technique to initiate/complete my downhill turns.  Obviously the Eon would be easier for me to steer in a short length- but then I would lose all of the xcountry performance this ski has to offer.

Flotation

A “powder” ski the Eon is not.  Even with that 83mm tip, I find the Eon is not fat enough (or perhaps long enough- depending on your perspective) to offer enough flotation in truly deep powder.  (My 195cm Annums are much more efficient than the Eon, in truly deep powder).  Part of the problem is that sidecut- the Eon is only 62mm underfoot- this significantly reduces the effective flotation of the Eon.  (My Asnes Combat skis (67mm underfoot) offer significantly better flotation than the Eon).  I would actually prefer an Eon with less sidecut- and more width underfoot.

I find that the Eon offers effective flotation in up to about 16 inches of fresh, soft snow.  In my neck of the woods- I typically have up to 2 feet of fresh snow on top of a very dense base- in these conditions- the Eon performs very well.

The other issue is the fact that  the Eon is very soft-flexing, and reverse-flexes very easily.  While this may be in fact an advantage when downhill skiing on soft snow- it seriously compromises XC performance on soft snow.  There is not enough resistance in the flex of the Eon to support the ski's waist in a powerful Nordic kick.  I find that in deep snow, when I push down to stride forward, the ski reverse-flexes- causing the waist to sink into the abyss with the tip and tail floating on top of the snow! 

Conclusions

Here are my current conclusions:

• The Eon, in general, is an excellent XCD touring ski on fresh, snow over a dense base.  It offers reasonable xcountry performance- with decent downhill performance.
• In order to fully take advantage of the xcountry performance- you must ignore what the “experts” tell you: don’t “size-down”- “size-up”!!  If you truly want to cover lots of distance with this ski- get as long an Eon as you can.  The Eon is so soft-flexing that even the lightest of skiers can effectively ski a long length.  (As a xcountry-focused ski, I would buy a 215cm Eon- if I could only get one!)
• The waxable Eon is a much “better” (i.e. faster, better traction) ski than the waxless- but only if you get enough cold snow to take advantage of it.  I much prefer the waxable base- but I would not be without a waxless ski for skiing on wet “spring” snow.  Klister works better than waxless- but keep your klister out of the woods!
• If your backcountry skiing is on gentle to moderate terrain and takes more of a xcountry-focus- you may be disappointed with the Eon.  It does not have the stiff flex pattern of a traditional BC-XC.  However, if you are not so performance-orientated- you may find the “smooth, relaxed ride” of the Eon to be perfect for your skiing style.
• The Eon is an excellent backcountry ski for children and very light skiers- due to its smooth, soft flex.
• From my perspective I think that the Eon would offer more powerful performance if there was more resistance to its flex-pattern.  I find the Eon is just to soft and reverse-flexes too easily.  I push my skis very hard to perform- the Eon does not have enough flex-stiffness to respond!

In conclusion- the Eon is a well-designed, and very capable and versatile mid-width XCD ski.  It is easy to like- and easy to handle.  Combine that with a very reasonable price- its popularity is well deserved.

The greater performance of the waxable base is well worth the bit of extra maintenance!