I just got a great deal on some used Alpina Lite Terrain skis, with 3 pin 75 mm bindings already installed. Now I'm looking to buy a used pair of boots. Are there any brands and models I should be looking for? Are there any particular flaws or wear points that I need to be concerned about?

A bit about me - 230 lbs (plus day pack); and not overly skilled (yet!) with this type of ski, having mainly skied XC on the prairies. I'm not planning on going into avalanche territory - just going to hang out in the milder terrain, and have some fun on some winding trails.

I was looking in a shop today that specializes in used gear. They had some used Scarpa T-2's, and some leather boots from manufacturers unknown. The Scarpas seemed heavy, but I'm used to XC gear, so I guess that's no surprise. Should I just get used to that, or is there a lighter type of boot that will give me a decent amount of control on the turns?

Suggestions, anyone?

Thanks

My advice is sell the telemark setup and go buy some Dynafits

Don't.

Unless you're knees can handle your 230lbs of torque...

If you are looking to ski on some winding trails and not ski in 'avalanche terrain', by which i assume you mean you won't really be doing much sustained telemarking, leathers and your alpinas will be a nice combo.

Scarpa t2's will be overkill and won't be fun on "winding trails" in the woods. They're too much boot, imo, for that ski.

The main boots I've skied have been higher merrells (can't recall the model) and fairly low asolo "snowpine" boots.

I love the high merrell for skinning up seymour or cypress or other ski areas, or for skiing in the backcountry in forgiving conditions. The asolos are great for bombing around in the woods on trails or skiing in track and similar things.

I don't know where you are, but i'd try to find leather boots or the various leather/plastic combos that are fairly lightweight.

Last winter MEC was selling Rossignol Asian-made copies of Italian leather XC boots, with the 3-pin Nordic Norm toe. They were as cheap as used Italian-made leather boots. If you use eBay, there are always leather XC boots available on it.

Depending on what you're planning to do, and if you can find and pay a fortune for them, Scarpa T4's might be a good choice. Hard to find them used. It's easier and far cheaper to find original used T3's, which were brownish purple and have the same low/flexible shell as the T4's.

The older model scarpa T2's are great for easy light use, if you're not having much luck funding a decent pair of leathers. 2 buckles & a strap, and by this point in their life there's a good chance that they'll be nice & bendy now. The leathers will be a bit lighter & easier to stride in, but an old plastic boot has 0% maintenance!
You can quite often find them for under $20 at thrift shops or craigslist.

Disregard the Dynafit for your application, that'd be like buying a Lambroghini for getting the groceries.

ORS's youtube channel is a really helpful resource. I used their channel a few years ago to figure out a good XC/backcountry Teli setup.

This video of theirs pretty much covers what you want to know I'd think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6WBQnBH3vk

For turns a scarpa t3/t4 would go nicely with those skis, but it sounds like you might not be after turns. In that case, you could go leather for easier touring. Plastic boots are warmer and drier though, which is a big factor on overnight trips. Where are you doing your skiing?

T3s & t4s are lower and lighter than t2s. T3s and T4s are the same shell, but with a different liner. The t4s have a cheaper sewn fabric liner whereas the t3s have a thermomouldable liner, which is warmer and lighter. T3s are not available new, but you can get the same thing by buying new t4s and replacing the liners with intuitions or something similar.

I had Scarpa t4's for years with 75 MM bindings (releasable voile CRB's) with skis a bit beefier than your Alpina lites (I had Hagan alpins). It was a fun, versatile setup that I also used at the resort but in retrospect I would not reccommend it. I would say get light flexible boots for the alpine lites + 75 mm bindings.

The issue I found with plastic boots and basic 75 mm bindings is that the boots don't flex as much as lighter boots and the bindings can't compensate like some of the better tele bindings with the 'free pivot' built in, so your upper quads and glutes get a huge workout that no one else in your group (with better gear) will experience.

As a cheap way to get out, go for it... At least t4's or t3's are beefy enough to turn (it is really hard to do tele turns in leather boots unless you are some kind of tele master)... if you stick with telemark I think you will eventually get a free pivot binding.

I believe the original T3's (purplish brown) were indeed the same shell as the T4, but the newer T3's are a little higher, stiffer and heavier. The newer ones have the angled bellows and a stiffener along the sides near the sole. I've had both types of T3's at the same time. You're right that the newer T3's have been replaced, by a version (T2X?) that is higher, stiffer, heavier and with 3 buckles instead of 2.

Thanks for the advice and information, everyone. I can see that maybe the leather boots would be preferable for me at this stage. I'm tossing about the idea of getting some Rossignol BCX 675's - they are inexpensive enough to get new . I don't think they are available locally, though, but I'll have to do some more research into that.

Another one that I came across on eBay are these:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MERRELL-Leath...item23442276ec

If I can get them at a low enough price, I might contemplate it. Any comments on them? Would they fit my criteria?

Happened to be doing a bit of work in a ski shop today. I asked if they happened to have any 3 pin boots in stock. They did - a pair of Garmont Excursions in my size. And they were half price! Perfect! I know they are a bit more boot than I need for my skill level at the moment, but I hope to get good enough to push them to their limits some day.