Skin ski mounting balance point?

[JeffOYB]

For those who don't have plates...

Are skin skis known to be grip-heavy or glide-dominant? Does this affect their typical mount-point?

I recall oldschool was a half inch behind the balance point to keep tips in the tracks, I guess. Or maybe to enhance glide and put the kickzone a bit more forward. ...I'm thinking that I no longer like this because I don't worry about ski control anymore thanks to modern bindings. ...And I REALLY don't want my tips hitting the snow when herringboning -- in fact, tail-heavy might be nice.

This is a nice aspect of adjustable plate mounting. But I haven't fooled around with that enough yet to know how position affects performance.

...And I especially don't know what skin skis like. So are there any tendencies? Or now do we need to know the brand and model! Asking for friend. It's a Salomon Aero 9.

[Neuro]

In my case glide dominant. With my NIS plate (Xcelerator SNS/ProLink NIS), the binding can be moved 15 mm forward and 20 back from the balance point (in 6 steps), but wish it could go even more forward in order to get more grip.

True that too forward is not ideal when herringboning like you say, but with the new Move and Electric binding, this can now be adjusted on the fly.

[JeffOYB]

thanks. i'll let my friend know they tend toward glide.

but i might've lost you at the last part because when you say that forward is not ideal for herringbone -- moving the binding forward HELPS herringbone, right? moving it back results in tip-drag. moving the balance point forward HURTS herringbone. is that what you meant?

[Neuro]

Yes you are of course right. Avoiding tip heavy while herringboning is the best so balance point should be more rearward like you say. I mixed up there.

[Sea&Xc]

You really really want to have adjustable bindings on your skin skis. The grip/glide really depends on the snow. Skins excel in icy, glazed, older snow conditions and are grippy in fresher and drier snow conditions. Also the individual flex of the ski and how the skier skis plays a big part. You move forward for grip, rearward for glide.

I've skied many different skin skis and ALWAYS adjust the binding. Sometimes it's only a click or 2 but on others days, extreme ice or ultra dry ungroomed tracks it could be a big adjustment. You can certainly ski them drilled but you'll have a much wider range of solid performance and will enjoy the skis more if you have a plate. You can buy both NIS and IFP screw in plates for flat (Salomon/Atomic) skis.

I own a pair of Fischer TwinSkin Carbon as my everyday performance classic ski. It is only possible to do this because of the adjustability. I shift back when I want to kick hard and doublepole a lot and shift forward if I'm cruising with the family. Icy day with lots of climbing, forward. Fresh snow in the tracks, backward.