Re: [Paddlewise] I bought my PANTS at VALUE VILLAGE

> I found a pair of carbon-fiber skate skis for $9.95 at the local
> Goodwill complete with bindings (bindings alone go for over $100). Better
> yet, I've used them regularly for the past 3 seasons!!!

It is interesting how everything is different south of the border.  I have
never seen scate skis in Vancouver second-hand sport stores for less than
$60, - unless in a very battered shape.  Those in a good shape go for
$70-80, without bindings, and if it has a deprectiation schedule, it always
sells when the price drops to $60 or so.  Anything with modern bindings like
NNN, SNS etc (even regular X-country skis), sells for at least $30,
considering the bindings value.

One problem with used scate skis (and same problem with low-end new scate
skis) is unknown elasticity and camber.  Good new scate skis have a proper
camber, and after some years it flattens up irreversibly (but you can't
detect this visually).  Low-end scate skis might have inadequate elasticity
or inadequate camber from the day one.

With using skiing clothes for kayaking I didn't have much luck either.
X-country (no matter what skis) requires less body twisting and less freedom
of movement around armits, therefore skiing tops feel restricting when
paddling, unless they are in much larger size (and then it is bunching up
under the paddle jacket).  Also, skiing tops are not made to cover low back,
while for kayaking you need it to be longer.  Skiing pants are even more a
problem - for kayaking they need to be energy-conserving, while for
X-country  this is the area of heat dissipation - something quite different.
OTH, I've been able to use low-end loose nylon gym pants for skiing -
X-country crowd tends to be less snobby than downhill skiers, for some
reason. On the forest X-country trail anything goes - bicycle jackets I can
see all the time.
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