Hey guys, let me start by saying how awesome this website is. I've been lurking around here for a while and I'm really starting to get excited about building my own set of skis. I must say that the information here is wonderfully straight forward and easy to follow as well as being quality information. Info like the stuff found here is rarely found on any internet forum/website. My Dad and I are seriously thinking about building a press and starting to build our own skis. He’s a MechE and I’m just finishing up my B.S in Physics so the equations and calculations have been flying, but I still have a couple questions about the finished product before we green light building our press.
1) we ski almost exclusively in the Eastern part of the country, this means almost no powder and a lot more ice and hard packed stuff. I also do a little racing when I get the chance (I currently ski Atomic race skis). My main concern in this case is durability. The conditions in this part of the country put a lot more stress and strain on skis than the powder a lot of your guys float on out west. Do homemade skis have the potential to be as good (durable) as mass produced skis from the big manufactures? To answer my own question, I imagine the ski will only be as good as you build it to be, so durability and ski-ability may only come with experimentation, but I’m only really asking if the potential is there. I'm excited about making my own skis, but what's the point if they suck or don't last more than a season
2) As I said, I’m a racer at heart I love speed. I read a post from SCHÜSS posted at the end of March about pressing a race ski. While I’m used to internet forums I still suck at searching, did anything ever come of that post? Has anyone else experimented with a race ski design?
That’s it for now, I’m sure I’ll have plenty more questions if I get this project off the ground.
Thanks in advance
Aaron
1st post.. some questions about durablitiy
Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp
"I'm excited about making my own skis, but what's the point if they suck or don't last more than a season."
Ah, AaBryan, I love to answer that question. First,of all, though, welcome.
I'm betting that everyone on this forum who has skied the first pair of their very own handmade skis would tell you that, even if they don't ski very well and even if they fall apart after the first run, you'll still absolutely love them.
Yes, durability can be an issue with sandwich construction. However, my homemade sandwich skis ski so much better than anything that I've ever skied before, even if they fell apart so quickly that I had to make a new pair every week, I'd still do it. I just couldn't go back to the ride of a factory ski. Mass production skis use cap construction because it is the most econimical way to build a ski... and the sidewalls hold up better. But, cap construction negatively effects the desirable flex charactoristics of the ski... makes the waist too stiff and interupts a smooth, consistent flex arc. Not only can you build a good ski in your garage, you can build a really great ski in your garage. It does take some space, though... the car may have to spend the winter outside.
So, go ahead and jump in. Just remember to take time to eat and sleep.
G-man
Ah, AaBryan, I love to answer that question. First,of all, though, welcome.
I'm betting that everyone on this forum who has skied the first pair of their very own handmade skis would tell you that, even if they don't ski very well and even if they fall apart after the first run, you'll still absolutely love them.
Yes, durability can be an issue with sandwich construction. However, my homemade sandwich skis ski so much better than anything that I've ever skied before, even if they fell apart so quickly that I had to make a new pair every week, I'd still do it. I just couldn't go back to the ride of a factory ski. Mass production skis use cap construction because it is the most econimical way to build a ski... and the sidewalls hold up better. But, cap construction negatively effects the desirable flex charactoristics of the ski... makes the waist too stiff and interupts a smooth, consistent flex arc. Not only can you build a good ski in your garage, you can build a really great ski in your garage. It does take some space, though... the car may have to spend the winter outside.
So, go ahead and jump in. Just remember to take time to eat and sleep.
G-man
That's awesome you want to make skis. I just wanted to chime in and totally agree with G-Man and add a few points. My first pair of skis only lasted 4 days, but they were the raddest thing ever to ski. My second pair (the Better Rockets on this site) are still going strong after 14 days of skiing. I consider that pretty good for my second pair.
Really though, I could care less if a ski lasts a whole season or not because I can always make another pair for $50 and a few hours of work. I have made 8 pairs of skis so far, and after the first couple pairs, it just gets easier and easier. I am sure Kelvin and the Kams would agree with this.
The other thing I do is take several pairs of skis to the mountain with me and change them around as the conditions change. This also allows me to loan them out to friends.
One final note to remember is that the retail cost of a high end ski is about $800 which means that you should be able to make between 8 and 16 pairs of rad skis for the cost of one pair of mass produced retail skis. Because of this reason, I think you will find that everyone on this site won't buy skis anymore. Good luck building!
Really though, I could care less if a ski lasts a whole season or not because I can always make another pair for $50 and a few hours of work. I have made 8 pairs of skis so far, and after the first couple pairs, it just gets easier and easier. I am sure Kelvin and the Kams would agree with this.
The other thing I do is take several pairs of skis to the mountain with me and change them around as the conditions change. This also allows me to loan them out to friends.
One final note to remember is that the retail cost of a high end ski is about $800 which means that you should be able to make between 8 and 16 pairs of rad skis for the cost of one pair of mass produced retail skis. Because of this reason, I think you will find that everyone on this site won't buy skis anymore. Good luck building!
Greg and G-man definitely hit it on the spot with their responses. Don't be fooled by the "homemade" quality of skibuilding. If you're willing to put in the extra time and effort I have no doubt that you can make very high quality skis that will last quite a while. You'll be surprised as to how little rocket science it takes to make skis. Not even rocket science. Just pretend you're making a really long sandwich.
From all the skis that we have made I don't think any of them have even come close to breaking. And we've made some really sketchy pairs of skis to say the least. On my second pair of skis I made I skied over a 130 days on them at Squaw and they still ski better than my Karhu Jaks (Line Mothership). They're beaten up but they still ski very well.
Just go for it. There are plenty of people here that would be willing to help you out (online anyway) and always feel free to send any of the K's an e-mail. Good luck!
From all the skis that we have made I don't think any of them have even come close to breaking. And we've made some really sketchy pairs of skis to say the least. On my second pair of skis I made I skied over a 130 days on them at Squaw and they still ski better than my Karhu Jaks (Line Mothership). They're beaten up but they still ski very well.
Just go for it. There are plenty of people here that would be willing to help you out (online anyway) and always feel free to send any of the K's an e-mail. Good luck!
- Kam S Leang (aka Little Kam)