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Do Skis Get Blunt?

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Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#171

Post by SkyPuncher »

FredFS456 wrote: post #170
SkyPuncher wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing the conversation seems to be missing is rocks and handling. Rocks are mostly an off-piste issue, but I have seen it happen on piste. Especially early and last season when cover can be low. Will occasionally also happen near the lift when a spot gets warn low. When I get rock gashes, it's always easier to just send them to the shop's machine. Handling also introduces a fair amount of nicks. In theory, the ed…

Use ski straps, especially the type which has a rubber end that you can stick in between the skis. It prevents them from scissoring, which is harmful for both the edges and the base.

I tend to forget them. However, in my case, I'm basically skiing rocks every time I'm out. Tools, not jewels.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#172

Post by abakker »

jcgrillo wrote: post #150
abakker wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A fellow hardbooter? I feel like the base size on snowboards benefits even more from good tuning than a lot of narrow race skis. And, obviously, you only have 1 edge instead of two, so the load on the edge is bigger. apropos of this discussion, my main board probably never gets a serious tune now that I live in the rockies. back in VT, it was critical daily maintenance due to the amount of ice you actually encountere…

Yeah current setup is Tanker 201, Upz RC11s, and F2 race bindings. I also have an F2 GS board with these awesome big rubber riser plates and F2 bindings as well but I don't ride it very often as I can carve the Tanker much tighter and slower, which as you know is important on narrow, icy east coast trails

Haha, another PSR/Eric Brammer student maybe? I'm also on a tanker 200, F2 race TIs and an older pair of Deelux Track 325s. I keep waiting for a good deal on an f2 silberfeil or a not very aggressive Donek Axis to come up for sale.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#173

Post by trogdor »

burningChrome wrote: post #154
anytime5704 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Once you have everything in your airspace set up… The great filter of self-maintaining ski equipment. I don’t have the space for a permanent setup and it’s just more convenient to drag the skis to the store once a year than buy the equipment, learn to use it, store it somewhere, remember where, etc. I imagine many others (most?) feel the same.

>> it’s just more convenient to drag the skis to the store once a year I agree. I've been skiing and snowboarding for over 30 years. I used to tune my skis and board religiously myself. Once I got married and had a few kids, it got cumbersome to tune my board, then two to three additional pairs of skis. Then I went back to just tuning mine and realized how much of a mess it makes and how time consuming it can be. Whe…

> I loved doing it because it was a sort of a 'zen' process for me to lose myself for an hour or so and the idea of tuning my board like a pro and having to live with the results, for better or worse I always thought was cool

Your comment reminds me of gun cleaning. Most modern firearms require little more than occasional lubrication. Despite that reality, many gun owners thoroughly clean their guns after every trip to the range. Probably for similar reasons to those you describe.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#174

Post by jcgrillo »

abakker wrote: post #172
jcgrillo wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah current setup is Tanker 201, Upz RC11s, and F2 race bindings. I also have an F2 GS board with these awesome big rubber riser plates and F2 bindings as well but I don't ride it very often as I can carve the Tanker much tighter and slower, which as you know is important on narrow, icy east coast trails

Haha, another PSR/Eric Brammer student maybe? I'm also on a tanker 200, F2 race TIs and an older pair of Deelux Track 325s. I keep waiting for a good deal on an f2 silberfeil or a not very aggressive Donek Axis to come up for sale.

No I'm not familiar with those two, I'm self-taught mostly from reading stuff online and watching racers practice. I skied for 8 years or so before snowboarding (I believe I started around 2001?) so carving the board has always been kind of natural for me once I got past the whole two feet stuck down thing.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#175

Post by GuB-42 »

Reason077 wrote: post #44

> "Last winter, I rode a ski lift alongside a guy who claimed to be a retired Olympic ski tuner." On another note, this is apparantely a high-risk occupation due to exposure to PFAS and other carcinogens in ski wax. The FIS recently banned the use of fluorinated wax in competitions, but it was the norm for many years. Not great to be a ski tuner breathing in all those heated/aerosolised PFAS compounds...

Are there studies that show that ski tuners are more susceptible to some specific diseases, and that it can be tied to particular chemicals, PFAS in particular.

That would be interesting, as all the worries about PFAS is more along the lines of "it may be bad, and if it is we are screwed as we have dumped so much of it in nature and it doesn't degrade", but concrete evidence is still lacking today.

Note that overheated PTFE is bad, but we are talking over 250°C, which is, I believe, way less than the temperatures used by ski tuners.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#176

Post by __mharrison__ »

oldandboring wrote: post #110
strstr wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could also sharpen just one edge of each ski (opposite edges across the pair), then put the skis on random feet. Then see if they can tell which edges are sharp! Most of a typical skier’s weight is supported by the inside edge of the downhill ski while carving. Youth racers tend to ski with one set of edges on the inside for training, and the other edges inside for racing (under the theory that the inside edges t…

True enough at younger levels but as you move up in age and skill, the weight distribution between the downhill and uphill ski gets closer to 50/50. What you're saying has a kernel of truth and young skiers are still taught downhill ski as a fundamental but shaped skis have really changed the game on this.

Tele is pretty close to 50/50.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#177

Post by bamboozled »

fragmede wrote: post #35
bamboozled wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Riding big fat powder skis everyday, inside and outside of the resort? More or less doesn't matter." Until you stop off at the bar on a Sunny day and ride home on dusk once everything has frozen again, then you'd be like "oh I wish I didn't tell everyone not to keep their edges in decent shape", as you fly off the cliff edge.

Yeah but the whole way down you're saying to yourself "I shouldnta have that last drink" because you coulda made it home in time, instead of blaming your tools, unless you're a bad craftsman.

Good craftsmen drink beer.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#178

Post by bamboozled »

denhaus wrote: post #66
bamboozled wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Riding big fat powder skis everyday, inside and outside of the resort? More or less doesn't matter." Until you stop off at the bar on a Sunny day and ride home on dusk once everything has frozen again, then you'd be like "oh I wish I didn't tell everyone not to keep their edges in decent shape", as you fly off the cliff edge.

I laughed out loud at the “fly off a cliff edge” On the real however, getting down the mountain safely after dusk etc with dull vs. sharp edges will likely only affect intermediate skiers. Beginner skiers are going to crash no matter what they’re riding if on steep and icy terrain. Expert skiers know when and how to ride conservatively and can basically ride anything in any conditions “safely” (even if that means jus…

What I didn't really like about he parents comment is that it seems kind of "lazy" not to do your edges. My wife broker her arm recently when a kid fell over in front of her and she couldn't stop quickly. On steep icy terrain this is a concern. That was my true "fly off a cliff edge" example.

The comment seemed like a "I don't wear a helmet because it's uncool" sort of thing...just do your edges occasionally, what's the issue?

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#179

Post by MisterTea »

swader999 wrote: post #136
MisterTea wrote: post #117

Sharp skis are necessary for good control otherwise you're just sliding around. Snow and Ice aren't the only things you ski over as there is a ton of dirt and other debris mixed in. Sometimes you get rocks and pebbles near trail edges. Heck, spring skiing will put you on trails with thin snow cover in addition to patches of grass and dirt that will destroy your skis (fun fact: hitting grass at speed is NOT fun - inst…

We could talk for pages about wax. Your father is partly right, it does wear off quickly, especially if you apply it correctly. I'd say wax is important in that it prevents the base from oxidizing. A dried out base is more difficult to turn and slower. Structure (small grooves in the base) will make you a second faster) Wearing a race suit vs a normal tight coat will make you two seconds faster. Proper setup edges vs…

I guess that was the issue, we were casual skiers who just enjoyed the runs so when they offered wax, it was of no use to us so may father refused. This was at the mountain ski shop so you know they pushed everything they could.

Re: Do Skis Get Blunt?

#180

Post by Reason077 »

GuB-42 wrote: post #175
Reason077 wrote: post #44

> "Last winter, I rode a ski lift alongside a guy who claimed to be a retired Olympic ski tuner." On another note, this is apparantely a high-risk occupation due to exposure to PFAS and other carcinogens in ski wax. The FIS recently banned the use of fluorinated wax in competitions, but it was the norm for many years. Not great to be a ski tuner breathing in all those heated/aerosolised PFAS compounds...

Are there studies that show that ski tuners are more susceptible to some specific diseases, and that it can be tied to particular chemicals, PFAS in particular. That would be interesting, as all the worries about PFAS is more along the lines of "it may be bad, and if it is we are screwed as we have dumped so much of it in nature and it doesn't degrade", but concrete evidence is still lacking today. Note that overheat…

I don't know if there are any specific studies of disease rates in ski technicians, or former ski technicians. But perfluorinated compounds are known to cause disease (including cancers) in animal studies, and blood studies have shown alarming levels in ski technicians, even months after the end of a season.

There are certainly cases in other industries (such as the Dupont factory workers) who have demonstrably high rates of disease from occupational exposure to PFAS.

The evidence was certainly compelling enough to convince the FIS to ban fluorinated wax, and from what I understand this ban is taken quite seriously. They have devices to check for fluorinated compounds on skis, and even the smallest trace of it can get you disqualified.

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