Do you think a 2019 Salomon Qst Lux will last 10 years?

[1chris5]

My wife just bought a demo 2019 Salomon qst lux 92mm at the blue mountain retail shop.. The skis look in great shape. This ski has koroyd, flax and rubber. Is there any way to know that these compounds won’t break down. I’m amazed at the skis people use in the Pocono. Sometimes 20 or 30 years old and apparently still working. I wouldn’t trust the bindings but I guess this hardware is built to last. Any thoughts on the life cycle of some of these materials used today?

 

[Tricia]

That Lux, should last her a long time but it will depend on how she skis it and how often she skis it.
And...here's the real question...
Why wouldn't she replace it in 5 or so years? Not that she needs to but technology improves pretty quickly and she may want something different in a few years.

 

[1chris5]

My question isn’t about abuse to the ski but material degradation inside the ski. If we ski enough days, we will certainly replace in 5 years but I’m just curious about the materials. When I see rubber and flax I wonder how those materials don’t get brittle and degrade. I suppose that’s why rv owners cover their tires when parked for example.

 

[Tricia]

My question isn’t about abuse to the ski but material degradation inside the ski. If we ski enough days, we will certainly replace in 5 years but I’m just curious about the materials. When I see rubber and flax I wonder how those materials don’t get brittle and degrade. I suppose that’s why rv owners cover their tires when parked for example.

I really haven't seen much breakdown of those materials since they've been using them.
Flax, cork, koroyd, all materials that have held up well.
Heck, Koroyd has been used in Smith Helmets and Head skis for along time.

 

[Philpug]

Yes.

 

[cantunamunch]

When I see rubber and flax I wonder how those materials don’t get brittle and degrade. I suppose that’s why rv owners cover their tires when parked for example.

Flax = Linen. Easily the toughest natural common cloth fiber out there. Got any 10 year old T-shirts? Flax is tougher than that. 100+ year old antique linen is a thing. 10 year old linen curtains? The only thing brittle or degraded will be the dye and the sizing.

Rubber does age, it is true - actual composition matters, degree of cross-linking matters, plasticizer content matters. But guess what? Once it is in the ski, the rubber is protected from the things that degrade it fast, like UV and ozone.

I don't know your specific area - how quickly do you go through mouse pads, door seals, weatherstripping, shoe rubber? In any case, the rubber in the skis will out-last any of those. Expect to need to change door seals on your front loading wash machine long before, or several times before, you notice functional degradation in the ski from the rubber going bad.

 

[Tony S]

If you're like most of us, you should be more worried about YOUR internal materials breaking down over ten years.

 

[Bad Bob]

A number of people around this site will take out 40 year old skis from their collections to ski for a day occasionally. 10 years is not a problem for a pair of skis. I have a pair a pair of 10 year old skis on my ski rack now that get used early season. The magic stuff that makes a ski work well are the material inside of a sealed up box (the ski itself) and the shape of that box (side cut and camber).
Maintain the skis, fix bad gouges in the bases. If you store them in reasonable conditions, out of high heat and moisture. They just keep going.
My skis often last much longer than I want them to, that is why they invented ski swaps.