Ski Damage: Fatal or Fixable?

[SallyCat]

I have a student whose nice race skis were horribly damaged by being thrown around in the back of the ski club van (I don't run the club).
Before we throw in the towel on these, is there anything that can be done to fix this? It's pretty awful; avert your eyes if you have delicate sensibilities.

 

[Philpug]

A good shop can make that skiable again. @Doug Briggs could work his magic for sure.

 

[Andy Mink]

Good grief! Did King Kong throw them in the van? YIKES!

 

[SallyCat]

A good shop can make that skiable again. @Doug Briggs could work his magic for sure.

Thanks. What would the shop do, exactly?

 

[SallyCat]

Good grief! Did King Kong throw them in the van? YIKES!

The kids throw/shove/stuff all of their gear in the back of a Sprinter van and then pry it all out with no regard for damage. It's barbaric. Most of them rent their gear. This poor kid is an aspiring racer and actually tries to take care of his equipment, but it fell victim to the mob.

 

[Philpug]

Thanks. What would the shop do, exactly?

Epoxy and clamps.

 

[crgildart]

^^^
This. Probably best to replace them if the kid is going to Nationals.. But, short of that, a good repair should be 99% good to go that close to the tail where most of the ski is usually off the snow anyway.

 

[Eleeski]

The ski is shot. Send it to me for proper disposal.

Eric

 

[eok]

The kids throw/shove/stuff all of their gear in the back of a Sprinter van and then pry it all out with no regard for damage. It's barbaric. Most of them rent their gear. This poor kid is an aspiring racer and actually tries to take care of his equipment, but it fell victim to the mob.

Wow. Sounds like the kid should use a ski bag made of kevlar.

 

[Uncle-A]

It's possible to fix it but depending on the ski and the skier it might be a good idea to replace it.

 

[SallyCat]

It's possible to fix it but depending on the ski and the skier it might be a good idea to replace it.

Yeah, he and his family are trying to decide what to do. He's not a racer, but likes his slalom skis and wants to try to get involved in a racing club or league or whatever he can find. In the meantime, he uses these skis to rip around recreationally and really likes them. Might make sense to make these rock skis. They have a gruesome core shot, too.

 

[crgildart]

Yeah, he and his family are trying to decide what to do. He's not a racer, but likes his slalom skis and wants to try to get involved in a racing club or league or whatever he can find. In the meantime, he uses these skis to rip around recreationally and really likes them. Might make sense to make these rock skis. They have a gruesome core shot, too.

I wouldn't hesitate to run NASTAR on a pair of skis with a repair at the very very end like that. Fix them and finish the season on them then look for new skis Spring clearance sales.

 

[trailtrimmer]

Does anyone have an old soft case to donate to this kid to prevent this nonsense from happening again?

 

[crgildart]

Does anyone have an old soft case to donate to this kid to prevent this nonsense from happening again?

Are the skis 155cm? I see a 155 on the photo of the tails.

 

[focker]

If he's not a high level racer those should easily be able to be fixed and skied again. Epoxy them up and clamp them while it cures and they'll be good to go.

 

[pchewn]

Well, the engineer in me says that you should fix the root cause of the problem: The way the skis are stored and removed from the van is criminal. Open a can of whup-ass on those inconsiderate kids who are abusing the skis !

 

[Andy Mink]

Well, the engineer in me says that you should fix the root cause of the problem: The way the skis are stored and removed from the van is criminal. Open a can of whup-ass on those inconsiderate kids who are abusing the skis !

I thought the same thing. It shouldn't be a free for all putting gear in or taking it out. One person pulling from the top, handing it out to the others. Same for putting it in. One person gently lays the skis in.

 

[Eleeski]

Well, the engineer in me says that you should fix the root cause of the problem: The way the skis are stored and removed from the van is criminal. Open a can of whup-ass on those inconsiderate kids who are abusing the skis !

Real world ski life - I hope the skis get worked on the hill more than this van rash. Kids should be spending their time skiing, not babying equipment. Learn how to fix the occasional damage (JB Weld, clamps and a suitable radius improvised mold).

Realistically, some other factor (overheating in the sun, cooking next to a heater, getting run over in the parking lot before surreptitiously stored, abused on the hill or even a factory defect) probably is more likely than breakage from getting tossed into a van. Skis are capable of handling lots of abuse - in normal use.

Very fixable. A teachable moment - both with proper treatment of the equipment and in equipment rebuilding.

Eric

 

[SallyCat]

Well, the engineer in me says that you should fix the root cause of the problem: The way the skis are stored and removed from the van is criminal. Open a can of whup-ass on those inconsiderate kids who are abusing the skis !

Yup. This is an "alternative" school, so the people running trips have a lot to deal with. Sometimes the problem is general teenage assholery and sometimes it's other stuff. We do our best with limited resources and sometimes have to pick our battles.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Yup. This is an "alternative" school, so the people running trips have a lot to deal with. Sometimes the problem is general teenage assholery and sometimes it's other stuff. We do our best with limited resources and sometimes have to pick our battles.

How's your first year going at that school? I'm hoping you are loving it there.