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How to tell when skis need replacing?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just got back from a week's skiing on my venerable (2012) Scott Crusade skis, which were on the whole great, as usual, but a couple of times failed to hold an edge on steep icy pistes, and I don't think it was just bad technique on my part (although I would never rule that out). I know that skis only have a limited lifespan, especially if skied hard as I tend to do, and I'm just wondering whether the time has come for me to retire these and shell out on a new pair of skis.

I'm always reluctant to blame my equipment, though, so I was just wondering whether there was some way I could determine whether the skis are indeed past their best. For example, I could see whether they have lost their 'pop' by pressing the bases together and seeing how much springiness there is, but I don't know how much springiness there was originally, as a comparison, so not sure how helpful that would be.

FWIW, I do appreciate that ski technology has evolved and there are good reasons to buy new skis even if the Scotts aren't knackered, but that would, for me, be something of an indulgence rather than a necessary action! Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
How many days have they done? I reckon skis get 120-140 days with regular sharpening. That said our last Mantras must have done 350 days plus. Some of those days not as “serious” as others wink

When were the edges last sharpened?

No real way of telling, diagnostically. I binned the last few pairs when the edges/bases got too thin for them to be serviced...

Ski tehc hasn’t moved on that far since 2012...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@J2R, Normally it is pretty easy to tell when skis have had it.

1/ Edges filed away so there is non left (i've had to bin a pair like this this year)
2/ Ski is broken. This is not always easy to see - I noticed one of my skis flapping at the front this year. It had broke at the front
3/ The ski is delaminating and the epoxy you have pressed in doesn't repair it.
4/ The gouges in the bases are big and go into the core and/or the edge is hanging out.
5/ The ski is over 2m long and narrow
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I should have mentioned that 2 and 3 above first mainfested themselves as the turns feeling different in different directions ie the left turn felt odd compared to the right turn.
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as @under a new name, asked "When were the edges last sharpened?"
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@under a new name, they've definitely done fewer days than that. Probably 80-90, although I haven't been keeping an accurate count. The skis were sharpened in the middle of the week, a couple of days before the edge hold failure. Maybe I'll give them another year or so, and reluctantly blame user error! Sad
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
When they lose their "pop"
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Mosha Marc, I mentioned that in my original message. How do I tell that?
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@J2R, When you lose confidence in them. Sounds like that's starting to happen.
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@J2R, I don't think that losing edge hold is indicative of impending failure as I think much of your edge hold comes from the skis more or less underfoot, which won't be twisting very much, or indeed, at all. I.e. I don't imagine that there's a very noticeable failure mode there.

I'm not sure quite how you measure "pop". My Mantras showed no lack of pop (or indeed edge hold) but the edges and bases were worn out. Actually, same can be said for my SLs.
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@under a new name, you may be right, and it may just be (if it's not user error) that the skis aren't that great at edge hold on ice by comparison with a good piste ski. I hired a pair of Fischer piste skis two years ago for a couple of days when I knew we were just going to be skiing hard, icy pistes and not going off-piste at all, and found them to be much more confidence-inspiring on the ice (unsurprisingly). A better skier than I would, no doubt, be able to get my Crusades to work fine, though.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Well, if you were skiing MonteR, It was pretty firm all over...
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
It was pointed out to me that mine were "knackered" a few years ago.

The skis had a normal camber, but when stood base-to-base and then pressed together to close the gap between them there was barely any resistance, and not a very quick return once released. It was noticeable as they had been fairly stiff skis.

However, I'm a lump compared to under a new name so it looks like he wears the bases and edges before the skis die.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

there was barely any resistance


Same with new skis

Quote:

not a very quick return once released


Now, that could be significant.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@J2R, when the French ski tech hands them back to you after service and says, "It is ze end."

This has happened to me twice. Once on a pair with about 110 days on them and once on a pair with about 90 days. In both cases it was due to too many machine services. The first pair because of too many base grinds making them lose their rebound and the second because the machine had taken too much off the edges on the rear of the skis.

So at 90 days, they could be alright or they could be shot; really depends on how they've been looked after. My examples are both in the days of one size fits all machine servicing.

In contrast, my current skis have done 86 days on snow and I don't think they are even half way through their life. This is because I have only ever had them serviced by the latest laser guided Wintersteiger machines that follow the shape of the ski precisely and I set the base edge at 1 degree so I can generally get away with only having them serviced every two weeks or so.

Construction also makes a difference - sandwiched wood core skis with metal in them are less likely to lose rebound before the edges or bases are shot whereas fibreglass or hollow cored cap skis are more likely to go flappy first in my opinion. Your skis are somewhere in-between (don't think there's any metal in them and they have a hollow section in the core) so if you've had a lot of base grind services they could well be done for.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
When a certain Scouse purveyor of ski porn decides his wallet is looking empty Toofy Grin

When new skis look shinier than your current ones. rolling eyes

When there's an r in the month. Shocked
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
J2R wrote:
@under a new name, you may be right, and it may just be (if it's not user error) that the skis aren't that great at edge hold on ice by comparison with a good piste ski. I hired a pair of Fischer piste skis two years ago for a couple of days when I knew we were just going to be skiing hard, icy pistes and not going off-piste at all, and found them to be much more confidence-inspiring on the ice (unsurprisingly). A better skier than I would, no doubt, be able to get my Crusades to work fine, though.


Hmm - doesn't sound to me like they are done - I was skiing MR the weekend before and I took FIS SLs and even then there were some bits on piste where I thought - hmm these should hold but I can't say I'm overly confident. Now that might be because SL skis really need to be sharpened every couple of days and my usual slack routine meant that wasn't going to happen. If you're not getting fun from your skis in an environment which is at least adjacent to their designed intent then that's clearly a warning sign, a more freeridey type ski on a hard piste day struggling a bit that's normal.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Dave of the Marmottes, always happy to blame my equipment - thanks! Smile Where I had the problem was on that short but steep section towards the bottom of the middle red coming down to the Seehorn lift, if you know where I mean. It was completely hard and scraped and I found my ski just slipping away from me, which was disconcerting.
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Quote:

Construction also makes a difference - sandwiched wood core skis with metal in them are less likely to lose rebound before the edges or bases are shot whereas fibreglass or hollow cored cap skis are more likely to go flappy first in my opinion. Your skis are somewhere in-between (don't think there's any metal in them and they have a hollow section in the core) so if you've had a lot of base grind services they could well be done for.


Indeed, a ski requiring drill of 4.1mm usually will outlast the Universe or be destroyed by over zealous ski techs with expensive machines. 3.5mm usually has 3-5 hours of life span before needing to be junked. Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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When the colours are last years.
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My skis are so old, they're in black and white.
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