Touring skis for the resort

[Mr. Toad]

Do lighter skis; ie paulownia core skis wear out faster if you're pounding on them at the resort?

[geo039]

Depends on what the rest of the laminate is.

[Mr. Toad]

I guess that was a stupid question so let me rephrase it: what is a life expectancy of a paulownia core ski at a resort? Maybe 70% of a standard resort ski?

[geo039]

I guess that was a stupid question so let me rephrase it: what is a life expectancy of a paulownia core ski at a resort? Maybe 70% of a standard resort ski?

Define life expectancy. To a dentist I would not expect major variances in a carbon layer carbon paul ski vs ash/pop core IMHO

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Bases, edges, sidewalls (if they exist) are often lighter too.

[skiitsbetter]

Bases, edges, sidewalls (if they exist) are often lighter too.

^this. I've compressed sidewalls and bent edges on my Cho Oyos, Manaslus, and DyNAs just from hitting ice chunks. My Kastle TX97s that are heavier but with more substantial edges and base have held up better.

[galibier_numero_un]

Hard to generalize. My G3 Reverends handled base/edge abuse better than my Atomic Automatic 109s.

Small sample size (along with with my weight/skiing style), but I doubt that that I'd stress the core and layup structure of a light ski enough to have problems - unless of course the skis were poorly designed/manufactured AND employed light materials.

I'll tell ya one thing. I continue to be amazed at how bulletproof the bases on my ON3P & Praxis skis are. Lots of edge thickness on them as well.

At the end of the day, I'd choose based on downhill performance, and with Praxis, ON3P (and likely Down), I'd have robust skis in three weight categories (none of them being stupid light).


I can't speak to other brands - having no recent experience with the last two production years, so take this as one limited data point.

...Thom

[Lindahl]

FWIW a buddy of mine turns Praxis Freerides into noodles on a yearly basis. He has tree trunks for legs and does not ski light. Under the right legs skis can be worn out quickly. Another buddy who used to ski for BD back in the day wear out 3-4 pairs a season.

[galibier_numero_un]

Wow! Of course, I knew there were people like this. Hard to keep them in steak and skis ;-)

This is yet another reason to be honest in assessing who you are (big, badass vs. the rest of us humans).

... Thom

[#######]

Do lighter skis; ie paulownia core skis wear out faster if you're pounding on them at the resort?

If you hit any rocks, don't expect them to be the same. I two-footed a boulder last January in the slackcountry south of Solitude on an Aspen core Voile V8. No coreshots or edge separation, but had four 2.5" long compressed edges underfoot w/ delamination along the seam between the edge and topsheet. Still skied fine in powder but totally sucked on anything firm. Praxis GPO was the replacement with a weight penalty of 1 pound/pair that I wholeheartedly appreciated.

[gregL]

Do lighter skis; ie paulownia core skis wear out faster if you're pounding on them at the resort?

You wear out faster.

[XXX-er]

I sometimes use my Dynafit Stokes on the hill at 191cm they are a little longer than the 185 ish I normaly ski at 160lb which helps, but they are a pretty soft ski altho conditions are usually pretty soft up here , they still ski fine ...I haven't hurt them

I got em really cheap from a 220lb guide who had crushed/delamed a pair of stokes during the guide exam and then sold me the warranty replacements still in the wrapper

I sometimes use my denalis on soft courdroy groomers ...just like a slalom ski

[mufasa5446]

You get what you pay for eh? Depends on the brand/materials. I wear the shit out of K2 and black diamond skis.

In my opinion, you'll wear your lighter-touring skis out faster. Statistically, you're going to do more downhill, stressful riding for the skis. I charge in the backcountry too though, so my set-ups include whitedot, Kastle, praxis, and armada.

[TAFKALVS]

Personally more concerned about thin bases and shitty performance than the core wearing out.

[Bruce Springskiin]

Essentially yes, but that all depends. How much are you skiing them at a resort? How do you ski while there.
As mentioned a touring ski has made compromises for weight, and will not be as durable. So match the ski to the skiing, and why a lot of us have some extent of a quiver. I do not think there is a known ratio for how much faster a touring ski will "wear" out at a resort. The best idea maybe looking at the manufactures resort, back country ratting and making a guess from there. Part of the risk is, as mentioned, the ski may be damaged before wearing out. For example, on a past ski trip my we had two BD Drifts get destroyed in a weekend while some ON3P Viciks skied over a rock garden and kept on going. All of us skiing on similar levels of aggression and beer gut size

[Mr. Toad]

Thanks, I expected those answers. I have a pair of Moment Underworlds that I really like and was able to pick up a second pair for cheap so I'll throw some alpine binders on them. Moment makes bomber skis and as long as I keep them out of the mogul fields I should get a few seasons out of them.

[geo039]

Bases, edges, sidewalls (if they exist) are often lighter too.

Agreed but Toad was asking about the core material (paul) wearing out. I fully agree the BS "tour" editions that some companies throw out there are total BS.

[SB]

Nobody tours at a resort anymo, unless you are telewacking its all about chair styling.

The nu norm is conesuer chair riding, skiing is just a way to get back to the chair.

[XXX-er]

skiing is just a way to get back to the chair.

I like that line!

[homebrewd]

Do lighter skis; ie paulownia core skis wear out faster if you're pounding on them at the resort?

Are they red topsheets?

You wear out faster.