Ski Lending Library 2018-19

[Norseman]

Prolly need one of these:
Attachment 243995

Ha. In highschool I drove around with a baby doll clamped in the roof rack of my beater 80's Subaru. Lasted about a week till it was anonymously liberated. Got some great second glances and some hate, too.

[Vitamin I]

Prolly need one of these:
Attachment 243995

Ha! I'm thinking just a low-profile stealth look on the outside of my car, but yeah, maybe a few interior decorations for stoke, and a note-to-self safety reminder that I'm carrying a 450lb load of ski gear.

Another development...Tahoe is back on the Tour for a few stops....mainly just because I want 4 car-loads of skis to end up in Calif by closing day of A-Basin/Mammoth.

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[margotron]

So. OK. Gonna drop this here and let people mull then maybe make a different post. This is something I'd be happy to organize and maintain:

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Is there any interest in a dedicated lending library that mails skis around between mags that come mounted with demo binders? Companies do this with demo skis and it has happened occasionally between members informally in the past.

Imagine $50 to buy in, all proceeds used to buy more skis right here on the forums in full visibility with total financial transparency. Members can vote to decide what skis should be targeted to add to the library next. Membership fees can be waived by donation of skis or demo binders. I can do the mounting (or anyone else can too)

Then one pays shipping to have the ski sent to you from the current renter. One can place a "hold" to get in line for specific skis just like at a regular library for a specific book.

If I don't have enough credibility to pull this off, perhaps a more respected person could take it on.

Not trying to detract at all from Mark's gig. The two could exist independently and serve different TGR members.


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[Vitamin I]

So. OK. Gonna drop this here and let people mull then maybe make a different post. This is something I'd be happy to organize and maintain:

--

Is there any interest in a dedicated lending library that mails skis around between mags that come mounted with demo binders? Companies do this with demo skis and it has happened occasionally between members informally in the past.

Imagine $50 to buy in, all proceeds used to buy more skis right here on the forums in full visibility with total financial transparency. Members can vote to decide what skis should be targeted to add to the library next. Membership fees can be waived by donation of skis or demo binders. I can do the mounting (or anyone else can too)

Then one pays shipping to have the ski sent to you from the current renter. One can place a "hold" to get in line for specific skis just like at a regular library for a specific book.

If I don't have enough credibility to pull this off, perhaps a more respected person could take it on.

Not trying to detract at all from Mark's gig. The two could exist independently and serve different TGR members.

Sweet! Please run with this. Feel free to keep discussing it in this thread, or start a separate thread...your choice. Yes, I was hoping the community would come up with better ideas (like yours) to make more sharing happen. I'm not sure if "my way" will work, or be desirable, or be sustainable for even 1 season, let alone multiple seasons. "My way" is to make it free, and operate at a loss, and see what happens---but later I might hit a wall and be forced to request voluntary donations of $, or blocks of wax, or tuning labor, etc.

I'm stoked for your way to improve upon my way, or maybe someone else will even improve on your way---and I'd be stoked if I had played any small role in triggering some inspiration for more sharing.

ABOUT YOUR WAY:
1.) I like that your way better distributes the costs among all the benefitting parties. The costs will surely be low per member, unless your club buys the newest, highest-demand, highest-price skis...or if you're not great at finding low-price deals.
2.) Using "my way", I can't afford the most expensive skis even if I wanted to---and if I do treat myself to high-price skis, then goddammit I'm putting my favorite 916 bindings on them---which means no BSL adjustability for everyone else. So, I mount demo bindings only on the pairs I don't cherish---but your way mounts demo bindings on EVERY ski, nice!
3.) I guess you need to set a time limit for borrowing a ski. No prob, as long as it's enough days to justify the borrower's shipping expense.

If your club accepts well-used beater versions of older but high-performance ski models, then I think I will be a good contributor of those kinds of skis. (I would never contribute my more precious skis like Spatulas, but it seems easy for me to acquire LOTS of beater skis that I would contribute to your mail-order collection, if anyone would want to ski them.)

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[Vitamin I]

Yeah, my Library might as well be called "Club 314", for 314mm BSL. Only about 1/6 of all my skis will have demo bindings.

However, when I launch in October at A-Basin WROD's, I will be there with demo bindings on 14 of about 22 pairs there. Demo bindings on these:
Gunsmoke 193cm
Overlord 2011 193cm
Prior A-Star XTC carbon 193cm
Rocker2 122 192cm
Salomon Rocker 127 192cm (hmmm...doubt I can enjoy these on WROD's. a good workout though.)
Big Dump 192cm
ObSETHed 189cm
RC112 188cm
Overlord 2012 188cm
Scott Santiago Pure 188cm
Automatic 117 186cm
JJ 185cm
Darkside 181cm
Majesty Lumberjack 178cm

Hey margotron, of those 14 demo setups, I think I cherish only 2 of them, so maybe I'd consider helping you launch your mail-order library by using some of my pairs in that list. But A-Basin & Loveland are the only open resorts in early season anyway, right? I might as well just hand-deliver to people in A-Basin/Loveland for the 1st month of WROD's...if anyone can even tolerate my fat skis on bulletproof artificial-snow WROD's...

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[doebedoe]

That will be hilarious quiver for early season WROD.

If we manage to sneak in a few sizable snows in that time frame, we can shuttle Loveland pass. But that may destroy them faster than you wish.

[Vitamin I]

If we manage to sneak in a few sizable snows in that time frame, we can shuttle Loveland pass. But that may destroy them faster than you wish.

It will be good that the 1st month will quickly force me to accept damage, and just relax and let it go. Some of my skis are expendable to me as "Rocks & Rails" skis (e.g. some are my 2nd pair of the exact same ski, or I got 'em for $0, or they already have repaired nasty edge damage & core shots, etc.).

I will somehow categorize my skis to manage exposure to damage/theft, like maybe "Platinum", "Gold", "Silver", "Rocks & Rails", etc.---where my Platinum skis just won't be available to anyone until the rocks are covered in January. Something like that. I'm OK with severe damage to "Rocks & Rails" skis---but I might not always take the time to keep all the new base gouges repaired at all times.

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[Vitamin I]

Midweek tour dates are not listed below, but can happen if any interest. (E.g. SLC could get some midweek quickie drive-bys whenever I drive to/from Colorado.)

WEEKEND TOUR DATES . . . . .	RESORT
Peak Season Dates:
JAN 12-13	Breck/Vail/A-Basin/Keystone/BeaverCreek, CO
19-21	Breck/Vail/A-Basin/Keystone/BeaverCreek, CO
25-27	Salt Lake CIty area, UT
FEB 16-17	Alpental/StevensPass, WA
23-24	Whistler Blackcomb, BC
MAR 16-17	Salt Lake City area, UT
23-24	Crested Butte/Telluride, CO
Spring/Summer Dates:
MAR 30-31	Whistler, BC
JULY 8-31	Probably quit. Maybe Mammoth

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[Vitamin I]

This "Club 314" Library just got hooked up by a 6-year maggot (madriverfreeride) to enable demo bindings on 5 more skis. Thanks!

Plus it's looking like another maggot will hook me up with 3 more sets of demo plates next week. I think I will stop there, at ~16 demo skis, so people with BSL not-near-314mm won't be 100% excluded here. Maybe 2-4 pairs of demo skis at each Library branch (Whis, Seattle, SLC, SummitCo, Tahoe)...with pairs circulating from branch to branch as I tour 3-4 laps this winter. But the collection is still not appropriate for not-so-big people...the shortest/easiest demo skis I've acquired so far will be:

- 178cm Majesty Lumberjack 2012
- 181cm K2 Darkside 2012
- 185cm Armada JJ 2011
- 186cm Atomic Automatic 117 2013
...and I guess I could mount 4-5 pairs of 170-177cm beater skis (old Mantras, Auras, Explosivs, etc.), but wouldn't be very exciting to borrow...unless people really want to use them to hit rocks in early season instead of damaging their own skis...

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[SumJongGuy]

I just found a huge box that was meant for sailing equipment on cl for $50. It’s 243cm long and fits pretty funny on my Cooper Countryman

Add a rudder and you might have a flying car..

[Cabinfever]

Subscribed - Strong to quite strong work.

[Vitamin I]

A helpful 5-year maggot hooked me up with 3 more sets of brand new old stock demo plates.


I bought a dented, discolored old Yakima Skybox 21. I poured boiling water on the dent, hoping to reshape it, but all that did was discolor the plastic even more (at least now it's even less attractive to thieves). It's volume fits 10 pairs of huge skis no problem, and could probably fit even more single skis on top of the pile...but I should limit it to 7-8 pairs to avoid excessive weight on my roof. I think the slightly smaller Yakima Skybox 18 model would have been more appropriate, and would likely fit the exact same 10 pairs of huge skis oriented the exact same way, and would be 10 lbs lighter than my box.


I solved a warped open gap at the very front by modifying it with a mini-carabiner latch, to keep it fully closed during precipitation. And I avoided interference with my rear hatch by sawing some plastic, to enable the box to be positioned 4 inches more forward than designed.

Anyone think this 4-inch forward mount will end in disaster?


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[Norseman]

Should be fine. I have the same box on my turbo legacy and mounted about the same.

Edit: ...and it has hung on at 120mph but it's probably not advisable.

[SkiLyft]

10 pairs of huge skis

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[GPP33]

That’s an insane collection and your sir are a good man.

My feet are a little big (335 BSL) for most of the options but I’d love to know which ones get those new demo binders (BGs maybe)?

[GPP33]

One more thought. If you are going to be running around with that car loaded to the hilt all season get a rear alignment WITH it loaded. These cars get horrendous tow in when the rear suspension squats. It’ll handle better and wear tires less if you do.

[Vitamin I]

One more thought. If you are going to be running around with that car loaded to the hilt all season get a rear alignment WITH it loaded. These cars get horrendous tow in when the rear suspension squats. It’ll handle better and wear tires less if you do.

Great feedback. I wouldn't have thought of that. Quick math tells me the early draft of the Tour Schedule has my car fully loaded for about 66% of the total mileage.

Fully loaded might mean 320 lbs of skis in the back (plus a 40 lb plywood platform), plus 75 lbs of skis in front passenger seat, plus 150 lbs of skis on roof (plus the 50 lb cargo box up there). Plus another 300 lbs of my body + boots/gear + tuning/repair tools.

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[jackattack]

with that payload plus wind drag from the roof box, it might pay off to trade up to a truck/van.

https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/cto...692547227.html
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-Trucks/page54

[GPP33]

You might also want to look at overload springs. I ran these on my 05 outback, they made a huge difference in keeping the suspension level with a load and didn’t negatively affect unloaded handling or ride comfort.

https://www.rallitek.com/oe-height-s...2005-2009.html

[Vitamin I]

Time to start figuring out my car setup.

The Claustrophobia Simulator 5000
I took a power nap on that board, just to prove I can tolerate my idea for a tight sleeping space.


Embarrassed to admit these are the raddest tires I've ever bought. Then I put 500 lbs of rocks in my car and got an alignment job while loaded.


Bought a boot dryer, & discovered my glove cuffs fit perfectly onto the 2 floor heating vents (passenger seat removed).


A mandatory upgrade.


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[lazyasian]

A mandatory upgrade.


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Loving that mandatory upgrade. You’re doing god’s work man!

[barkcity]

Love this plan! Hopefully your contributions to fellow mags, as well as spreading the vibe for Ullr will pay off with a great season.

Nice job!

[Vitamin I]

Sleeping in the Library Stacks.


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[pfluffenmeister]

Sleeping in the Library Stacks.


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A man with priorities: more square footage dedicated to ski storage than to sleeping.

[Self Jupiter]

if I had to guess, I would think Ullr is very pleased.