Revised Kusala Size Poll

[tuco]

186 Kusala measures out straight tape pull @ 184.5 cm

[Norseman]

Too short. 191 pref, 189 if it's the only way

[tuco]

^^^Agreed

[Kopi_Red]

^^^Yup.

[splat]

186 Kusala measures out straight tape pull @ 184.5 cm

I thought all our tips and tails were metal. Is that edged base?

I thought they felt 1.5 cm short!

[tuco]

I thought all our tips and tails were metal. Is that edged base?

I thought they felt 1.5 cm short!

Yeah man, this metal tip motif.

[2FUNKY]

^^^Yup.

Yeep

[stuckathuntermtn]

If it's a ski for deep days only, it's gotta be at least 190.

[splat]

Yeah man, this metal tip motif.

Did I ever tell you how/why that tip metal ended up there?

[tuco]

Can't remember, but I like it. Tail has one too

[eskido]

Did I ever tell you how/why that tip metal ended up there?

I’d love to hear the story

[splat]

It was impossible for me to find guys who could edge around tips and tails. I'd seen some old Fischers that had a smaller piece of metal in the tips., so I thought it'd cure the problem of my guys being unable to do good edging. Originally started with just pieces of aluminum. Tried a few different ones, usually flat. But they would stick and then usually popped off when the metal memory would overpower the epoxy bond as the metal slowly went back to flat. The big flat pieces delammed the most, even after bending them first. I asked one of the French interns to draft a design for the tip that had didn't have as much metal but went down the sides to where the edges started to bend more abruptly into the nose. We did that piece of metal without the inserts and it still wanted to go back flat, ie, pop up and off. But by putting the plastic base inserts in the metal to where there was no contiguous metal running all the way across the entire tip, and by pre-bending them, there wasn't enough strength in the metal memory to overcome the epoxy bond. We had to trial and error a lot of stuff, especially the carbon fiber, and make a lot of mistakes to do shit no other indies have ever done. But the look will always rule and I know of many guys who plowed those tips straight into rocks at high speed and were blown away with the strength they had.

[bigwaterbird]

Must. Look. Away...


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[splat]

I can't tell whose votes haven't been cast because they're on cell phones....

[eskido]

191, would buy 189 - I was in a spot where I wasn’t sure I would have a job going forward, but that literally just got resolved today! So I am fully in if this goes forward! FKNA!! Splat thanks for the stories man, always love the insight to what goes on inside the industry, I’ve always wondered why so many companies opt for non full wrap edges, always kind of assumed it was more related to costs. Good stuff!

[splat]

Bending edges around tips and tails is difficult. Keith has his way of doing it and it works very well. When we were building in the factory in Quebec, they had a electric detempering table where you'd clamp an edge on a flat piece of metal, step on a floor pedal and it would turn the edge red hot, taking the stiffness out of it and make it pliable enough to bend easily around a ski template. Just ending an edge and not having anything in the tips and tails is def a lot cheaper construction and makes the build faster. But the metal in the tips and tails on the Bros, Lhasas, and Kusalas also did double duty as vibration sinks on the pure carbon layups. There was def a lot more going on in the skis than any other indie brands but it was difficult because every extra enhancement you add is another potential point to fail.

[eskido]

Yeah, I wonder how many folks tried and realized they didn’t have the potential or seriousness to truly understand how tough this business really is to create any sort of profit margin for a quality product, or for that matter the amount of expertise and attention to detail it takes to deliver said quality product? Shitty that there’s such a small amount of us that really appreciate that kind of craftsmanship. While I do appreciate that non price prohibited vacationers feed our industry, they continually drive folks like me out of the sport by their sheer willingness to pay for the exclusivity, and sadly could care less about these types of indies that wholeheartedly “build skis for skiers”. I will remain optimistic and continue to support folks like Keith and yourself (even though you’re not currently in the biz technically, you obviously still are) and others who do so as much as I possibly can. That said, what is the decision on the general consensus, is this project going to happen!???

[shafty85]

My $0.02 is that, if there will only be one run, keep the proven 186 length. Also makes it a more versatile touring option than a longer ski.

Questions:

What’s the thought on price point?

Other than the potential length change, are there any anticipated changes? Layup? Top sheet? Etc?

Hybrid or carbon layup?


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[splat]

Well, certainly looking for this to go forward. In a couple weeks, Keith and I will talk again and put up a buy page on his website if it looks like we'll get 25 orders. I personally like the thought of the 189. It's a small enough change to make that nothing would be lost in translation in the CAD. Sidecut and dims can be easily adjusted to the length and it would serve possibly enough people's needs to move the project forward. Hold out and stick with 186 most likely means it would probably never happen. Price point is $750 and $50 cheaper than the price point on his advanced build custom prices on his website. That's for a whole new ski to build from scratch for Keith and for a very limited run. Keith doesn't do pure carbon. His basic ski is glass and he has a variety of options he offers to make a lighter weight ski. The Kusala is stiff by design. It has a 12 mm thick core, which, though standard for a lot of companies, was the thickest core I ever used. They won't have tip and tail metal, you can have a hybrid with carbon. Topsheet will be taken from the Kusala artwork I still have and Keith will diecut Praxis in the base.

[mr_pretzel]

Sick!

[eskido]

FKNA
Thanks Splat!!!

[shafty85]

Well, certainly looking for this to go forward. In a couple weeks, Keith and I will talk again and put up a buy page on his website if it looks like we'll get 25 orders. I personally like the thought of the 189. It's a small enough change to make that nothing would be lost in translation in the CAD. Sidecut and dims can be easily adjusted to the length and it would serve possibly enough people's needs to move the project forward. Hold out and stick with 186 most likely means it would probably never happen. Price point is $750 and $50 cheaper than the price point on his advanced build custom prices on his website. That's for a whole new ski to build from scratch for Keith and for a very limited run. Keith doesn't do pure carbon. His basic ski is glass and he has a variety of options he offers to make a lighter weight ski. The Kusala is stiff by design. It has a 12 mm thick core, which, though standard for a lot of companies, was the thickest core I ever used. They won't have tip and tail metal, you can have a hybrid with carbon. Topsheet will be taken from the Kusala artwork I still have and Keith will diecut Praxis in the base.

So, is the final product anticipated to be a praxis ski with the kusala shape? Or a reproduction of the kusala with a few tweaks? Splat, will you be involved in the build? I got to demo the kusalas years ago but didn’t have the financial ability to purchase (sigh, life is all about timing, isn’t it?). That ski was incredible. Would love to get my hands on it.

[splat]

As stated above, it's the Kusala elongated 3 cm, built by Praxis, using Praxis technology and no, I can't even get epoxy on my finger without my throat wanting to swell shut, so I won't be building them. Prolly ain't ever gonna be skis built like we did them at pm gear. Everyone has their own way, their machines making their process unique to them and not very many people want to try to master the use of carbon fiber in wet layup. It's such whack mad science shit that the trial and error costs are unsustainable unless you have millions of dollars and lots of engineers. But the Kusala is a pretty cut and dried shape and because it's stiff as hell there won't be much problem reproducing the flex and if there's one thing Keith knows well it's reverse camber. I will be invovled as much as I can without inhaling epoxy fumes. I also just got Pierre's email address, he designed the Kusala, and I'll be talking to him about where it's going.

[Spyderjon]

Ugh still annoyed at that mount.

I obviously shouldn’t care that the heel piece is slightly of center, about 3mm. Right?

mr_pretzel, have you thought about asking Keith/Pat to print a centreline down the topsheet for ease of mounting?

[mr_pretzel]

mr_pretzel, have you thought about asking Keith/Pat to print a centreline down the topsheet for ease of mounting?

haha

Actually they should just come pre-drilled for pivots at 293mm. Oki, thx, bai