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  1. #1
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    Chinese built skiis any downside?

    Picked up a set of G3 Findr 102's. Canadian company, but the ski is made in China.

    Not quite expecting that, so is there any disadvantage to that.

    Had a set of 4FRNT made in Elan factory, and found them damn durable..

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
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    I have 1st gen BD verdicts made in the atomic factory and 2nd gen BD verdicts made in china

    Chinese made does not have quite the same cache but the bases are actualy flat, heavily rilled not as fast as the atomic when the snow is colder and they have been durable
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  3. #3
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    Pretty sure liberty skis are made in china, and the pair I had was very durable. Thick sidewalls, burly edges, and a decently durable base. They were remarkably flat too. The camber was a little weird looking on one ski though, and a friend that skied full camber variant 113s for a season said they were flat or even reverse camber by the end of the year. I think construction methods are fine over there, if quality control is a little low. It probably depends on what factory though.

  4. #4
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    Sheesh. The vast majority of skis are made in Asia these days (why the Moment factory is the largest ski mfg facility in the US, as surprising as that is).

    Like in the US, yeah, it depends on the factory. China is a huge industrial economy (US is, officially or otherwise, "post-industrial"). There are great factories and shitty ones, on both sides. So there is nothing at all as simple as "is Chinese mfg better than US or vice-versa."

    If there is anything at all to this argument, it is down to your personal politics (which is hopefully more sophisticated than Trump's understanding - he'd make it illegal to mfg anything outside of the US, if he had his way...which would fuck over the US economy bigly!).

  5. #5
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    Meh, less skis are built in China than one would think. Most cheap skis are built in various Eastern Europe countries now. I’ve seen durable and frail skis come from every country which makes skis save Switzerland; never seen a shit Stokli.

  6. #6
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    Oct 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by XavierD View Post
    Meh, less skis are built in China than one would think. Most cheap skis are built in various Eastern Europe countries now. I’ve seen durable and frail skis come from every country which makes skis save Switzerland; never seen a shit Stokli.
    Agree with this. No reason I know of to assume Chinese made skis are better or worse than American or European skis in general. Brands known for quality, like Stockli or Moment, are usually well made because of careful process engineering not some innate superiority to their work crews.

    Better to ask whether G3 specifically has QC problems than whether Chinese skis have QC problems. I have no view on this second question.

  7. #7
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    arent all the best skis made by a spaced out bro with a lota tats and a septum ring wearing a toque ?
    Last edited by XXX-er; 04-25-2019 at 01:19 PM.
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by DumbIdeasOnly View Post
    Agree with this. No reason I know of to assume Chinese made skis are better or worse than American or European skis in general. Brands known for quality, like Stockli or Moment, are usually well made because of careful process engineering not some innate superiority to their work crews.

    Better to ask whether G3 specifically has QC problems than whether Chinese skis have QC problems. I have no view on this second question.
    Interesting. Not to start poop throwing but I’ve never seen moment particularly called out for superior quality. In the early years I’m given to understand that the opposite was true.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaliBrit View Post
    Interesting. Not to start poop throwing but I’ve never seen moment particularly called out for superior quality. In the early years I’m given to understand that the opposite was true.
    They’re no Rax I would admit. Pretty sure no one has broken those beasts.

  10. #10
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    May 2018
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    I’ve had the G3 Findr 102’s for 3 seasons. Last trip on them was a 6 day trip in the Sierras last week. Pretty great skis. Light and damp. They are great BC skis.

  11. #11
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    Didn't K2 move all or most of their production to China 10 years ago?

  12. #12
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    Good for Chinese downhill.

  13. #13
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    driven way past the Stop and Shop
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    Tarrifs
    Damn, we're in a tight spot!

  14. #14
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    Chinese built skiis any downside?

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdude2468 View Post
    Didn't K2 move all or most of their production to China 10 years ago?
    Almost 20 years ago

  15. #15
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    My favourite skis over the years have often been made in Europe hence my bias for skis made in Europe.

  16. #16
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    Mar 2009
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    ^^^The two pairs of skis I had/have w/ delamming issues with very few user days(both pairs,one causing last straw knee injury that forced me away from tele) we're both made in yurp. I have no extra reverence for yurpean built skis, including stokli.
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaliBrit View Post
    Interesting. Not to start poop throwing but I’ve never seen moment particularly called out for superior quality. In the early years I’m given to understand that the opposite was true.
    Dunno, like 5-10 years ago I think Moments regularly suffered topshheet chippage and some delams. But they've really stepped up their construction in recent years. My 17-18 Bibbys seem indestructible so far. After 2 hard seasons, the semi-cap and textured topsheet have resulted in like, zero chips or scuffs - never had a topsheet even close to this scuff-resistant. And the bases are somehow pristine as well, despite slamming rocks a few times, hard enough to make my fillings rattle (where I thought I'd absolutely have blown an edge or would need a base weld).

    Time will tell, but Moment seems to be making some well thought out, burly skis these days.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by skizix View Post
    Dunno, like 5-10 years ago I think Moments regularly suffered topshheet chippage and some delams. But they've really stepped up their construction in recent years. My 17-18 Bibbys seem indestructible so far. After 2 hard seasons, the semi-cap and textured topsheet have resulted in like, zero chips or scuffs - never had a topsheet even close to this scuff-resistant. And the bases are somehow pristine as well, despite slamming rocks a few times, hard enough to make my fillings rattle (where I thought I'd absolutely have blown an edge or would need a base weld).

    Time will tell, but Moment seems to be making some well thought out, burly skis these days.
    Good to know!

  19. #19
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    There was that one time after K2 (or their corporate overlords) bought Völkl, they moved production to China. They had to move it back to Germany after everyone's Völkls kept exploding (at least the high end stuff moved back). That was years ago though. About a decade. I think it comes down to how a ski factory gets its process down and that process didn't mesh with how Völkl spec'd their skis, but somehow did for K2, Line, etc.
    Then there's the whole "soul" thing, which for some is probably more important.
    The fit and finish on a lot of Chinese skis seems fine. I couldn't comment on quality of ingredients.
    No longer stuck.

    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Just an uneducated guess.

  20. #20
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    Oct 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaliBrit View Post
    Good to know!
    My more serious answer would be that the one pair of Moments (WC108 Tours) I own has held up well to mixed snow use in and outside of the resort. No idea if they are more or less durable than other skis.

    Sort of at a loss for how you would measure production quality anyway without the passage of time (weigh each ski and see how close they are?).

    Still, so far happy enough I ordered another.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by DumbIdeasOnly View Post
    My more serious answer would be that the one pair of Moments (WC108 Tours) I own has held up well to mixed snow use in and outside of the resort. No idea if they are more or less durable than other skis.

    Sort of at a loss for how you would measure production quality anyway without the passage of time (weigh each ski and see how close they are?).

    Still, so far happy enough I ordered another.
    You can easily start the judgment process on what comes of the production line. That’s what QC is. I’m glad to hear moment has really improved from my very limited knowledge of their early years. I’ll make a pint to try some of the new offerings.

  22. #22
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    Mar 2016
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    I have 2015 pb&js and the topsheets are all chipped on the insides which sucks, but in reality its just cosmetic. My 2018 deathwishes (which have semi-cap construction but also way fewer days) show no signs of that behavior at all. Even though the pb&js look beat to crap because of the topsheet, they have been pretty bomber. They have had two tyrolia mounts and now 1.33 tele mounts, and although they have suffered some pretty big (16 inch) coreshots, I can't imagine retiring them any time soon. They grind flat and the camber profile is the same as when I got them 50 ski days ago. The bases definitely aren't as burly as my ON3Ps, but they are on par with or better than other skis I have owned.

    I think you can make high quality skis anywhere in the world, just like you can make shitty skis anywhere in the world. It all depends on the factory. I think often times in terms of quality control, factories in a far away land might be more prone to having these issues because the people who care most about QC aren't there. I remember seeing a pinkbike video about starting a bike brand, and the dude talks about how anyone can send frame specs to a factory in Taiwan, but if you want a quality build you're going to have to be there providing input and supervising things a bit. Some fantastic frames come out of Taiwan as well as some really shit ones, so I cant imagine its that different with skis. I'll try to link the video if I find it.

  23. #23
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    Mar 2016
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    https://youtu.be/vfgTXFx4Ins

    Here it is. Just re-watched it. Super interesting insights to asian bike manufacturing. I wonder how much transfers over to skis.

  24. #24
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    Have any Chinese won the Chinese Downhill on Chinese skis
    “I have a responsibility to not be intimidated and bullied by low life losers who abuse what little power is granted to them as ski patrollers.”

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by TeleBeaver View Post
    https://youtu.be/vfgTXFx4Ins

    Here it is. Just re-watched it. Super interesting insights to asian bike manufacturing. I wonder how much transfers over to skis.
    I think anything you want to make cheap in a factory in SE asia you got to keep an eye on

    Maybe 15 yars ago I met Pippin the Banshee guy (interesting dude) and so I asked him where he made the bikes and buddy told me he rented a bike factory in Taiwan cuz everything was right there, all the tubing, all the parts, all the best welders, all the best people, everything was easily a accessible by riding a few kms up the road on a bike and the beach was down at the other end of the road

    I know another guy who worked for a large brand making poles/helmets/skis yada fucking yada and he told me about going to china establishing rapor, dealing with issues , it didn't sound like you could just send them a drawing and get a container full of product 6 weeks later

    so if shit product is being made its on the brand not the factory who for the most part just do what they are told
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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