Things to consider when looking at a used ski

[Horton]

These are very broad brush generalizations so take with a grain of salt.

 

What is your skiing level?

If you are running 32 off or shorter, I think you are short changing yourself with used skis. Every ski loses a little bit of life every time you load it and the harder you ski the faster a ski goes dead. Why buy a ski that has part of its life already spent?

 

If you are skiing at 15 -28 off you will not be missing that much if a ski has lost some of its life. Ski-It-Again is your ski shop.

 

What is the level of skier selling the ski?

If the seller is a 15 off skier and the ski is one year old that is a better deal than a 6 month old ski / the seller skis 4 times a week and runs 38.

 

How was the ski taken care of?

If a ski is left in the sun or in a 120 degree car you do not want it.

 

[markchilcutt]

@horton great post!!!

My Strada only made it to 1 ball at -38 twice in its life.

Always skied at 34 or slower

It spent most of its time -15 thru -28.

always stored in a good climate and never thrown onto shore.

You could say it has been my baby.

We did get kicked out of bed by my wife on several occasions cause i was sleeping with my ski when i first got her! Kinda Wierd she would be so rude to us ha?

[lpskier]

I always ask what the current owner typically ran on the ski. I don't want anything that has seen much more than 32. That way, you know all the good scores are still left in the ski.

[ral]

"If a ski is left in the sun or in a 120 degree car you do not want it. ". This is something I do not get regarding "high technology/high quality all aerospace carbon ski construction". See below. So, well made carbon parts can withstand 3000 C in mission critical applications, but a ski in the car or sun will bubble????

 

Along with benefits such as outstanding strength, excellent durability, and reduced weight when compared to metals such as steel and aluminum, composites also exhibit superb heat resistance.

When carbon fibers are placed into a resin matrix, producing a composite carbon fiber, one of its characteristics is an acceptable (in terms of heat resistance) Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE). Composites can be specifically designed and produced with practically a zero CTE, which means that when the composite material is heated (or is used in a heated environment), it will not shrink or expand. This characteristic means that composite components will retain their shape and mechanical properties, and continue to function in harsh environments with temperature extremes.

The table below shows the CTE for various composites and other metals. It should be noted that the type of fiber, type of resin system (polymer matrix), orientation, and pattern will result in variable coefficients. This information should not be used as a final design guideline; it should only be used as a reference for preliminary or conceptual designs.

Carbon Fiber Composite (Commercial Grade) Carbon Fiber Composite (Aerospace Grade) *Mild Steel *Aluminum (6061 T6)

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (inch/inch/°F) 1 x 10-6 to 2 x 10-6 -1 x 10-6 to 1 x 10-6 7 x 10-6 13 x 10-6

*Erik Oberg, F. D. (1996). Machinery’s Handbook. New York: Industrial Press Inc. The temperature range (°F) for the values given in the table are from 32°F-400°F. If you are considering a project using composite materials and are not an experienced composite engineer, please contact us for more information.

 

With a very low CTE, carbon fiber reinforced composites are used in a wide range of high temperature applications, including:

Gas Turbine Components

High Temperature Gas Filtration Parts

High Temperature Furnaces – Heat Insulators, Trays, Structural Components

Electronics Component Furnaces – Furnace Parts for the Manufacture of Silicon Semiconductors

Spacecraft and Missile Parts

Composite parts can be developed with outstanding heat resistance – in fact, some aerospace grade composite components can be designed and manufactured to maintain their mechanical properties up to 3000° Centigrade (over 5400° Fahrenheit). For industrial applications, high temperature composite materials are available for operation temperatures up to 500° Fahrenheit.

[BraceMaker]

@ral I thinkit might be more related to the bonding of the skin to the core.