Powder straps on hard pack?

**vano** · 01-16-2007, 01:51 PM

Excuse the jongish question, but I have no experience with skis that are strapped to my foot, so here it goes.

I few weeks back, one of the wide brakes that were jimmy-rigged into my 140 axials exploded. I haven't been able to find a replacement for them and with a trip coming up soon I figured I would just use a short powder strap to hold the ski in the even that it pops off, which is pretty often. I will be skiing everything from hard pack, to bumps, to trees, to powder. Is this a problem? Is there any risk or inconvenience (other than the obvious one) I should be aware of? Thanks.

**4matic** · 01-16-2007, 01:53 PM

On hard surface the ski can recoil and bounce back at you doing some serious damage. Much less risk of that in powder.

**Conundrum** · 01-16-2007, 01:56 PM

I'd rather lose a ski than teeth.

**StormDay** · 01-16-2007, 02:05 PM

About 18 years ago, a powder strap caused a ski to hit me in the head. - required 6 stitches to close it back up.

Pre-ski brake days, my older brother almost lost an eye to a ski tip.

I would not strap skis to my legs particularly on hard pack.

**vano** · 01-16-2007, 02:09 PM

Looks like I'll be saying bye to my trusty bindings and paying an arm and a leg to get new ones put on for Thursday. Thanks. I just hope I can find another set of axials and use the same mounting holes.

**eirikainersharp** · 01-16-2007, 02:13 PM

Why can't you just bend some skiny breaks? There are TR's in tech talk on this.

**vano** · 01-16-2007, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by eirikainersharp

Why can't you just bend some skiny breaks? There are TR's in tech talk on this.

Well, I had wide brakes actually rigged to work with the bindings, mounted on the bros, they worked pretty well for a year or so, but then exploded on one of the skis. I don't have any skinny brakes for the binding, the binding is old and the shop says they don't have any brakes either. I have a trip planned in 2 days so time is the problem, plus here in the land of big hair and sopranos wannabes, I can't exactly find a local mag that has a few brakes laying around in the basement.

**shirk** · 01-16-2007, 02:19 PM

If you can't find the brakes back east (assuming east from NE in your loation thingy) call a couple shops around where you are going in the west (assuming you are going west because of the last of eastern snow).

Or bend skinny ones.

**Jackie Treehorn** · 01-16-2007, 02:30 PM

I have skinny Rossi 140/Look p14 brakes from 2 years ago. How old are yours? Anyway, they're yours for free if you can pick them up in Boston. I don't know where you are, but there are plenty of Sopranos-wanna-be types in my neighborhood.

**TomK** · 01-16-2007, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

I'd rather lose a ski than teeth.

Brakes (and old-tech safety cords/straps) have nothing to do with losing your ski, they are to prevent a loose one from flying down the slope and skewering someone else.

A snowboard leash should work for the short term till you can track down another brake.

**vano** · 01-16-2007, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Jackie Treehorn

I have skinny Rossi 140/Look p14 brakes from 2 years ago. How old are yours? Anyway, they're yours for free if you can pick them up in Boston. I don't know where you are, but there are plenty of Sopranos-wanna-be types in my neighborhood.

Yeah, but how many of them have Joisey big hair? Thanks for the offer, but I can't do the drive up there.

Just called a shop and was quoted a bend over take it price, but still cheaper than I thought they would charge me. Don't have time to shop around, trip to Silverton is in 2 days, so give me a suggestion:

Rossi Axial 120 Pro from last year for $159, or
Rossi Scratch 140 from this year for $229

The bindings are going on 188 Bros, I am 6'2" 225, pretty aggressive. Been riding at about 10 DIN for years now. Should I still go for the 140s to have the room to crank them up in future? Last year's 120 Pros are the turntable heel I think.

**train07** · 01-16-2007, 02:55 PM

With your weight and agressiveness, you should go for the 140's, at least, and crank em beyond 10. Especially at Silverton.
Please post a TR on the Silverton trip.

**Jackie Treehorn** · 01-16-2007, 02:57 PM

Oh, I figured NE was New England. Anyway, I can send the brakes overnight if you want to pay for that. Let me know soon though.

**big_pimpin** · 01-16-2007, 11:04 PM

Since you are heading to Silverton, I assume you are flying into either Denver or into Montrose. (Durango maybe?) Either way, if you are flying into Denver, there are plenty of shops out here that will have those brakes. Colorado Ski and Golf in Aurora (Denver burb) isn't too far from the airport (25 minutes) and probably has those brakes. You can give them a call at 303.337.1734 to confirm. I don't know any shops in Montrose or Durango, but I'm sure there around, just check online in the phone book and make some calls.

Bottom line, I don't think I would spend for some new bindings just because of the brake. Now if you really do need a new binding, then I'd go for the 140's. 6'2" and 225 can put a lot of torque on a binding...

**Conundrum** · 01-16-2007, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by TomK

Brakes (and old-tech safety cords/straps) have nothing to do with losing your ski, they are to prevent a loose one from flying down the slope and skewering someone else.

A snowboard leash should work for the short term till you can track down another brake.

I guess if cords were so great, brakes would have never been invented.

I agree with you, but here's the but, if a person is standing, they have a chance to move out of the way if a ski is coming down the hill. If you wreck and your ski whiplashes back to your head, you don't have much of a chance to move. I see your point but I guess I'm selfish.

**altagirl** · 01-16-2007, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

I guess if cords were so great, brakes would have never been invented.

I agree with you, but here's the but, if a person is standing, they have a chance to move out of the way if a ski is coming down the hill. If you wreck and your ski whiplashes back to your head, you don't have much of a chance to move. I see your point but I guess I'm selfish.

I definitely agree that no one should be skiing on something with no brakes or retention system for the safety of those around them. Skiing with leashes doesn't sound too bad if you're really taking it easy and there's not any realistic chance of falling/losing a ski - but since he's headed somewhere challenging and is saying he tends to lose skis "pretty often" - there's no way in hell I'd want to be leashed to my skis in that situation.

I'm betting you can find a replacement brake somewhere on the way to your destination. And if not, I'd spend the cash and replace the bindings. You can always find a replacement brake later and sell them to cut your losses.

**vano** · 01-17-2007, 07:31 AM

Thanks for the replies and suggestions guys. Given that I spent a bunch on flying out to Denver and the very tight timeline, and was planning on a new set of binders this year anyway, I decided not to take any chances and went for the 140s. I get into Denver at 8pm and we drive straight to Silverton from the airport, too much to coordinate finding a brake and having it installed that night. I will kept the old bindings which I will use on another pair of skis. They won't go to waste.

One observation, comapared to my older Axials 140s (made in 2001 I think), the new Scratch 140 Ti seem to have a lot of plastic in them. The internals are supposed to be titanium, but just about everything on the outside and the heel and toe housings felt like plastic to me. I know this has been discussed a bunch on here already, but I didn't expect quite that much plastic, especially on a 14 din binding.