Why not "race finish" on freeride skis?

**grrrr** · 02-24-2004, 01:53 PM

I just got some Fischer RC4 race skis to play on and some new 106's to, well, play on. The race skis have an amazing base - it just sucked up wax like a Vancouver hooker going down on her crack dealer. The ski is fast, not just stable which I expected, but fast because of the beautiful base structure.

The 106's, on the other hand, go down like a Catholic schoolgirl who still hasn't gotten over her guilt trip. The wax absorbed grudgingly, the base structure is coarse, and the ski doesn't have the glide, even taking the dimensions into account. I plan to work on the bases, but the Ptex just isn't ever going to be same as the RC4s.

So, why not the race finish on the freeride skis? Cost? Durability? Anyone know?

**seldon** · 02-24-2004, 02:15 PM

I would guess both cost and durability. In a number of posts on this forum, I have seen people say that out of all their skis, rossignols have take structure the best and glide the easiest. As we all know, Rossi bases are very weak when hit. So I would guess thats it. I can't make teh comparison myself because all I own are Rossis.

**glademaster** · 02-24-2004, 03:49 PM

Race ski bases are made of the hardest and most expensive sintered P-tex, which also happens to be the most porous, hence the wax sucking abilities. Fat ski bases are generally softer P-tex and not nearly as pourous. I swear I could melt a pound of wax into each of my race skis and barely any into my fats, despite a 20 cm length difference.

-Ben

**summit** · 02-24-2004, 04:14 PM

how long do you think a real race tune will last on a freeride ski before its down to a standard tune equivelent? 4 runs? 5 runs?

no reason not to wax the fatties.

"my 135-106-120 skis dont perform like my GS skis! WTF? it must be the tune!"

**joshbu** · 02-24-2004, 04:22 PM

I think Stocklis and some of the other smaller shops use the super-sintered p-tex on their freeride skis. (DB, Iggy, AK, others?)

I think it's basically a cost issue.

**phUnk** · 02-24-2004, 05:03 PM

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
how long do you think a real race tune will last on a freeride ski before its down to a standard tune equivelent? 4 runs? 5 runs?

no reason not to wax the fatties.

"my 135-106-120 skis dont perform like my GS skis! WTF? it must be the tune!"

1. Read.
2. Comprehend.
3. Post.

**glademaster** · 02-24-2004, 07:06 PM

Oh and to add to my post above, race bases are most definitley made out of harder P-Tex than average skis. I have hit rocks with my race skis (Dynastar Race Stock Slaloms) that I swear would have destroyed almost any other ski, yet there was hardly a scratch. And Josh, along with the brands you mentioned, Stockli uses that top of the line base material on their skis. It would make sense to put it on top end freeride boards simply for durability reasons, but the price would go up(even more).

-Ben

**BradyCU** · 02-24-2004, 07:40 PM

My iggies soak up wax like a naughty girl and they bounce off rocks with either no visable damage or very light scrapes, very high quality base. Way better than anything else I've ever ridden. I think it is mainly a cost issue...ask my checking account.

**glademaster** · 02-24-2004, 08:02 PM

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I along with many other people are awaiting a review of those Iggys after a few days with them on snow. Not that I can afford them, but when I dream about them I'll at least have an idea what they'll ski like.

-Ben

**Jumper Bones** · 02-24-2004, 10:43 PM

on the opposite vein, I've consistently had problems getting my Iggies (2001 FFLs) to absorb or hold wax....the bases like to dry out, super-easily. Maybe I'm scraping too much, but it's gotten to the point where I won't wax them anymore, I'll just pay someone else in a shop that I trust, to do it right.

kinda sad, huh?

**ak_powder_monkey** · 02-25-2004, 12:51 AM

Well i have no experiance with alpine race skis but I imagine the Fischer bases are the same for DH and xc only a bit less structure on the Alpines cause you race on ice almost all the time, the bases are way way way soft, a spruce stick can scratch them also there is a reason RCSes (the best XC ski) are $400 - $500 the base is quite simply the fastest ever and thus costs more and is more delicate. When you look at freeride skis (both xc and alpine) the bases are hard as hell don't accept wax very well and have minimal structure, simply because people don't want to pay the extra 200 bucks for super nice bases that they will probably destroy on rocks, rails, snowsnakes ect.

Regarding the 106es they have at least twice the surface area of the race skis think about that for a bit...

**ulty_guy** · 02-25-2004, 04:38 AM

Originally posted by glademaster
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I along with many other people are awaiting a review of those Iggys after a few days with them on snow. Not that I can afford them, but when I dream about them I'll at least have an idea what they'll ski like.

-Ben

me 2

**BanditXXX** · 02-25-2004, 10:03 PM

You sound like that pig farmer in B.C. who killed all those women in Vancouver B.C. Can't you come up with a better analogy than that? You're a sick sumbitch

**BanditXXX** · 02-25-2004, 10:11 PM

Think Einstein, think. Are you going to race with those fatties? UUUHHHHH, DDDUUHHHH, lets see now. No. Ok, case closed counselor. They design certain skis for certain reasons.with certain materials. Jesus H. Why don't you call the R&D guys at Fisher. Why do they put racing slicks on F-1 cars and fat 36" mudders on Chevy Blazers??

**BakerBoy** · 02-25-2004, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by BanditXXX
You sound like that pig farmer in B.C. who killed all those women in Vancouver B.C. Can't you come up with a better analogy than that? You're a sick sumbitch

Who, you mean good 'ol Uncle Willy? Hahahahah. If it makes you feel any better, he had a whole biker gang helping him out killing all those hookers. Don't eat the weiners in Vancouver.

My Legend Pros have a race base on them -- holds wax great and super burly. I'm sure your skis never leave the groomer Bandit, but when you are doing stuff off the groomed runs, one tends to run over a bunch of crap.

Why does NASCAR have a sport truck division -- because somebody is stupid enough to want to race trucks on pavement. Thus, some of us are stupid enough to want to have the best bases possibly on the sticks we spend most of our time on, which would be fatties. Like its been mentioned, its probably more a cost issue, as well as a marketing tool. With a black base, that whole side of the ski is pretty much wasted advertising area.

Did I add enough smilies for you Bandit? LOL OMG WTF!!!

**seldon** · 02-26-2004, 12:17 AM

Originally posted by BanditXXX
Think Einstein, think. Are you going to race with those fatties? UUUHHHHH, DDDUUHHHH, lets see now. No. Ok, case closed counselor. They design certain skis for certain reasons.with certain materials. Jesus H. Why don't you call the R&D guys at Fisher. Why do they put racing slicks on F-1 cars and fat 36" mudders on Chevy Blazers??

shut up, bandit, shut the fuck up. is there anything wrong with wanting good sliding performance from fatties? JONG.

I tried to see the world from your perspective, Bandit, but I couldn't get my head that far up my own ass.

LOL!!

:rollseyes:

is that good?
or will it take more smileys to make you STFU?

**BanditXXX** · 02-26-2004, 07:20 AM

Shouldn't you be in school Seldy??

**BanditXXX** · 02-26-2004, 07:24 AM

Maybe if you guys would learn how to tune your skis you wouldn't have to worry about what the bases are made out of. Jesus H. Martha, the boyz are polishing the brass again

**bad_roo** · 02-26-2004, 08:04 AM

Shut the fuck up you ignorant cock.

**phUnk** · 02-26-2004, 01:32 PM

Originally posted by bad_roo
Shut the fuck up you ignorant cock.

Try this:

seldon
02-25-2004 11:17 PM This person is on your Ignore List. To view this post click [here]

BanditXXX
02-26-2004 06:20 AM This person is on your Ignore List. To view this post click [here]

BanditXXX
02-26-2004 06:24 AM This person is on your Ignore List. To view this post click [here]

**seldon** · 02-26-2004, 05:18 PM

awwww....

i'm gunna have to be "ignored by phUnk" again... or still?

**schuss** · 02-26-2004, 06:21 PM

someday I hope I can be ignored by phunk. Then I'd be cool. Until then, fuck off bandit.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 02-26-2004, 10:41 PM

Originally posted by BanditXXX
Jesus H. Martha, the boyz are polishing the brass again

You are so fucking unintelligent, and never tire of proving it. Why do you keep using this line? And what's with you and the Hotel Vancouver?
I don't want to know the answers, like everyone else I'd just like you to shut your stupid fucking mouth.
Thank you.

**splat** · 03-02-2004, 07:23 PM

Geez, I just run over shit and when the holes start to drag my skis noticably, I drip shit in the shots and ruts and scrape it off with the backside of a kitchen knife. I'll wax in April. No more romancing the stonegrinds. That's a once a season affair. I am soooo far behind the curve on this shit. But I have noticed the skis I bum off the pros tend to last longer than store-boughts. So I'm only going to bum skis off pros.