More Gotama Problems???

**ChowdahRidah** · 01-30-2007, 06:53 PM

I have the 05/06 Gotamas. I skied on them exactly 7 days when the back binding piece (Salomon) ripped out of the ski mid turn. The ski went flying down the entire front face of Alta and took out a lady standing in the lift line... Luckily the ski didn't take air and kill her. The ski had to have been going close to 60-70 miles per hour when it hit her in the boots and both skis immediately ejected on impact. SCARY SHIT! Thankfully she was okay and I didn't get tossed into the rocky chute when I went tumbling.

I had read the problems with Gotamas had been cured in the past year models but when I went into the ski shop the guy said he gets Gotamas in pretty often with this problem. He has had 5 or 6 pairs in already this year. Not sure if some of them were this year's model. With no metal I guess they have a problem holding the binding on the ski? I thought a wood core would be solid enough but I guess not.

Well, what the hell do I do now? Is this under warrantee? Do I have the shop try to hellolock (spelling?) the binding back on? What about the other ski, should I be concerned the binding may pull out of that one too? This seems like adding a lot more risk to an already risky situation. Damn! I have many a pair of Volkls and this is the first time in my life this has happened to ANY of the skis I've owned.

HELP! Where do I go from here?

**Jay's Dip Powcher** · 01-30-2007, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by ChowdahRidah

I have the 05/06 Gotamas. I skied on them exactly 7 days when the back binding piece (Salomon) ripped out of the ski mid turn. The ski went flying down the entire front face of Alta and took out a lady standing in the lift line... Luckily the ski didn't take air and kill her. The ski had to have been going close to 60-70 miles per hour when it hit her in the boots and both skis immediately ejected on impact. SCARY SHIT! Thankfully she was okay and I didn't get tossed into the rocky chute when I went tumbling.

I had read the problems with Gotamas had been cured in the past year models but when I went into the ski shop the guy said he gets Gotamas in pretty often with this problem. He has had 5 or 6 pairs in already this year. Not sure if some of them were this year's model. With no metal I guess they have a problem holding the binding on the ski? I thought a wood core would be solid enough but I guess not.

Well, what the hell do I do now? Is this under warrantee? Do I have the shop try to hellolock (spelling?) the binding back on? What about the other ski, should I be concerned the binding may pull out of that one too? This seems like adding a lot more risk to an already risky situation. Damn! I have many a pair of Volkls and this is the first time in my life this has happened to ANY of the skis I've owned.

HELP! Where do I go from here?

Damn that is crazy shit, I am no expert and am advising not listening to me but if it were me I would redrill the holes larger and epoxy them ( marine grade is bomber) with a metal or copper sleeve into the hole and re-mount. I would do this on all of the screws. If no sleeves drill them out and fill with epoxy and let it harden overnight and redrill the holes much smaller then the drill out and re-mount.
Or shit just have someone who knows what the fuck they are doing fix it....

**slim** · 01-30-2007, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by ChowdahRidah

when I went into the ski shop the guy said he gets Gotamas in pretty often with this problem. He has had 5 or 6 pairs in already this year.

Maybe the problem is with the tech and not the ski.

Heli-coils should get your heel-piece back on.

**Cirquerider** · 01-30-2007, 07:12 PM

You need to have heli-coils installed to hold the screws. Since that is a solid core ski, the original holes may have been drilled too big (like for a metal ski) or double-drilled to cover an error or tapped too large. If one pulled out, the other could go too assuming it was done the same way with the same bit. That ski is supposed to be drilled 3.6 x 9.5 mm. I bet it was drilled or tapped large.

You can search the forum to find out how to do it, but your best bet is a good shop to install the heli-coil.

**Cono Este** · 01-30-2007, 07:18 PM

Dont know if anyone else noticed this, but the top sheets on my 07's chip way to easy. Really thin on top.

**Conundrum** · 01-30-2007, 07:22 PM

Confession time. I mounted a fellow mag's (he will remain nameless to protect the innocent) skis with some Markers earliers this season. They were 05/06 Gots. I used a jig, 3.6 bit, waterproof glue, hand tightened the screws and the bindings were flat on the ski. He pm'd me saying he pulled a heel piece. I feel pretty bad about it. I've mounted hundreds, (maybe over 1,000) pairs of skis and have never had anyone bring them back for ripping out. Not to say they didn't, I've just never heard about it from anyone.

It could have totally been my fault and I'll accept that. I just can't figure out why it ripped-maybe I grabbed the wrong bit but not likely.

As for your problem, heli-coils would fix you back up. It's not a warranty issue though.

**Jer** · 01-30-2007, 07:23 PM

You could always eliminate all doubt and T-nut them.

**ChowdahRidah** · 01-30-2007, 07:23 PM

I went to a shop in Utah, I got them mounted in Colorado, so not the same tech. The tech. guy in Utah also said he has heli-coiled several pairs and that didn't hold either.

**Limowreck** · 01-31-2007, 01:54 AM

I have been having the same problems with the 07 topsheet. I've had 23 days on mine and they are pretty beat up.

**ChowdahRidah** · 01-31-2007, 04:10 PM

Stated about the 08 Gotama... so I guess this is a known problem they're trying to fix?

"There is also extra fiberglass wraps in the midbody of the ski that provides resistance to the binding pulling out."

MMM K, so what does this mean for those of us with the shitty earlier versions?