What's a "Performance Backcountry Skier"?
A person that likes to use cross country racing gear for backcountry and remote trail skiing.
What's the problem with current xc racing
equipment? It seems that most every new step forward for cross country racing gear
is usually a step backwards for those that want to use the gear off
impeccably groomed trails. Race skis with no tips can't ride
over rough terrain. Ski boots that don't breathe and have no
insulation cause your feet to be wet and cold after skiing all day. Poles with tiny baskets are worthless off groomed trails. Ski
straps that you can't get on and off quickly are inconvenient and
dangerous in backcountry situations. The list goes on.
Nowadays it's
nearly a futile search to find race level gear that works "off the corduroy".
Eventually you may give up the search and start customizing race level
equipment to fit your needs. And you may find yourself doing
some things like I've done below ... |
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~ Carbon Fiber Ski
Tips ~ |
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The problem:
Modern day racing skis with low profile tips auger into the sides of ski
trails ... resulting in your leg almost being ripped off your hip, and
you being slammed down onto the trail.
The solution:
Put tips back on your skis!! It's pretty easy ... just takes a
little carbon fiber material, epoxy and a few pop rivets. If you
look at my skis in the pictures linked to
crust.outlookalaska.com - you will see these
tips in use. I swear by them ... they allow you to use skate skis
"off the corduroy" without worrying about tip-less skis taking you down! |
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A 5 gallon bucket like the
one above makes a perfect form for carbon fiber ski tips. In the
groove of the bucket lay down the following wetted in epoxy: 1st layer -
carbon/kevlar weave, 2nd layer - carbon fiber weave, 3rd layer - carbon/kevlar
weave. |
When the the epoxy cures,
remove the composite and mark the shape of ski tips (trace around the
tip of a classic ski). |
Once you have the outline of
the tips scratched on the composite, use a Dremel tool to cut the tips
out. |
Drill two small holes in the
ski tips and using small and lightweight aluminum pop rivets attach the
tips. |
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~ Carbon Fiber Boot
Stiffeners ~ |
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The problem:
You will be out for a long day or multi-day trip and you only want to
bring along one pair of boots but you don't know if you will be
classic skiing or skating. Skating boots don't double well for
classic boots, and vice versa. And normal combi-boots
are often too soft and sloppy for skating for any extended period of
time (see picture at right).
The solution:
Time for some home-brew carbon fiber fabrication! You can make
carbon fiber sole stiffeners just like the top end skate race boots
have. You can put sole stiffeners in the boot for skating, or take
them out for plush classic skiing! |
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First get some epoxy resin
and hardener, and some carbon/kevlar or pure carbon fiber composite
material. |
Like the ski tips above, wet
and lay down 3 layers and sandwich the laminate between plastic. |
Put some weight on the carbon
fiber sandwich and let it cure overnight. |
Finally, trace the shape of a
sole on the hardened composite and cut out with a Dremel tool.
Note: these carbon fiber stiffener plates go on the footbed of your ski
boots UNDERNEATH the insole. |
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Note: These sole stiffeners
are very thin, but extremely stiff ... and weight next to nothing.
They will make combi boots, like the Salomon Pro Combi or the Active 8
Skate/Classic stiff enough to be good skate boots. These carbon
stiffeners can also make the comfortable Salomon Skate 9's as stiff as
the Carbon Pro's. And they will turn Carbon Pro's into rock steady
sprint racing weapons. |
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FAQs:
Carbon fiber, isn't that high tech stuff that's tough to use?
Did you make
stuff with paper mache in grade school? Then you can make
useable, maybe not pretty, carbon fiber stuff.
How do you
learn to build with carbon fiber composites?
Use Google to search
the web for building with carbon fiber composites tutorials.
Where do you
get carbon fiber composite material?
Use Google to search
the web for composite material suppliers. Often ebay has scraps
for sale. You may have a good composites store near you (and they
usually have folks that can help you get started).
Isn't epoxy
super stinky and dangerous to use?
New epoxies, like West
Systems, are odorless and safe. As far as cutting composites with
a Dremel tool ... be VERY CAREFUL not to breath carbon fiber dust.
Wear a mask, eye and hand protection, do the cutting OUTSIDE and wash any dust
covered clothes immediately.
Isn't
carbon fiber wicked expensive?
A yard of carbon fiber
or carbon/kevlar fiber weave will cost $40-$50. But it comes 54
inches wide. So say you are making 3 layer sole stiffeners - you
can get about 8 pair out of this much carbon fiber. Add in the
cost of the epoxy and the total is about $10 per pair. To cut
costs - go in with friends or sell the ones that you don't need.
Heck, if the word "Swix" or "Salomon" was printed on these, they'd probably
retail for $129.99 a pair! So if you sold them for $25 a pair
you'd recover your costs pretty quick. TK 2/1/06 |
