Has ski gear hit a plateau?

I could also see hardcore durable skis-- like, a ski company actually warrantying rail damage and shit. Then that would become the new industry standard.

Competition. Capitalism. Merica
 
I think its hit a plateau for sure... Sure skis can get lighter and have more durability, but at the end of the day there aren't going to be any drastic changes... It is still just a ski. Its come a long way with all the different constructions and materials used but I don't think Ill ever be like "wow that is something i have never seen before!" Anyone feel me? What else could they even do to skis? There is some equipment that can evolve still such as safer helmets and better bindings etc... But overall I dont think we'll ever see any new huge advancements in the equipment that we use. Graphics will keep getting better though. boom
 
*everyone thinks this*

*one guy doesn't*

*becomes millionare*

*youre all salty*

No one thinks of things before they're invented, or else, they'd be invented.
 
Plus like I said, my 2 ideas up there. Bam.

If you could come up to a legit answer to this thread, you wouldn't be posting, you'd be putting bank in your pocket.
 
I can't speak on technology because I don't know very much about it, but in the graphics department the 13/14 Full Tilt TWs are the best looking boot I've seen (with the 13/14 Drop Kick and Level 1 collab taking 2nd and 3rd). ON3P and Moment kill graphics too
 
I'm not really into the park scene anymore but are they building a park ski that has the edges attached to each other underfoot in some sort of fashion, like a stringer between them of some sorts and maybe ridiculous huge edges???
 
Also I was holding a pair if Soul 7's the other day. Those are fucking sick skis. The core (or at least the visible part) seems pretty legit. If only the mountain I worked at demo'ed them longer than a 180something
 
Bindings are really shitty right now. Binding designers need to step up their fricken game, just broke my binding after 2 days on it, just because I landed switch and the brake hitting the snow tore the binding apart.
 
the biggest problem is advancing technology without raising the prices ridiculously. everything is already too expensive, $900 skis, $500 boots, $200 bindings, $300 goggles, $600 suits, $100 gloves, etc. (probably average for freeskiers, feel free to correct me though). add to the that the constantly rising price of lift tickets/passes and i have a hard time thinking of any other sport that costs this much. and then the skis and bindings are frankly, pretty unreliable, break way too easily and warranties are what, a year tops? it would basically be a miracle to make this sport any more advanced while still keeping it even remotely affordable. you can ask for better tech but you better be prepared to empty your wallet.
 
Yes, but the point is that they could be built to withstand that. Companies lose money if they have to warranty everyone's bindings for the same failure, so I predict we can still look forward to improvements in bindings durability and cost. Composites are getting cheaper to manufacture, so I'm sure we'll see some fiberglass or carbon fiber bindings that are twice as strong as the shitty plastic and metal ones on the market eventually.
 
That used to happen to me a lot. I started getting better and not falling switch and now It rarely happens (no fucking kidding). It usually only fucked up the base plate and the brake and the plate is usually repairable, If I remember correctly they aren't too expensive. buy a couple in the off season, it will eventually get better.
 
haha why not just ride pieces of sheet metal?

Ptex is the cheap stick of plastic you repair your bases with. not the base material.

Sintered UHMW slides nicely on snow, ice, plastic and steel, is easy to repair, and flexes with the ski without breaking. Feel free to study the chemistry of composites and come up with a better material though! It certainly would be nice to have something burlier under your skis.
 
It has far from plateaued. Skis tend to go in this cycle: 1) Create New Shape 2) Refine New Shape 3) Improve Construction with new Materials to reduce Weight or increase durability 5) Find new shape with those materials 6) Refine New Shape 7) Improve Construction with New Materials to reduce Weight or increase durability 6) Find New Shape with those materials and on and on and on
 
Damn good idea. Lets think of more of those.

How many spares would you ship with a new pair of park skis?

I don't know about technology, but this is the new way to sell more ski gear on that critical brand new retail upsell. Especially if the bases were interchangeable for warm or cold conditions. Beneficial for park rats that destroy bases, and tech weenies that swap I/O lenses and have a quiver skis for every snow condition.

Locating replacements for 6 year old skis would suck. like finding car parts for a classic that you really want to drive again.

But think of trashing your base first run on a rock, then going to the lodge at the bottom and buying a spare base strip at the mountain shop, slapping it on yourself, and only missing one run...

 
I don't think it would be that hard, basically using a touring skin that slides. On a side though, you could use a slippery touring skin type deal as a sort of ski condom for spring days when the rocks are out in full force.
 
The Fischer Hybrid 10.0's had adjustable rocker. Not sure how that all panned out but yah, seemed more gimmicky more than anything.
 
adjustable flex could be cool. It would be fun to have a true charging ski for slaying crud turn into a soft jib pow ski on good days.
 
You are a complete moron. Not sure how bindings are in a bad place just because you landed switch badly.
 
btw, “P-tex” is not “UHMW”, it is a name that refers to a bunch of polyethylene plastics used in base material.

“Extruded” generally refers to HDPE (high density polyethylene) that is made in an extrusion process that involves heating polyethylene pellets and forcing them through a die which squirts (bad adjective) out finished plastic in a desired shape.

“Sintered”, on the other hand, generally refers to UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) that is made through a different type of extrusion process. This process involves feeding powdered polyethylene into a machine that heats and compresses the powder before forcing the plastic through a die which also squirts out finished plastic in desired shape X.

Sintered UHMWPE bases are higher quality, higher density, and have a higher ratio of amorphous particles to crystalline particles in their composition than extruded HDPE bases. This translates into why they wax better and are more suited to die cut graphic applications. Also, because sintered UHMWPE is manufactured from a powder form, other materials, like graphite and carbon, can be added to it to improve the speed of bases. Both sintered and extruded varieties come in large ranges of hardness and quality, so durability comparisons are pretty complicated.

As to the word “P-tex” itself, from what I gather, P-tex used to be a trademark owned by a Swiss thermoplastics company that is no longer. It seems that P-tex® now belongs to “Creative Plastic Solutions”, a German company that makes both HDPE and UHMWPE base material. In north america though, the word “P-tex” is just a loose blanket term.

Fun fact - UHMWPE is safe to eat…….or at least non toxic….
 
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