DIY integrated skins?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2023 5:22 pm
Wondering if anyone on here has attempted to do a diy integrated skin in any of their skis?
I live at 10700 and the driveway is about .75mi with a max slope of around 20-25° with no vehicle access during the winter; it's a treat as well as a trial. There are also a good amount of nice, smaller lines around the cabin that can done very quickly. My current go to ski is a bit of an odd ball but it's proven to be good enough that I keep trying to turn it into my "Swiss army ski". The decks are the Surface Ruess 182s with the scaled base, the binding is just a voice 75mm 3 pin and I'm currently in the scarpa t4 (really wanted to stick with leather boots but for $30 on Craigslist I'm happy for now)
My problem lies in the "scaled" base of the skis. It's a strange pattern that doesn't grip well at all but some how has an incredible amount of drag down hill. It's not as sluggish as having a full skin on it but it's close. So I'm wondering if taking some of the base out where the patter is etched (it's a negative pattern so half the work is done for me) and gluing a piece of climbing skin in there would prevent me from having to transition while still maintaining an enjoyable downhill experience. Could I use standard climbing glue and just leave them on (maybe iron them in?) So that when the skin deteriorates I can replace it? How wide should the skin pattern be if the ski is 105 under foot? Should the skin be recessed or flush or just proud of the base/edge?
If you've made it to here, thanks,
S
I live at 10700 and the driveway is about .75mi with a max slope of around 20-25° with no vehicle access during the winter; it's a treat as well as a trial. There are also a good amount of nice, smaller lines around the cabin that can done very quickly. My current go to ski is a bit of an odd ball but it's proven to be good enough that I keep trying to turn it into my "Swiss army ski". The decks are the Surface Ruess 182s with the scaled base, the binding is just a voice 75mm 3 pin and I'm currently in the scarpa t4 (really wanted to stick with leather boots but for $30 on Craigslist I'm happy for now)
My problem lies in the "scaled" base of the skis. It's a strange pattern that doesn't grip well at all but some how has an incredible amount of drag down hill. It's not as sluggish as having a full skin on it but it's close. So I'm wondering if taking some of the base out where the patter is etched (it's a negative pattern so half the work is done for me) and gluing a piece of climbing skin in there would prevent me from having to transition while still maintaining an enjoyable downhill experience. Could I use standard climbing glue and just leave them on (maybe iron them in?) So that when the skin deteriorates I can replace it? How wide should the skin pattern be if the ski is 105 under foot? Should the skin be recessed or flush or just proud of the base/edge?
If you've made it to here, thanks,
S