Kam,

You already know I'll be there...

Kurt

One question is how the topsheets "shed" snow when you are touring? As a fellow disciple of the dynafit cult, weight is important to me, and for touring skis I need to find something that won't have me hauling a bunch of snow up the hill. Ben, Since the topsheets are Durasurf brand UHMWPE...

SKIS: Ulavale http://www.skibuilders.com/gallery/kurtskis/MVC00030.JPG BUILDER: Kurt Gross MANUFACTURED: 12/01/05 to 6/01/06 DIMENSIONS: Ski Lenth: 176 cm Tip Width: 118 mm Waist Width: 84 mm Tail Width: 111 mm Camber: 15 mm Weight: 3498 grams/pair MATERIALS: Core: maple and birch from White Pine L...

Here is a link to a page from last month's SAI program.

http://www.skipressworld.com/SIA/2006/D ... Day249.htm

More coverage of the issue, but no definitive answers to the alpine ski question - is a raw, scraped UHMWPE base better for downhill skiing?

http://www.economist.com/science/displa ... _na_tran=1
http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=77

Not sure where else it was covered, but GetOutdoors blogged about it.

http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index ... wedes.html

Thanks for this excellent and informative paper. Are there any reasons the conclusions should not apply to downhill skis? How are "kick" and "glide" waxes different than those used on downhill skis? If we still make our ski bases with UHMWPE (obviously better than many materials)...

GetOutdoors.com recently posted a blog entry about alternatives to mass-produced skis. SkiBuilders was mentioned and linked. Congrats guys!

http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index ... stead.html[/url]

After speaking with BigKam, here are answers to my questions about vibration damping strips: Since the rubber strips absorb shear stress and prevent delamination as well as reduce chatter, they need to surround the entire perimeter of the ski. DUROMETER should be ~60 Shore A, THICKNESS should be &qu...

McMaster has a lot of rubber from which to choose. Durometers range from 30A to 80A and thickness ranges from 1/32" to 1/2".

What DUROMETER is best for vibration damping needed in a ski? What THICKNESS is best? What WIDTH is best?