SPLITN2 - finally I built some ski's!!!!!!!

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richie
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SPLITN2 - finally I built some ski's!!!!!!!

Post by richie »

Hi Guys, well finally after a lot of fluffing around I have built a pair of ski's. I am seriously STOKED. They came out perfect, tough as nails, perfectly laminated, perfect looking and perfect bases and edges!!!!!!! STOKED!!!!!!!

Only 2 years in the planning, a lot of sleep deprivation and plenty of beer (works for me too OAC!!) to get to the stage I am at now finally building ski's. These ski's are called the "Superlite 139" and their first mission will be huge. With a pair of these bindings on top, www.exobindings.com, my mate Erik Bradshaw is doing a New Zealand South Island Main Divide Solo Traverse, 850km from St Arnaud to Milford roughly. So he is on his own custom built binding system (his design patented) and my own custom built ski - talk about keen!! This trip has never been completed before that we are aware of on ski's, the only other similar NZ winter traverse was on FOOT by Graeme Dingle apparantly. So if Erik completes this its a good notch in his belt.

I am very very please to have Erik putting his faith in my ski's - the first damn pair I ever ever build, and due to him busting a ski on an earlier leg 3 weeks ago on the trip we were under the pump to knock out a high quality ski to his design requirements a bit earlier than I had planned to, no pressure man!!!!. So yesterday we pulled them out of the press, still warm unfortunately but we got away with it, in a hurry after a night pressing at 50psi and 80 deg cel, got them edged and bases tidied up (they came out perfect from the press so not much to do on the base apart from a light stone prep!!!) then bindings mounted and today he is off and racing.

This leg from Otira he is heading through to Mount Cook, with a possible excursion to the side out to the west coast depending on weather.

Keep an eye on my Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Splitn2 ok guys, lots of pics on there of the ski build. Now I start building 2 splitboards for my upcoming Splitfest event www.splitn2.com (temporary redirect to blog due to web site issues sorry) where I will be demo'ing my own SPLITN2 splitboards and SPARK R&D splitboard specific bindings etc.

Thanks all of you guys for sharing your ideas on this page, I could not have done it without this help.


cheers
Rich :D

My facebook wall URL has most of my build pics if you want a quick link to the album
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 0b9&type=1
MonkeyCAM and SnoCAD - https://github.com/mikemag
Ski binding mounting https://github.com/splitn2/DrillSki

Richard Harcourt | www.splitn2.com | Christchurch New Zealand
rich@splitn2.com | www.facebook.com/splitn2
OAC
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Post by OAC »

Great work Rich! Now the fun part starts, when planning the next pair and next and next and the...

It will be interesting to follow the experience of the ski taken right from the press and mounted and out on the mountain! :)

BTW, take it easy on the beer! I've gained over 10% in weight and having a hard time losing it now..:( I need to get in shape for the season coming up!
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MontuckyMadman
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Post by MontuckyMadman »

Nice work. i would love to try and break those crazy kiwian binders. weird.
sammer wrote: I'm still a tang on top guy.
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richie
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now for some splitboard fun!!!

Post by richie »

hey OAC, no time to be lost, I have 2 weeks now to build 2 splitboards. The design, profiles and templates are already been done and this should be easier then the ski's I recon. Yeah the beer took its toll on me too, I've got 10KG extra too!!!!! hopefully some good skinning climbs will help shave some off.

MM, pretty cool bindings eh mate, this guy is a complete genius as we as being a total hardman. The bindings project is a passion for him, its all part of "superlite" gear to enable him to travel extreme distances over mountainous terrain day after day with a weks food roughly.

Thanks again guys for your great information sharing, I now feel like I almost have my badge of honour!

cheers
Rich
MonkeyCAM and SnoCAD - https://github.com/mikemag
Ski binding mounting https://github.com/splitn2/DrillSki

Richard Harcourt | www.splitn2.com | Christchurch New Zealand
rich@splitn2.com | www.facebook.com/splitn2
skidesmond
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Post by skidesmond »

Great work Rich! Looking forward to hearing how they ski. No matter how they perform you're hooked now. I'll be watching on facebook too.
Richuk
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Post by Richuk »

Nice going Richie!
The trip report is going to be something special :)
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Brazen
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Post by Brazen »

So awesome! Whoooooooooo!
"86% of the time it works 100% of the time".
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richie
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SPLITN2 progress, yeah I'm still battling on here!!!!!

Post by richie »

Hi guys,

I am keeping a bit of a log on Facebook these days, kinda helpful for getting the word out beyond this forum. We're mid summer now and its time to take stock for next season. I am slowly accumulating bits for my home build cnc, got a real good vacuum hold down system going for the mean time under my profiling router bridge so can't wait to test it soon on some cedar/ash and full bamboo cores.

My Facebook is found @ www.splitn2.com redirects to my fb page so you'll see some good stuff there are a few pics from my splitboard testing trip into the Garden of Eden (also its going in mag http://www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz/2011/08/wilderness-rider . I have a few pairs of ski's to build for my mate Eriks project www.exobindings.com which he did his big ski trip on my first set of ski's late 2011, there is a good log of that ski build on there too. So its all good here.

Thanks again to you guys for what I have learned from you in the last 2 years, and good luck for 2012. I hope to personally get my BTSR down a bit if I can, so that splitboarding up steeper hills becomes more pleasant!!!!!

If you don't understand BTSR ask OAC ok. Enough acronyms.

Cheers, Rich
MonkeyCAM and SnoCAD - https://github.com/mikemag
Ski binding mounting https://github.com/splitn2/DrillSki

Richard Harcourt | www.splitn2.com | Christchurch New Zealand
rich@splitn2.com | www.facebook.com/splitn2
OAC
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Post by OAC »

Ha ha :)
That's top secret information nowadays!
skidesmond
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Post by skidesmond »

I forgot about BTSR on my Poly-U skis!! I hope that didn't effect the outcome..... or maybe it did.... :oops: :-D
amidnightproject
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Post by amidnightproject »

those look SLICK! Congrats!

What is optimum BTSR anyways? like are talking 2:1 or 6:1?

Personally I'm on a LTSR where L=liquor. Migraine's and wheat allergies mean's limited BTSR for me. :D
twizzstyle
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Post by twizzstyle »

Ha, and I don't drink at all... think RBTSR still counts? (root beer) :)
WhitePine
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Post by WhitePine »

twizzstyle wrote:Ha, and I don't drink at all... think RBTSR still counts? (root beer) :)
DPTSR. Mmmm, sugar water.
skidesmond
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Post by skidesmond »

A BTSR greater than say 3:1 or 4:1 can degrade performance (of the builder). ;)
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falls
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Post by falls »

Hey Richie you're famous on the internet!
http://colinboyd.wordpress.com/2012/06/ ... hern-alps/
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
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