Started with a normal build ski that had a poplar wood veneer base sealed with spar. It worked for about 20 days but after that all the wood around the edges ended up ripping out.
Next season made a pair from a maple veneer skateboard kit. The veneer was stacked higher towards the midfoot in order to create a flex profile and it was pressed with normal wood glue. After my first run on these skis I found they handled the same way a ski with dull edges does. To no surprise the wood glue didnt hold up and the skis didnt last all to long, but it was enough to get an understanding on what had to be done.
Attempt number 3 was made with a normal ski core and a harder hickory base. The base had a spar finish and the skis were held together with wood glue. They skied pretty well and the hickory base held up a little better than the poplar but there was still tear outs.
Next pair tried a higher grade wood glue which worked great. The hickory base was sealed with a lightweight fiberglass and an ipe sidewall. All of that equaled a solid ski with a durable base that held wax. Still skiing on these skis after a little work from hitting a rock. The stronger wood glue held together but it doesn't withstand impacts as well as a ski with epoxy and fiberglass.
The swallowtails were a mistake due to my planner destroying the tails of the cores. After skiing with a swallowtail decided to carry them over to the next pair because they worked well in slush/bumps/powder.
This pair is pressed with epoxy and fiberglass with the same fiberglass base. Skied on them pretty hard until the end of the season and are they holding up great. They ski really well and are super stable at high speeds.
Going to keep moving forward with this kind of ski because they are fun and surfy. In the flats you do have to skate them more than a normal ski but once it gets steep they can keep up to any plastic base ski.