Ski Builders Forum

Hi,
I would like to build a pair of short skis (110 cm) only for uphill with skins under skis.
I think that the features have to be:

• As light as possible
  without sidecut
  with some camber under foot
  65 mm large to fit narrow race skins
  with edges
  without base since their will be always the skin

I've never builded a ski or a snowboard, so I've not so much practice but I've some ideas:
thick at tip and tail 3 mm, thick under foot 9 mm.
unidirectional carbon stripe, 50 mm wide.
Have you any suggestions about what kind of wood is better use? (the lighter the better since the ski will not receive the stress of descents and jump, bump...)
Do you think that will be enough to use clamps or I will need a pneumatic press?
I will appreciate any suggestions and comments.

Why not use snowshoes?

Forgive me, I'm not a mountaineer, but 110cm long and 65mm wide seems really small for skinning, and if they won't ever be used downhill why do they need edges?

twizzstyle wrote:Why not use snowshoes?

Forgive me, I'm not a mountaineer, but 110cm long and 65mm wide seems really small for skinning, and if they won't ever be used downhill why do they need edges?

Snowshoes are less efficient and allow you to sink more in the snow. Granted I'm making this comparison to full length skis and splitboards. I'm not sure how a ski that short would skin. The edges are handy whenever you are skinning through hard snow. For example, a south facing slope that got too sun baked. If you have have to traverse the south slope to get to the goods on the north face, edges can be handy to keep from side slipping down the mountain.

Ah ok that makes sense. Thanks!

So this is an interesting project then, since skiing-performance is a non-factor. Just needs to be lightweight.

Here's what I would start thinking about, if it were me... end-grain balsa wood core, with unidirectional carbon fiber top and bottom (no triax, since you won't care about torsional stiffness). Vacuum bagging would be the easiest, clamp presses are way too hard to get right.

But again I'm not mountaineer, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. There are far more knowledgable people about this than me on here.

Are you going to carry a pair of skiis or board on your back? If you are, I think it's not a great way to go. The beauty of skinning up with what you ride down is the weight isn't on your back. It's on the snow. I also think the climbers you want to make won't float in powder so well. Then you have to carry them down the mountain. Build a nice set of skiis or splitboard.

Huck Pitueee wrote:Are you going to carry a pair of skiis or board on your back? If you are, I think it's not a great way to go. The beauty of skinning up with what you ride down is the weight isn't on your back. It's on the snow. I also think the climbers you want to make won't float in powder so well. Then you have to carry them down the mountain. Build a nice set of skiis or splitboard.

100% agree. I'm guessing you are a snowboarder. Build a split.

You actually could ride these down with a few mods.

Are you aware that this product (or something similar to what you're describing) exists?



Built-in skins, too!

I realize this is skibuilders, but the OP looked like he was more interested in getting something that's not otherwise available than in DIY.

I already use a pair of short skis and they work trust me, I cut a pair of longer ski-mountaineering skis but with dynafit bindings they weight about 1 kg.
Short skis are more efficient than snowshoes, you make them slide
Having less weight on feet is far better than less weight on back, so light feet for first
I would use this skis also for some snow-alp race so using a split board will make me slower on up-hill (4kg each foot) and to do the change (mount split board require time).
I and some other friends already use short skis (100-110 cm) but everybody use cut longer skis so I was thinking about a dedicated ski only for up-hill.

As withepine says edges are necesseary in the alps (I'm from Italy).

I don't know what light weight wood you have in italy but you may want to use inserts of some kind for mounting bindings. Softer wood won't hold screws well. A vacuum press may be a good way to start out.

I found balsa wood. Very light, not sure about strength.

You might try finding an old beat up pair of skis the width you are looking for and cut them in thirds and put a hinge on them in the 2 cut spots. When you cut them you could take some length out of the ski. That way when you go to snowboard down you can fold the skis up and put them in your pack with skins still attached. I have this this done. A company is making a ski like this all-ready I think I saw an add in backcountry Mag.

MTN Approach Skis

http://mtnapproach.com/product/

Yes, of course, I already know these skis but I'm thinking to something better, lighter, more efficient and faster to use.

I would go for a pine core, with fibreglass layup, press in a vacuum bag - simplest way to go.

The dimensions you have will work but depending on the weight of glass will be reasonably stiff.

I would go with 600gsm glass in triax (or uni +45 biax depwnding on what you can get)