Ski Builders Forum

as a new member to this site...ive had a bit of trouble....i do a lot of Freesking and i was wondering if there would be any special materials i would have to/or should use.... and if anyone would like to personally help me get this started, i would thank you guys very much

Well, I would say that most of the skiers on this site could be considered "freeskiers". But basically, if you cruise through the forum, you will find that the choice of materials, except base and edges, really doesn't make too much difference.

What really matters is how stiff you want the ski to be, which mostly comes from core thickness and how many layers of fiberglass you use. This mostly comes through trial and error, but the ski gallery has a lot of really great info as well.

Good luck!

ok thank you....so if i was using this mostly for grinding and jumps, would i want a stiffer ski??? im really confused about all this.... and should i try to copy a ski for my first one???

Well, I am not too sure about for grinding and jumps. I don't do very much of that, and thought that by freeskiing, you meant big mountain with drops, trees to avoid, etc.

But, I think anyone on here would recommend that for your first ski, you should try to copy an existing ski, or copy a ski that someone else has posted on this site and liked. Basically, the first pair is where you learn how everything works (press, epoxy issues, procedures, etc.) and you can't really get more into the development of the "perfect ski" until you have cleared the hurdle of actually having built a ski.

A good start, depending on your weight, could be something like the "Bangers and Mash" skis in the ski gallery or, if you want something really stiff, you might try something like my "Better Rockets" which are also in the ski gallery.

I hope that helps, but you really need to remember that the whole process is about trial and error, and what works really well for one person (in the park or on the big mountain) won't necessarily work well for someone else.

If you are doing a lot of jibbing, you might check out the idea of the "UofU Jib Ski". However, bending the edges out of the base might best be left for a later pair of skis, as it could make the layup process a little more difficult.

krick3t wrote:ok thank you....so if i was using this mostly for grinding and jumps, would i want a stiffer ski??? im really confused about all this.... and should i try to copy a ski for my first one???

Yes, skis for rails and jumps tend to be more stiff, especially if you are doing presses. If you do lots of buttering, you want softer skis.