What to do with old 35M GS Skis?

[Frankly]

Besides cutting them up for Adirondack chairs, what else are people doing with them?

Is their any conceivable reason for my duffer butt to pick up a pair of quality $100 35m FIS race stock skis?

 

[Started at 53]

use them for group SHOTZ???

 

[CalG]

35mm?

WhaTHF are you talking about?

 

[Brian Finch]

They actually freeski well.

 

[Scrundy]

Toothpick

 

[razie]

They may make good SuperG skis for U14-U16s - although likely not soft enough.

If you saw off 10cm from the tail, do they become 30m skis? I hear those are real nice !!!

 

[Philpug]

35mm?

WhaTHF are you talking about?

Title fixed, 35mm>35M.

 

[Burton]

If you saw off 10cm from the tail, do they become 30m skis? I hear those are real nice !!!

If you do that, you'd have to move the bindings forward. Better to cut 5cm off each end!

 

[hbear]

binding holders, can get some good binders fo a song.

 

[SkiSpeed]

https://forum.pugski.com/threads/re...ens-fis-gs-skis-from-head-and-rossignol.5144/

Inserting @ScotsSkier review of 35m Rossi/Heads. He is right on target. I have the Heads and while they are beasts to try and work in a course, they are really fun to free ski, esp when you have a quiet hill and room to let them run. You have to stay forward on them and pressure the front of the boot hard to get maximum performance. I know some folks have thought about using them in a Masters SG as an alternative to using speed skis; I did test this theory 2 years ago during training at Okemo's SG, but think you are still better off using SG boards; they are smoother under foot. I would imagine that the U16s could get good mileage out of them for SG as @razie suggests. My one question would be are U14's strong enough to really bend them?

 

[Brian Finch]

Someone should really develop a way to cut a few feet off em & possibly swallow tail em.....

 

[crgildart]

Chinese Downhill?

 

[Muleski]

Interesting to see a lot of perfect, some in the wrapper 35M skis for sale. Like real-deal stock, with sidewalls pulled, topsheets sanded, bases structured and loaded with wax, etc. minimal use.....or never skied ready to set up. I'm seeing many of them, as predicted by @ScotsSkier a while ago, for $100. Want bindings? Add $150-200 for almost new race bindings. I'm also seeing people asking prices at which they will never sell.

Our son picked up some from a friend who is a WC skier. His tech literally wanted to get rid of them. Headed to a dumpster otherwise. I assume a pair will make it my way if I'd like them.

My wide open fast ski is a real-deal WC ski cross ski. A 193cm Stockli with about a 28-29M radius. So, I'm "OK with that." I can only ski it on days when we're pretty much empty, or at least not crowded, and skiing with people who understand the concept of fall line and ski fast.

Think the 35M's probably would be great fun on those kinds of days.

Not sure that I would use them as a U14-U16 SG. Designed for very different skiing, very different pilots. A 195cm purpose built jr. SG ski is a very different animal. Just one man's opinion. For example most 35M skis have some design element to help make it easier and faster to transition that the ski's design would normally allow. So think a quicker switch. Which you are typically trying to calm down in SG.

The worst crash that our son every had, in a long race career was in the SG at his first J3JO's. So 13 years old. A long time ago. Good SG skis at that time were just hard to get for his age, and the courses were set at JO's to keep kids from the entire Eastern region safe. Huge disparity of skill and experience. And size.

So he was on a 193cm GS ski, with a Derbyflex plate to make it more damp. He came over a blind rollover, carrying a lot of heat, and just crushed the boot on a right footer, hooked up SO hard and so fast, and blew up. No bad injuries, but a lot of soreness, bloody nose, cuts, etc. Saw a lot of crashes over the next 15 years, but that one I recall. Much more scary than a number of big boy NorAm speed crashes. That was his last SG on a non SG ski. He grew a ton over the next few months and was ready for a real women's SG ski.

Not telling anybody how to coach or parent, but that memory sicks with me. In 50+ years of race experience. Depends on a lot of factors.

Some of these 35M skis can be cut up into a lot of nice cribbage boards, BTW.

 

[PisteOff]

I have a pair too. Bought them just before the announcement. The guy selling them must've been in the "know" because I got them cheap. They are very fun skis.....

 

[ScotsSkier]

They may make good SuperG skis for U14-U16s - although likely not soft enough.

If you saw off 10cm from the tail, do they become 30m skis? I hear those are real nice !!!

[/QUOT

Actually if you get the right ones - look at head and Rossi- they can worn quite well. And a lot easier to find than legal >30 m U14/16 SG skis for just one or 2 seasons. I loaned out a couple of pairs of heads to some of our U16 s last year for this. Ideal? Not quite the same as a proper SG ski but a LOT more suitable than the older 191/193 27m GS skis were. Softer flex on the 35m gives it a more forgiving hook up so less likely to get the type of incident Muleski describes. And if it gives the opportunity for more kids to run SG without a big investment makes it worthwhile IMHO

 

[Doug Briggs]

Masters racers can easily use them for SG.

 

[Muleski]

Actually if you get the right ones - look at head and Rossi- they can worn quite well. And a lot easier to find than legal >30 m U14/16 SG skis for just one or 2 seasons. I loaned out a couple of pairs of heads to some of our U16 s last year for this. Ideal? Not quite the same as a proper SG ski but a LOT more suitable than the older 191/193 27m GS skis were. Softer flex on the 35m gives it a more forgiving hook up so less likely to get the type of incident Muleski describes. And if it gives the opportunity for more kids to run SG without a big investment makes it worthwhile IMHO

All good points. As usual. I'm one step removed from that age group, and not to sound like an ass, getting intel about pretty driven exceptional kids. So they are all on SG's....carefully sourced.

The softer tip makes a lot of sense. I was thinking about the fact that the ones I have skied like to be loaded up, and then released quickly. Actually an awful lot of fun to ski. I have skied Heads and Nordica. Both nice.

I just think back to that crash....on 27M skis....not a good day for Mom. I was obviously calm. Sort of. I think the fact that it was clear pilot error by young son was a good thing.

Probably goes without saying that some of this depends on the hill, and the set in terms of the U14-U16's-Masters.
The variety of U16 SG race conditions is pretty substantial.

As always, best to discuss with a coach who works with you or your child!

 

[Doug Briggs]

And might I suggest: Sideline Swap, a sponsor of my Masters Registration and Membership site skiracereg.com

 

[Muleski]

Sideline Swap is tremendous. We have a lot of young family friends who sell a lot on there, and most of them need the money to help fund the continued skiing. You can get some top quality real deal skis, and the deals on clothing and things like poles, gloves, goggles can be amazing.

Thanks for posting that info, @Doug Briggs!

 

[Swede]

I agree that the r35:s are not ideal for U14/U16 SG. For the same reason the old women's GS r27:s were not very good either. A purpose built youth SG ski has a different flex creating a more suitable platform for higher speeds for less "substantial" skiers. Plenty of nice youth SG skis available. You'd want the proper tool when your son/daughter flies down the hill in 55 mph.