Final Details and Testing

This year I decided to use the Marker Baron again which I removed from the original Aftermaths.  I plan to use these skis for a small amount of touring if the weather ever corporates.  At this point the original Aftermaths have been retired due to the stiffness being too high.  I may mount different bindings on them someday.  My friend Matt again offered to help me mount the bindings and tune the skis again this year.  The bases were fairly flat, but were slightly convex due to epoxy seeping under the edge of the tips and tails during pressing.

The finalized skis are shown below.

 

This years skis are light at 7lb 0oz for the pair (1591 grams per ski, 3181 grams total); this makes them the lightest skis I have made.  For comparison, the 177 cm long Volkl Kendo, which has a very similar width but is 9cm shorter, weighs in at 1849 grams per ski, or 3698 grams total (8lb 2.2 oz). The skis have a good flex and good torsional resistance.  Their performance on the hill was exceptional. I took them to a local resort, Blue Knob, which is known for having the best terrain in the mid-Atlantic.  I put the skis to the test: speed, agility around moguls, and impact off of a few jumps and drop-offs, and even some fresh powder.  I am looking forward to taking them out west in March.