Foam vs. Wood

[madskier6]

Core is a non issue. It's only part of the design and most Companies use both.

You can't be serious. If core is a non-issue then what in your opinion makes all the various skis ski and feel differently on the mountain and in various conditions? While design and construction methods are also important, core is very important. I think the ski manufacturers and a lot of the gear experts would strongly disagree with this point of view.

Go play on your wood Tennis Racket and golf clubs.

Are you suggesting that the use of wood cores are as outdated as wooden tennis rackets and wooden golf clubs? Volkl, Dynastar and K2 (along with many other ski manufacturers) would strongly disagree with you (as would the skiers that love the wood core skis that they make).

Please explain what you mean by your post on the wood vs. foam core issue.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by RossiSkier

Atomic is using nanotechnology to make materials that they claim to be up to 50 times stronger and lighter than ordinary steel. According to their latest billing, "They've injected nanoscopic silicon oxide crystals into the tiny voides between carbon fibers...result is a super light ski that provides twice the stability and 22% more power in it's return flex.

Here's a write-up on the Atomic site:

http://winter.atomicski.com/technology.php

It's a neat concept and all, but it really isn't nanotechnology. That's all marketing hype. They even claim right on their website:

"Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating materials at the molecular level — about one 80,000th the diameter of a human hair."

They're not manipulating anything at the molecular level. They found some chemical process to achieve this desire affect, that's all. They're not injecting anything at the molecular level. Could you imagine how long that would take to make a sheet of material big enough to make a ski core? It's rediculous.

True nanotechnology is what they said, actually manipulating molecules and atoms. Like making molecular gears and motors and such. Like when IBM first did this:



Atomic claiming this as nanotechnology is like claiming high carbon steel is nanotechnology because the carbon atoms find their way into interstitial spaces in the iron atoms. Just dumb marketing hype. The ski industry is plagued by it.

[RossiSkier]

Wow Marc. Good post. Those LIARS at Atomic. Well I would still LOVE a pair of B5's.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by RossiSkier

Wow Marc. Good post. Those LIARS at Atomic. Well I would still LOVE a pair of B5's.

Heh, yes, a poor marketing department is no reason to judge the quality of their skis, only the quality of their management.

Like I said, near every major ski manufacturer uses some sort of meaningless hype to draw in the "gotta have it" crowd.

They don't market towards the "gotta ski it" crowd, because that type of consumer is going to select the ski based on its merits and not its advertisements. That's why I like hanging around here, and having these threads.