awf170
New member
???
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Foam vs. Wood
- Thread starter awf170
- Start date
highpeaksdrifter
New member
I think wood is superior by far. IMO it is a stronger core and just feels stronger when you ski. Foam core skis also break easier.
riverc0il
New member
wood all the way.
In the words of Cosmo Kramer, "It's the wood that makes it good." :lol: :beer:
bigbog
Active member
........
yes, I like the stuff that used to grow.... 8)
yes, I like the stuff that used to grow.... 8)
To put it another way, foam sucks.
SkiDog
New member
dont both have their place for certian applications? AT setups might be best served by a foam core ski as they are lighter (usually).
I also have been doing MUCH research on this subject and find that some opioions shared by those on this board seem to differ from the ski community in general in regards to skis like the Salomon 1080 line. these skis get RAVE reviews by ANYONE that skis them, and I have really not found too many bad things said about them at all, espeically have yet to really find defiinitve proof that they have a shorter life span then a wood core ski. I'd think if the life of the ski was that short by now the ski community wouldve caught on and started "bad mouthing" the maker..
Just my thoughts would love to hear more..Thanks.
M
I also have been doing MUCH research on this subject and find that some opioions shared by those on this board seem to differ from the ski community in general in regards to skis like the Salomon 1080 line. these skis get RAVE reviews by ANYONE that skis them, and I have really not found too many bad things said about them at all, espeically have yet to really find defiinitve proof that they have a shorter life span then a wood core ski. I'd think if the life of the ski was that short by now the ski community wouldve caught on and started "bad mouthing" the maker..
Just my thoughts would love to hear more..Thanks.
M
tree_skier
New member
I have made the mistake of buying foam in the past, in fact the worst ski i've bought in the last 35 years was the rossi 4s ( the teal green ones) after about 10 days the biggest noodle you could imagine and they got rave reviews from alot of sources.
Besides nobody ever made a snowboard or ski named the foamy but burton made a snowboard called the WOODY :beer: :beer:
Besides nobody ever made a snowboard or ski named the foamy but burton made a snowboard called the WOODY :beer: :beer:
SkiDog
New member
tree_skier said:
Again, this is why I ask...this was a VERY POPULAR ski in its day...I mean I can remember those were like every other pair int he lift line...
I only ask becasue I am on the fence with Foam v. Wood...I have skied only wood for 25 years.....thinking of buying foam and you people are scaring me...
the popularity of the foam core skis it crazy and i know from posters on other boards that some LOVE foam...some atomic, some sallie...M
tree_skier
New member
SkiDog said:
It just points out that alot of people are more into image then performance. The first 2 years of the 4s it was the hottest ski on the market because of the color. Ski it hard for a few days and it was cooked. The first couple of days it was a great ski but by the third week of the season it was god awful.
If you ski 5 days a year buy a foam ski if you ski 20+ wood is the only way to go.
SkiDog
New member
tree_skier said:
I cant believe that is still the case today....again ive only been readin rave reviews about some/most of the foam cores out there, and if the last time you skied foam were the 4's i'm sure its come quite a ways...again I am a wood core skier, but am thinking of making a switch, so trying to gather all information....
These "personal" level type reviews I am recieving arent coming from 5 day a year skiers, most are actully coming from people who are using them mostly for AT..
Im just soo cornfused.... :blink:
M
billski
Active member
resilient
Wood has resiliency and much longer longevity than foam. Foam is super responsive at first, but poops out after a few dozen days. My one and only pair of foamies started changing response after only about 20 days of skiing. I suppose if money is no object, just buy a new pair every 6 months, you're all set
Wood has resiliency and much longer longevity than foam. Foam is super responsive at first, but poops out after a few dozen days. My one and only pair of foamies started changing response after only about 20 days of skiing. I suppose if money is no object, just buy a new pair every 6 months, you're all set
riverc0il
New member
wood core as an AT ski is not an issue. if you are a rando racer or extreme light weight setup, then a light weight ski may be in order. but any AT skier looking for ski performance should not be put off by a slightly heavier ski. binding and boot weight are more important issues, but you need the ski to perform on the downhill.
billski
Active member
riverc0il said:
The skis I have today are the shortest, yet heaviest skis I have ever owned. The only time weight is an issue is lugging them back to the car. The rest of the time they are flat on the snow, where they belong. I don't notice the weight difference at all when skiing. In fact, I call them my "snow magnets", the way they just stay flat, but continue to accellerate.
SkiDog
New member
billski said:
Foam or wood core?
M
billski
Active member
SkiDog said:
Wood. Arf Arf. :beer:
SkiDog
New member
billski said:
DRAT i need one of you to be on the side im leaning towards....GRRRRRR
M
billski
Active member
not
TWO does NOT constitute a trend or pattern....
not enuf data to make a good decision..
p.s., didn't someone say DEMO??? :wink:
Mr. Statistics sez....SkiDog said:billski said:
DRAT i need one of you to be on the side im leaning towards....GRRRRRR
M
TWO does NOT constitute a trend or pattern....
not enuf data to make a good decision..
p.s., didn't someone say DEMO??? :wink:
GrizzlyFD
New member
Three words...foam is CHEAP.
This is why it is used. Foam is typically a polymeric species (the same material that makes up a ski base, water bottles, etc...) that is held together by the cohesiveness of the individual molecules. This cohesiveness breaks down very quickly when put under flexing stress. Conversely, wood fibers are very tightly held together and have an excellent cohesiveness.
One of the bigest concerns over wood-core skis is the unstable quality of the wood used for the skis. If you have ever been to the building materials at home depot, you can see the incredible variation in quality of the wood. Foam is supposed to provide a uniform material that will always perform the same. Some manufacturers have addressed this concern with their wood-core skis.
Volkl has its own "forest" of poplar trees so that the material they use is always very consistent and high quality. That is one of the reason why volkl is $$, but last a long time.
This is why it is used. Foam is typically a polymeric species (the same material that makes up a ski base, water bottles, etc...) that is held together by the cohesiveness of the individual molecules. This cohesiveness breaks down very quickly when put under flexing stress. Conversely, wood fibers are very tightly held together and have an excellent cohesiveness.
One of the bigest concerns over wood-core skis is the unstable quality of the wood used for the skis. If you have ever been to the building materials at home depot, you can see the incredible variation in quality of the wood. Foam is supposed to provide a uniform material that will always perform the same. Some manufacturers have addressed this concern with their wood-core skis.
Volkl has its own "forest" of poplar trees so that the material they use is always very consistent and high quality. That is one of the reason why volkl is $$, but last a long time.
riverc0il
New member
regarding the money issue, there are a lot of foam skis that are quite expensive when compared to their wood counterparts.
that said, what happened to all you rossi folks? we had a "what ski do you use" thread not to long ago and rossi had a lot of committed users. wonder where they all went? :lol:
the wood vs. foam issue will become less and less meaningful as more and more ski companies are using hybrid core components mixing in metal elements and so on. i still love a solid wood core to build around though.
:beer:
that said, what happened to all you rossi folks? we had a "what ski do you use" thread not to long ago and rossi had a lot of committed users. wonder where they all went? :lol:
the wood vs. foam issue will become less and less meaningful as more and more ski companies are using hybrid core components mixing in metal elements and so on. i still love a solid wood core to build around though.
:beer:
