• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Eleeski

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
2,287
Location
San Diego / skis at Squaw Valley
Hexcel did build waterskis. Revolutionary process. It was quickly sold to the LaPoints (the best skiers in the world then) who had some commercial success building high end skis. The Ajax LaPoint molds and process was sold to Kimball (a major builder of combo beginner skis). The process was incredibly expensive in materials, labor intensive and time consuming. I worked for Kimball when they were trying to adapt the process to mass production. I wasn't a good enough engineer as the skis never got produced by Kimball.

Hexcel skis (both water and snow) were incredibly light and high performance. These applications highlighted the potential of the composite construction Hexcel was pioneering. They sold after proving the possibilities. Hexcel continued as a leader in commercial composites. I remember seeing road repair machines with the Hexcel logo. I bought Hexcel resins and cloth (never bought Hexcel honeycomb - go figure). They are still a major player in the composite world.

Eric
 

Racerx

go speed racer go
Skier
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Posts
5
Location
Truckee
I didn't know they sold to La Point brother's. My father was a Industrial/Structural Engineer who worked for Hexcel. When I was about 12 we went one Saturday to the Berkeley factory(plant), which was backed up to the Berkeley aquatic park. I was interested in the Go-cart track down the street, thinking I was going to go go-carting, which I did later in the day. The La Point brothers were testing water skis, we drove over to the dock where they were. My Dad's business was just that. I stayed out of it. Never co-mingled with Pro water skiers or Alpine Pro ski racers etc... so I stayed in the car. But he would tell me things about the ski division or this or that. Not much because it was either classified or Intel. Property of some of aerospace company. The alpine ski Division was sold because the CFO and his staff knew it was not cutting it as far as profit margin. Over the years Hexcel bought and sold many smaller companies just like most Industrial companies do. He moved to the International Division in 1978,and had duel role for a while as Quality Control Director for The Corporation until they found a replacement for his job. He worked in Belgium Hexcel's Engineered core Plant until 1992 when he retired, but commuted back and forth to Hexcel's Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco. He great stories of funny things that would happen to him or co-workers. He said Dr. Harvey Postlewaithe from F-1 Ferrari came to meet him in Belgium after setting up meeting to discuss building a composite chassis (which they did) for the 1982 Ferrari F-1 car the 126-C. He said he arrived in a VW Golf with a Ferrari sticker on the door, cracked him up. They would out for drinks etc... on down time.. they had a good time..
 

Racerx

go speed racer go
Skier
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Posts
5
Location
Truckee
Ferrari 126-c.jpg
Ferrari-126-C2-78562.jpg
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,604
Location
PNW aka SEA
Thought I might have posted this, but the honey comb composite technology was developed for aerospace application. Parson's, owned by John Parson in Trave4se City MI had a part in the development. They made AL honeycomb composite helicopter blades for the army in the early to late sixties. Light, strong, and ballistically survivable. Doubt they were cheap.

I believe Parsons was sold to Hexcel ... not sure if I'm recalling it correctly, but at any rate, production moved to CA and Pops didn't want to move. He was pretty intrigued to see skis made with the technology. As @Kneale Brownson probably recalls, they were wildly popular in our corner of MI. The local rep ( Dan Mathius (sp?) was pretty generous and worked very hard at getting people on them.

The Hexcel ski van was always at the hill and around town. Salomon 444 demo bindings on most if a remember. One of our coaches was on their 'skunkworks' program so we always got a preview of what was coming. The skunkworks skis were always dark dark blue, had a small hexcel logo, and said 'skunkworks' on the tail. We all thought the split tails were about the coolest thing we'd ever seen.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
Hexcel ski van was always at the hill and around town. Salomon 444 demo bindings on most if a remember. One of our coaches was on their 'skunkworks' program so we always got a preview of what was coming. The skunkworks skis were always dark dark blue, had a small hexcel logo, and said 'skunkworks' on the tail. We all thought the split tails were about the coolest thing we'd ever seen.
Although I had Allsop bindings on my Hexcel Comps, I did own a pair of S 444 Demo bindings and they were a good demo binding for their time. I think they were mounted on a pair of Rossignol skis a friend gave me and I have no idea what happened to them.
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,328
Location
The Bull City
One of our coaches was on their 'skunkworks' program so we always got a preview of what was coming. The skunkworks skis were always dark dark blue, had a small hexcel logo, and said 'skunkworks' on the tail. We all thought the split tails were about the coolest thing we'd ever seen.
I remember a couple of the local pro racers on those, and Hanson Spyder boots. Hexcels were the most expensive ski on the wall at the ski shop and they still didn't clear a sufficient profit margin to keep the operation running. Finding pair of split tails in good condition and skiing them was a dream I finally realized a couple years ago. My life is complete now :cool:

626 was a binding of choice on the recreational models, super light weight. I did replace them with 727 metal because I could see the 626 heels about to blow.
 

Noodler

Sir Turn-a-lot
Skier
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Posts
6,314
Location
Denver, CO
I remember a couple of the local pro racers on those, and Hanson Spyder boots. Hexcels were the most expensive ski on the wall at the ski shop and they still didn't clear a sufficient profit margin to keep the operation running. Finding pair of split tails in good condition and skiing them was a dream I finally realized a couple years ago. My life is complete now :cool:

I remember finding a brand new pair of split tails at a ski liquidation sale held at a hotel. It was about 1982 or 83, and I was still just a teenager with very little income from my Summer jobs, but the Hexcels were $99! So I grabbed them and put some spare Geze racing bindings on them that I had left over from some of my Dynastar racing skis. I really cherished those skis right alongside my Olins.

Unfortunately my parents dumped them in a garage sale while I was at college. I still haven't forgiven them. ;)
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
I remember a couple of the local pro racers on those, and Hanson Spyder boots. Hexcels were the most expensive ski on the wall at the ski shop and they still didn't clear a sufficient profit margin to keep the operation running. Finding pair of split tails in good condition and skiing them was a dream I finally realized a couple years ago. My life is complete now :cool:

626 was a binding of choice on the recreational models, super light weight. I did replace them with 727 metal because I could see the 626 heels about to blow.
Yes, they were the highest price ski at the time. The Hexcel Comps had a MSRP of $235.00 when I got mine. Of course at the time I got mine at the shop employee price. Seem to remember it was about $145.00 but not 100 percent sure it may have been less.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
I am not sure I even ever skied any Hexcels. Thinking....thinking....nope. I recall growing up in the Poconos thinking they were always a "western ski", I don't remember ever seeing too many, if any at Camelback.
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
1,863
I had multiple sets of Comps, SuperComps, Hexcellerators, Primer Cords and Split Tails. Dan Matthies, who ran the ski shop at SugarLoaf Resort in Michigan's little finger area and was national sales rep for Hexcel, provided them at pro prices to many of the members of the resort's ski school staff as well as lots of other instructors.
88995669.jpg
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,604
Location
PNW aka SEA
I had multiple sets of Comps, SuperComps, Hexcellerators, Primer Cords and Split Tails. Dan Matthies, who ran the ski shop at SugarLoaf Resort in Michigan's little finger area and was national sales rep for Hexcel, provided them at pro prices to many of the members of the resort's ski school staff as well as lots of other instructors.
88995669.jpg

Stanick crushed on them. Were you around when he finished 2nd to Otto Tsudi when the pro tour came to the Loaf, Kneale? Man, Jerry could ski.
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
1,863
I don't know what Jerry was using then. Maybe SuperComps? He's a heck of an athlete.
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,604
Location
PNW aka SEA
I don't know what Jerry was using then. Maybe SuperComps? He's a heck of an athlete.

Jerry was the skunkworks guy. :) Primer Cords, Super comps, and Split tails.

(No one raced in Hanson boots that I can recall... Lange or Nordica GP's )
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
1,863
Oh, I know he tested for them with Skunkworks models. I didn't know what he RACED on. Mark Fisher tried to ski the Hansen/K2 boots that K2 provided him and ended up making a flower vase out of them.
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,604
Location
PNW aka SEA
I think he did the pro race on either split tails or SuperComps... most of the time I recall him skiing SuperComps. I think he told us he put a spud through a ski once though.
 

RonnieBoomBoom

Booting up
Skier
Joined
May 17, 2020
Posts
2
Location
Houston TX
The Competition was a fantastic ski, I was not aware of the associations with Berkeley. It’s always sad to see great equipment like this fade into the past.
 

Joal

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Posts
632
No comment on his possible binding choice. At least they were rescued from the dump.


The_High_Life

Aspen Mountain
43 points·1 year ago·edited 1 year ago

My wife found 2 pairs of these in the dump, unmounted and still in the plastic. One is 200, this is 205. They are 1980 Hexcel Splitails. A very light ski for the era, they used an aluminum honeycomb structure instead of wood or fiberglass.
Going to mount some Marker Griffons so I can use my Scarpa Maestrales.
1602245936761.png


edit Did not realize that would happen. The first picture is the link. I'm just going to leave it.
 
Last edited:

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
No comment on his possible binding choice. At least they were rescued from the dump.


The_High_Life

Aspen Mountain
43 points·1 year ago·edited 1 year ago

My wife found 2 pairs of these in the dump, unmounted and still in the plastic. One is 200, this is 205. They are 1980 Hexcel Splitails. A very light ski for the era, they used an aluminum honeycomb structure instead of wood or fiberglass.
Going to mount some Marker Griffons so I can use my Scarpa Maestrales.
View attachment 111849

edit Did not realize that would happen. The first picture is the link. I'm just going to leave it.
I hope the proper mounting process is used.
 

Sponsor

Top