low pockets in bases

[Jacques]

Looks like someone used a sharp steel scraper, and bent it to get past the brakes. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

I don't know about that as one who uses steel all the time. That would have to be an ton of flexing with one hell of a lot of pressure. Makes no sense to me.

 

[Jacques]

It's not a gouge, it's a dip from the screw pulling up the bottom because the hole was a little deeper than the screw was long and the screw pulled up the gap leaving a dip under it.

IDK reading this again am I.
How could what you say be the case, unless there was a hollow spot in the construction of the ski the size of the gouge in the ski we see above.
I'm not making sense.
Let me try again.
How is a low area that large going to be pulled up from a binding mounting screw?
Rotten core wood?
No, wait.
How could that happen if the screw was not getting purchase from rotten wood? If no purchase, the how could it pull up all that?
Did one little screw lift the entire inner construction of the ski in that broad of an area?

 

[crgildart]

Did one little screw lift the entire inner construction of the ski in that broad of an area?

Happens quite a bit. Drilled deeper than the screw.. That void gets sucked up by the screw. Causes little dip in the ptex under it.

 

[markojp]

OP, if they're 185's and you're dumping them, I'll pay shipping. I'd love to mount up a pair teley. Great skis for free make free skiing great.

 

[weatherman]

I've taken a few more photos as requested. Both skis as quested.

Plus a side-by-side linked which would not upload (because too big?).

These are skied primarily in New England with a week in the Alps under their belt. They are transported in ski bag held together with ski straps and carried in the bed of a truck.

 

[cantunamunch]

I kinda agree with Jacques... the gouged out are is missing the base structure that the surrounding area has. It looks to me like there was abrasion in that spot.

Kinda like the skis were ground while there was a bubble inside of them. And then the bubble went away and we have a low spot.

One way that could happen, ofc, is if there was, at some point, moisture getting into the ski. And binding screws are a known pathway for that.

So...yeah... check the screws, if any are loose remove screw and use epoxy/wool mix to bed it back in, then ski the skis until they fall apart...would be my plan of action.

 

[Jacques]

I've taken a few more photos as requested. Both skis as quested.
View attachment 31881 View attachment 31882
Plus a side-by-side linked which would not upload (because too big?).

These are skied primarily in New England with a week in the Alps under their belt. They are transported in ski bag held together with ski straps and carried in the bed of a truck.

That indeed is quite bizarre. Looking at the two, I don't think it'a a construction issue. I think it's some sort of abrasion issue. How it occurred, if you can't figure it, is a mystery to me. It's as if a grinding wheel was taken to them.

 

[eok]

Weird. Doesn't look like "binding suck" depressions I've seen. The OP said the shop ground the bases additional times to try and correct the problem. Really? Based on the high-rez side-by-side pic the grind results look awful. I mean, the base edge still has too many horizontal scratches than I would expect to see after multiple consecutive grinds. But I also see what looks like fresh structure marks I'd usually see from a stone-based grinder. Doesn't make sense.

To me, the marks remind me of a mistake that can happen when doing a "grind" on one of the old belt sander machines designed for ski bases. On those machines, the skis were ground by hand - no automated feed. The operator would hold a ski and draw it back and downward(ish), over the sanding area for a pass. The mistake would happen after the grinding pass: at the end of the pass, the operator could lift the ski up & away from the belt wrong and the base would momentarily contact some portion of the belt at an angle (usually the side of the drum area) - making an ugly mark/gouge. I've actually seen this happen to several skis in a rental fleet.

But both skis damaged like this in exactly the same spot? The operator would at least have to be real consistent. ;^)

I guess some shops *might* have a belt sander grinder and a stone grinder. Initial prep pass over the belt to get all the grime & wax off & then to the stone grinder for the real resurfacing. I've never personally seen this though.

 

[L&AirC]

My Nordica NRGY 100 skis have a low pocket on the bases of both skis. It is right under the heel binding, and nearly identical on both skis. It looks as if the binding screws have warped the ski core, or something weird like that. Does anyone recognize this problem? I took the skis for a tune at Proctor Ski Shop in Nashua, NH, then brought them back when I saw this problem. They did an additional 16 bases with the stone grinder yet couldn't flatten it out. Their position is I am SOL and the proud owner of some rock skis.

By my eye, the edge is also worn a bit. Should my next stop be another shop? Or throw some wax on them and unload them at a ski swap?

Do you use your ski pole to get out of your bindings or stomp on your heel binding to get out of your bindings? That was the first thing I thought of when looking at them.

Proctor is pretty good so I don't think you'll get different results going somewhere else. I use them and Ken Jones to do my bases. I used to go to Summit (SkiMD) in MA but I could get a season pass for what I was spending there a season. I can get Proctor and Ken Jones to just do the bases, not wax and not do the edges or just not the side edge and they'll adjust the price accordingly.

Also, they aren't rock skis. If it was convex maybe but not indented like that. Also it isn't on the edge so it shouldn't effect edge use either. The stars would all have to align in a very weird way for this to impact your skiing.

Though I don't think it is worth it, if it is really bothering you, cut it out and fill it back in. Again, I don't think you should do this because MY OPINION is doing such things is a last resort to save a pair of skis and I don't think those skis are there.

If you have been stomping on your bindings to get out of them, you might want to consider not doing that anymore. It's one of my pet peeves. Does everyone really think ski poles are just for starting a turn? The binding manufacturer even put a dimple in the heel binding lever to make it easy to use your ski pole.

 

[L&AirC]

I forgot to comment on your statement about the edge wear. That tends to happen, even in high end shops. I believe it is because when the base edge is being set, it is next to impossible to not touch the base ptex. This too shouldn't be an issue. I remember being all concerned about this and checked it with my true bar. Nada. It is cosmetic.

 

[Jacques]

Do you use your ski pole to get out of your bindings or stomp on your heel binding to get out of your bindings? That was the first thing I thought of when looking at them.

Proctor is pretty good so I don't think you'll get different results going somewhere else. I use them and Ken Jones to do my bases. I used to go to Summit (SkiMD) in MA but I could get a season pass for what I was spending there a season. I can get Proctor and Ken Jones to just do the bases, not wax and not do the edges or just not the side edge and they'll adjust the price accordingly.

Also, they aren't rock skis. If it was convex maybe but not indented like that. Also it isn't on the edge so it shouldn't effect edge use either. The stars would all have to align in a very weird way for this to impact your skiing.

Though I don't think it is worth it, if it is really bothering you, cut it out and fill it back in. Again, I don't think you should do this because MY OPINION is doing such things is a last resort to save a pair of skis and I don't think those skis are there.

If you have been stomping on your bindings to get out of them, you might want to consider not doing that anymore. It's one of my pet peeves. Does everyone really think ski poles are just for starting a turn? The binding manufacturer even put a dimple in the heel binding lever to make it easy to use your ski pole.

Last part above. I believe that theory holds more water than not. He would be rotating the skis since most that have that bad habit tend to use the same foot to release the first ski.

 

[François Pugh]

Last part above. I believe that theory holds more water than not. He would be rotating the skis since most that have that bad habit tend to use the same foot to release the first ski.

Me three on the stomping part.

 

[crgildart]

It would take quite a while to wear a perfect groove that deep, and quite a bit of precision to have it that focused if caused by stomping on the heel pieces of the other ski. There would be a scatter plot constellation of gouges all around the base from 6 inches behind the heel to the mid arch area of the base if stomping the heel piece was to blame.

 

[Polo]

If I understand this correctly, those pictures, showing the low spot, is AFTER they've been ground? If so, that kind of changes everything because the low spot or affected area, very likely looked much different before they were ground.

 

[Sibhusky]

I'm liking the binding stomp idea. OP needs to tell us if he does that.

 

[trailtrimmer]

You guys get awfully worked up about a pair of skis that still work fine and really don't need anything but basic maintenance and to ski the hell out of them.

 

[crgildart]

If I understand this correctly, those pictures, showing the low spot, is AFTER they've been ground? If so, that kind of changes everything because the low spot or affected area, very likely looked much different before they were ground.

Still say there would be several different spots dinged as deeply or maybe even deeper all around the displayed dip if stomping was the culprit.

 

[Jacques]

It would take quite a while to wear a perfect groove that deep, and quite a bit of precision to have it that focused if caused by stomping on the heel pieces of the other ski. There would be a scatter plot constellation of gouges all around the base from 6 inches behind the heel to the mid arch area of the base if stomping the heel piece was to blame.

I kinda' agree, but it seems plausible.
I have seen bindings with the plastic broke off of the heel release piece and that left sharp metal parts there.
I think the theory needs to be ruled out by the OP.

Still looks like someone hit them with a grinder anyway I look.

 

[Jacques]

You guys get awfully worked up about a pair of skis that still work fine and really don't need anything but basic maintenance and to ski the hell out of them.

I don't think anyone is getting "worked up".
We are more than likely a bit bored and this is a great mystery that we enjoy theorizing about how it could be.
The OP wondered how it could be.
I think most everyone said don't worry about it right out of the gate.

That said, seems to me they will turn right way different than left form the base wear.
I'd be more concerned about that. That would need a bit more than basic maintenance depending on ones skill level to fix.

 

[crgildart]

Still looks like someone hit them with a grinder anyway I look.

I had a similar thought that they were bubbles popped up from screws which were too long. holes not deep enough. Rather than backing the screws out and drilling deeper or getting shorter screws they ground down the ptex bubble???