Longboard Ski Failure – Written by Bob Maher
After 20 years of building Longboard Skis, 3 out of 1,500 have broken. With a recent failure, we feel this is too many.
Stiff, thick plate race type bindings create stress points in front of the forward binding and between the bindings. Mounting screws are often too close to the edge of the ski and are not always properly countersunk. When mounted in this manner, the result is a crack in the top laminate in close proximity to the stress point. The load on the ski will be drawn to this, the weakest point, and may cause your ski to break.
My recommendation, to improve safety, is to:
1. Inspect your ski (with good light and a magnifying glass) top, bottom, and along the edges. If you find any cracks in the laminate, wood, or epoxy edges, the ski is not safe to ride and should be replaced.
2. If your ski is in good condition, mount both bindings on a single plate (see illustration). The plate should extend 4 inches aft and 12 inches forward of your bindings. Glue and screw the plate to your ski, keeping the screws 1 inch from the edge of the ski. Pre-drill and countersink properly so the screws do not crack the laminate.
Click diagram to enlarge
3. When you are changing bindings, you MUST fill the old holes with epoxy filler.
Please forward this information to as many of your members and ski racing friends as possible.
Note- This is a one time mailing concerning skier safety. If you have questions please phone Bob at Maherajah Water Skis, 707 272-2564.
