skis drillings

Question
Okay, i am contemplating buying a pair of line dragons that are probably 5 years old. The condition of them on top and on bottem is "okay". The only thing that I am concerned about is the holes in them. They have been drilled twice for salamons and one other time that used part of the salamon holes. I am just looking for a ski to start experimenting going off jumps with. Nothing fancy.

I am just concerned that if I drill a new set of holes the skis will start losing strength. Would it be okay to try and get some bindings that would fit in one of the holes.
What is your opinion on the strength of skis/drilled holes?

would it be worth it to buy them and then try to get salamon binding that would fit?

thank you very much

Answer
Hi Brad,

The old rule of thumb used by most binding technicians was that a ski would likely be able to accept a maximum of 3 sets of new binding holes drilled in its lifetime without cause for major concern. However this is based on the expectation that there is enough room around each new binding hole that there is a secure purchase for the binding into the ski. If there is not and the binding begins to pull out of the ski in the event of a fall it is unlikely that the binding would release your boot in time to avoid an injury. The issue of the ski losing strength is a valid one as well for in the event of a significant force being applied to the ski (such as on landing a jump) this force will take the line of least resistance through the ski (kind of like an earthquake occuring at a fault line). The best bet is to probably get bindings that fit the holes and have the holes heli-coiled (screw thread inserts to reinforce the connection) installed too. Hope this helps.

Glenn