Question
Fine cracks
I have a pair of Elan Carve X skis that may be 8 to 10 years old (I bought them as demos in Feb. 2003). This year I noticed what appears to be a network of VERY fine hairline cracks on the bottom of the skis. They run generally side to side in an area from just behind the curve of the tip to just in front of the binding then start again just behind the binding back to the tail. The ones on the front part of the skis are much more numerous. They APPEAR to be under the wax in the P-tex itself. After Noticing them I had the skis tuned and they are still there. Is this a problem? I just bought new skis (not because of this problem) and would like to sell the Elans but:
1. I don't want to sell them to anyone if this is a major problem.
2. I don't want to sell them and then have the buyer complain that I sold them a piece of junk.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
AnswerHey Charlie,
The hairline cracks could be a manufacturer problem but not sure. You would have to contact Elan to find out if they had issues with that model year.
My suspicion is that the skis have been just tucked away in the garage at the end of each season and the bases have dried out over time. P-tex is a flexible plastic that is a superb base material for skis. But, it will dry out and can be come brittle. Over time it can develop the type of cracks that you are experiencing. The solution to prevent the bases from drying out is to keep a good hot wax on the bases. Skis should be hot waxed every 3-4 days of skiing. At the end of the season it is best to get a hot wax applied and ask the technician to NOT remove the excess wax. This will leave a nice protective coating on the bases while they are stored in nice hot garage all summer. When it's time to get them out, take them in to get the wax scraped off and you're ready to ski.
Something else I noticed in your picture is the surface rust on the edges. After every day of skiing, the bases should be wiped down with a towel to remove any excess moisture from the edges to prevent rust. At the end of the season, the 'summer' hot wax helps prevent rust from forming. The edges can still form condensation in the late spring and early fall with the temperature changes. This condensation can develop surface rust. The more rust on the edges, the shorter the live of the edges as more edge material needs to be removed during a tune up to eliminate the rust.
As for the cracking being a major problem, I don't know if it will greatly affect the skis. If a good hot wax is applied regularly, I don't think the cracks will get any bigger.
If you do sell them, just be totally up front with the potential buyer about the issue. Be sure to pass on the information about hot waxing regularly.
Hope this helps
