Skin Tech Tips
Friday, December 17, 2010 at 08:39PM Now, I realize that many of the readers of this site already have the gear thing dialed. This little piece may bore you a bit. But I also realize that there're others who are just catching the skimo racing bug and may need some inside tips. Even if they don't want to race, many of the adaptations from racing can be applied to fast touring. Just look at what's happening at Dynafit with the new TLT 5 boots. I mean, why would you use anything else?! Anyway, I'm working on a larger piece on speeding things up while touring but thought I would throw a quick one out on skin mods.
When I got into racing several years ago it seemed like I stumbled around in the dark a bit. There wasn't a lot of open sharing of ideas around here although if you asked pointed questions you could get some answers. The best source of information was found at larger events where you could just cruise around before and after racing and see who had what. It was pretty cool seeing some of the innovations people came up with. Equipment has come a long way since and many innovations are now in production and others are discouraged by tighter regulation by the federations.
Climbing skins are one fundamental piece of equipment for the sport. Most racers are on expensive mohair and there're several brands out there, most of which are European (Coltex, Trab, Pomoca, Dynafit) but we've seen Black Diamond throw their hat into the ring lately. Dynafit has always had a proprietary tip fixation system for their skins that works well on their skis but is sometimes worthless on other ski brands. Trab has their own fixation, as well, but it's a fiddle and doesn't work well under race conditions. What we're left with is coming up with a custom attachment system that allows racers to rip their skins from the tip at the top of climbs while keeping the system light and durable. And it goes without saying that there's almost no one using any sort of tail fixation. Of course, you will curse that tendency the first time your skins fail in frigid conditions.
I experimented with several options until settling for my current setup. I use Trabs for racing which requires a fairly wide washer at the tip for fixation. Dynafit has a much smaller slot in the front so the bungee cord has to be smaller in diameter than what I use on the Trabs if not using original Dynafit skins. I've also put notches in the tips of Atomics, Goodes, and Black Diamond skis, using a Dremel tool to carve out the slot. I've had no problems but it did get some getting used to carving up $1000 skis.
The below pictures show the step by step process for creating the system.
The first thing to do is to cut the front of the skin to be able to create the fixation system. After much trial and error, I have made a template from paper that gets the job done. To draw the template, simply free hand a nice taper on one side and then fold the paper in half length-wise and cut it. This creates a symmetrical pattern that looks tidy. If you're a hack, just cut away. I'm way too OCD for that, though. Either way, it works the same.
Once cut, I fold over the little tab and secure it with a hemostat. Old school dope smokers and fly tiers have these on hand. Working in surgery, I have access to this stuff and it makes the job easier. I also use suture and a surgery needle driver for the sewing. A cycling tubular tire repair kit has a nice heavy duty needle and thread that suffices for the job, too. Whatever you have that works is fine. Ultimately, finishing the sewing with a blob a Seam Grip secures the mod perfectly.
Once the sewing is done, slip a washer of some sort over the bungee and secure with a knot. Some racers have found plastic washers at hardware stores that work. I have made them out of plastic lids to protein powder canisters. My favorite are the guy line tighteners for tents.
Here's the other version side by side with the more Dynafit friendly version.
Once the skins are fixed to the tip, you can cut them to size. Now, most racers are using at least one pair of straight skins, three quarter length or so. Most of these don't need to be trimmed. I like having a bail out pair of wall to wall skins for more challenging conditions. Those need to be trimmed. G3 has an amazing skin trimming tool which sets the standard for this kind of product. The other brands just sell you a relabeled letter opener. This device actually cuts the 3mm offset from the edge first time through. So slick!
Lastly, I find that keeping up with skin maintenance is key to avoiding skin disasters during races. There've been several discussions on various back country skiing websites about stripping glue from skins and all the mess that entails. The reglue transfer strips are usually recommended after a thorough cleaning. Well, for me, this all seems a bit overboard. I've found that if I do a little seasonal maintenance I never have to do the full Monty.
I simply cut strips of either newspaper or brown paper bags and apply them in 6-10 inch strips to the skins and hit them with a hot iron. After two such passes the remaining glue is reconditioned and relatively clean. I then apply a very thin coat of Gold Label to complete the process. I really haven't had any issues with this technique.
Over the years I've had only one pair of skins with tail attachments and I recently removed them, as well. With proper attention to glue maintenance, I've rarely had an issue with skins peeling. It also makes for a trimmer and lighter set-up. Because my tails are more at risk, I'll freshen up the last 6 inches of skin perhaps twice a season. This only takes about 10 minutes.
Gear
Reader Comments (8)
Brian, definitely pursue the idea of how to lighten up and move fast on long tours. I'd like to hear a more about that. Racing has really opened my eyes to the potential out there for such projects.
Ray,
Hopefully, I can get that piece together for next week sometime.
Brian,
Do you replace the OEM glue on your racing skins sooner than later? I got a couple of Ski Trab race skins and the glue seems pretty weak when compared to BD gold label, and even with a lot of caution I am still blowing skins fairly regularly in training. After a bit of fiddling I can generally get them back on but it is something I don't want to have to deal with during a race.
Any idea if the Gold Label re-glue is the same glue that the skins come with? If so, it rocks. BD mohair skins are my favorite. I've gone two season with the ones I have now. Have not had to reglue them (and I get out on them a lot) and they've yet to fail me in a race. I blew through a SkiTrab skin in half a season (I love SkiTrab skis, but not their skins). Same thing with G3....used them for 1/2 a season when I first started and the glue failed so bad that I almost wasn't able to finish the PowderKeg.
Luke,
I think the consensus from all of us is that Gold Label is the standard by which all other glues are measured. Not sure why that is. I mean, how hard can it be, right? But the shit is toxic and perhaps some of the other companies are trying to be greener, or whatever. G3 is one of those.
A can of Gold Label will last me several years so I'm not going to fret about it. To answer your question more directly I would say, "yes". Initially, I just added a thin layer to my Trab skins. I have had them several years now and they are balding but still work well. They have been stripped a couple of times of all the glue so they are pretty much all Gold Label now. If I was to do it again I would hit the stock glue with two passes of paper and iron and then a single, thin coat of the good stuff and go from there.
The other thing is to be very vigilant during transitions wiping the ski bases clean and even running the skins over your leg to get any ice/snow off before applying. This is especially important after crashing in powder when snow can get all over your skins in the suit pocket. As Wick pointed out to me years ago, taking these few seconds is a lot faster than a skin failure half way up a climb. Way less stressful, too.
Ray,
Good question on the re-glue. I don't know. That would be a good question for BD. Perhaps I will try to find out this week and post an answer.
Good to hear about the BD mohair. My Trabs are balding but actually work fine. Seem to glide pretty well, too. On the other hand, I have used nothing else since I started racing so perhaps I don't know what I'm missing!
FYI....apparently bitching and complaining really does get you somewhere in the world.....we are getting pounded with snow now. Over 3ft over the last few days!
I'm about to do this race skin mod.
How big is the "tab" you fold over ?
I was thinking of trying about 1 inch x 1 inch but yours seems it may be a little narrower and longer. Thx