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April, 2025

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SKI Wood Core:: What Kind?

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qazwsxedc34
Posts: 2955 - Karma: 2,135
What makes a ski ski like it does? I know composite materials and core construction all play a role in how a ski skis but I just wanted to talk about the wood used itself.

I have the k2 recoils and I can honestly say that they are like 2x4’s, they hold up great but are notoriously short lived as far as core liveliness. I read that K2 makes their core out of a fir/aspen wood laminate, both softwoods, which does help with elasticity and flex predictability. It seems that the k2’s core is made from wood chips/shavings glued together with some sort of glue as a means for faster production. Probably why they have a damp, heavy feel and not a lot of life or rebound if any at all.

I also find it quite interesting the Moment uses an aspen/pine core for the Bibby. Pine is notoriously softwood and prone to rot, I’ve heard that mounters get a lot of spinners because of how soft this wood is. Nonetheless, I’ve heard only great things about this ski.

Paulownia: 18 lbs/ft3
Invasive species in the US. Proportionately strong, lightweight soft wood. Not as elastic as Aspen. Rot-resistent.

Aspen: 26
Inexpensive hardwood, would be the lighter wood used, combined with some more durable and heavier types of wood. Extremely Elastic, durable, however terrible rot resistance.

Ash, white: 35 - 53
Strong, heavy, hard wood with a good amount of elasticity.

Balsa: 7 - 9
Lightest of all known woods. Perishable and prone to rot. Very soft.

Beech: 32 - 56
Heavy, hard wood. Durable.

Maple: 39 - 47
Heavy, durable hard wood. Great predictable wood for skis. Usually used in conjunction with lighter woods.

Pine, yellow: 23 - 37
Fairly light soft wood. However hardest of all the pines. Elastic.

Poplar: 22 - 31
Fairly light and durable. Works well with Aspen for elasticity and lightweight.

Bamboo: 19 - 25
Lightweight, however, expensive and with the glue to keep bamboo particles intact it is quite heavy.

Which wood core do you find that you like the most?
9 years ago
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qazwsxedc34
Posts: 2955 - Karma: 2,135
I know the SFB’s are a maple, aspen mix, which I loved, they changed this year to a balsa, flax fiber core, not sure how they feel.
9 years ago
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
Bamboo.
9 years ago
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skidemon22
Posts: 4463 - Karma: 2,047
fuckmekevinI know the SFB’s are a maple, aspen mix, which I loved, they changed this year to a balsa, flax fiber core, not sure how they feel.


they are stiffer, to make them more all mountain-y i guess

the line blend is now the super soft playful 100mm ski in their lineup
9 years ago
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Vtsnowski
Posts: 3553 - Karma: 1,382
Ash / maple is what I'm using and its doing great, but if I could find some bamboo I wouldn't mind trying that.
9 years ago
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CTD
Posts: 6302 - Karma: 357
in my experience building skis and V-lam longboards, selling skis and generally just being a gear nerd there is no better combination than aspen and hard maple. Maple is a bitch to work with, as it is very hard on tools, and grain orientations is CRITICAL to getting good performance. Also maple laminated to a soft wood like beech or aspen is hard to sand, as the soft wood will abraid faster and leave a rippled surface. That said, maple is more resilient and will keep its snappiness just about forever.
9 years ago
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matt_720
Posts: 345 - Karma: 519
Poplar.
7 years ago
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matt_720
Posts: 345 - Karma: 519
Poplar.
7 years ago
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hot.pocket
Posts: 4237 - Karma: 10,749
greaterisraelI also find it quite interesting the Moment uses an aspen/pine core for the Bibby. Pine is notoriously softwood and prone to rot, I’ve heard that mounters get a lot of spinners because of how soft this wood is. Nonetheless, I’ve heard only great things about this ski.


Just to address this, we work directly with the lumber mill for all of our wood. Every board of Pine (along with all other woods we use) is individually picked out by the lumber mill to ensure we receive the highest quality we can. We also use an assortment of additional composite binding mounts to compliment the Pine stringers.
7 years ago
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,587
Maple, Poplar, Bamboo are my favorites.

Poplar is probably the most fun, but the ski loses its shape fairly quickly.

Bamboo is awesome. Nothing bad to say about it

Maple is my favorite though. By far my favorite flex and it makes the ski feel fucking bomber.
7 years ago
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tcurle
Posts: 1267 - Karma: 5,370
Ash and pine are both heavy and stiff, but they keep your screws in. Aspen is a filler to compromise for that. If your ski has all aspen, your screws will probably rip out. Poplar core's also suck. Most poplar cores have a tit-anal in their ski that screws don't come out off, however that poplar core gets all mashed up from your screws and rips out. So when that happens your topsheet separates from the wood with all your screws still in the metal.
7 years ago
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