Build your own skis!

<br> SkiBuilders.com <br><br>This is one of the most interesting ski websites I've ever seen, even though I have absolutely no desire to build my own skis. It deserves some free advertising. The protagonists include Little Kam, Big Kam, and Kelvin, at least one of whom (Big Kam) is a TAY regular.<br><br>

This is awesome guys!!!!!<br>Did you guys create this site?<br>Your skis are definitely sick.<br>I still would like to drop by sometime and check out the operation.<br>When I lived in Utah and worked for quality Composites, we made a bunch of fatties with carbon fiber and kevlar.<br>Most of them actually came out ok.<br><br>Keep on buildin'<br><br>Bryan Curtis\ Wasatch Bry<br>

That's awesome! I want to try some of those water skis on a powder day or on a deeeeep corn snow day I wonder how a ski with zero side cut would work? A Heavier ski? A more flexible one? This sounds like too much fun. I'll have to try this one day...

Great site Kam. When are you going to start working on the splitboards?

hey, that was suppose to be a secret &lt;wink, wink&gt; !! (Amar, i slipped a little something into your PayPal account. )<br><br>what can we say. we love to ski! and it naturally lead to making skis in the garage. the three of us built the site to document the fun we're having, and, of course, to share information. ( note to self: a 5" diameter firehose with 60 psi of air can do a lot of damage!...ouch, my eye!). anyway, most of the credit goes to my cousin Little Kam (in Tahoe) and Kelvin.<br><br>Jason: Little Kam's Red Oktobers (Shane McConkey Spatula-like skis) with reverse camber and inverse sidecut kick arse!!! they are amazing in soft and deep snow. contrary to popular belief, they turn like no other, and with control. traditional skis (with sidecut where the tip and tail are wider than the waist) have a tendency to catch an edge, or hook, but not the Okts. hell, there's not much of an effect edge to hook. you can really motor on them in the soft. did i mention they turn like no other? oh yeah, so much that you can do a full circle if you pressure them correctly. speaking of pressure, the control is directly underfoot. not along the entire length of the ski like traditional rides. and with proper technique you can vary how the pressure extends from cord-center. you have to try them. fun, fun, and it's currently my powder ski of choice!<br><br>there are a few cons though. they fear the hard pack. well, not really turning-wise, but there's not much control (but that's relative). they don't traverse very well either, but then again, we kind of went a bit overboard designing the Okts, e.g., the inverse sidecut is generous: 135-145-125mm.<br><br>we're working on a new pair that is a hybrid, one edge with zero sidecut for more control and one edge with a dash of inverse sidecut for that cool squirrely feel. my hunch is that it will be a kick arse backcountry ski, for the variable conditions and what not. i might end up in the hospital skiing these things, but here's a sketch anyway:<br> <br><br>the DOINKs will be made in two sizes to test: waist = ~110mm-ish and waist = 200mm-ish, and we'll vary the length "l".<br><br>speaking of ski designs, does anyone have any thoughts about a good backcountry ski design?? i have no idea.<br><br>jimjar: splitboards: yes. but only after we finish our SplitMono, designed for the backcountry, of course.

A good backcountry ski is fat and light. Maybe you could make air channels e.g. Tua Helium, or use lower density wood species. <br><br>What bindings are you using on the fatties? How much does it cost in materials to make a pair? <br><br>What you're doing is definitely cool.