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Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 6:10 pm
by phoenix
Finally out for a tour on this warm sunny afternoon, smooth heavy snow... all is good touring up to my first little downhill shot. Make a few turns and something doesn't feel right; my right ski is wobbly. Bottom of the hill, I unclip, click back into my BMD Spikes, and all feels solid (I always check when I click in, I lift the ski and wiggle it side to side to check for this). Cruise up to the next downhill, and same thing, right ski wobbles and the boot is loose laterally.
Came home on the flats, looked at the pinholes: looks to me as though the sole simply ripped forward from the holes when I dropped down for the turns. I fully realize a mis-clip is often the problem here, but in this case I doubt it, as I checked before the start of the tour, and the damage looks more like a tear as described above.
Whaddya think, Smilie plates or take a chance with Alpina's warranty? Also,who's carrying the Smilie plates these days?
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:45 pm
by Tele2$room2$broom
Man, you've been to hard on those fragile little holes... Is there any molestation involved? Hum... check for #3pinholesmolestation...
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:45 pm
by jgurtz
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 10:01 pm
by bgregoire
phoenix wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 6:10 pm
Finally out for a tour on this warm sunny afternoon, smooth heavy snow... all is good touring up to my first little downhill shot. Make a few turns and something doesn't feel right; my right ski is wobbly. Bottom of the hill, I unclip, click back into my BMD Spikes, and all feels solid (I always check when I click in, I lift the ski and wiggle it side to side to check for this). Cruise up to the next downhill, and same thing, right ski wobbles and the boot is loose laterally.
Came home on the flats, looked at the pinholes: looks to me as though the sole simply ripped forward from the holes when I dropped down for the turns. I fully realize a mis-clip is often the problem here, but in this case I doubt it, as I checked before the start of the tour, and the damage looks more like a tear as described above.
Whaddya think, Smilie plates or take a chance with Alpina's warranty? Also,who's carrying the Smilie plates these days?
Was that your first ski with a Alaska + Spikes combo?
I'd seriously reconsider the compatability of that combo. Personnally, I'd go the Alpina warranty route if you can and fetch a toughter soled boot to go with that binding. Or at smilies to the Alpina and switch to a basec Rottafellaa ST binding.
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:12 am
by phoenix
The first ski I have set up with the Spikes and Alaskas, but not the first I've skied the set up, I'm on my second season with it. I understand your thinking on it, but I don't think it's a mismatch on the gear... as in the Spikes don't seem different enough from say the Voile 3 pins to have caused the problem.
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 6:14 am
by bgregoire
phoenix wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:12 am
The first ski I have set up with the Spikes and Alaskas, but not the first I've skied the set up, I'm on my second season with it. I understand your thinking on it, but I don't think it's a mismatch on the gear... as in the Spikes don't seem different enough from say the Voile 3 pins to have caused the problem.
Go for smilies then and accept that a thermo-molded 3pin boot sole will fail earlier than you would like.
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:11 am
by Rodbelan
phoenix wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:12 am
The first ski I have set up with the Spikes and Alaskas, but not the first I've skied the set up, I'm on my second season with it. I understand your thinking on it, but I don't think it's a mismatch on the gear... as in the Spikes don't seem different enough from say the Voile 3 pins to have caused the problem.
Are you using the brakes with your Spike? If so, it is indeed quite different from a Voile 3 pin. The tension make them impossible to align precisely pins & holes; you snap the duckbill in the binding, hoping everything is in proper alignment. With Voile 3 pin, you delicately press holes and pins together. You are not the first Spike user to encounter that problem...
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:24 am
by phoenix
Rod, no brakes on the Spikes, plain old 3 pin. In have found the alignment and clip quite positive on these, in fact more so than the Voile's or Rottefella's which I've used for decades. First I've heard of an issue with the Spikes, but then they're probably not skied with leathers all that much.
bgregoire, I do agree that a molded sole can be vulnerable, and was aware of this when I got the Alaska's; thought that by now there would have been some improvements over 20-30-40 years ago (and there have been some).
I'll see if I can talk to Alpina's warranty folks, though I don't have much hope they'd back it. I don't feel a need to be argumentative with them, I'm disappointed, but realize it's sometimes the luck of the draw.
Haven't had to use Smilie's before on any of my boots, but hopefully they'll work for a few seasons, anyway.
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:34 am
by bgregoire
phoenix wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:24 am
bgregoire, I do agree that a molded sole can be vulnerable, and was aware of this when I got the Alaska's; thought that by now there would have been some improvements over 20-30-40 years ago (and there have been some).
I'll see if I can talk to Alpina's warranty folks, though I don't have much hope they'd back it. I don't feel a need to be argumentative with them, I'm disappointed, but realize it's sometimes the luck of the draw.
Haven't had to use Smilie's before on any of my boots, but hopefully they'll work for a few seasons, anyway.
I'm not sure the Smilies will work on a thermomlded boot sole. Its just rubber and a metal insert. On the welted boots, I think the smilies screws would bite into a layer of harder plastic or rubber that provided the rigitidy of its sole. Have a good look at the composition of your sole before you go ahead and drill.
Re: Uh-oh... pinholes ripped on my Alaskas
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:34 am
by phoenix
Good point bgregoire, I have thought the same. My hope is that the screws might get a secure thread into the metal plate. My only option if there's no warranty possibility.
