One pair for Racing, One Pair for training?

Bob Creasote wrote:
Hi,

In many sports, many ahtletes have a racing set and a training set of their
equipment. Is this the same for skis? Is it best to have a racing set of
skis that I keep nice and shiny and only bring out for race day and then
another set of training skis that get used each training session.

Unless the conditions are bad, people use the same skis they race on to
train. Can someone help with a search word to find the elaborate
threads we have generated on this subject? Anyway, the more wax you get
in your skis, the more brushing and ultimately the more kilometers you
ride them, the faster (smoother) they get. This is most important for
cold and extremely cold snow. For wet sloppy conditions, a deep
(rilled) structure is better.

Generally
speaking, how long do skis last with regular use (3-4 times a week during
the snow season)? I know that they would probably last forever but how long
before they are no longer fit for the race track?

If you keep them off the rocks and don't have a destructive accident,
they should last a lifetime. (Though you will likely change bindings
more than you would wish to redrill as the future boots become less
compatable.) However, after many high temperature waxing sessions
(especially if you use flourocarbons) the base will eventually seal.
You can also oxidize the base if you don't wax SOON after skiing them.
Then you will have to stonegrind (or peel) to renew the base. You
should be able to do that 6 - 10(?) times.

Jim Farrell

(Just took down my waxing bench to make room for some gorgeous quarter
sawn oak wainscotting. The real stuff: rails, stile and inset panels.)