And I Thought I'd Seen Everything!

[GimpyGal]

In all my years of skiing I thought I'd pretty much seen everything imaginable ski related - until now! This pretty much tops the list.

My DH and I were on the chair nearing the top when we saw an obvious yard sale. Fella was standing there seemingly okay and two folks were bringing him his skis. I could hear him saying something about his boot. Looking closer I realized his boot wasn't there! We looked up at the top and there was something black laying on the snow. I told my husband we'd better tell patrol at the top because this guy may not be able to ski down. We skied down a couple turns and discovered it was not his boot, just a piece of his boot! Took it with us to the guy.

When we got to him we saw pieces of boot scattered everywhere! Not one, but both of his boots had - for lack of a better term - shattered a couple turns into the run. He was standing there dumbfounded in only his inner boots. Everything except the cuff and top buckle was gone on both sides!

He said the boots were about 10 years old and Salomons. Could this kind of total failure really happen to 10 year old boots? My husband looked around to try and find something that might identify their age better but the wreckage was too spread out. So we told him patrol was on its way, wished him well and went on our way. I felt so sorry for the poor guy.

So bizarre! Has anyone else ever seen or heard of such a catastrophic failure? I mean geez, I've seen hinges and buckles blown off but the whole boot? Never.

 

[pinto]

In all my years of skiing I thought I'd pretty much seen everything imaginable ski related - until now! This pretty much tops the list.

My DH and I were on the chair nearing the top when we saw an obvious yard sale. Fella was standing there seemingly okay and two folks were bringing him his skis. I could hear him saying something about his boot. Looking closer I realized his boot wasn't there! We looked up at the top and there was something black laying on the snow. I told my husband we'd better tell patrol at the top because this guy may not be able to ski down. We skied down a couple turns and discovered it was not his boot, just a piece of his boot! Took it with us to the guy.

When we got to him we saw pieces of boot scattered everywhere! Not one, but both of his boots had - for lack of a better term - shattered a couple turns into the run. He was standing there dumbfounded in only his inner boots. Everything except the cuff and top buckle was gone on both sides!

He said the boots were about 10 years old and Salomons. Could this kind of total failure really happen to 10 year old boots? My husband looked around to try and find something that might identify their age better but the wreckage was too spread out. So we told him patrol was on its way, wished him well and went on our way. I felt so sorry for the poor guy.

So bizarre! Has anyone else ever seen or heard of such a catastrophic failure? I mean geez, I've seen hinges and buckles blown off but the whole boot? Never.

I've heard of it, but never seen it. Can you imagine??

Robyn has a funny story about seeing a guy whose boot sole came off in his binding.... I'll let her tell it....

 

[ski diva]

So how'd this guy get down, with no boot? On a sled?

 

[Robyn]

You rang?

At Two Elk at Vail this season (actually, during the Diva Summit) I noticed a guy walking along in neon orange boots but something looked wrong. I looked closer and see that there is no plastic sole to his boot and he's walking on the liner completely. I look at the ski he's carrying which has the sole, completely attached to the bindings. He walks over to the patrol shack which has a bunch of patrollers outside as it was a very warm day. They are laughing so hard and as I ski away I hear one saying that he has to get a picture of this! I wish I'd gotten my own pic!

 

[Severine]

DH has seen someone with old boots have them shatter while skiing. Plastic is a funny thing when it gets brittle.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Plastic is a funny thing when it gets brittle.

Oh yeah. Especially if the boots hadn't been regularly used, were in warm storage, then suddenly exposed to the cold? <snap> Boy, that must have been some sight!

This was not altogether uncommon "back in the day." There was a type of boot manufactured by Scott (yep, the pole place)(now making skis as well) that was semi-off the wall in design....but had a following (mid to late 70's). They were well known for "blowing up." And thus, they went into the annals of weird ski boot history.

 

[dloveski]

I've never seen boots shatter completely, how weird.

On a cold day this season at Brighton, we came upon a guy who was walking down with his skis, which caught our attention. The toe piece on his boot shattered and came completely off, rendering his bindings useless. We radioed for a sled.

His boots were older, don't remember the make.

 

[frenchgirl]

I have heard of this. I am wondering if it happens if the boots are left in warm storage places like garages or attics during the summer.

 

[Jilly]

The plastic just gets brittle. And 10 years should be just about right. And it doesn't matter the brand. My Dad had koflachs that did just that. Bet he hadn't skied in 10 years and the boots were basically new outherwise.

It happens. And does the rest. Can't say as I ever seen the whole sole come off and stay in the binding.

 

[gr8outdoors]

I haven't seen this, but have heard it can be dangerous to try to use old equipment. If my father in law decides to get back out on skis, I will show him this thread to convince him to rent equipment and not use his old stuff!

 

[PowDiva85]

:ROTF:
seriously.... how?? why?? more reasons to get people out of those rear entries.

 

[itri]

This is EXACTLY why car seats expire...plastic gets brittle when it gets old. That's crazy, though, I never realized it would happen to boots, too. Makes sense, but I can't imagine seeing it happen!

 

[FlyingNorth]

I read an article this winter about how boots can shatter like this after being exposed to cold repeatedly over a number of years. The article said boots over 7 years old were especially vulnerable, depending on how often they were used. This was what finally convinced me that I REALLY needed to replace my 20 year old boots!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

This is EXACTLY why car seats expire...plastic gets brittle when it gets old.

Heads up: bindings too. I've seen bindings explode on impact. There's a lot of (hard) plastic in many bindings. Same issues. Older bindings should always be suspect.

 

[Jilly]

Seen that too in the shop. Tryrolia 250's (I think) and ESS bindings. We actually cover the heel piece with a towel when before clicking or testing them. Seen too many springs go "SPROONG"!

 

[skimomma24]

I have never seen an ENTIRE boot shatter! Wow! I did have my boot heel shatter on me last season though. I tried to click into my (old) bindings and it just wouldn't go. When I looked down there were chunks of bright orange plastic all around my ski! I went and bought new boots that day. lol. And had to replace the bindings too, because no one would adjust them for me, as they were too old also!

 

[GimpyGal]

So how'd this guy get down, with no boot? On a sled?

We told patrol he was okay but would be needing a snowmobile ride down but when we saw him on our next ride up they had a toboggan there for him.

 

[PNWSkier]

Never seen a complete shatter but DH and I were in the lodge one day and saw a man whose boot had completely cracked up the back. He had a roll of duct tape and taped the boot all the way around his calf to secure the boot. He said he would figure out the rest later and left to ski.

 

[Lynn]

Went skiing with my son and his then girlfriend at Tremblant about 8 years ago during his college days. His girlfriend had boots about 7-8 years old that had been kept in the basement. And one of them just shattered while skiing the first run.
The thing was in pieces.
So yes, adding another story to the "brittle when aged" plastic scenario.
One reason I bought a new helmet last season when mine had reached about 8 seasons of use.