First fiberglass ski with foam core?

[Horton]

does anybody know what the official first ever fiberglass ski with a foam core was? Saucier? O'Brien EP? I know it could not have been a Kidder. Pretty sure it was not a Connelly.

[Nando]

EP was married to honeycomb aluminum cores for a long time. Saucier made a few in the late '60s berore they really went into production in the '70s. Connellys were in the mid to late '70s and Denny Kidder around that time. There were O'Brien tricks earlier, and their first slaloms came out in around 1970 (?), but were they foam core? One thing is for sure, the early foam cores weren't like those use now!

[6balls]

EP Torque?

[Cooper_Trelawney]

Maybe Stinger or O'Brien...?

[lpskier]

I recall an all red O’Brien. Pretty thin fiberglass cacoon around an all foam core. 1972-73?

[thager]

Pretty sure it was Saucier.

[cruznski]

Somehow I thought it was EP but have no real data on that

[aupatking]

I’ve seen really old Kimball fiberglass slalom skis. Could only guess about the core material

[eleeski]

@aupatking Good observation. Likely true as they were early glass skis and definitely using foam in the mid 70s when I worked for Kimball. They sold enough skis to count as a real player. And they tried to get to the elite slalom equipment zone - I worked for them trying to mass produce the LaPoint Ajax ski. Good company.

 

@thager I think Saucier used honeycomb. Honeycomb was the magic high tech core of the time. Saucier was a pretty advanced ski company with a tournament focus.

 

The EP built Obrien Mach One was the first foam core ski I saw in the course. Early 70s.

 

Foam core technology has come a long way.

 

Eric

[Jody_Seal]

I think Eric lee did it way back in the 50's. I am sure he still has the proto type!! Lol!!

[kc]

Kimball was the first name that came to mind for me.

[The_MS]

Cypress Gardens. CG1

[LiquidZone]

I have a kimball from the 60's that is foam core

[thager]

@eleeski I drove over an old Saucier with a boat once. I can assure you that there was no honeycomb. Just glass and foam!

[Wish]

Are we talking strictly slalom skis? First that I know of is K-Glass skis (Kimball). . I have a pair. Best skis ever for learning to get up for the first time as they did not float all that well so the skier doesn't struggle in the water waiting to get pulled up. Extremely light weight as well.

[A_B]

Saucier's list of accomplishments indicates he takes credit for the first fiberglass waterski, the first foam core and first with rubber edges.

 

https://www.mnwaterski.org/layout_container/show_layout_tab?layout_container_id=31131514&page_node_id=3193836&tab_element_id=105232

 

[Rich]

Obrien all foam wrapped by fiberglass shaped by Leroy Burnett 1971

[Rich]

Leroy designed the red white & blue Obrien USA EP model in 1971 as I recall. Then came out with an all white version of the same ski/mold in 1972 called the special. They also did an all red version. The white "special" ski had the color in the glass. The red white & blue & all red one were painted, so the paint needed to be removed from the bottom of the ski. Leroy said that when EP did the ski with aluminum honeycomb the ski was too stiff. He said the softer ski was much better. Bob LaPoint rode that ski with multiple tops such as Jobe ect… through out the 70's In 1973 Obrien used the same mold and added an aluminum top which made the ski stiffer, Called Obien USA Mach 1 As I recall the red white & blue & specials were coveted skis of the day

[Nando]

From my brother the pack rat (in addition to the vintage snowmobiles, several vintage dirt bikes, and his road bikes, there are also a '72 Hydrodyne, a '73 Nautique, and a Glastron Ski Machine in that pole barn), here are photos of a 1967 (he was told) Saucier G-12 slalom that's definitely foam core. He also has a pair of the plaid Kimballs and the brochure the photo came from but sadly he and his wife don't have the matching ski ensembles...

 

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@Nando now there’s a vintage ski I’d love to see @adamhcaldwell mount up and attempt to ride! And no swapping out the fin.

[Nando]

@Bruce_Butterfield, It's already mounted- with those super-comfortable 1970s gum rubber bindings- no concession to comfort there. I was trying to figure out how to measure DFT on that old Saucier- kind of irrelevant since the fin is just screwed onto the bottom. Never saw a slalom with a rubber edge before.

[ALPJr]

Wow thanks for posting that Saucier @A_B

[Jtedstrom]

Looking to buy a pair of kimball fiberglass waterskis from the 1950s. They made yellow and plaid versions. We have a pair of yellow ones that broke and we want to replace them since my wife’s family has skied on them for years. Any ideas?

[RGilmore]

About that fourth photo above, I'd love to go through that shop. Seeing that Saucier slalom and those 70's Scorpion snowmobiles, "I'll take cool old inventions from Minnesota for $800, Alex!"

[Nando]

@RGilmore, you have seen just the tip of the iceberg- probably a dozen antique snowmobiles in there dating back to the '60s, including at least two Arctic Cat Kitty Cats, plus at least one Yamaha two-cycle dirt bike, a few old outboards, and I have no idea what else. The Honda Transalp in photo one is one of the cooler bikes.