What was the purpose of this?

[DangerBoy]

I just picked up a nice old wood Maharajah ski for my collection. I posted about it in my "Show off your Vintage Skis" thread.

 

The ski has this little yellow plastic wheel thingy mounted on it just above the front binding toe piece. The name Maharajah is embossed in the upper surface of the wheel so I'm assuming it's original to the ski. I can't for the life of me figure out what its purpose is/was. Can somebody please enlighten me? I'm curious to know! ?

 

 

[ski6jones]

Doesn't the front binding adjust by the toe end sliding? If so then I bet that's a stop for the binding to prevent it sliding too far.

[DangerBoy]

@ski6jones Possibly. Here's a close-up of the front binding. The toe piece does appear to be the part you slide to adjust the size. I didn't notice that the toe piece slid and not the heel piece. I thought people didn't start making bindings that adjusted that way until later on. Hopefully, there's someone here who had one of these skis back in the day and can verify your theory or tell us otherwise.

 

 

[PatM]

That is there for exactly what @ski6jones said. I have a fixed Mr M binding on mine and it does not have that (because it is not adjustable. All of the adjustable bindings on Maha's that I have seen had that stop screw

[DangerBoy]

Thanks for clearing that up @"Pat M". Most adjustable bindings of that day slid the heel piece and not the toe piece but a sliding toe piece seems to make more sense in terms of keeping the center of gravity constant. Was the sliding toe piece a Maharajah innovation or had other ski companies done that before? This ski is from about 1974.

[PatM]

I've seen sliding toe pieces from other manufacturers. I think Cypress Gardens had a similar adjustment at one time. But the heel piece being adjustable is the most common.

[lpskier]

FYI, if you ever need it you can still get replacement rubber from Maha.

[DangerBoy]

@lpskier That's interesting to know. This baby is going up somewhere on a wall in my cabin this summer so I doubt I'll ever be needing replacement rubber but it's good to know it's still available if needed. I didn't know the company still existed.

[Cent]

I believe Bob Maher is still building race skis and is in his 80s. I have had both his fixed bindings and his sliding.

 

My first was made in 1960. You had to visit him at the time in his small shop and he wanted height weight ski speed etc. and then built your ski.

 

I believe he said he built his first ski when in high school and it sank. I may be wrong but I doubt it.

 

He built skis for the LaPoints as well as I recall.

 

My Dad had one as well from 1961 I believe that is on my cabin wall with mine. I took that ski down and took it for a ride a year ago binding rubber is all still good.

 

He was an innovator and May have had the first sliding front, first drop through fin, concave and perhaps more.

[lpskier]

Front adjustable binding was a Kris LaPoint idea.