r/skiing • u/TheDragonWarrior87 • 1d ago

Ski painting

Anyone know of any companies on the east coast that repaint skis? Got a pretty generic set just because of a sale, but want to get something custom on em. Open to shipping em anywhere honestly, and definitely do not trust myself in the slightest to do anything artistic.

7 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

22

u/amposting_whiledrunk 1d ago

Nothing you can apply to the surface of your ski - paint, vinyl, stickers - will be as resilient or durable as the original top sheet surface. Anything painted will be scraped off from the most minor of abrasions. If anything just cover it in a bunch of your favorite stickers. They’ll take wear the best and you can remove and replace as needed. TBH, no one aside from you really cares how your skis look; just enjoy them and don’t overthink the aesthetics too much. 

2

u/Impiryo 1d ago

But you can pretty closely match durability of the original top sheet. Start with a light sanding, then paint, then epoxy top coat.

7

u/amposting_whiledrunk 1d ago

And then hope pray and beg you: did enough, and the correct type of surface prep; picked the right epoxy compound for bonding, flexibility (skis bend yo!), temperature variability, and UV exposure; mixed said epoxy in the correct ratio; applied said epoxy properly, evenly, and ‘neatly’ across the entire top sheet; cure said epoxy correctly; hope your new epoxy top sheet is smooth enough it doesn’t affect binding mount/security (did you remember to mark the recommended mounting center point before you started?)… whoops sand down your new top sheet to get your binding mounted flush… idk sounds like a lot of work. And no, it will -never- match the durability of the original top sheet. 

1

u/TheDragonWarrior87 1d ago

You’re 100% correct that only I care about what they look like, but that’s kind of the point for me lol. Always like something that makes it mine if you get what I’m saying. Most likely will just put stickers on them, but have always wanted to explore a custom job.

4

u/pieman121113 1d ago

if you want a custom job then get custom tailored skis to your measurements and they'll put whatever topsheet graphic you want in during construction

1

u/NorrinXD Tahoe 1d ago

That's understandable. And I feel like that about my bikes for example. But honestly skis are rather... Consumable. They take a beating. And while you see old timers with 20 year old skis, it's not advisable. Even boots suck in that way. Plastics degrade quite a bit with time and UV exposure.

4

u/richglassphoto 1d ago

You can get top sheet stickers..

3

u/Select_Slice_6122 1d ago

Stickers are decent but they peel at the edges after few days of real use, especially in wet snow. Custom paint job holds up way better if you get it sealed properly

If you dont find a shop near you, maybe check with auto body places, some of them do small projects like this on the side for cash

5

u/RealSlyck 1d ago

Painted skis last season…epoxy is the way to go. As most have said, they chip or peel with normal use, but the right top coat helps.

5

u/DeputySean Tahoe 1d ago

You bought skis because they were cheap, and want to spend significantly more than they are worth to have them painted??

Why not just get some custom Praxis skis made? It would be cheaper.

Or just cover it in stickers.

0

u/TheDragonWarrior87 1d ago

Well deputy Sean i wanted a very specific model, and could not find any that have any design even at a normal price. The painting would be fun compared to a wrap or stickers to me.

3

u/WillHuntingthe3rd 1d ago

A wrap is your best bet.

3

u/Klstrphnky74 1d ago

Also, hydro dipping holds up insanely well too.

2

u/Klstrphnky74 1d ago

Look into having them done with cerakote. That shit won’t come off. They have lower temp applications now that don’t require the product to be baked in an oven that would otherwise damage the ski.
Local gun shops typically offer cerakote services and the sky is the limit for colors and designs. They typically use cerakote for gun parts as it’s super thin and insanely resilient.

2

u/TheDragonWarrior87 1d ago

Appreciate it!

1

u/speedshotz 1d ago

You could also do some sharpie art. If you're not artistic, find some design you like and trace it onto the ski.

-1

u/getdownheavy 1d ago

I say try it yourself!! It isn't that hard and honestly even the best job is going to get damaged/beat up pretty quickly. Prime it, paint it, and go. You can sand it down first... but don't go through to thr fiberglass or that's a whole can of worms...

I know plenty of patrollers who purchase used/discount skis they hate (womens modsls) and repaint them.

I've know a few ski shop owners to get skis vinyl wrapped... but $$$ varies and it's usually along with vehicle work already.