Rossi Topsheets

Posted: 27 September 2011 09:05 PM

I notice that several folks on this forum have mentioned that the Rossi topsheets crack easily.  Is this specific to decks manufactured in China only?  I presume that the 2011 decks have this problem.  Has Rossi fixed this problem in their 2012 decks?

Also, do these cracks in any way impair the performance of the board… that is, affect dampness, torsional integrity or stiffness?

Posted: 28 September 2011 10:55 AM

I have three Rossignol boards and I haven’t had any issues with laquer cracks… actually to be fair, one has a bamboo topsheet and another is direct printing so only my Angus would have the issue, and it doesn’t.

It’s definitely not unique to Rossignol boards and doesn’t have anything to do with geographical location. Snowboards with a high gloss finish are laquered. Laquered boards are sprayed with the laquer post manufacture. When it is sprayed the laquer is briefly fluid which means it can flow… and it does, it flows to the lowest point of the board, this is the point at which the camber of the board blends into the tips. So you have an area of extra thick laquer which when flexed can crack… I think the reason this happens on Rossi boards bust be because the point at which the board blends from camber to tips is just after the bindings and the tips are flexed a lot more than they might be on a standard cambered board where the tips are litterally the short shovel that kicks upwards… and these are barely ever flexed.

Do you need to worry about it. No I don’t think you do. I can’t imagine it does anything other than ruin the looks a little. The wood core is sandwiched between a whole layer of glass and resin so there’s no danger of water getting to the core and laquer has absolutely zero mechanical properties that might effect torsional or longitudinal stiffness. I have a feeling that Rossi have dropped the laquer look this season.

It’s nothing to worry about… and it’s got nowt to do with building boards in China. Even though Rossi’s top end stuff is made in Spain.

Posted: 28 September 2011 01:30 PM

Thanks Rich.  I am looking at an Angus to be my “go to” board for the 2012 season, so it’s good to know that this is nothing more than cosmetic, and minor at that.