@loco4viento
I wonder how many sessions did the pine struts hold until now?
I would suspect there is a lot of bend at the split, which would leave cracks in the finish, letting the water in, soaking and slowly deteriorating wood, which would eventually result in a breakage.
At least that's what happened with reinforcements (pizza edge) I made on a board which was too flexy.
The other weak spot for water to come in are holes.