INFLUENCE OF COMPOSITE-MATERIALS ON ALPINE SKI DESIGN

In the past two decades the design of alpine skis has made significant advances from wood/aluminum laminate construction to today's designs which utilize fiberglass, graphite and aramid fibers for reinforcement; polyurethane and acrylic foams, aluminum and aramid honeycomb for cores; and fabrication methods ranging from laminate construction using cured and prepreg composites as well as aluminum to wet-wrap or torsion box techniques offering the ski designer the opportunity to place the structural materials where needed for strength and stiffness requirements. The influence that composite materials have had on ski design parameters and their impact on the construction methods used to manufacture modern alpine skis is discussed.