The Quest

We sit and sketch and ponder the actual layup of the Kylie. Our projected date of the pie coming out of the oven is November 1, 2010. We have done the grunt work and the tools are in place. The press is a "paycheck away". Our thoughts keep spinning around the cross section of the ski. The edges will have a 1.33MM step and a 2mm depth for the prototype. We originally thought a 1.8mm step or a 2.5mm edge would be best to handle the granite we skip across. Because the Durasurf 4001 base material is so damn strong and impact resistant we can implement a 1.33mm base material thickness to match the 1.33mm edge step and save some weight. The edges are on their way! Our first thought is a bamboo core with 5mm UHMWPE sidewalls. That is a thick sidewall, but we like a radius on the corner of the sidewall and the top sheet so we need the plastic to thick enough to bevel. Trust us, it will look cool and help eliminate opposite edge damage to top sheet and the all mighty graphics. The vertically laminated bamboo core will be wrapped with a 45 biaxial fiberglass (stops twisting). The top and bottom of the core will have a 3" carbon unidirectional stringer 0/90. The top may use a Kevlar stringer as it will create a more "damp" feel then carbon. The combination could be perfect for the Kylie. All Carbon for the Kiwi (Powder snow is the best compression element in the world as it never rebounds just continually compresses making every ski "damp", we want pop and playfulness in the powder, carbon=POP) and triaxial fiberglass and a 2" or 3" stringer of carbon in the Jake. We want pop but we also want edge grip and stability for the Chamonix ice and cold side of the Couloir. Many ski companies employ rubber to the edges making a ski "damp". Like riding on a bicycle tire with low air pressure. Soft and supple but not very responsive, great grip and traction but not lively. Jury is out on this at time of post. Our gut is saying "forget the rubber". This is a tough spot for a ski designer and the trick of the art. How to make a ski damp AND lively AND light AND quick AND stable without compromising the other characteristics. The quest for the perfect ski continues. Keep tinkering..and skiing of course.