Skiing is a huge part of my winter season and sometimes, a bit too much. With the variety of snow Japan has every year, it’s fascinating to be able to experience many kinds of skiing styles. Well, I could rave about skiing but this time I want to write more about the mechanics of the skis itself. Yes, I’ve taken the plunge into the world of ski making.

Before we had the high performance carving skis of today, there were the meter-long pieces of wood that people used to navigate through snow. Back then, people needed to move from one point to another for long distances, and so the ski design was developed for long distance travel.

As time progressed, so did the way people skied. It has now become a leisure sport where people enjoyed bouncing on powder or carving on groomed snow. Of course, the ski design also changed to how we ski now.

Have you ever thought of how the skis allow you to slide through snow?

There are different kinds of skis meant for different kinds of skiing. Some might argue that you can ski in any way in whatever ski you want. It is true to an extent but getting to know your equipment well will also help you understand how to ski the way it was designed for.

Just like in any outdoor sport, conditions will always change and you need to adapt to it. Some equipment are designed for a specific purpose, and each will have its strengths and weaknesses.

A lot of engineering goes into the ski and snowboard design!

From the structure, the materials used, the overall design, all factors were carefully engineered allowing skiers to ride or drive their turns the way it was meant to. Going through the entire process of design and building felt very enlightening. I feel very humbled to learn how the ski design progressed and how far we’ve come in the world of skiing.