Faster, lighter, springier: quest for perfect ski

HEAD TO HEAD

In the speed events of downhill and super-G there has been no fundamental change to ski design in the past 10 years, according to Matt Humphreys, winter sports boss at HEAD UK, but new materials have changed their composition.

Austria-based HEAD, whose skis are used by Olympic champions Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, Kjetil Jansrud and Aksel Lund Svindal, have said it is the only manufacturer to incorporate graphene, a super-thin, super-strong form of carbon that was isolated by scientists only in 2004.

The point is not to make racing skis lighter, as a heavier ski provides more stability for a downhill racer hitting speeds around 90 miles/hour (145 km/h) but to improve the flexibility and the distribution of power.

"With us using graphene, we can get the flex pattern exactly how we want it to be ... the more we put in, the stiffer and stronger the ski becomes," said Humphreys.

That cutting edge design does not end with the ski.

Minute, detailed effort goes into the fit and comfort of boots as well as their 'canting' - the slight inward- or outward-tilting angle of the shoe that is tailored to match the angle of the skier's knees.

"Where we try and get ahead of the game is with some of our top athletes," Humphreys said.

"We do have casts of their feet and their lower legs so we can work on them in terms of pressure points and customisation without the athlete having to be there."