unearthing the mountain ski
Amsnow
Ski-Doo
This ski is probably as radical as it gets. Center offset, like Polaris, but with an outside runner. This ski also has three different keel depths, if that is the appropriate way to describe it.
Chris Ruske, a Summit research and development technician for Ski-Doo, lays out the ski's future this way.
He wanted a ski that would hold the sled up and float it on the snow while increasing the sled's ability to turn and decreasing snow from propelling into the driver's face.
"We looked at Polaris' mountain ski and thought they had a good a idea in helping the driver pull the sled up on the ski's outside edge. We also evaluated the other popular mountain skis and trail skis from Simmons, Starting Line and C & A Pro.
"We are different because the carbides are on the outside edge of the ski. This concept has been around for years with our Formula One race sleds. We knew the idea had purpose."
Ruske says, when pulling a sidehill, the first thing Ski-Doo wanted is for the ski to grip the mountain with an outside carbide runner, not a flat plastic area. "When a ski uses a flat outside plastic area to hold itself on the hill, it will lift the carbide up off the snow. With our outside runner, center-offset ski, that does not happen. The carbide is biting the hillside with ski's outer edge."
The new Summit skis are exclusive to the left and right with specific runners. The skis also accommodate different ski-width stances.
The skis come from the factory placed in a 37-inch spindle-to-spindle stance, with the runners actually being 41-inches apart. The ski-stance can be adjusted to a 39-inch spindle-to-spindle stance, then the runner-to-runner width is 43 inches.
The new Summit ski is about six and one-half inches wide. And this, according to Ruske, makes it an effective deep-snow ski. With its deep bowed center keel, the keel surface will contact the snow first. With the outside placed runners, the runners will contact the snow first when sidehilling and slicing up the trails. However, there is more than a deep center keel and an outside runner. A third inside keel reaches for the snow as the ski is forced into a side hill. Basically, the Summit ski has a stair-stepped keel system. And, the three-level keel system directs snow into the track and away from the driver's face.
Ruske says changing ski widths is an easy task - a 20-minute job without resetting ski alignment. How is this done, Chris? "Remove the ski, spindle cap and snap ring. Drop spindle, turn, insert, add snap ring and cap, and reinstall the ski." Ruske says each spindle has an even number of coarse splines, which allow for perfect alignment.
Ski-Doo developed the new Summit ski over a period of two years. It grew from two skis welded together, jumbled up with sheets of plastic and fiberglass. During development, the designers cut, carved and shaped the ski to its current width and shape.
The ski is lighter than the 2001 Summit ski, but not by much, because of its lighter aluminum brace. Owners can purchase optional runner lengths from their dealer.