01.jpgIf you can buy Porsche bicycles, Lamborghini hard drives, or spend a day at the
Ferrari World amusement park, then why shouldn’t you be able to snap on a pair
of Audi skis? You may soon have the chance, given the reported success of the
German automaker’s experiment with its Audi Carbon Ski concept. Designed
and developed at Audi Concept Design in Munich, the downhill skis were created
in collaboration with specialists from ski-making company Head, and the German
Ski Association. The result is an ultra-lightweight ski that is said to offer premium performance.
The skis have a wooden core, surrounded by layers of aluminum and titanium,
and a carbon fiber outer shell. The emphasis on carbon and aluminum is said to
reflect the company’s design philosophy for its automobiles.
and a carbon fiber outer shell. The emphasis on carbon and aluminum is said to
reflect the company’s design philosophy for its automobiles.
“Parameters that have proven reliable over many decades of ski sports were
analyzed with the use of complex calculation methods drawn from motorsport,”
the company stated. The claimed result is skis that flex on moguls to achieve
maximum grip, while also not twisting on icy patches, allowing the skis’ steel
edges to maintain contact with the ice along their entire length. Their light weight
– 960 grams per ski – apparently also makes them highly maneuverable.
analyzed with the use of complex calculation methods drawn from motorsport,”
the company stated. The claimed result is skis that flex on moguls to achieve
maximum grip, while also not twisting on icy patches, allowing the skis’ steel
edges to maintain contact with the ice along their entire length. Their light weight
– 960 grams per ski – apparently also makes them highly maneuverable.
This January and February, skiers had a chance to try out the first prototypes
at the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel and the World Ski Championships in
Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Feedback from those events will go into further
refinements of the skis.
at the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel and the World Ski Championships in
Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Feedback from those events will go into further
refinements of the skis.
Consumers could be able to buy themselves a pair by next winter (Northern
Hemisphere). There’s no word yet on an estimated price.
Hemisphere). There’s no word yet on an estimated price.
