A modified version of their

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

counterparts, twin-tip

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...

s are designed to enable a

skier Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

to take off and land backward while jumping and to ski backwards (switch) down a slope. The name "twin-tip" comes from the dual shape of the ski. While most alpine skis have a defined, curved-up front end (or "tip") as well as a flat rear end (or "tail"), twin-tip skis have a curved-up tip and tail. Initially designed for terrain park and halfpipe skiing, the twin tip design has become common in the ski industry. Some modern twin-tip skis have been designed to be highly flexible and durable, specifically for disciplines like urban skiing and swerve skiing. They have rapidly gained popularity on other parts of the mountain as well. Powder skis, all-mountain skis, and even

telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

skis are all available with twin tips.

History

Early photographic evidence, of a purpose built twin tip ski, is discernible in director Arnold Fanck’s 1931 film '' The White Ecstasy''. In a comedic scene, while wearing twin tip skis, actor

Walter Riml Walter Riml (September 23, 1905 – June 21, 1994) was an Austrian cameraman and actor. Life Born in Innsbruck, the 2.05 m tall Tyrolean at first was trained as a carpenter and an interior designer. As a passionate sportsman and skier he contac ...

plays a novice skier inadvertently performing a series of 360s on snow, all the while reading a book on how to ski. The first mass produced twin-tip ski (modest rise in the tail) was the Olin Mark IV Comp introduced in 1974. The first company to successfully market a twin-tip ski to ski switch and "Air Carve" was the

Salomon Group Salomon Group is a French sports equipment manufacturing company based in Annecy, France. It was founded in 1947 by François Salomon in the heart of the French Alps and is a major brand in outdoor sports equipment. Salomon constitutes a part ...

, with their 1080 ski in 1998. LINE skis also evolved from twin tip ski boards and inspired the newschool freeskiing movement and ultimately helped give rise to independent ski companies Armada, 4FRNT, and Ninthward, all of which specialized in the design of twin-tip skis.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Twin-Tip Ski Skiing equipment Sliding vehicles