Boarding science

from the more than you needed to know dept. :

just a quote out of one of the geek mags I read from a short piece on
friction in sports -

"Skiiers and snowboarders often wax the surfaces of their equipment
to reduce friction on snow surfaces, but what is less well known is
that the temperature of the snow can affect how quickly they make it
down a slope. Moreover, the faster you go, the less friction you
experience.

Recent measurements of the frictional performance of ski surfaces made
by the Ecole Central de Lyon in France have demonstrated that friction
is highest at very low temperatures of about -15C (ed: thats cold?), but
is at a minimum at -5C. This minimum is thought to be due to an
'elasto-hydrodynamic layer' of melted snow, which forms due to
frictional heating. As work is converted into heat at high speeds and
large loads, it means the faster the skier goes (at low temperatures),
the easier it will be to form this melted surface layer. The high
speed at which the skier is travelling indirectly helps them to go
even faster due to a self-lubricating action on the ski-surface."


So... why didn't they just ask us first? Everybody here could have
told them we go slower when its really cold or warm and the faster
you go.. well the faster still you go!