Snow Skis And Snowboards Having Split Tips And/Or Tails

Abstract

A snow ski or snowboard having enhanced turning capability compared to traditional skis or snowboards has a split tip and/or tail portion. The split tip/tail provides enhanced turning characteristics of the ski or snowboard. The split tips and/or tails may have additional active turning edges may have the same, or similar, curvature as the primary turning edge, thereby effectively increasing the length of the turning edge. A symmetrical or asymmetrical ski tail may be provided to further enhance turning on skis. Such a symmetrical or asymmetrical tail may have varying tail edge lengths, varying widths of split tails, interior edges, varying thickness of split tails, and/or varying core material of split tails that provides such enhanced turning ability.

1 . A snow ski, comprising: 
 a front tip section comprising at least first and second ski tips operably interconnected to a first end of a main body section and extending therefrom in a longitudinal direction, wherein said ski tips are separated by a gap extending from said main body section; and    a rear tail section comprising at least a first tail operably interconnected to a second end of said main body section, said second end being opposite said first end.    
   
   
       2 . The snow ski of  claim 1 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       3 . The snow ski of  claim 1 , wherein each of said ski tips has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       4 . The snow ski of  claim 3 , wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       5 . The snow ski of  claim 4 , wherein a radius of curvature of said first ski tip inside edge is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second ski tip outside edge.  
   
   
       6 . The snow ski of  claim 1  wherein said rear tail section comprises a first tail and a second tail, each of said tails having an inside active edge and an outside active edge, wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut and wherein a radius of curvature of said first tail inside edge side-cut is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second tail outside edge side-cut.  
   
   
       7 . The snow ski of  claim 6  wherein said second tail extends from said main body section a first distance and said first tail extends from said main body section a second distance, said second distance being longer than said first distance.  
   
   
       8 . The snow ski of  claim 7  wherein said first tail is upturned at an end distal to said main body section and said second tail is upturned at an end distal to said main body section.  
   
   
       9 . The snow ski of  claim 7  wherein a stiffness of said first tail is substantially similar to a stiffness of said second tail.  
   
   
       10 . The snow ski of  claim 1  wherein said front tip section further comprises a third ski tip operably interconnected to the first end of said main body section and extending therefrom in a longitudinal direction, wherein said third ski tip is separated from said first ski tip by a second gap extending from said main body section.  
   
   
       11 . A snowboard, comprising: 
 a front tip section comprising at least first and second tips operably interconnected to a first end of a main body section and extending therefrom in a longitudinal direction, wherein said tips are separated by a gap extending from said main body section; and    a rear tail section comprising at least a first tail operably interconnected to a second end of said main body section, said second end being opposite said first end.    
   
   
       12 . The snowboard of  claim 11 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       13 . The snowboard of  claim 11 , wherein each of said tips has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       14 . The snowboard of  claim 13 , wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       15 . The snowboard of  claim 14 , wherein a radius of curvature of said first tip inside edge is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second tip outside edge.  
   
   
       16 . The snowboard of  claim 11 , wherein said rear tail section comprises a first tail and a second tail.  
   
   
       17 . The snowboard of  claim 16 , wherein each of said tails has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       18 . The snowboard of  claim 17 , wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       19 . The snowboard of  claim 18 , wherein a radius of curvature of said first tail inside edge side-cut is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second tail outside edge side-cut.  
   
   
       20 . The snowboard of  claim 11  wherein said tip portion further comprises a third tip operably interconnected to said main body section intermediate to said first and second tips.  
   
   
       21 . A snow ski, comprising: 
 a tip section comprising at least a first tip operably interconnected to a first end of a main body section and extending therefrom in a longitudinal direction;    a tail section comprising at least first and second tails operably interconnected to a second end of said main body section, said second end being opposite said first end, wherein said first and second tails are separated by a gap extending a substantial distance into said main body section.    
   
   
       22 . The snow ski of  claim 21 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       23 . The snow ski of  claim 21 , wherein each of said tails has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       24 . The snow ski of  claim 23 , wherein each of said inside and outside active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       25 . The snow ski of  claim 24 , wherein a radius of curvature of said first tail inside active edge is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second tail outside active edge.  
   
   
       26 . The snow ski of  claim 21  wherein said second tail extends from said main body section a first distance and said first tail extends from said main body section a second distance, said second distance being longer than said first distance.  
   
   
       27 . The snow ski of  claim 26  wherein said first tail is upturned at an end distal to said main body section and said second tail is upturned at an end distal to said main body section.  
   
   
       28 . The snow ski of  claim 26  wherein a stiffness of said first tail is substantially similar to a stiffness of said second tail.  
   
   
       29 . A snowboard, comprising: 
 a tip section comprising at least a first tip operably interconnected to a first end of a main body section and extending therefrom in a longitudinal direction;    a tail section comprising at least first and second tails operably interconnected to a second end of said main body section, said second end being opposite said first end, wherein said first and second tails are separated by a gap extending a substantial distance into said main body section.    
   
   
       30 . The snowboard of  claim 29 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       31 . The snowboard of  claim 29 , wherein each of said tails has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       32 . The snow ski of  claim 31 , wherein each of said inside and outside active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       33 . The snow ski of  claim 32 , wherein a radius of curvature of said first tail inside active edge is substantially similar to a radius of curvature of said second tail outside active edge.