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 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.    
   
   
       2 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       3 . The snowboard of claim L, wherein each of said tips has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       4 . The snowboard of  claim 3 , wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       5 . The snowboard of  claim 4 , 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.  
   
   
       6 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein said rear tail section comprises a first tail and a second tail.  
   
   
       7 . The snowboard of  claim 6 , wherein each of said tails has an inside active edge and an outside active edge.  
   
   
       8 . The snowboard of  claim 7 , wherein each of said active edges has a side-cut  
   
   
       9 . The snowboard of  claim 8 , 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.  
   
   
       10 . 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.    
   
   
       11 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein the width of said gap is not uniform throughout the length of said gap.  
   
   
       12 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein each of said tails has an inside active edge and an outside active edge  
   
   
       13 . The snow ski of  claim 12 , wherein each of said inside and outside active edges has a side-cut.  
   
   
       14 . The snow ski of  claim 13 , 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.