Collapsible Ski

In fall of 2009, I was part of a five-member team in a junior level engineering course entitled “Innovation and Invention”. The objective of the class was to come up with a new idea, design and build it. We created a pair of collapsible skis. The skis fit in carry-on luggage when collapsed, and were successfully tested in December at Eldora Mountain Resort.

Ski-collapsing conceptual development:

For the final design, we cut the ski into four segments with the cuts angled back so the edges of the ski wouldn’t catch the snow. The segments connected with aluminum dovetail sliding plates. I designed and machined the plates.