Characterisation of the Contact between Cross-Country Skis and Snow: On the Multi-Scale Interaction between Ski Geometry and Ski-Base~Texture

Abstract

At the highest level of endurance sports, the differences in finishing times are small, so equipment is constantly being constantly improved to enhance the athletes' performance. For instance, one dominant resistive force in connection with cross-country skiing is the friction between the skis and snow and since the 1930s, research designed to understand and reduce this friction has been ongoing. 
 
 The mechanisms involved in ski-snow friction include compaction, micro-ploughing, adhesion, viscosity, and water-bridging. Of these, adhesive and viscous friction have been most studied, while much less is presently known about compaction, micro-ploughing, and water-bridging.
 
 At the macro-scale, the ski-camber profile plays a key role in determining whether, with respect to friction, a particular cross-country ski is suitable for use under a given set of conditions. Through its influence on where ski-snow contact occurs, this ski-camber profile has a profound impact on adhesive and viscous friction, micro-ploughing, the formation of water bridges, and the rate of compaction. Different contact zones with different apparent areas of contact and pressure have been found to be most suitable for different conditions. 
 
 In addition, the micro-scale texture of the ski base is also an important determinant of ski-snow friction. Topographical measurements of this texture can be achieved with white-light interferometer and recent characterisation has focused on the mechanical properties of contact. 
 
 In numerous tribological studies the interactions between features at different scales are modelled. In most tribological systems, features on several scales influence friction and ski-snow contact is certainly no exception.
 
 Accordingly, the current investigation was designed to evaluate the multi-scale properties of different combinations of two skis with two different base textures. The real area of contact and the average interfacial separation and total average reciprocal interfacial separation between the ski and snow were taken into consideration.
 
 We found that different macro- and micro-scale properties of the ski favour different mechanisms of friction. Both the profile of the ski camber and texture of the base play decisive roles in determining viscous friction. At the same time, the texture of the ski base exerts a greater impact on the average real contact pressure, real contact area and minimal average interfacial separation between the ski and snow than does the ski-camber profile.