United States Patent (19) 11 4,211,433 Pedersen 45 Jul. 8, 1980 54 TWINSKI Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fred Philpitt (75) Inventor: Alec Pedersen, Vancouver, Canada 57 ABSTRACT 73 Assignee: Pedersen Industries Ltd., Vancouver, A monoski is provided herein having an integral mono Canada nose section which is preferably made of exceptionally strong material to resist twisting, the integral mononose 21 Appl. No.: 926,818 section including an upwardly curved tip, and bifur (22 Filed: Jul. 21, 1978 cated tail sections separated by a longitudinal slot, with 51) Int. C.’................................................ A63C5/00 particularly disclosed ratios of widths of the mononose 52 U.S.C. ..................................... 280/601; 280/609 and of the slot. Bindings are provided for securement on 58) Field of Search ............... 280/607, 609, 601, 610, each of the tail sections of the monoski adjacent the 280/11.37 E, 16, 12 H; 9/310 C, 310B, 310 AA central waist portion. Bridge means are provided at the tail section adjustably and floatingly holding the tail 56) References Cited segments in predetermined spaced apart relation, so that U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS the lateral spacings are predetermined, but yet the tail 2,841,805 7/1958 Roudebush .......................... 9/310 C segments are allowed to move vertically. The ski has 3,854,738 12/1974 Fish ...................................... 280/607 extremely good manoeverability, good pivot turnabil 3,862,764 1/1975 Hartz ..... 280/11.37 E. ity, controlled turns at substantially all speeds, good 3,947,049 3/1976 Pedersen ... 280/607 support on powder snow and excellent manoeverability 4,027,895 6/1977 Larsson ..... ... 280/607 in both packed and corn snow. The four edges provide FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS greater control and the interconnected tail section work independently. 94867 10/1959 Norway ................................... 280/609 Primary Examiner-David M. Mitchell 39 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 1 of 8 4,211,433 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 2 of 8 4,211,433 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 3 of 8 4,211,433 --- %litO N N : : E: ges E: U.S. Patent 4,211,433 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 6 of 8 4,211,433 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 7 of 8 4,211,433 142 -46 ?t I N mm 2ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZit::ZZZ N WZ////NS2. SNSNSSZ Z2 44 ZZYWŽ3.7A 3. Š2)NZS (4% N-4 U.S. Patent Jul. 8, 1980 Sheet 8 of 8 4,211,433 48 I ZZZZZZZZ 42 f/W W. NXN NXN 45 45 4,211,433 1. 2 support the skier. The parts of the platform were also TWINSKI relatively reciprocable in the vertical plane of the ped estal, so that the binding on the parts of the platform, (A) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION adjacent the upper surface thereof could be interen (i) Field of the Invention gaged with the boots of the skier. When the parts of the This invention relates to a monoski, namely, a single pedestal were interengaged with the bindings of the ski, ski which is adapted to support both feet of a skier. the parts of both the pedestal and the platform were More particularly, it is an improvement over the fixed in relation to one another. monoski disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,049 issued While monoskis as above described were useful in Mar. 30, 1976, to Alec Pederoen. 10 powder snow, they were most difficult to control and to (ii) Description of the Prior Art use in hard-packed or corn snow. Monoskis have been disclosed in the past in, for ex In an effort to provide a new and improved single ski ample, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,312 patented by Jacques on which both feet were held in close side-by-side rela Marchand on Oct. 27, 1964. The ski provided therein tion, and a new and improved single snow ski which was one where it was essential to secure a pair of boot 15 was easily controlled and safer to use than conventional fasteners to the skiproper so that they would be directly dual skis, not only in powder snow, but in hard packed over the ski and also would be alongside each other. It or corn snow, the monoski of U.S. pat. No. 3,947,049, was also found to be essential that such bindings not issued Mar. 30, 1976, to Alec Pedersen was developed. extend beyond the sides of the ski, at least not substan According to that patent, a single snow ski was pro tially. 20 vided comprising: an elongated body having a central Another improvement in monoskis was provided in waist portion, having a maximum width of 6', an up U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,127 patented by Michael D. Doyle wardly curved forward tip region, having a maximum and William L. Bahne, on Sept. 11, 1973. The single ski width of 6', and an upwardly tapered and outwardly described in that patent was much wider and shorter than conventional skis. Both feet were held in close 25 flared tail portion, having a maximum width of 7', the side-by-side position in any suitable type of bindings or ski having its greatest thickness at the central waist boot retainers, the constant secure leg position making portion, and being reduced in thickness both towards control more positive. In such patented monoski, the the tail portion and the forward tip region, the minimum central body portion was very stiff, the tail was torsion thickness being adjacent the forward tip region, and ally flexible and the nose or tip was even more flexible. 30 wherein the forward tip region defined by side edges Very little bottom camber was used and the ski did not flaring outwardly from the central waist portion have the pronounced hourglass shape used in most con towards the forward end of the ski, and then converg ventional skis to allow a tight radius turn. The patented ing to join together at the tip, such forward tip region ski has almost straight sides for high speed and stability, being wider than the central waist portion, and wherein yet was said to be capable of sharp turns due to its novel 35 the tail portion is wider than the forward tip region; design. The patented ski had a length-to-width ratio on wherein the ratio of the width of the tip to the width of the order of 9 or 10 to 1. the waist is 1.04-1.23 and wherein the ratio of the width In another prior patent, namely, U.S. Pat. No. of the tip to the width of the tail is 0.77–0.93 and ski 3,685,846 patented by Hans Schmid on Aug. 22, 1972 bindings mounted on the ski adjacent the central waist improvements were provided in such monoskis of the portion for holding the feet of a skier in close side-by kind in which a single conventional ski body member, side relation, with such ski bindings extending slightly formed with a gliding surface, was provided with two over the side edges of the ski. ski bindings fixed on the ski body member in side-by While the monoski described above was superior to side arrangement, each binding having a toe portion and monoskis proposed in the past, it was found desirable to a heel portion. 45 effect further improvements. A novel construction of a monoski was provided in that patent which the components supporting the toe (A) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION and heel portions of the ski binding were so formed that (i) Aims of the Invention the ski body portion provided with the gliding surface Accordingly, objects of this invention include the allegedly did not have any rigid waist portion. A sup 50 provision of an improved monoski which includes a port was provided for the toe portion, and a support wider stance for balance, is adaptable to virtually all was provided for the heel portion. The two supports snow conditions, is lighter in overall weight and is eas were fixed one behind the other in longitudinally spaced ier to use. relation on the ski body. Furthermore, the ski-boot (ii) Statement of Invention supporting surface on the toe and heel portions of the 55 By this invention a twinski is provided comprising: a binding was raised a distance above the ski body mem mononose section and bifurcated tail sections separated ber corresponding substantially to the width of the ski. by a longitudinal slot, the tail sections being at least five Another improvement in monoskis was provided in times as long as the nose section, the nose section in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,714 patented by Stephen D. Free cluding an upwardly curved forward tip region, the tail gard on Apr. 9, 1974. In that patent a deck structure was sections including a pair of central waist segments com provided which could be added to one of a conven prising a central waist portion, and a pair of terminal tail tional pair of skis so that the single ski could be used as segments comprising a tail portion, the twinski having a monoski. Thus, the deck structure included a two-part its greatest thickness at the central waist portion, and pedestal, the parts of which were relatively reciproca being reduced in thickness both towards the tail portion ble in one vertical plane of the pedestal, and adapted to 65 and the forward tip, the minimum thickness being adja be superposed on a ski and interengaged with the bind cent to forward tip region; ski bindings adapted to be ings thereof.