Traveling down a snow covered slope can be a pleasurable experience as long as nothing goes wrong; however, while on the trip to the ski lift, a skier must obey many of the laws of physics. The descent requires the skier to stay in control by using different techniques. He must use friction as well as distribute his weight to achieve maximum control. Other factors that influence the skier are the waxes he uses, the skis he wears, and the amount of wind resistance that acts against him.
             Friction is one of the most important aspects of skiing. It can be the difference between life and death in certain situations. As a skier speeds down a mountain, the only thing that can slow and stop a skier safely is friction. The more friction that is applied between the skis and the snow, the quicker a person can slow down. In order to increase friction, the skis are shifted to a horizontal state with the edges digging into the snow. In order to calculate the amount of force created by friction, the following equation is used:
             Ff = the force created by the friction, Fn = the force perpendicular to the direction of travel, ƒÝ = coefficient of friction (Jacobson).
             The type of wax on a ski must contain certain characteristics to be effective. The wax must repel water at very low temperatures. If the wax were to absorb water, it would soften and cause the skier to decelerate at a quick rate. Also, the wax must remain on the ski for an extended amount of time because the cost of reapplying wax on a regular basis would be expensive as well as time consuming. Finally, the wax must reduce the sliding friction between the ski and snow to allow the skier to accelerate (Cull).
             Skis are designed to spread the weight of a skier in order to provide more support as well as improve balance. Some of the characteristics that manufacturers consider when making a ski are ski length, ski width, and the material of the ski. The longer a ski is, ...