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45-661: Pleasant Mountain is a ski resort located in Bridgton, Maine , in Cumberland County . Located on the northern end of Pleasant Mountain , the resort features two base areas and 245 skiable acres. Pleasant Mountain first opened on January 23, 1938 and is the oldest major ski area in Maine. From 1988 until 2022, the area was known as Shawnee Peak. The first trails on Pleasant Mountain were developed by local community groups in 1935. Two years later with assistance from

90-430: A "ski lubricant comprising paraffinic wax and hydrocarbon compounds containing a perfluorocarbon segment". The ability of a ski or other runner to slide over snow depends on both the properties of the snow and the ski to result in an optimum amount of lubrication from melting the snow by friction with the ski—too little and the ski interacts with solid snow crystals, too much and capillary attraction of meltwater retards

135-415: A cold ski, thereby diminishing the production of the melt layer. At the other extreme, when the snow is wet and warm, heat generation creates a thicker film that can create increased capillary drag on the ski bottom. Kuzmin and Fuss suggest that the most favorable combination of ski base material properties to minimize ski sliding friction on snow include: increased hardness and lowered thermal conductivity of

180-598: A correctly selected grip wax does not appreciably decrease the glide of skis that have proper camber for the skier's weight and for the snow conditions. There are two substances used for grip wax: hard wax and klister. Some skis are "waxless", having a fish-scale or other texture to prevent the ski from sliding backwards. Ski mountaineers use temporarily adhered climbing skins to provide uphill grip, but typically remove them for descent. Wax can be dissolved by non-polar solvents like mineral spirits . However, some commercial wax solvents are made from citrus oil , which

225-472: A crayon, applying a liquid wax or a spray wax. Hot applications of wax include the use of heat from an iron, infrared lamp, or a "hot box" oven. The role of glide wax is to adapt and improve the friction properties of a ski base to the expected snow properties to be encountered on a spectrum from cold crystalline snow to saturated granular snow. Modern ski bases often are made from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) . Kuzmin asserts that UHMWPE

270-570: A lower coefficient of friction, but abrade more readily. Wax formulations combine three types of wax to adjust coefficient of friction and durability. From hard to soft, they include synthetic waxes with 50 or more carbon atoms, microcrystalline waxes with 25 to 50 carbon atoms and paraffin waxes with 20 to 35 carbon atoms. Additives to such waxes include graphite , teflon , silicon , fluorocarbons , and molybdenum to improve glide and/or reduce dirt accumulation. Glide wax can be applied cold or hot. Cold applications include, rubbing hard wax like

315-515: A ski area or resort is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sports venue in Maine is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport . Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and

360-473: A skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Troops in continental Europe were equipped with skis by 1747. Skiing was primarily used for transport until the mid-19th century but, since then, it has also become a recreation and sport. Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century, and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century. As equipment evolved and ski lifts were developed during

405-463: Is a ski turning technique and FIS-sanctioned discipline, which is named after the Telemark region of Norway. It uses equipment similar to Nordic skiing, where the ski bindings are attached only at the toes of the ski boots, allowing the skier's heel to be raised throughout the turn. However, the skis themselves are often the same width as Alpine skis. The following skiing disciplines are sanctioned by

450-405: Is also practiced on synthetic "dry" ski slopes , on sand , indoors and with ski simulators . With appropriate equipment, grass skiing and roller skiing are other alternatives which are not performed on snow. Ski wax Modern plastic materials (e.g. high-modulus polyethylene and Teflon), used on ski bases, have excellent gliding properties on snow, which in many circumstances diminish

495-436: Is less toxic, harder to ignite, and gentler on the ski base. Ski wax may contain chemicals with potential health affects including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Levels of perfluorinated carboxylic acids , especially perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) , have been shown to increase in ski wax technicians during the ski season. When skiing, the friction between the snow and skis causes wax to abrade and remain in

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540-433: Is more important than surface chemistry for creating the optimum balance between a running surface that's too dry (not slippery enough) and too wet (ski subject to suction forces). In warm, moist snow, texture can help break the retarding capillary attraction between the ski base and the snow. Giesbrecht agrees that low wetting angle of the ski base is key and also emphasizes the importance of the degree of surface roughness at

585-411: Is non-porous and can hold neither wax nor water, so there is no possibility for filling pores; furthermore, he asserts that UHMWPE is very hydrophobic, which means that wet snow does not appreciably retard the ski and that glide wax offers little additional ability to repel water. He notes that clear bases are more durable and hydrophobic than those with carbon content. The same author asserts that texture

630-641: Is split up into 3 distinct areas. Those areas (from left to right) are the Sunnyside Area, the front face, and the Pine beginner area. Most of trails on the mountain can be accessed by taking the Summit Triple. The trails Sunset Boulavard , Haggetts , Jack Spratt , and Pine Slope all start from the top of the Summit Triple and bring you over to the beginners area, while Appalachian , Roosevelt , Yee Haw , and Upper Kanc trails can bring you over to

675-412: Is the normal force of the ski on snow. Kinetic (or dynamic) friction occurs when the ski is moving over the snow. The coefficient of kinetic friction, μ k {\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm {k} }} , is less than the coefficient of static friction for both ice and snow. The force required for sliding on snow is the product of the coefficient of kinetic friction and

720-641: The FIS . Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games . Equipment used in skiing includes: Technique has evolved along with ski technology and ski geometry . Early techniques included the telemark turn, the stem , the stem Christie , snowplough , and parallel turn . New parabolic designs like the Elan SCX have enabled the more modern carve turn . Originally and primarily an outdoor winter sport on snow, skiing

765-780: The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia , it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in the Altai Mountains , according to an interpretation of ancient paintings. However, this continues to be debated. The word "ski" comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means to "split piece of wood or firewood". Asymmetrical skis were used in northern Finland and Sweden until at least

810-725: The Works Progress Administration , the town added a rope tow , which opened to the public in January 1938. In 1988, the ski area was acquired by the owners of Shawnee Mountain Ski Area in Pennsylvania. Pleasant Mountain was subsequently renamed Shawnee Peak to mirror the name of its sister property. After Shawnee Mountain Corporation sold the resort in the early 1990s, new owners considered restoring

855-484: The micrometre scale as a function of snow temperature—cold snow favoring a smoother surface and wetter, warmer snow favoring a textured surface. Some authors question the necessity to use any glide waxes on modern ski bases. Cross-country skiers use a grip wax (also called "kick wax") for classic-style waxable skis to provide traction with static friction on the snow that allows them to propel themselves forward on flats and up hills. They are applied in an area beneath

900-500: The 1920s when the advent of ski lifts meant that it was no longer necessary to climb back uphill. Alpine equipment has specialized to the point where it can now only be used with the help of lifts. Alpine Touring setups use specialized bindings which are switchable between locked and free-heel modes. Climbing skins are temporarily attached to the bottom of alpine skis to give them traction on snow. This permits Nordic style uphill and back-country travel on alpine skis. For downhill travel,

945-509: The 1990s, Swix chief chemist Leif Torgersen found a glide wax additive to repel pollen and other snow impurities—a problem with soft grip waxes during distance races—in the form of a fluorocarbon that could be ironed into the ski base. The solution was based on the work of Enrico Traverso at Enichem SpA , who had developed a fluorocarbon powder with a melting temperature just a few degrees below that of sintered polyethylene , patented in Italy as

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990-439: The 20th century, researchers addressed the twin problems of water and impurities adhering to skis during spring conditions. Terry Hertel addressed both problems, first with the novel use of a surfactant that interacted with the wax matrix in such a way as to repel water effectively, a product introduced in 1974 by Hertel Wax . Hertel also developed the first fluorocarbon product and the first spring-time wax that repels and makes

1035-662: The Sunnyside area. In March of 2024, Pleasant Mountain announced that the Summit Express triple would be replaced with a used high-speed detachable quad, which came from Sunday River , another Boyne Resort . The new lift called "The Summit Express", will have a vertical rise of 1,200 vertical feet and an uphill capacity of 2,400 riders per hour. Pleasant Mountain has 4 chairlifts, and 2 magic carpets . Former lifts: Pleasant Mountain has 19 trails for all abilities lit for night skiing . This article about

1080-526: The added value of a glide wax. Likewise, uni-directional textures (e.g. fish scale or micro-scale hairs) underfoot on cross-country skis can offer a practical substitute for grip wax for those skiers, using the classic technique. Johannes Scheffer in Argentoratensis Lapponiæ (History of Lapland) in 1673 gave what is probably the first recorded instruction for ski wax application He advised skiers to use pine tar pitch and rosin. Ski waxing

1125-684: The base material to promote meltwater generation for lubrication, wear resistance in cold snow, and hydrophobicity to minimize capillary suction. These attributes are readily achievable with a PTFE base, which diminishes the value added by glide waxes. Lintzén reports that factors other than wax are much more important in reducing friction on cross-country skate skis—the curvature of the ski and snow conditions. Glide wax can be applied to alpine skis, snowboards, skate skis, classic skis, back-country skis, and touring skis. Traditional waxes comprise solid hydrocarbons. High-performance "fluorocarbon" waxes also contain fluorine, which substitutes some fraction of

1170-434: The base of a ski and increase friction, indicating the use of harder waxes. Conversely, older, warmer, and denser snows present lower friction, in part due to increased grain size, which better promotes a water film and a smoother surface of the snow crystals for which softer waxes are indicated. Colbeck offers an overview of the five friction processes of skis on snow. They are the: 1) resistance due to plowing of snow out of

1215-403: The first commercial ski lubricants, such as Black Dope and Sierra Lighting ; both were mainly composed of sperm oil , vegetable oil and pine pitch. However, some instead used paraffin candle wax that melted onto ski bases, and these worked better under colder conditions. Pine tar on wooden ski bases proved effective for using skis as transport over the centuries, because it fills the pores of

1260-486: The glide wax affects the melting of the snow to lubricate its passage over the surface and its ability to avoid suction from meltwater in the snow. Too little melting and sharp edges of snow crystals or too much suction impede the passage of the ski. A tipping point between where crystal type dominates sliding friction and moisture content dominates occurs around 26 °F (−3 °C). Harder waxes address colder, drier or more abrasive snow conditions, whereas softer waxes have

1305-678: The ground, the flakes immediately begin to undergo transformation (called metamorphism ), owing to temperature changes, sublimation , and mechanical action. Temperature changes may be from the ambient temperature, solar radiation, rainwater, wind, or the temperature of the material beneath the snow layer. Mechanical action includes wind and compaction. Over time, bulk snow tends to consolidate —its crystals become truncated from breaking apart or losing mass with sublimation directly from solid to gas and with freeze-thaw, causing them to combine as coarse and granular ice crystals. Colbeck reports that fresh, cold, and man-made snow all interact more directly with

1350-415: The heels are locked and the skins are removed. The Nordic disciplines include cross-country skiing and ski jumping , which both use bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Cross-country skiing may be practiced on groomed trails or in undeveloped backcountry areas. Ski jumping is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping. Telemark skiing

1395-502: The hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbons with fluorine atoms to achieve lower coefficients of friction and higher water repellency than the pure hydrocarbon wax can achieve. Wax is adjusted for hardness to minimize sliding friction as a function of snow properties, which include the effects of: A variety of glide waxes are tailored for specific temperature ranges and other snow properties with varying wax hardness and other properties that address repellence of moisture and dirt. The hardness of

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1440-411: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, two main genres of skiing emerged— Alpine (downhill) skiing and Nordic skiing . The main difference between the two is the type of ski binding (the way in which the ski boots are attached to the skis). Also called "downhill skiing", Alpine skiing typically takes place on a piste at a ski resort . It is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both

1485-441: The late 19th century. On one foot, the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and a shorter ski was worn on the other foot for kicking. The underside of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern ski waxing . Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first description of

1530-460: The normal force: F k = μ k F n {\displaystyle F_{k}=\mu _{\mathrm {k} }F_{n}\,} . Both the static and kinetic coefficients of friction increase with colder snow temperatures (also true for ice). Snowflakes have a wide range of shapes, even as they fall; among these are: six-sided star-like dendrites , hexagonal needles, platelets and icy pellets. Once snow accumulates on

1575-517: The original name but ultimately decided against it. On October 21, 2021, Shawnee Peak was purchased by Boyne Resorts , with the purchase finalized on October 22. Shawnee Peak joins Sugarloaf , Sunday River , and Loon Mountain as Boyne's fourth resort in New England, and third property in Maine. Boyne restored the resort's original name, Pleasant Mountain, on September 14, 2022. Serving mainly intermediate and Advanced trails, Pleasant Mountain

1620-421: The running surface slick for spring time alpine ski and snowboard. This technology was introduced to the market in 1986 by Hertel Wax. In 1990, Hertel filed for a U.S. patent on a "ski wax for use with sintered-base snow skis", containing paraffin, a hardener wax, roughly 1% per-fluoroether diol, and 2% SDS surfactant. Trademarks for Hertel waxes are Super HotSauce, Racing FC739, SpringSolution and White Gold. In

1665-429: The ski bottom and the wax that is applied to reduce sliding friction or achieve adequate grip. Typically, a sliding ski melts a thin and transitory film of lubricating layer of water, caused by the heat of friction between the ski and the snow in its passing. Colbeck suggests that the optimum water film thickness is in the range between 4 and 12 μ m . However, the heat generated by friction can be lost by conduction to

1710-466: The ski. Before a ski can slide, it must overcome the maximum value static friction, F m a x = μ s F n {\displaystyle F_{max}=\mu _{\mathrm {s} }F_{n}\,} , for the ski/snow contact, where μ s {\displaystyle \mu _{\mathrm {s} }} is the coefficient of static friction and F n {\displaystyle F_{n}\,}

1755-422: The skier's foot and extending, somewhat forward, that is formed by the camber of the classic ski, called the "grip zone" (or "kick zone"). The presence of camber allows the skis to grip the snow, when the weight is on one ski and the ski is fully flexed, but minimize drag when the skis are weighted equally and are thus less than fully flexed. Grip waxes are designed for specific temperature ranges and types of snow;

1800-426: The snow pack until spring thaw. Then the snowmelt drains into watersheds, streams, lakes and rivers, thereby changing the chemistry of the environment and the food chain. PFASs in ski wax are heat resistant, chemically and biologically stable, and thus environmentally persistent. They have been shown to accumulate in animals that are present at ski venues. The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced to introduce

1845-415: The toe and the heel of the skier's boot. Ski lifts , including chairlifts , bring skiers up the slope. Backcountry skiing can be accessed by helicopter , snowcat , hiking and snowmobile . Facilities at resorts can include night skiing , après-ski , and glade skiing under the supervision of the ski patrol and the ski school . Alpine skiing branched off from the older Nordic type of skiing around

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1890-461: The way, 2) deformation of the snow over which the ski is traveling, 3) lubrication of the ski with a thin layer of melt water, 4) capillary attraction of water in the snow to the ski bottom, and 5) contamination of the snow with dust and other non-slippery elements. Plowing and deformation pertain to the interaction of the ski, as a whole, with the snow and are negligible on a firm surface. Lubrication, capillary attraction and contamination are issues for

1935-414: The wood and creates a hydrophobic surface that minimizes suction from water in the snow, yet has sufficient roughness to allow traction for forward motion. In the 1920s and 30s, new varnishes were developed by European companies as season-long ski bases. A significant advance for cross country racing was the introduction of klister, for good traction in granular snow, especially in spring conditions; klister

1980-436: Was also documented in 1761. In 1733 the use of tar was described by Norwegian colonel Jens Henrik Emahusen. In the 1740s Sami people use of resin and tallow under their skis is recorded in writing. Beginning around 1854, California gold rush miners held organized downhill ski races. They also discovered that ski bases, smeared with lubricants brewed from vegetable and/or animal compounds, increased speed. This led to some of

2025-455: Was invented and patented in 1913 by Peter Østbye . In the early 1940s Astra AB , a Swedish chemical company, advised by Olympic crosscountry skier Martin Matsbo , started the development of petroleum-based waxes, using paraffin wax and other admixtures. By 1952, such noted brands as Toko, Swix and Rex were providing an array of color-coded, temperature-tailored waxes. In the last quarter of

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