Bamboo: A More Sustainable Alternative To Downhill Ski Core Materials

The product evolution of downhill skis is over 5000 years long; however, the most recent era in the ski industry has focused on material engineering to fine tune desired high performance characteristics such as flexibility and control. One current research area in the industry is finding an alternative material to the traditional wood or composite cores which are expensive and unsustainable. A comparison was done between bamboo and traditionally used maple hardwood to analyze whether bamboo has the properties to compete with current core material options. Mechanical properties for performance, economics, and the environmental impact were established relating to the materials’ availabilities and manufacturing processes. A cheaper and more sustainable ski would lower the upfront cost of skiing to consumers, creating a larger market and allowing more people to enjoy the sport.