Georgian College students develop machinery to produce durable, high-performance skis

New machinery designed by Georgian College students from the Barrie and Midland campuses could produce skis that offer better performance and durability.

The college's Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program students designed a special pneumatic press that combines lighter and higher-quality materials to manufacture skis.

"The ski is going to be able to combine different types of materials that aren't commonly in skis already," said McKenzie Thayer, a Georgian College graduate involved in the project. "Carbon fibres and nylons as well as other wood composites."

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The improved materials could lead to improved performance on the slopes.

"Carbon fibre is a very durable material, but it's also very lightweight," said Georgian College student researcher Blake Riggs. "So it takes some weight off of you, and so you can probably fly down the hills a little faster."

The innovation is in a partnership with ARC Skis and Boards in Tiny Township, whose CEO Curtis Genge approached Georgian College with the idea of producing skis with advanced materials.

"Only in the last few decades has the industry been adding other complimentary materials to the wood cores, such as fibreglass, carbon fibre and titanium," said Genge. "There are significant opportunities to build on these advancements to improve the performance of skis."

Andrew Cywink, a Georgian College research and innovation technologist, explained how the press works to produce the skis.

"There's a pneumatic cylinder that comes down [and] closes the press off," said Cywink. "The air bladder will inflate and allow the material to become pressurized, and through heat, it solidifies into a ski."

College faculty say they are pleased to see this project allowing students to transition seamlessly from their studies to the workforce.

"This and so many of the other projects have just been wonderful because it's a win-win," said Mike Zacharko, a faculty lead for Georgian College's Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. "It's a win for the local industry. It's a win for the students to have this real project to work on. And [those in] the industry are just amazed."

A prototype of the skis is expected to be ready for field testing on the slopes this winter. Genge says the goal is to ensure the prototypes meet the expected performance requirements.

"Most of the competitors focus their products to the west-coast market, powder or all-mountain conditions, while excluding what the east-cost market typically experiences, groomers, hard-packed snow," added Genge. "Arc Skis and Boards will focus on this market."

The students and staff aim for the completed skis to go on the market by the winter of 2025-26.