In 1928, Lettner, an Austrian metal worker and skier, was looking for a way to protect the sides and bottoms of his skis from the damage incurred during regular use. After experimenting with various reinforcing materials ranging from wood to cloth, Lettner eventually outfitted the bottom and sides of his skis with thin strips of metal believing that it would increase their durability.

Not only was his experiment a success, but the metal edges encouraged a change in technique by enabling the skier to carve into a turn where he had merely slid into one before. In addition, the ability of the metal to bite into the snow allowed for a more defined forward lean position which encouraged the skier to reach greater speeds with unmatched precision.

Despite their obvious advantages, however, steel edges did not immediately win over the skiing population. There were serious disadvantages to the early edge—it could cut a skier’s leg and it didn’t glide well over wet snow.

The first improvements came in the form of a synthetic "glue" which was applied to the groove where the steel was connected to the wood. This limited the interference of the metal with the gliding surface of the wood. Later improvements came in the form of jointed edges, screwed in edges and hidden edges. It wasn’t until the later development of polyethylene, however, that metal edges reached their peak performing abilities. Following the introduction of plastic and fiberglass in ski design, the edge became less of an accessory and more of an integral part of the entire base of the ski.

Initially, skis made of anything other than wood failed to attract the attention of the general skiing public. Nevertheless, scientists, inventors and ski manufacturing companies, encouraged by the widespread use of metal edges, continued working on designs featuring laminations, metals and synthetics. Within twenty years, their efforts would revolutionize the sport again.

At about the same time the laminates were evolving, the bakelised ski was invented. The base of this ski was coated with a synthetic resin called Bakelite that, when hardened, "blocked the pores of the wood thus making it stronger while enhancing its gliding capabilities."

The truly complex laminated skis didn’t hit the market until 1939, when chemists invented a glue strong enough to hold the various laminations together permanently. These skis were constructed with thin layers of wood that were glued together in narrow strips called "cane" throughout the entire length of the ski. The process was thus referred to as "split cane" construction or Splitkein in Norwegian. Licensing rights to produce Splitkein skis in the United States were obtained by Thor Groswold, of Groswold Ski Manufacturers in Denver, Colorado and Northland ski factory in Saint Paul, Minnesota.27 According to Peter Lunn in the British Ski Year Book—1939, the new laminated skis were far superior to solid hickories because they were lighter and stronger, they would not warp, each ski in a pair was exactly like the other, and they were undeniably faster.

Soon experts all over the world began to acknowledge the benefits of laminations. By 1951 laminated skis made up ninety percent of all ski production. It became common lore on the slopes that the more laminations you had the more advanced a skier you were.

These early models met with only limited success. Because their metal bases wouldn’t hold wax and the ski itself would occasionally assume an unwanted shape, skiers referred to them as tin cans and ultimately refused to buy them. It wasn’t until Howard Head tried his hand at ski manufacturing that metal skis would take the industry by storm.

Head went back to his shop to try again. After a series of failures, he finally designed a ski with a plywood core, spring-steel edges, and a bottom coated with phenolic plastic in addition to the original layers of aluminum. In the spring of 1950, Head took these latest skis up to the Headwall of Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mount Washington. There he handed them to Clif Taylor, a young ski enthusiast who, in 1955, would go on to invent the Shortee Shortskis to promote his Graduated Length Method of ski instruction. Taylor took the skis up to the top of the slope while Head, who wasn’t a very good skier, watched him carve down the mountain. At the end of the run Taylor announced, "They’re great, Mr. Head, just great." It was then that Howard Head knew he had created the right ski.

Following his success at Tuckerman’s Ravine, Head went on to develop an even more revolutionary ski. In 1955, he guided the future of skiing by experimenting with fiberglass reinforcing, polyethylene, and a vulcanized neoprene rubber that he inserted in the top skin of his aluminum ski to dampen vibrations at racing speeds. The end result was a fine-tuned ski that won trophies in 1960 and granted F.I.S. (Federation Internationale de Ski) victories in 1962. Although the Head factories have since moved to Europe and no longer produce an all-metal ski, Head Ski Corporation still maintains its status as one of the world’s foremost ski manufacturers.

Fiberglass appealed to manufacturers because it seemed to promise the ultimate in ski design. It was strong, it wouldn’t warp when wet, it increased performance, and above all, it was resilient. This resilience meant better shock absorption, increased terrain-hugging ability, and the opportunity for the designer to change the flex pattern of the ski.

The first true fiberglass ski to hit the market was the Toni Sailer, introduced in the early 1960s by Fred Langendorf. This ski was not originally intended for commercial use. Langendorf, an engineer who was working with fiberglass at the time, just wanted to make a few pairs for his own use. When his friends Ernie McCulloch and Les Streeter tested the ski, they were so impressed that they talked Langendorf into going commercial with his new invention. This was just the beginning for fiberglass ski construction. By 1961 five manufacturers— Rossignol, Sailer, Kneissl, Plymold and Veneko—produced laminated skis with fiberglass skins.

In 1962, Kneissl introduced its White Star fiberglass laminate, which was really a wooden laminate ski with a fiberglass casing. The White Star, selling for the unheard of high price of $195, became an overnight success. At the same time, other manufacturers began to see the future of fiberglass and worked to develop their own designs. K-2 introduced its first full fiberglass model, the Holiday, and in 1968 the French firm, Dynamic, produced the first fiberglass wrapped ski .

Dynamic’s ski, the VR-17, differed from the earlier molded fiberglass skis in that it was constructed of fiberglass wrapped around an interior core. Another popular fiberglass on the slopes was the Rossignol Strato, also introduced in 1968. By the end of the 1960s, fiberglass construction had progressed to the point where it began to out-perform and out-sell metal skis.

Until recently, skis had separate side walls and top surfaces. In 1989 Solomon and Elan introduced a new ski design with a one-piece cap on the top and sides. Although a few models featuring separate tops and sidewalls are still available, the majority of present-day skis are manufactured according to this one-piece fiberglass cap, or monocoque, design.

The base of every ski is still made of a glide-enhancing, polyethylene synthetic with steel edges imbedded into the sides. P-Tex, first introduced in the late 1940s, is the most common of the polyethylene ski base materials.

The components of the ski, along with the way they are assembled, affect the performance of the ski. Some skis are soft-flex models that posses a lighter touch and are more forgiving in the snow. Others are stiff and tight for hard-edge racing and skiing on ice and hardpack. Some are designed to handle the gradual turns made by beginners. Others are quick to respond to the powerful turns completed by racers. Specialty skis designed for different types of racing, powder skiing and freestyle skiing also exist, but the average recreational skier uses an all terrain ski.

Most skis are measured in centimeters. Conventional-length skis are manufactured in increments of five centimeters ranging from 175 to 210 centimeters depending, upon the model. The one thing that has radically changed in ski construction over the last decade is the actual shape of the ski itself.

The first models to hit the market were the true parabolic skis originally designed to help beginners initiate a turn. Soon, however, all levels of skier were experiencing the advantages of the new design. Shaped skis helped the new skier learn to carve and they helped the intermediate learn to ride an edge. Even advanced skiers were finding the shaped skis versatile in varying snow conditions from powder to ice. Thus, in spite of the initial pessimism that surrounded their development, the new shaped skis were quick to take off.

In 1995-96 only a half dozen shaped skis from various manufacturers were introduced. Today, the market is slammed with nearly 50 different models from virtually every ski manufacturer in the world. The ski manufacturers whose products currently dominate the market are:

Atomic • Kastle • Salomon • Dynastar • Kneissl • Stockli • Elan • K2 • The Ski • Fischer • Olin • Volant • Goode • RD • Volkl • Hart • Rossignol • Head • S Ski

By the year 2000 it is estimated that shaped skis will represent more than sixty percent of all skis sold.