They will invent, which does not even have to pedal, then ... I can’t even think of a name for this, but see for yourself:
Craftsman Nicholas Sawyers enjoyed riding a bike and a skateboard, but a couple of facts did not suit him at all:
a) a bicycle does not give the freedom of movement that is inherent in a skateboard;
b) it is easier and faster to move on a bicycle, thanks to the pedal drive.
As a result, either a veloskate or a skate bike was born. If you do not pay attention to the dimensions (which are much larger than that of a conventional skateboard), then this transport has a lot of advantages, for example, it is easy to ride it uphill, and it is not necessary to constantly push off the ground with your foot. Traction is achieved thanks to a special spring, swaying on which you can easily roll into the distance without touching the ground with your feet.
If it were a car, then the developer would probably say: "This is a special modification for Russia." Why?
Yes, because, "thanks" to the state of Russian roads, you can ride a skateboard only in parks and near shopping and entertainment centers, where they monitor the road surface at least a little or forbid the passage of cars. But on a bike skateboard with large wheels, you can roll even on a primer - you don’t care about cracks and potholes on the road!
I don’t know if another bicycle inventor, Michael Jenkins, likes skating, but I can say with confidence that in warm weather he yearns for ski resorts. And in order not to go out in the summer in skis, so that it would not work out in one very famous rhyme, he decided to cross skis and a bicycle.
Moreover, his idea was embodied in an amazing tool for active rest and even won the People's Choice Award at ABC's New Inventors in 2009. The hybrid has the same off-road properties as a bike skate.
From a distance, an athlete on a chariot can be mistaken for a skier - so similar are the movements of a person when riding a bicycle chariot and skiing. A couple of small wheels in the rear help to stand on the hybrid, which are not needed when moving fast, but make it easy to find the equilibrium state when stopping. It is worth noting that it is not so easy to stop on a chariot - the invention has no brakes, as well as skis.
Skiing and Völkl snowboards, in the slang of the Russian rider “fökla”, are now known to every more or less experienced skier, many professionals choose them. Volkl equipment can be found in many specialized stores, no world test is complete without high-tech "fekl". How did they manage to achieve such popularity? Only many years of work, love for skiing, and continuous improvement.
Company foundation
One and a half hundred years ago in Staubing, small town in Lower Bavaria, there lived a master in the construction of horse-drawn carriages and sledges, Georg Völkl. With them, the family workshop began, which received a family name in 1875. Georg's son, Franz, when the business passed to him, added boats to the uncomplicated assortment of the factory. And even later, already in 1923, when the skiing craze began in Europe, Franz began to make charming skis out of wood, he called them Vöstras - it was a witty hybrid of the brand name and the Latin word "Vestras", i.e. "your"!
Skis have gained extraordinary popularity, this series has been in production for many years, the famous skiers of the 30s cut the alpine slopes on such skis. Today it is a retro design element and a model for pin-up calendars, and in those years, many skied on Vöstras skis!
During World War II, of course, sports equipment were not sold very actively, and the new heyday of the company came in 1952, when Franz Volkl Jr., the third generation of the family, took over the helm. He was already thinking more progressively: he modernized all production, set up mass, conveyor production of mountain and cross-country skis.
Snow zebras and tigers of the mountains
In 1967, Völkl, which had a reputation for being an old fashioned, conservative brand, surprises everyone. A revolutionary ski design is launched into serial production, and the skis are painted to look like a zebra. Competitors scoff at this coloring, and fans of mountain skis appreciated the novelty, comfortable, fast and easy to manage, and soon Zebra Ski gained worldwide popularity.
Simultaneously with the development of a line of popular amateur skis, Völkl products began to compete with sports brands and sponsor athletes. And in 1970, she was one of the leaders in the unofficial competitions of manufacturers in terms of the number of medals earned by athletes. Alpine athletes were especially distinguished in cross-country skiing, this direction in the 70s became the most innovative. But in other disciplines, Völkl skis collect Olympic medals, the titled winners of the world championships are holding the elegant Völkl skis in their hands! These are Hanni Wenzel, Frank Warnel, Maria Wallischer, Anita Wachter, Katja Seitzinger, Brigitta Ortley, Martina Ertl, Christy Kinshofer, Hilda Gerg, Sonya Nef, Alexandra Meisnitzer, Tanya Poutiainen and many others!
In 1973, another legendary ski model rolled off the Völkl line: the Völkl Renntiger! At first, these skis were made entirely of metal, they cut the slopes beautifully, but weighed a lot. And soon the developers of Völkl skis made another technological breakthrough - they introduced carbon fiber into the skis! This technology was far ahead of its time, it is still used today, but, of course, in a greatly modified form, we can observe it in a number of carbon ski models. However, it was Völkl who first introduced the carbon base into the ski industry in the 70s.
Looking ahead, let's say that a replica Racetiger ski was produced even in 1998, 25 years after the release of the first ski - and was snapped up right there! And in 2005, the legendary Völkl Racetiger of the 70s returned to the line of sports models in an updated and improved form. Technology has come a long way over the years, but the ideal ski geometry for racing has not lost its relevance.
The next jump in the popularity of Volkl skis and a sharp increase in sales occurred in 1985. It was then that a line of skis appeared with the letter P, which means that the technology was used in skis. Professional Skinetik Powerline Volkl. Its peculiarity is that the designer sees skis as a continuation human body. Many years of research into the biomechanics of alpine skiers have made it possible to achieve an almost perfect transfer of the efforts of the rider's body to the edge of the ski. This series lasted 20 years, its popularity began with the P9 model and ended with the P60 model, that is, all these twenty years the skis have been steadily improving.
Soon a formal event takes place, little noticed by skiers - Völkl changed his "registration". The Volkl family no longer had a talented director ready to take over the management of the factories. And Franz Völkl Jr. was no longer young. And in 1992, having served as director for forty years, Franz decided to sell the brand to the Swiss concern Gregor Furrer & Partner Holding AG. That is why the paradox still persists: Völkl skis are made in Germany, in the good old Straubing, but are officially considered to be manufactured by a Swiss brand.
In 1994 carving like ski discipline began to gain popularity. And Völkl was one of the first to notice this trend and presented specialized skis for carving at the annual ISPO exhibition. snow ranger. The model was a great success and resonance, the Völkl laboratory patented the Carver trademark and owns it until today. The invention of carving skis is the most important event in alpine skiing in the 1990s. And this invention is made by Völkl.
New Volkl factory
On November 6, 1997, a new Völkl factory was opened in Straubing, where all the workshops that had grown over the century moved. Today it is a state-of-the-art production complex that combines all stages of production into a complete cycle - from the developer's idea in the laboratory to the finished product warehouse. And even a sports center that helps shapers to test for the perfect match of products to the athlete's biomechanics is right there.
Alpine skiing Volkl Freeski
In the late 1990s, Freeski-style skiing, with jumps and tricks in the air, became popular among young people and skiers. Skis for such skiing required the jumping and buoyancy of a snowboard, a new ski design was required. Völkl's engineers saw this trend and set themselves the goal of developing a light, springy ski that is stable in all terrain and can be driven in all directions. And Völkl did a brilliant job of setting new standards in freeski production for spectacular and popular world tournaments: Big Air Masters and X-Games. The Völkl Freeski team is on the podium every year.
The Motion Binding
The most important technological breakthrough occurred in the Völkl ski range in 2001. Together with the largest manufacturer ski bindings Marker developed the Motion mounting system. The solution is simple, like everything ingenious - rails are installed on both sides of the ski, on which the mount is fixed. Such a system, firstly, does not spoil the skis - not a single screw is screwed into them! Secondly, it is convenient if you need to rearrange the mounts a little forward or backward - the rearrangement takes place quickly, it is possible to do it right on the slope. Thirdly, the Motion system provides an ideal, flexible combination of binding and ski, makes skiing free, harmonious, hassle-free.
In 2002, another milestone that made the entire ski community marvel at Völkl's technology - the ski Volkl SuperSport. One-piece ski, aggressive edges, wider than usual - it was unexpected for universal ski- but the result was amazing, and expert skiers quickly appreciated the novelty, ensuring its popularity for many years. This model exists to this day, fully justifying its initial motto - “No more Limits”!
Power Switch Hardness System
In 2007, the developers of Völkl surprised the world once again with the introduction of a ski with flex technology. This mechanism made it possible to change the characteristics of the ski using a manual switch, adapting them throughout the day to different conditions snow and varying degrees of rider progress. In 2007, it was a powerful leap in ski technology!
Volkl ski clothing
In 2000, the range of ski products greatly expanded due to the release of new lines of clothing for winter sports branded Volkl Performance Wear. The use of high-tech membranes, insulation, wear resistance and stylish, elegant design - all this provided Völkl ski clothing with wide popularity among amateur skiers.
Alpine skiing Volkl in Russia and other countries
Skis and other Völkl products are now shipped to 40 countries around the world. Promotion has become easier thanks to strategic agreements with the largest ski companies: K2, Tecnica. Among the most unexpected partners, for example, the Disney Ski System children's ski series was released in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company!
Inventions, technologies, ideas in the review of the Network Ranger. (Part #30)
What is a Finnish sled and how they look, some of us, after all, know. For those who are not, let us explain - this is such a tricky mixture of sleds, skis, skates and a scooter. You stand with one foot on the skid, push the other and forward! And it should be noted, very even with a breeze forward ... Especially when it comes to the classic version of the sledge on skating runners and movement on ice. To move in the snow, the Chukhons (this is the original name of the current Finns), either put the entire structure on skis, or install special “ski-like” skate pads. In general, when moving over more or less long distances on its own, the thing is very practical and effective - personally verified. But there is not much room for cargo in them ... Well, you can’t expect much comfort when fishing from them ...
But, as they say: “Finnish has not yet perished!” There are intellectual titans in this harsh snow country! For example, in 2007, our Finnish colleague, Pekka Mehtonen from Milliniemi, excelled in this regard. From the illustrations attached to his patent (in the original, of course, made on birch bark), at the moment of creative ecstasy, our younger brother in mind was obviously worried about three problems:
A) Secondary: how to protect the aft part of the Finnish organism from penetrating northern winds ...
B) Main: where to put that huge pile of fish that Pekka usually catches “with one hand” ...
C) Additional: how to organize the process of returning home from fishing, so that the carcass of his eternally dead drunk friend-neighbor Ukko no longer falls from the seat of traditional sledges, which means the need to tie the sufferer with adhesive tape to vehicle would fall off on its own. Note: at the same time, of course, the idea of not taking firewater with you for fishing was not considered even theoretically ...
The decision that illuminated the darkest corners of the mental gyrus of our “draugs” was so original that I involuntarily suspected “romantic” about those times when, in the forties of the last century, Russian soldiers were billeted in the plague at his grandmother ... Put the wheelbarrow on skis? - for such an explosion of creativity in the blood of Pekka (Petrukha, in our opinion), there must have been ancestors who, in addition to skiing and dog exercise, at least saw the wheel and the wheelbarrow itself on it!...
Here it is - the living embodiment of the thesis that all people are brothers! True, so far only in the form of drawings ... But I believe that somewhere out there - far, far away - in the country of eternal snows, a working prototype of the Chukhon (not to be confused with Finnish) sleighs is already being tested, which means that in the evenings (and sometimes even before lunch...) you can see a touching picture when one courageous Finn, through a blizzard and wind, over and over again saves his insensitive friend from a terrible death on ice... In general, the Finns do not leave their own in battle! Or are they Russians?