chip@intelca.UUCP (Chip Krauskopf) (03/01/85)
On my many ski trips, there is no uniform way to place skis on a rack. It seems to me that there must be some optimum way to orient a pair of skis to reduce air resistance and enhance car handling. After all, there are only four possibilities: 1) skis up tips forward 2) skis up tips back 3) skis down tips back 4) skis down tips forward Ofcourse some people have those wierd racks that mount skis together and sideways, and others (particullary z and porshe drivers) mount on the hatch......
rsg@cbscc.UUCP (Bob Garmise) (03/01/85)
You have hit on one of the modern mysteries of life...ski tips...up or down?!?
I don't think it makes much difference but there are a couple of things to
consider.
1) Look around the parking lot at a ski area. Copy what other people are
generally doing so that you won't be considered uncool.
2) If skis act like a fin (what the heck is the right word?) on a car point
them up in back if you have rear wheel drive, and down in back if you
have front wheel drive. If the curved part is pointed forward, who cares
unless you're planning on doing much of your driving in reverse.
3) Are you proud of your skis? Tips up so that people can read the brand.
Conversely, old and beat up skis? Brand name down...hence tips down.
Little did you know the complexity of your question.
...bob garmise...at&t bell labs, columbus...ed@mtxinu.UUCP (Ed Gould) (03/02/85)
> On my many ski trips, there is no uniform way to place skis on a > rack. It seems to me that there must be some optimum way to > orient a pair of skis to reduce air resistance and enhance > car handling. After all, there are only four possibilities: > > 1) skis up tips forward > 2) skis up tips back > 3) skis down tips back > 4) skis down tips forward > > Ofcourse some people have those wierd racks that mount skis together > and sideways, and others (particullary z and porshe drivers) mount > on the hatch...... A Swedish friend once told me that on her driver's license test the same question was asked. The correct answer was (3): tips down to the back. This is what I've always chosen intuitively as well. -- Ed Gould mt Xinu, 739 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94710 USA {ucbvax,decvax}!mtxinu!ed +1 415 644 0146
hyder@mako.UUCP (Paul Hyder) (03/02/85)
:-{)
The current logic is that the tips go up. This protects the
bottom surfaces (from falling rocks, ice, and other things).
Some people also have strong feelings about which end of the
car the tips should protect.
For you history buffs, back in the 60's we were told that the
tips should be down and at the front of the vehicle to provide
air flow over them that protected them and to reduce wind
resistance. My guess is that the new ski racks are less prone
to blowing off, tips down and in front did indeed reduce the
wind resistance significantly.
I finally gave up and got a truck so that I could put them inside
and ignore the people laughing at me for not knowing the current
logical method of mounting.
Paul Hyder { ...tektronix!tekecs!hyder }dennis@terak.UUCP (Dennis Kodimer) (03/04/85)
> On my many ski trips, there is no uniform way to place skis on a > rack. It seems to me that there must be some optimum way to > orient a pair of skis to reduce air resistance and enhance > car handling. After all, there are only four possibilities: > > 1) skis up tips forward > 2) skis up tips back > 3) skis down tips back > 4) skis down tips forward > Logic has always dictated that I carry skis with tips back and down. If they are forward, up or down, the `clean' (i.e. highest velocity, non-turbulent) air at the car front will tend to lift the skis and cause vibration. Also, the tips will tend to collect snow and later drip same into windshield. Also, gravel and other flying debris will have a good chance to damage your boards. Mounted rearward, the tips should not be up because then they also collect falling snow, making a mess when you take them inside. Further, toward the rear of the car the air streamlines are beginning to descend; having the tips curve down cooperates with the air (although this is minor considering how ski racks generate a lot of `dirty' air. This lead to tips back and down as my choice. Using the same arguments, I always carry poles so the buckets curve rearward - i.e. with grips to front and tips to rear. Actually, the best carriers, I think, carry the skis so the flat surfaces are vertical. This way, the waxed surfaces and edges have a minimum of loading and abrasion, hold a minimum of snow, and pack densely atop your chariot. -- Quite sincerely, ...still waiting for the electrician, Dennis Kodimer or someone like him. uucp: ...{decvax,hao,ihnp4,seismo}!noao!terak!dennis phone: 602 998 4800 us mail: Terak Corporation, 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
sabol@reed.UUCP (Bryan Sabol) (03/05/85)
In answer to the aerodynamically important question of what the most optimum wayto load your skis, the answer in most every case is:
DEFINATELY SKI TIPS FORWARD AND DOWN.
The simple deductive reasoning is the following:
1)First, if one placed the tips up and forward, thinking of a 'spoiler' or such,
the result would be a (relatively) great drag on the car. The only way the
tips would help in the 'up' position would be if they were perfectly aerody-
namic. Note the shape of an airplane wing -- there has to be a very specific
ratio of upper suface to lower suface to provide the lift (or drag); a slight
deviation from this ratio (e.g., our skis) will result in more wind disturb-
ance and take a little from the car's gas milage.
2)Tips backward and up would only deflect the wind up. This position might be
beneficial if one were driving a semi, as there was a large mass over which
the air needed to be deflected. Otherwise, no help is given here.
3)Tips backward and down do mostly nothing, save add a little bit of turbulance
by the flat ends of the skis (and the posts of the bracket assembly).
4)Tips forward and down will provide a 'smoother' path over the 'rough' posts
of the ski rack and other bulky apparatae.
Hope this is help to all those speed/gas milage-oriented skiiers!!
Bryan Sabol
(A Bio major, NOT a bloody physics major, for all it's worth!)