Intended for the general reader, skiing enthusiast, and scientifically literate, this book covers the physics of skiing and the physical properties of natural and man-made materials (i.e. snow and skis) with much attention paid to the dynamics of movement. "The triple point" in this book has two meanings: one being the point where the three potential states of water (solid, liquid, and vapour) coexist and which obviously is of special concern to skiers. The second "triple point" occurs when the increased understanding of the "how" and "why" joins with the experience of "wow" and we feel the fullest enjoyment of the sport of skiing.

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Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: American Institute of Physics (1 Jan. 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1563963191
ISBN-13: 978-1563963193
Product Dimensions: 15.9 x 1.3 x 24.1 cm
Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,826,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #100 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Winter Sports > Skiing > Downhill Skiing
- #13603 in Books > Science & Nature > Popular Science > Physics
- #29020 in Books > Science & Nature > Physics

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Serguei

The best on science of skiing

20 September 2018

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A very useful book to those who enjoys skiing and knows physics.

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Mr. David H. Cuthill

A classic work. If you are a ski teacher who wants to understand what you are doing, This is one that must be in your library.

27 January 2013

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This is a classic work. So much reference material contained in this. The cover picture is awful though, but it's just a stock shot.

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Hans Marqvardsen

definitely not for everyone

31 May 2018

This book is definitely not for everyone. I know no other source for the geometric analysis of skiing and related matters. 5 stars for that.
Whats not to like:
1: its fairly expensive, especially compared to the excellent "Ultimate Skiing" by Ron LeMaster)
2: it's not new, latest edition dated 2002, most references are pre 1990 (DO get the latest edition, modern carving skis are well treated here)
3: it's not going to teach you how to ski. (the book may help you understand what the instructor says, however)
US Amazon displays reviews from dissatisfied customers. They all have a point, but they mostly reflect these readers (incorrect) assumption about what to find in this book.
My advice: first read "Ultimate Skiing". If you still miss more geometry and mathematics, consider "The Physics of Skiing"

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John

harder to read than skiing a black diamond

16 November 2010 - Published on Amazon.com

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this book is literally about the physics of snow and skiing.
I was a science major in college, have two advanced degrees, feel comfortable with high tech equipment and I felt like I was reading a college textbook when I read this book.

+++

lots of data; lack of concept; slightly out-of-date

25 January 2003 - Published on Amazon.com

I am a firm believer that understanding of the mechanics of a carving ski and of the forces transferred between the skis and the skier as he makes his way down the slope are necessary to better understand why one or another skier's action may help to intiate a turn, or shorten its radius, or, in contrast, will lead to a skidded turn. "The physics of skiing" is the only book I could find which addresses the mechanics and physics of skiing. It starts with the physical properties of snow and its formation in the atmosphere, then discusses the properties of snow equipment (mostly downhill skis, briefly snowboards and cross-country skis), and then goes into dynamics of gliding, wedging, and carving. The book is written as a college textbook with numerous (although fairly simple) equations and diagrams of forces. It requires a sufficiently strong background in physics. Although it contains a large amount of interesting data, I was not quite satisfied with it for two reasons. First, it lacks a concept. It is more a review of different literature sources on skiing-related topics than an analysis combining understanding of physics of skiing with a discussion of how this knowledge is applicable to modern skiing techniques. It provides the readers with the background theory, but does not lead to any suggestions how to benefit from this understanding and improve their skiing technique. Too bad that the authors did not have a good ski instructor in their company to make the book more useful and down-to-earth. Secondly, since it is based on references published between 1977 and 1997, part of the discussion is more applicable to the old almost straight skis than to modern supersidecut skis.

11 people found this helpful.

Konstantin Momot

Poorly written

30 August 2008 - Published on Amazon.com

I go skiing at least once a year; I am also a University lecturer in Physics. I bought this book several years ago with the expectation that it would be a fascinating read. Unfortunately, it has failed to "grab" me. Some of the problems are fairly minor: for instance, the illustrations leave a lot to be desired. The references are often not just outdated but also obscure. For example, the main reference to the phase thermodynamics of water is a "US Army Corps of Engineers Special Report No. 81-6" - surely, a more widely-available, mainstream reference could have been found for such a textbook topic! Other problems are more fundamental: (1) The book lacks a unifying approach and a discussion of the basic concepts (this was also pointed out by one of the other reviewers). As a result, it reads more like a collection of disjointed technical notes than a book. (2) It fails to provide any insights into the practise of skiing beyond what one would pick up from a private lesson with an instructor. I am really not sure, what kind of target audience the authors had in mind when writing this book. But I do know that it has not been useful to me either as a skier or as a Physics lecturer.

6 people found this helpful.

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The Physics of Skiing: Skiing at the Triple Point Paperback – 1 Jan 1997

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