Ogasaka Triun SL 16/17

Ski Ogasaka Triun SL 16/17. Part 1, catalog

At the end of the current season the ski manufacturers announce models for the next season. Usually it is quite difficult to understand about change of characteristics of ski  besides new colors. Moreover, based on information ftom new catalog it is usually impossible to see changes. But for ski Ogasaka Triun SL 16/17 situation is just the opposite.

I need to say the obvious thing. Length of slalom ski is limited  by competition rules to 165 cm for men and 155 for women. Below, from the variety of skis we will consider only the slalom model for man.

How one can make any conclusions based on the published data? It is necessary to find any changes in digits of characteristics. For example, Atomic skis 15/16 I’ve decided to examine more detail because of change of flex number. This, however, not information from catalog, but also “public” one. Models of Atomic of previous years did not differ in the parameters. That is, the shape of the sidecut, the recommended position of the center of boot, said stiffness and type of construction were the same. Therefore it was not necessary to compare the characteristics of Atomic 13/14 (which I had) to next year 14/15, match is 100%. Visually it was changed (other than color) only the design of the sliding surface. Perhaps skis were slightly changed, we compared the skis on the snow and sometimes seems that there are some changes in the concept of “soft toe – stiff tail” 🙂  But only sense, no any confirmations from digits.

 Shigeru Iwamoto at Ogasaka factory. Nagano, April 2016
Shigeru Iwamoto at Ogasaka factory. Nagano, April 2016

With skis Ogasaka Triun SL situation is very not so 🙂 Despite the similar style of behavior in the snow (I tried models of the last four years), skis, as it turned out, pretty much change from year to year. For example, it is clearly seen in the last three models. Iwamoto san brought a model of the next season, I had the test model of last season and colleague from our club Vladimir Paskonov, who changed this season to Ogasaka provided for comparing ski of this season.

Shigeru Iwamoto, Vladimir Paskonov, Sergey Kuznetsov with skis Ogasaka Triun SL 13/14. Rossignol Cup, March 2013
Shigeru Iwamoto, Vladimir Paskonov, Sergey Kuznetsov with skis Ogasaka Triun SL 13/14. Rossignol Cup, March 2013

When we put side by side this three pairs, the differences were immediately visible. In ski markedly different recommended position of the boot, at ski is written a different radius of sidecut (ie change the geometry) and different “rocker”, or more precisely on ski of next season it is not.

Ogasaka Triun SL 2015, 2016, 2017
Ogasaka Triun SL 2015, 2016, 2017

In the catalog there are also differences in the description of these models. But to undersdtand it not very easy, because constructive solutions by Ogasaka, of course have their own names. Therefore, before the “natural” further study one need to understand what is the difference in published materials. I will give some minimal portion of information that I think touch to this slalom model.

Very few of history

The emphasis in the dates made on the introduction of technologies that are used now in ski Ogasaka Triun SL, these technologies are in bold

  • The history of ski Ogasaka logo_small_1begins since 1912, when the furniture manufacturer Hamataro Ogasaka has got an order to produce 40 pairs of skis
  • 1964 – fiberglass used for the manufacture of skis
  • 1973 – began to use carbon composite (carbon fiber) in skis
    KodamaKitzS
  • 1980 – 1980 – Osamu Kodama,
    took 6th place at World Cup  slalom race (Skiing at Ogasaka, of course).  Kodama took part in World Cup for several years, crossed in the protocols with our Alexander Zhirov and Vladimir Andreyev. I’ve found a recent interview in the net , where He remembers the surprise caused Ogasaka skis on the World Cup
  • 1996 – received a patent for the combined design TWINKEEL “Cap and Sadwich”. Cap in the middle of ski transfers to the sandwich in the top and tail parts. This technology was applied to the first ski with geometry “Carve”
  • 2000 –  sport series ski with TWINKEEL technology became named as TRIUN
  • 2002 – the technology F.L.F, Ogasaka ski F.L.F (Front Lead Function), used in TRIUN. A ski design SHELL TOP was introduced
  • 2004 – technology F.L.F supplemented with “accumulating” effect (AC)
  • 2010 –  – the technologies ppf PPF (Power Platform Function) and
    flsFLS (Ful length stabilizer) were introduced
  • 2011 – developed BMS и ffs F.F.S (Front Float System)  system of floating toe or as it now known as rocker, ie, a little bend up toe.
  • 2012 – 100 years have passed100_years
  • 2013 – introduced a new polymer fiber with higher strength  F.R.P
  • 2014 – introduced a new carbon fiber ZTC (zero tension carbon)

Now a little more about these facts and technologies

World Cup

FIS_WCAccording to information from Iwamoto san, Ogasaka in pricipal not looking for an opportunity to enter into contract relations with the participants of the World Cup. So the success of Ogasaka ski  in 1980 was amazing (although may be at that time it was another approach). I dont’t know what is included to the contracts with the participants of the World Cup, but the drops of information that reach me can make the main conclusion. LindseyThis is the existence of a special production line and laboratory, so-called “Cup race stock” where it produced variations of skis for a particular athlete. Variations may be made in the form of special models, which under some circumstances are sometimes available to a wider range of skiers. But usually it is really the individual skis, which at the beginning of the season are given to the athlete (of course not one pair, many, many 🙂 ), and at the end of the season taken back. What does this mean for such a ski-amateur like me? I’m not happy by two moments. First, it is necessary to force myself not to look closely to the ski on broadcast the World Cup, because even if it looks the same as my skis it is completely different skis.HirscherThis is quite difficult, because I try to separate when viewing a “sky” level of skier from work of equipment, especially because in slalom it is very good seen how ski works. The second point is even worse. It is clear that ski makers are working a lot for specific athletes on the cup.
And how much they have left of resources for “usual” sports models of ski that go into mass production?Q And in general, whether they need to spend the resources, if the “locomotives” of the World Cup athletes make selling? Of course something of developments will inevitably fall to in the “race stock” or “store” slalom ski, but it must still be adaptated for amateurs. And for how much such adaptation is checked? In general, I want to say that Ogasaka position “do not play” in a special ski for world cup athletes has more pros than cons for me.

F.L.F, Ogasaka skiF.L.F (Front Lead Function)

Patent No.383771FLF_pat

From the description of the invention implies that the contact points when the ski is flat on the surface (they are determined by the shape of deflection of ski), and when the ski is standing on the edge (the points determined by the shape of the sidecut) spaced by 40 mm in the toe and heel of the ski (shown why-so that only in the toe). More specifically, how does it work when edging is illustrated in comparison with “usual ski” (painted in blue).
FLF_pic

I do not want to write too much “in my own words,” as the importance of compliance sidecut to deflection characteristics this is something I think now maybe too more 🙂 So have to enumerate published online by Ogasaka benefits of F.L.F technology.

  1. You can easily control the size of your turn
  2. You can easily control the tip pf a ski, allowing easier initiation of your turn
  3. You can easily make a deflection of a ski without strong edging
  4. You can easily stabilize your skiing
  5. You can easily close your turn
  6. You can easily control the speed of skiing

Design of construction “SHELL TOP”

ski Construction "Sandwich"
Construction “Sandwich”
ski Construction "shell top"
Construction “Shell Top”

This is a slight modification of the structure “sandwich” for damping impacts from edges. Note that at the illustrations is present aluminum AL 7178. I want to stay more in detail, as is often the material of metal plates specifically indicated in skiing performance, especially if there is something from the word “titanium”. AL 7178 is, of course alloy – “duralumin”, referring to the so-called Series “7000”, which is characterized by a minimum ductility, but the maximum springiness and stiffness. In 7178 it was focused on the springiness work at low temperatures (Celsius), the main application – aviation. I write in details because I have no illusions about production of special metals (this also applies to the metal of the edges) for ski. Ski industry consumes very little of metals. Therefore, they must use metals with the known distinct characteristics, designed for some other areas. Therefore, all sorts of mysterious “titanal” I would be treated with caution 🙂

F.L.F  with the addition of  “accumulating” effect (AC)

FLF_AC

At the entrance to a turn and the first half of the arc (in the diagram marked in green) F.L.F technology allows faster and easier angle the edges. The higher edge angle, the greater the length of the ski between the points of contact involved, that gives tenacity and stability. The “accumuater” is made of special plastic. It take the absorption of vibrations and minimizes sudden recoil. Besides skiing center it is more straightened, allowing to up the foothold and do more easy turn.

This is the information from the site. I’d add that the ski bent as bow (which shoot arrows), the stronger the bend, the stronger be thrown to the next turn. Of course this process can be controlled by construction. As far as I understand, the stiffness of the sportive skis  just determines the power of release and sending “arrow” to the next turn. That is a tough ski is not one that difficult to bend, ie, put into a turn, but that hard to cope with it in the arc. As I understood, Ogasaka have the desire to control process of shoot to next turn. And they do this by additional resistance of bending the skis in the central part.

ppfPPF (Power Platform Function)

Actually it is more emphasis on a metal plate in the central part of the ski, disposed above or below the wood core. It made for to increase the rigidity and prevent excessive deflection of the ski.

flsFLS (Ful length stabilizer)

This special structure inside the ski, which distributes the pressure of the ski from the central part to the entire length.
FLS

ffsF.F.S (Front Float System)

ffs_1eThis is so-called “Front Rocker”, ie slightly raised toe in figure of deflection, but it made in conjunction with the F.L.F technology. It allows a little to dissipate the pressure on the toe of the skis when entering a corner, which reduces the resistance of the snow and gives more tenacity.
ffs_2e

Generally speaking, the ski manufacturers do not come to a definite opinion, need or do not need a rocker in a sports riding, as it reduces a little bit the working edge of the ski at the beginning of the turn. The situation in the slalom ski  in the last few years is about this: in the “store” slalom ski rocker is, in “the race stock” skis rocker is not. Ogasaka seems also involved in the fluctuations of public opinion because in ski of last seasons the rocker was, and in the next season there is no rocker.

Catalogues

Now, finally, one can easily compare catalog data of three models of skis Ogasaka Triun SL.

Лыжи Ogasaka Triun SL 17/16

So, if we take as a starting point ski Ogasaka Triun SL 14/15, then the width of the skis of next season became less to 2 mm, and, as it is written in words, it has changed the shape of the sidecut. Technology remained the same. The design shown in the catalog for skis of 15/16 season, I think that ski of previous year  is arranged the same way. Ski of next year 16/17 has remained the same narrow at the waist, but the shape of the cut has become more “teardrop”, the toe become wider, while the tail became more narrow. Construction apparently remained the same (top shell), while from the “add-ons” only “leading toe” (F.L.F) is included, and instead of FLS (stabilization of the entire length) is introduced new “stabilizer” (STB), which is no information on Ogasaka site about.

I will leave considerations for later, when measure deflections and shapes of sidecuts. Now we can state the fact that skis Ogasaka Triun SL noticeable change from year to year, even at the level of the dry numbers 🙂


Vadim Nikitin DigInfo.ruVadim Nikitin

 

 

 

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