Challenge:

Former Olympian Erik Bjornsen was interested in developing high-performance Nordic ski poles for his brand to be manufactured in the USA.

Nordic ski poles for racing must be lightweight to reduce fatigue and incredibly stiff for efficient power transfer in modern racing techniques.

In racing starts, Olympic level athletes can apply up to 700N of axial force to their poles.

Methods:

• Laminate schedules designed for axial stiffness and durability in real-world use.

• Optimized layup design using in-house custom test fixture, axial/radial coupon compression testing at UW mech labs, and blind field testing with the athletes.

• Designed manufacturing system for in-house fabrication, finishing, and assembly at scale.

Results:

Successfully manufactured an originally designed and fully finished product at scale with cost and performance that was competitive with established brands.