Shaped Ski Revolution Essay, Research Paper

Compare & Contrast

While comparing and contrasting information from, “ The Shaped Ski Revolution,” by Sonoma County Ski and Snowboard Guide, and an article written by Rich Taylor of Popular Mechanics called “Shaped Skis” I found information on many aspects of the new shaped ski technology. Information ranged from safety to ski technique. Rich Taylor’s article is a better source for my final research paper because of its relevancy, accurate depiction, and it is a reliable and accurate resource.

This new shaped ski technology requires new knowledge of the sport, claims “The Shaped Ski Revolution”. Skiers must learn to ski on the new skis, because their old skiing style will not perform the same compared to the new skiing style (Sonoma 1). The article “The Shaped Ski Revolution” lacked specific information concerning tips, skills and instruction on the new shaped skis. This made the article harder to understand and comprehend. The article “Shaped Skis” included much more information including: safety statistics, history of the shaped ski. Which made Taylor’s article broad and was able to supply information of the whole shaped ski revolution. Making Taylor’s article more useful and beneficial.

The new shaped skis have caused a revolution in the sport of downhill skiing. Shaped skis have made intermediate skiers ski like experts (Taylor 1). From young to old, the ski revolution has begun and many are experiencing its effects. Taylor’s article focused on the history of the skis, claiming that the new skis are able to miraculously make skiing easier. Taylor gave excellent examples of who was using the shaped skis, such as beginners to the experts. “The Shaped Ski Revolution” left the topic of who was using the shaped skis open ended. They did not give examples of who specifically was using the new shaped skis. This vagueness was something that hindered the article “The Shaped Ski Revolution.”

Taylor’s article had many topics embedded in it, such as safety benefits, history and benefits for all skiers. Taylor’s wide array of topics will be more useful and relevant for a source for my final research paper. “The Shaped Ski Revolution” lacked information of more then a few fields. The information from the guide was somewhat irrelevant for my needs and was too much in detail.

The new ski revolution is here and it will continue to stay until the days of old convention skis are gone. Today, every major ski manufacture is making there own line of shaped skis (Taylor 1). This new trend or revolution has been stretched worldwide. For example, people from the Alps to the Rocky Mountains are experiencing the new shaped skis. Major ski manufactures are investing millions of dollars to increase the technology of the new shaped ski. This information of different companies and the outstretch of the new technology will be very useful in my final research paper. “The Shaped Ski Revolution” lacked specific company information of the shaped skis, which was needed in my final paper.

Taylor’s article makes an impression that anyone can just hop on a new pair of the shaped skis and there will be instant improvement. The article “The Shaped Ski Revolution” disagrees with this claim. It explained that the new skis required a new type of skiing style. This style is something that must be learned and developed by each skier at each skiing level. With the combination of new skiing technology and developing the skiing style that goes along with the new skis. “The Shaped Ski Revolution” presented a better view of what the skis can possibly do compared to Taylor’s article.

History is a major part of anything, everything must come from somewhere. I noticed in Taylors article there was a major difference in when the article was written. His article had key references to where and when the new shaped ski revolution began. Whereas the article “The Shaped Ski Revolution” explains more the usage of the shaped ski. Time makes a major difference in the two articles, Taylors article was intended to make people be aware of the new shaped ski, whereas the article “The Shaped Ski Revolution” helped explain that the skis are on the market and this is how to use them correctly. For my final paper I am looking for a more broad and general look at the shaped skis, which Taylor’s article has.

Both articles proved to have very useful information in them. When looking at sources one must look at who wrote the source. Rich Taylor is a writer for a well known and respected magazine, making his article more reliable. The Sonoma Ski and Snowboard Guide is not as well known or respected and the article is not looked upon as an article that reliable and trustworthy.

Each article presented specific information that will prove to be useful in my final paper. The information regarding: history, safety, usage and the new shaped ski revolution will all be topics covered in my final research paper. I found that Rich Taylor’s article was more broad in the way it covered the topics I was interested in. Taylor’s article will be a better source for use in my final research paper.

Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Carbone, Claudia. “Parabolic skis work differently.” Dever Post 28 January. 1997: D10:6

[The Denver post had many articles regarding skiing because of its relative location to the mountain. In Claudia’s article I found general information about how the news skis worked and how they were being marketed to the general public. Her article was a commentary on the new technology.]

Egan, Dan. “Ski the straight and narrow.” Skiing October 1997: 162.

[Dan Egan, an expert skier. Gives his appreciation to the conventional ski. In my article I would like to also give appreciation to the conventional ski. What the ski has done and some of its benefits. Skiing is a sport that has been around for a long time, I would like to honor some of the history.]

Hamilton, Kendall. “Turn, turn turn.” Newsweek December 1995: 76.

[This article shows how the new skis has worked wonders for all skiers from: the beginner to the expert racer. The article explains where the ski has performed very well and where the technology is heading in the future. This article also gives regards to a few of the pioneering companies for the shaped ski.]

Lito, Tejanda-Flores. “Stop turning your skis.” Skiing November 1998: 136-138.

[The new technology can not solve the problem of learning how to ski. One must know basic skills when learning. This article gave step by step instructions on how to use the new shaped ski. It gave instruction for racing to powder skiing. I would like to share tips for using the skis in my paper and I feel that this article give great tips and will help me give a general idea of how to use these new skis]

Oliver, Peter. “Are super side-cuts safe?” Skiing November 1997: 42-43.

[Safety is a concerning factor for many sports, I feel that many people will be interested to hear that the new shaped skis offer a safer ski to ski on. This article explains how the ski is safer and studies have shown that the new ski causes less knee injuries. This article will be beneficial in the explanation of the safety side of skiing.]

Taylor, Rich. “Hourglass edges take over the slopes.” Popular Mechanics December 1996: 22-26.

[This gave a detailed inside look at the new ski technology. This article proved to be very helpful. There were good pictures and detailed drawings that show how the shaped ski works compared to its counter-type the conventional ski.]