Climbing skins

Abstract

Stiff cambered, profiled, flat plates are bonded to a snow adhering surface of a ski base. The plates are coupled to the ski base via straps, snaps or other securing devices to eliminate the need for glue.

1 . A climbing skin for use with a ski that has a ski base, comprising:
 plural flexible plates bonded to a snow adhering surface; and   plural snaps associated with the plates, and usable to cinch the plates to the ski base, thereby eliminating the need for glue.   
   
   
       2 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein the snaps are adjustable for width in order to fit different sized skis. 
   
   
       3 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein the plates include a plurality of profiles in X, Y, and Z axes. 
   
   
       4 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein straps replace the snaps for cinching the plates/battens to the ski base. 
   
   
       5 . The climbing skin of  claim 4 , further including clips which wrap around the edges of the ski adjacent to the skis' edges. 
   
   
       6 . The climbing skin of  claim 5 , wherein said clips are adjustable for ski width. 
   
   
       7 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , further including a glide zone along a plurality of portions of the snow adhering surface 
   
   
       8 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of profiles at the lateral edges of said plates. 
   
   
       9 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein said plates/battens have a trim able snow adhering surface adjoining them. 
   
   
       10 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein the edges of said plates/battens may be easily trimmed for width. 
   
   
       11 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , further including folds comprised of a mechanical hinge. 
   
   
       12 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , further including tip and tail retainers in various combinations and methods germane to the art. 
   
   
       13 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , further including variable thicknesses in a plurality of portions of said plates/battens. 
   
   
       14 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein said plates are arced concavely in relation to the ski base. 
   
   
       15 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein said plates are arced convexly in relation to the ski base. 
   
   
       16 . The climbing skin of  claim 1 , wherein filler material is placed around said plates in any axis and in various thicknesses.