Artificial ski matting

Abstract

An artificial ski matting wherein a plurality of ski mats may be interlocked to form an artificial skiing surface. Each mat includes a base ski support surface and an plurality of spaced pegs having flexible "fluff" fingers on each peg. A second plurality of spaced pegs are interposed on the mat and having flexible "turn" fingers on each peg. The "fluff" fingers form a generally horizontal ski surface permitting skis to sink into the fluff fingers and track on the mat as a ski would do in natural snow. The "turn" fingers form a generally horizontal ski surface lower than the first-mentioned horizontal ski surface permitting skis to dig into the mat and "turn" thereon. Finally, the base ski support surface supports the skis when they dig down into the mat, such as when sufficient centrifugal force is created either in a dip or turn while skiing. In this manner, the effect of compaction of natural snow is created. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to artificial ski matting, and more particularly, to a plurality of artificial ski mats which interlock to form a matting or artificial skiing surface. 2. Description of the Prior Art Natural snow cannot always be counted on to be available during the ski season. Some ski areas attempt to solve this problem by manufacturing machine-made snow. However, the sub-freezing temperatures required to operate such machines to manufacture snow have often been absent for considerable periods of time. Winter rains and the like can wash out the snow provided either by nature or by man. In some areas, such as tropical climates, no natural snow skiing at all is possible. Finally, most ski areas are remote from large cities or the like. Skiers have always desired to be able to ski within easy reach of home in any season of the year. Faced with these problems, man has attempted many solutions in the past to provide an artificial skiing surface. Grass, fine clay, fir tree cones, straw and even sand were first used without success. With the coming of plastic, various attempts were made to utilize plastic for artificial skiing. Problems in softness, durability, easy running surface, etc. were quickly encountered. Most skiers were turned off by the first artificial ski slopes. The stiff, molded bristles that were supposed to substitute for snow in some prior art arrangements ruined skis and falling on the bristiles resembled falling on a rake. Other prior art surfaces utilized various configurations, such as bristly triangles and circles. Before taking off, skiers had to coat their skis with oil from a spinning roller. The surface was relatively rough and skis and poles caught in the triangles and circles. The arrangement of circles squares, triangles, etc., in some prior art surfaces, created an up-and-down effect due to air spaces which created a dangerous ski surface. During the past 15 years, various attempts were made to solve these problems. Artificial ski surfaces have been used to cover slopes and trails extensively in both the U.S. and abroad but there surfaces have not proven economical in normally colder regions. However, use of these surfaces to provide a ski surface in limited areas where snow wear is extensive has become quite common. Chair lift loading and unloading ramps and uphill ski tracks for surface lifts were examples of areas where artificial ski surfaces have proven to be most acceptable. It can be seen, therefore, that attempts to cover large downhill areas have been primarily limited to southern areas where neither natural or machine-made snow is reliable. A number of prior art artificial skiing surfaces are discussed in an article entitled "Artificial Skiing Surfaces" appearing in the Spring 1973 issue of SKI AREA MANAGEMENT magazine at pages 52 and 53. These prior art surfaces have included metal bases with white bristles, rings of plastic projections molded into a rectangular base, plastic fibers molded into sheets, loose granules of plastic added to a synthetic turf base mat, etc., All of these have proven unsatisfacfory for one or more of the following reasons. Such unsatisfactory characteristics include surfaces which have too high a coefficient of friction so that a ski does not slide easily thereon. Oiling of, or application of other substances to, skis or the like is messy, expensive, and does not solve this problem of slidability, particularly when used on relatively slight inclines. Temperature creates quite a problem with many artificial ski surfaces. For example, warpage may occur above a particular temperature. Some plastics may disintegrate under pressure and friction during use. Many of these prior art surfaces are formed by joining sections together. Such joining means has proven unsatisfactory. Some of these surfaces do not present an adequate resistance to the turning skis thereon. That is, the skis cannot dig in and compact as in natural snow. Construction of some artificial ski surfaces is dangerous in that metal rings or pieces are used such that a user can be cut thereon. Some bristles are so hard and brittle as to cause injury in falling on them. Some surfaces require complicated anchoring means to make them stable and tend to slip on slopes over a certain number of degrees from the horizontal, e.g., slopes of over 15.degree. to 20.degree.. Finally, some surfaces are constructed in a manner forming dangerous edges or spacings caused by undesirable separation whereby ski edges, ski poles, etc. may catch thereon and cause the skier to fall. There thus exists a need for an artificial ski material which avoids all of the problems of the prior art, is relatively inexpensive and can be quickly and easily installed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide an artificial ski matting having characteristics similar to snow for skiing. It is a further object of this invention to provide such an artificial ski matting which is comprised of a plurality of interlocked mats. It is still another object of this invention to provide such an artificial ski matting which is durable, can be quickly and easily mounted on any desired terrain and is relatively inexpensive. These and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing an artificial ski mat which includes a base ski support surface and a plurality of spaced "fluff" pegs having flexible "fluff" fingers on each "fluff" peg. A second plurality of spaced "turn" pegs are interposed on the mat between the "fluff" pegs having flexible "turn" fingers on each "turn" peg. The "fluff" fingers form a generally horizontal ski surface permitting skis to sink into the fluff fingers and track on the mat as a ski would do in natural snow. The "turn" fingers form a generally horizontal ski surface at a level lower than the first-mentioned horizontal ski surface permitting skis to dig into the mate and "turn" thereon. Finally, the base ski support surface supports the skis when they dig down into the mat, such as when sufficient centrifugal force is created in a dip or turn while skiing. In this manner, the effect of compaction of natural snow is created. A plurality of these mats may be interlocked to form a matting which can cover a large surface thus forming a ski run or the like.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.