Individual ski protector and methods for its use

A ski protection system, comprising:

• a pair of skis, each ski comprising a ski body with a tip and a back and a binding attached to the ski body;
• a pair of ski protectors, each protector comprising an elongate sleeve body having a top side, a bottom side, a back end, a front end, and a midsection between the front and back ends, wherein each sleeve body is continuous from the front end to the back end, wherein each protector further comprises a fastener extending between the back end and the front end, the fastener providing access to an interior of the sleeve body when unfastened;
• wherein each protector is sized and shaped such that each ski may be received into the interior of a corresponding one of the protectors, with the sleeve body conforming to the shape of the ski body and binding and with a tip of each ski being received into the front end of each protector;
• wherein at least one of the protectors includes a pair of straps attached to the sleeve body, with one strap near the back end and the other strap near the front end such that one of the skis may be attached to the protector by positioning the straps around the ski;
• and
• wherein at least one of the protectors includes a handle attached to the midsection between the top side and the bottom side such that the handle is tightly received against the sleeve body and such that the pair of protectors may be balanced when holding the handle while the skis are within the protectors and the protectors are attached together, with the skis being positioned on their sides such the bottoms of the skis are vertically oriented.

A method for transporting skis, the method comprising:

• providing a ski protector comprising an elongate sleeve body having a top side, a bottom side, a back end, a front end, and a midsection between the front and back ends, wherein the body is continuous from the front end to the back end, wherein the sleeve body flares at the midsection, and wherein the sleeve body is constructed of a substantially waterproof fabric;
• a fastener extending in an axial line from the back end to the midsection and then extending upwardly along the midsection, the fastener providing an access way into the sleeve body when unfastened;
• a handle attached to the sleeve body at the midsection between the top side and the bottom side such that the handle is tightly received against the sleeve body;
• and a pair of straps attached to the sleeve body, wherein one strap is near the back end, and the other strap is near the front end;
• placing the ski into the interior of the sleeve body through the access way and adjusting the position of the ski until a tip of the ski is within the front end;
• grasping the handle with the hand and lifting the ski protector by the handle such that the sleeve body is balanced about the handle so as to be generally horizontally oriented, with the ski being positioned on its side such that a bottom of the ski is vertically oriented.

A method for transporting skis, the method comprising:

• providing a pair of ski protectors, each comprising an elongate sleeve body having a top side, a bottom side, a back end, a front end, and a midsection between the front and back ends, wherein the sleeve body flares at the midsection;
• a fastener extending in an axial line from the back end to the midsection and then extending upwardly along the midsection, the fastener providing an access way into the sleeve body when unfastened;
• a handle attached to the sleeve body at the midsection between the top side and the bottom side such that the handle is tightly received against the sleeve body;
• and a pair of straps attached to the sleeve body, wherein one strap is near the back end, and the other strap is near the front end;
• placing a ski into the interior of each of the sleeve bodies through their access ways until a tip of the skis is enclosed by the front ends of the sleeve bodies;
• strapping the skis together with the straps such the bottom sides of the sleeve bodies are adjacent each other;
• grasping both of the handles with the hand and lifting the ski protectors by the handles such that the sleeve body is balanced about the handle so as to be generally horizontally oriented, with the skis being positioned on their sides such that the bottoms of the skis are vertically oriented.