DEVELOPMENT OF ALLFLEX ANTI-VIBRATION
SKI AND SNOWBOARD PLATE

INTRODUCTION

Engineers and developers of ski and snowboard manufacturers have been constantly improving ski and snowboard plates through the years with the objective to increase speed and slidableness and decrease vibrations in turns. Slovenians contributed a big part in worldwide development. The biggest movement happened on February 2, 2000, when Marjaž Vrhovnik won World Cup slalom in Adelboden as the first skier in the world cup to use skis with decreased sidecut radius. Decreased sidecut radius was first used in snowboard before this technical novelty was transferred to skis.

First Allflex plates

Ski plate

Snowboard plate

EQUIPMENT

New ski plate construction changed skiing technique, making it necessary to also change the rest of equipment. Constructors put much attention to the shoe sole, which got narrower, and ski plate, which expanded by a couple millimeters. Main novelty was a platform between the ski and ski binding. Market was instantly flooded with baseplates that were all shortcoming because they obstructed bending of the ski. Even if the plate was made in two parts, it became practically unitary as soon as the shoe was clamped in. The shoe limits bending and creates circle section, which, because of the plastic deformity of ski, demands almost maximal firmness in attachment of ski bindings to prevent the ski binding from opening in extreme bending of ski. I solved this problem with the invention of plate, subject to the 2002 patent file (SI patent 20309 A »Conjunction of ski or snowboard plate and binding for ski boot«), which partially cancels out vibrations.

TECHNIQUE

Ski schools started inventing new skiing techniques because of the reduced sidecut radius, but they were all wrong. Their main mistake was broken stance, without control, causing shoulders to turn perpendicular to movement direction. Weight, distributed on both skis was probably another mistake. The only difference between skiing with old skis, called “spears” and new skis, called “carving” is that with old skis, tales would scatter in turns while with new skis, turns are carried out on edge of outer ski. Skeleton composition and angles in turns are exactly the same.

MEDIA

In 2003, reporters for sports daily “EKIPA” invited me to a world cup race in Sölden as an expert in the field. Until 2014, I wrote columns for “EKIPA” where I commented and analyzed male and female alpine skiing world cup races, which I occasionally continued to do even later on. On January 29, 2010, during broadcast of Kranjska gora world cup, I introduced Allflex plate, for which I’ve two years prior received European patent Sitar F (2008) Platform for mounting a ski binding on a ski. European Patent Office, EP2285457, PCT/SI2008/000068, E.P. Office.

DEVELOPMENT

After seeing introduction of my ski adapted product on television, father of Rok Marguč, Metod, obtained my phone number via “EKIPA” editor Jurij Završnik. On February 2, 2011, I received a call from mr. Marguč, asking if it was possible to make a plate like thisfor snowboard. I said yes and immediately put myself to work. I had to achieve the same mechanical effect as with the plate adapted for skis but with a couple changed mechanical elements. I delivered and Rok Marguč used “Allflex” plate for snowboard in Vancouver Olympics. Because I didn’t use material of adequate quality at the time, some elements twisted.

COMPETITORS

I produced same plates made of more durable materials that Rok Marguč used in 2011/2012 competition season, where Rok Marguč started gaining success with my coaching support. Foreign competitors took notice and I started making plates for Vic Wild and some others. In 2013 we parted ways with Metod Marguč because of disagreements. That was when I offered to collaborate with Rok Flander and before the Sochi Olympic games every world-class competitor wanted the plate. Rok Flander and Žan Košir have a lot of credit for that. I collaborated with both in practices because the technique with Allflex plate is changed. For Sochi Olympics I made plates for Vic Wild, Rok Flander and Žan Košir that were personalized for their individual riding styles. Vic and Žan reached their maximum but Flander did not.

GOAL

Because Allflex similar plates are appearing on the market I want to give notice that no one cooperated in development of plates “Platform for mounting a ski binding on a ski”. Ski plate was developed in 2000 and the first model of snowboard plate, that is still being sold today, includes all elements of ski plate. The only difference is in width adaptation. This fact confirms that all claims made by counterfeit manufacturers are false. Alflex d.o.o.” which is a only legal owner of concession and authorized for distribution.

Sincerely, Aco Sitar

MORE ABOUT THE ALLFLEX PLATE

1. The Allflex plate allows independent and unobstructed bending of the ski or the snowboard as well as a complete grip of the edge carved into the snow. The ski or snowboard bends in one arch due to the floating mounting of the plate.

2. The Allflex system is based on two rigidly anchored vertical rocker arms at the front and two rockers arms at the back as well as two horizontal rocker arms in the middle of the plate.

3. Vertical rocker arms at the front and at the back function as compensatory parts, cancelling the shortening of the ski’s upper surface due to bending.

4. Vertical rocker arms at the front are constructed in a way that the part of the plate onto which the binding is mounted is anchored under the rigid part of the rocker arm. This cancels the impact of the wedge principle.

5. Because the pivot of rocker arm anchorage is under the pivot of the rigid part of the plate, the vibrations from the ski are not transferred to the skier’s skeleton; instead, they are canceled by the suspension of the bent ski into a horizontal movement of rigid parts of the plate, which are screwed onto the ski or snowboard.

6. The Allflex plate allows independent and unobstructed bending of the ski or the snowboard as well as a complete grip of the edge carved into the snow. The ski or snowboard bends in one arch due to the floating mounting of the plate.

7. The Allflex system is based on two rigidly anchored vertical rocker arms at the front and two rockers arms at the back as well as two horizontal rocker arms in the middle of the plate.

8. Vertical rocker arms at the front and at the back function as compensatory parts, cancelling the shortening of the ski’s upper surface due to bending.

9. Vertical rocker arms at the front are constructed in a way that the part of the plate onto which the binding is mounted is anchored under the rigid part of the rocker arm. This cancels the impact of the wedge principle.

10. Because the pivot of rocker arm anchorage is under the pivot of the rigid part of the plate, the vibrations from the ski are not transferred to the skier’s skeleton; instead, they are canceled by the suspension of the bent ski into a horizontal movement of rigid parts of the plate, which are screwed onto the ski or snowboard.

11. The horizontal line of the axis of the horizontal rocker arms causes the ski bindings to load by 0.07 mm; all other positions of the horizontal rocker arms keep the springs in the bindings at a neutral spacing. The vertical rocker arms at the front allow for horizontal oscillation of rigid parts of the Allflex system by 4.5 mm at the front and 4.5 mm at the back. The spacing between bindings on rigid plates by other manufacturers increases by 2×4.5 mm, which means the bindings need to be tightened considerably, in turn increasing the risk of injury because the bindings do not open in case of the skier falling.

12. Horizontal rocker arms allow completely evenly distributed pressure along the edge, making the skier’s or snowboarder’s weight evenly distributed along the edge from the tip to the tail, regardless of the balance. The edge adapting to the terrain along its length makes it easier to keep the center of gravity balanced.

13. The maximal vertical movement of horizontal rocker arms is 6.4 mm. Full pressure increases the distance between the ski boot sole and the edge by 6.4 mm at the most.

14. The Allflex system allows for a complete grip of the edge, despite the distance between the ski boot sole and the bottom ski or snowboard surface oscillating between 0 and 6.4 mm, and at the same time, it cancels vibrations in the curve or due to an uneven terrain.

15. The Allflex system for skis allows for shoe sizes of 36–46. For smaller shoe sizes the plate needs to be shortened.

16. The Allflex plate is ideal for hard or icy slopes. Compared to other plates, it reduces vibrations at least by half, which makes it suitable for all categories of skiers and snowboarders, especially children.

17. Vibrations that are always present on hard slopes are significantly less intense and noticeable, while the pressure on the edge is softer.

18. Using the Allflex plate the skier or snowboarder only needs to control the tension of the bent ski or snowboard. All other plates require the skier or snowboarder to control the bending of the ski or snowboard along with the plate up until the pressure release; in addition, the skier also has to control the springs in the bindings, which load in proportion to the bent ski because of the circular segment.

19. The Allflex plate significantly reduces the risk of injury as a result of vibrations and lateral pressure on knees and shins; firstly, because there are fewer vibrations, and secondly, the vibrations are softer due to the floating plate and the skier or snowboarder hardly feels them.

20. The Allflex plate solves all problems with injuries for skiers that are results of bindings adjusted too tightly, which is necessary with other plates as the ski bends under the ski boot along with the plate when pressure is applied. The Allflex plate, on the other hand, does not bend and allows for free bending of the ski while the bindings don’t have to be adjusted more tightly.