Carbon technology is far from new. Ancient cavemen used amorphous Carbon in the form of charcoal to make spears and other weapons. This was the first example of sporting goods that used Carbon technology. Amorphous Carbon is one of the three primary allotropes of Carbon. Diamonds are the most glamorous of the Carbon allotropes but not necessarily the most expensive. Graphite is the third and perhaps most widely used allotrope of Carbon. It’s from Graphite that we get Carbon Fiber for modern sporting goods. Carbon has dozens of lesser used allotropes including nanotubes and nanofoam.
WHY CARBON? A guide for those of us who did not pay attention in school
FasterSkier · December 12, 2006
Nordic racing first incorporated Carbon technology in the mid 1970’s with very light, very stiff and very fragile racing poles. That was the curse of all Carbon Fiber sporting goods in the 1970’s. Fly rods, golf clubs and Nordic poles made of Carbon were brittle and prone to breakage. It was difficult to ski more than 500 meters of the Birkie trail without seeing the remains of a broken Carbon pole. Refinements in the weaving process, better polymers and reinforced filaments have made modern Carbon Fiber every bit as rugged as fiberglass or polyurethane. Landsem was the first ski company to introduce Carbon Fiber technology in 1980 with a core made primarily of high grade Carbon Fiber. Atomic followed suit in 1985 with the Atomic Turbo series of race skis. Atomic had way cooler names for skis back then. Look followed suit by incorporating Carbon in the Contact System binding in 1986. The virtue and popularity of Carbon Fiber in sporting goods comes from the unequaled lightness and rigidity of Graphite. A sheet of Carbon Fiber can be 80% lighter than a same size sheet of lightweight plastic. The rigidity of Carbon is exceptional, it can be every bit as strong as tempered steel at just a fraction of the weight.
