Nordic skiing has benefitted immensely in recent years from advances in
materials science. The skis are the most obvious components to any
observer. Ski bases are made of polyethylene, polymerized into a
crystalline material by using heat and pressure in a process called
"sintering".
Skis form only half the picture when preparing for a race. Skis are
prepared by for competition by melting paraffin and polyethylene
based waxes into the ski base. When a ski moves across snow, the
snow crystals are melted at the point of contact and the ski glides
on a thin film of water. In warmer temperatures, softer, paraffin
waxes are used to minimize surface tension between. In colder
temperatures, harder polyethylene waxes perform better as the snow
crystals are sharper and would stick into soft parafin waxes. Other
additives such as graphite and fluorocarbons are used to reduce
static electricity buildup, improve head transfer along the ski, and
improve the hypro-phobic properties of the ski. Selecting the right
wax, or combination of waxes for each snow condition is a science to
some, and an art to others.

Of course, the ski poles are also a key component, and are generally
made of carbon fiber layers that lead to an incredibly stiff, yet
strong and light pole that are vast improvements over wooden or
aluminum poles. The steel tip of the pole is sharpened and hardened
to better grip in icy conditions. Finally, clothing that minimizes
air resistance and that permits water to flow in only one direction
to allow sweat to evaporate but yet keep the skiier dry when the
skies are unfriendly have made the sport both faster and more
comfortable.

I am a product manager at Oracle Corporation, an database and
enterprise software company based in the San Francisco area. My
degrees are B.S. Computer Science '00, B.S. Operations Research &
Industrial Engineering '00, and MEng Operations Research & Industrial
Engineering '00, all from Cornell University.