The Conversation That Changed How I Understand Skis: Jurij Franko on the Birth of Modern Ski Design

This is a remastered release (2018) of one of the most eye-opening conversations I’ve ever had about skiing. Before I had proper mics or a real podcast setup, I sat down with Jurij Franko - the physicist, former racer, and engineer behind the original shaped-ski revolution at Elan. The audio is now cleaned up, and I’m thrilled to bring this episode back because it genuinely changed how I understand skis. Jurij’s story starts in the late 80s, when he became the first person to apply mathematics to ski design. His work validated the idea of sidecut and helped spark the carving era we now take for granted. In this episode, he explains the thinking and experiments that shifted skiing from tradition to science — and the breakthroughs that came from asking the questions no one else was asking. We dive into ski behaviour in a way few people can articulate: • why a ski carves vs. skids • how torsional stiffness and center of mass influence grip • the real physics behind vibration and “feel” • and why so many long-standing beliefs in skiing were never grounded in science. What I appreciate most is how Jurij connects design to human movement. He explains how great skiers adapt their body position, predict what the ski will do, and make thousands of small decisions based on feel and repetition. His way of cutting through jargon and simplifying the essentials is refreshing - especially for instructors. We also challenge a lot of myths: flex, vibration, “performance characteristics,” and the tendency to overteach. Jurij’s view is that skiing improves when people are given the space to explore, develop awareness, and feel how the ski interacts with the snow. This conversation blends physics, history, technique, and genuine passion. It’s a rare look inside the mind of someone who shaped the modern ski - and for me, it’s still one of the episodes that permanently shifted how I think about skiing. Enjoy. Improve your skiing with me as your coach. I own an online learning platform that will teach you to become a better skier It’s Called Big Picture Skiing and is my way of being able to share everything I have learnt about ski technique, equipment and becoming a better skier. There are over 250 videos sorted into categories for simple learning. If you’ve enjoyed my YouTube and podcast then I think you would get even more out of the BPS learning platform Podcast listeners can take 25% off any membership with code: PODCAST CHECK OUT BIG PICTURE SKIING Advertising Inquiries: Privacy & Opt-Out:

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The Conversation That Changed How I Understand Skis: Jurij Franko on the Birth of Modern Ski Design is an episode from Global Skiing by Tom Gellie.

This episode is 75:42 long.

This episode was published on Nov 23, 2025.

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