Patent ID: 7275756

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a ski having a front to rear longitudinal axis, front and rear end portions, upper and lower surface portions, and side surface portions, said ski further comprising a main longitudinally extending body portion comprising main body components of the ski and a longitudinally extending cap portion at the upper and side surface portions of the ski, said method comprising: a) making a cap preform section having a middle cap preform portion and side cap preform portions, and comprising: i. an elongate metal sheet which is predominantly metal and has upper and lower surfaces and side edge portions; ii. two predominantly non-metal side members having upper and lower surfaces and inner and outer edge portions, with the inner edge portions being adjacent to the side edge portions of the metal sheet at juncture locations; iii. two bonding portions, each being located at a related one of the juncture locations and joining a related one of the side members to an adjacent side portion of the metal sheet; b) positioning preform main body components corresponding to the main body components of the ski at a molding location as a main body preform assembly with upper, lower and side surfaces, and lower side edge portions; c) positioning the cap preform section over the main body preform assembly so that the metal sheet is located over the upper surface of the main body preform assembly; d) pressing the middle portion of the cap preform section downwardly against the top surface of the main body preform assembly and pressing the cap preform section side portions against the side surfaces of the main body preform assembly to form a bonding assembly and applying heat to cause the cap preform section and the main body preform assembly to become bonded into a ski structure.