Utah-based ski enthusiast Kevin Kotzian has reworked the authentic and largely inefficient ski brake in the form of his latest 'Fat Paddle' design. Building upon a failed ski trip in which his blades consistently flew down the mountain, Kotzian decided to take matters into his own hands by testing out some home-grown braking methods. Using a mixture of various rubber implements, he eventually perfected the Fat Paddle structure, a ribbed orange contraption that is tailored to fit an array of ski blades.
Although there is much humor involved in the project, the Fat Paddle design is a new and effective ski safety measure. The lack of sturdy brakes among the majority of ski equipment has resulted in high-speed collisions, ones which could have been easily avoided.
The Fat Paddle framework is easy to use, requiring only a minor attachment to existing ski brakes. Currently adopted by Kickstarter, this danger prevention line will hopefully take off soon.
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