Making a Deep Snow Windski

First off, let us begin with a little bit of history ...

So far, I have built a windski that works VERY well on ice since it runs on the metal rails:

My first windski is actually the model I am still using when there is not too much snow on the ice. The ice model above bogs down when there is more than about one inch or so of snow. This model works up to three(3) or four(4) inches of snow (or crusty snow). The front portion is not always used, but the middle ski stays ...

I also have other "windski" models that either did not work for me or have not been tried YET.

I have the blue "windskate" that has not been tried yet - need some good ice !!

This one is the windski based on gtj's model which i hoped worked in deep snow, but Guy informed me that was not the case and i found it difficult to get out of the boots...

And then there was the ArcticSail which was fabricated in Quebec. This model had metal edges and I had high hopes. It was just too heavy and I abandoned trying it again. Someone stated somewhere it works in water too. With my weight it sank to my thighs and I did not try it any deeper. So for me, that one was a FLOP !!

So, the BIGGER issue so far is the deeper snow ... Once there is more than about four(4) inches of snow, NONE of my models work !! Since starting this blog in 2011 and even before, I have been working on snow models. The most evasive is the deeper snow model.

I have come to the conclusion that a windski in deep snow acts as a plow and a kite lifts skis or snowboards in the deep snow; NOT snow plowing in any case.

So... My idea is to build a windski where the platform is above the snow. In order to be able to envision this and check measurements, feel, etc; I came up with this "prototype".

The idea is based on what I found here: Fastest-Sled-On-a-Hill/

And so ... The questions about materials and measurements begin ... The skis and snowboard platform are givens ...

Part of the reason this is important now - winter in 2017 started early and stayed. There is ice and lotsa snow in December. Temperatures are hitting -30 degrees C at night. So, I am up at the in-law chalet in the cold, lotsa snow , almost no wind and no sleigh. I can't just stay inside and watch netflix all day :-)

I had come to the conclusion that I would need a strong support that was not too heavy. This may seem obvious, but all details are important. As such, I decided upon PVC piping, like from the "fastest sled" link earlier. As mentioned there, the PVC end caps were NOT so easy to find. Ideally would have liked something like this, but the ends may be flimsy...

So ... luckily my bro-in-law, Chas, found something else in the States. Like the ones from the fastest sled, but without the holes ...

As I want some height, I cannot just put the elbows with the 45 degree joints...

Also, since I will be standing, the support is not just higher, but MUST be sturdy... Do I need cross-bars ?? Not under the sled, but along the sides ...

Stay tuned ... yeah right :-(

mid-Jan 2018 - am stalled since the ice conditions are SO BAD... On the weekend checked three(3) sites and Lac St-Louis was actually the BEST and then today/Monday we are getting a snow storm with freezing rain = yuck - truly disappointing ...

It is now early FEB 2018 and we ARE getting snow - time to wake up the project !!

Went and got some raw materials:

Had made some adjustments to the plan:

and is started to look like this:

and the simulation proof of concept:

Still not sure if more legs are required - like a water insect....
Or support between legs on the same ski ...

The problem now is the snow is still deep and very WET. We are expecting rain and 10 degree C weather. That's like 50 degrees Fahrenheit !! This winter - too much snow - or too cold - or no wind. We now have ice surface that looks ok to go in the mornings when it is colder ...  Last Sunday was the wife's birthday in FEB and obviously i did NOT get to go #$%^&*(

Also asked my engineer uncle on his thoughts on this setup. Says he has no structural data on PVC tubing, which is logical. It is NOT made nor used as a structural material :-)
He says why not use metal ?? For me that is mostly a weight issue ...

Started looking at black metal plumbing - they have 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch piping with 6 inch pieces, 45 degree elbows, etc. Can do exactly what i did with the PVC ... Because they would be 6 inch pieces and not the customized 8.5 inch piece at the 45 degree piece, this makes the platform 10 inches high rather than 12 - which was my original design anyway...

This is what a 3/4" setup looks like so far ...