Penguin

SLIDING ACES

Penguins live primarily in Antarctica, a continent that is 98% covered in ice, and are extremely well adapted to polar conditions.

Penguins have short, stiff, dense feathers (more per square centimeter than most other birds). The different layers of their plumage interlock, making them virtually water- and airtight and allowing them to conserve heat.

Penguins are unable to fly but are very good swimmers. Their feathers make it easier for them to travel on land, where they waddle slowly and have trouble walking up and down slopes. This is why they often slide on their bellies, propelling themselves with their webbed feet. Their feathers make it easier to slide forward since they stick to the ice. This enables the penguin to climb steep hills without sliding backward.

Skis fitted with “sealskins” (seal skin shows an adaptation similar to the penguin’s feathers) use this anti-slide system. After adding this cover to the underside of their skis, skiers stick to the snow and ice without sliding backward when climbing slopes.

For more information on the animal:
Penguin

For more information on the technology:
Ski skins