The Bonna "Alukant" was an experimental off-track ski that Lommedalen Skifabrikk produced in the early to mid 1960s. The aim was to solve the decades-old problem of metal edges that needed to be screwed in sections to the sides of wood skis. The Alukant, for starters, featured aluminium edges vs traditional steel. In addition, the edges were manufactured in such a way that they could be held to the skis by sandwiching a portion between the laminated wood layers. Lastly, instead of several shorter pieces of metal, each Alukant edge was a single piece that ran the length of the ski. The latter two features greatly reduced friction on snow, especially in icy conditions. A bonus was that aluminium doesn't rust.
So that's the good news. The bad news is that wood and aluminium don't wear at the same rates, so after heavy use the bases of the skis tended to resemble the bottom of a sled. Removable edges could be adjusted for wear on the base of a wood ski. Alas.
Regardless, this is a pretty cool example of innovation in the ski industry. Plus, these skis are perfectly usable, with 75mm 3-pin bindings. They've been touched up a bit and re-lacquered.
Size: 205cm Camber: medium (4-6cm at ski center) Weight (pair): 2698gm w/ bindings Width at center: 54mm Mfg date: early 1960s Base: hickory/steel edge
