Skirunners

OmniVerse    The Frost    Lost And New Technologies In The Frost      Skirunners
Skirunners are specialized implements used for those who are without one or both legs. Using a modified Shockrunner flexible foot system made from a flexible; lightweight material such as Carbon-Fiber reinforced polymer, it can replace an amputee's missing leg(s) with blades attached to skis, allowing them to traverse the frozen wasteland's snow and ice with ease.

Utility

A Skirunner is used simply as so: the blade of an existing Shockrunner is replaced with that of a Skirunner, which serves as a blade that is bolted onto a ski. The user then maneuvers the land much like they would if they were using skis, moving carefully with balance. While this does require some practice, those who are well versed in the usage of a Skirunner have managed to evade attacks from many things, such as wandering groups of Marauders, Living Ice, and rogue members of The Umbra.
Parent Technologies
Access & Availability
Due to the state of the world at the present moment, the availability of a Skirunner varies. Generally, people pay a hefty amount of Cigarettes for a Skirunner in decent condition, though others may just either build their own Skirunners from scratch or pay someone else to do it. This is not including getting skis in good condition for usage with a Skirunner.
Discovery
While one cannot pin down the exact person who came up with the idea for Skirunners, it can be traced to the Navajo peoples within the Navajo Lands. The story goes that sometime in 1974, a group of Diné survivors modified existing Shockrunners to use skis, allowing those without lower limbs to be able to traverse the snow after proper training and balance.

Entry for WorldEmber 2020

Competition Homepage
In response to the prompt Describe an invention in your world that helps people with disabilities.
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Cover image: by Joshua Edwards
Article template
Technology / Science
World
OmniVerse
Category
Lost And New Technologies In The Frost in The Frost
Author
bugholders epiphany
Publication Date
23 Dec, 2020
Creation Date
22 Dec, 2020
Last Update Date
3 Feb, 2021
Visibility
Public
Views
365
Favorites
6
Comments
3
Work In Progress
Tags
worldember2020 thefrost

Comments

Author's Notes

Thank you to Mikaro on the WA Discord for the suggestion of blade runner skii things!

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Councilor of the Inner Sanctum Serukis
Dec 23, 2020 20:05 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I think you ended mid sentence at the end there. These are really cool - I like that they are a modification of previous tech. It's a shame that they are not very available, but I don't think anything in your world is! :D Apart from ice and snow.

Emy x
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025
Grandmaster bugholders epiphany
Dec 23, 2020 20:45 by BUGHOLDERS EPIPHANY

Oops, I did! I'll fix that real quick, lmao. Also you've got that right! Nothing but ice and snow for miles!

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Grandmaster MaybeStewartArtist
Dec 24, 2020 01:09 by Maybe Stewart

Love that you took this on, and it's great to see someone providing an example of modified tech, like we often see on earth! ^_^

Eternal Grandmaster Angantyr
Feb 1, 2021 12:45 by Angantyr

I like the idea that people, who traverse the cold regions and lose their limbs to frostbites can have their legs replaced with Skirunners and move forward. This is a neat way not only to save lives but also to keep their dream of exploration alive. One note about the material. It's mentioned that it is made of "lightweight metal material" but then carbon-reinforced polymer is brought as an example. Is there some deeper meaning behind the construction or is it a remnant of experimenting with different materials (composites, magnesium/duraluminum/titanium alloys)?

Playing around with words and worlds
Grandmaster bugholders epiphany
Feb 1, 2021 16:50 by BUGHOLDERS EPIPHANY

Yeah, it's a remnant of the days prior. Generally, it likely would be hard to create carbon-reinforced polymer nowadays in the frozen wasteland, so oftentimes you either have to A: find old shockrunners to modify into skirunners, or B: make a new light-weight metal with what you have and can find.   Maybe sometime in the future I could add onto this bit in the article about some experimentation with different metal mixtures and the like.

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Eternal Grandmaster Angantyr
Feb 2, 2021 12:08 by Angantyr

No, what I meant is Carbon-Fiber reinforced polymer isn't typically considered a light-weight metal material. ^^

Playing around with words and worlds
Grandmaster bugholders epiphany
Feb 2, 2021 17:36 by BUGHOLDERS EPIPHANY

Oh, apologies! ...Huh, when I researched Carbon fiber reinforced polymer, stuff said that it was light weight and was used in a bunch of stuff like cars because of that. Unless I misunderstood something from what I read, which is likely for me!

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Eternal Grandmaster Angantyr
Feb 2, 2021 18:14 by Angantyr

It has very good strength-to-weight ratio, comparable to some metal alloys, that one is true. But it is not a metal per se. The inner structure is different.   But that is why I asked if this was meant to be that way. It's your world and a polymer or a composite may as well be a metal.

Playing around with words and worlds
Grandmaster bugholders epiphany
Feb 2, 2021 18:35 by BUGHOLDERS EPIPHANY

Ahh, now I understand! I'll make an adjustment to the article about it in a while, then. Thanks for pointing it out, and apologies for my misunderstanding!

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