it doesn't quite work like that.
We research this kind of thing here as its our job to build skis. What i do required a degree in physics, but this matter is elementary.
A weak person using a stiff ski wont be able to deflect the ski very far, but because it is stiffer, this small deflection stores a large amount of energy.
The same person using a softer ski will bend the ski much further. The ski stores less energy for a given amount of deflection, but it deflects further. The same amount of energy is stored.
This is super basic hooke's law. If i have a stiff spring and a flimsy spring, and i apply the same force to both of them (lets say im making a slingshot or something), both springs will shoot just as far. both springs will return the same amount of force when released. The only difference is that the stiffer one will have extended less than the small one under the identical force.
when you put energy into a ski to pop, 100% of that energy goes into the ski, regardless of how stiff it is. How much useful energy the ski gives back when you jump dpends on its resilliance / dampening / whatever you want to call it. The ski doesnt return as much force as you applied on it, because some of the energy changes form (is damped).
Basically, what im getting at is that energy isnt created out of nowhere. A stiffer ski doesnt magically generate more energy when you pop. stiffness 100% does not determine the pop of a ski, the dempening properties of the core do.
Using your bow analogy, a stiff bow and a non-stiff bow are both capable of shooting an arrow with the identical velocity / distance with the EXACT same amount of effort from the user. if Johnny is strong enough to apply 100lbs of force, then, regardless of which bow he uses, the bow will shoot the arrow the same distance. the only difference is that the less stiff bow will bend a LOT further as he loads it. Ps: the reason bows are stiff is because if they were soft, they would bend too far to be practically usable. this is an ergonomics / usability thing. This is the same for skis. A stiff ski provides different ergonomics than a soft one, but no difference in pop. different lamination processes, composites, and sometimes the type of wood, are the major determining factors for that.
haha, anyway, if youve read the far through my mini book, hopefully it made some sense!
