"Mathematica let me model many different combinations of design parameters in a short amount of time, so that I could quickly zero in on the best ones," Gesmer said. "This wouldn't have been possible if I had attempted the math by hand...."

A New Twist on Skateboard Turning

Former pro skateboarder Dan Gesmer was fed up with his skateboard. He was sick of poorly constructed trucks (the skateboard's turning mechanisms). Instead of living with the status quo, he decided to use Mathematica to model his own unique spring-loaded design. Called Seismic Trucks, this innovative new product has brought a wave of change to skateboard truck technology, which had previously been based entirely on 1930s-era roller-skate truck designs.

Gesmer used Mathematica to model a series of complex equations that describe how skateboards turn as a function of the rider's weight shifts and the truck's steering geometry. Then he adapted his Mathematica notebooks to develop a spring-loaded design that allows for tighter turns with greater steering control and less wobbliness.

"As a skater, I was limited by ordinary trucks and couldn't find anything better. I finally decided that I was simply going to have to invent something new myself," Gesmer said. "A relative introduced me to Mathematica and I started experimenting. Now, with help from friends and manufacturing partners in Germany, I've got a superior product on the market."

Key features of Mathematica used:

• Numeric
• Graphic