A multi-year study on skipping elastomeric spheres concludes with an extensive experiment at Bear Lake, Utah. Mathematical force models for skipping are validated with small accelerometers embedded within the skipping spheres. However, this new outdoor lab reveals an unexpected skipping behavior. For specific impact conditions the skipping sphere rotate quickly, deforming into disk-like shapes which skip much more often than in traditional skipping. This unique state leads to longer and more stable skipping events, which the researchers label as “water walking.”
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