-Collinson & Hockey, 2011 ; surfing, Wheaton, 2017 , 2019 ); however, the sport of Alpine ski racing is largely absent from the literature. Alpine ski racing provides an opportunity to investigate complexities of lived experience as it is a nature-based sport, meaning a heightened bodily awareness may be
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Carly Litchfield, Denise M. Connelly, Melissa E. Hay, and Elizabeth Anne Kinsella
Matej Supej
An important question in alpine skiing is how to determine characteristics of well-performed ski turns, an issue that has become more crucial with the arrival of new carving skis. This article introduces a new method for estimating the quality of skiing at each point of observation based on mechanical energy behavior that can be measured using established motion analysis techniques. It can be used for single-or multiple-skier analyses for evaluation of skiing technique as well as racing tactics. An illustration of its use is shown by analyzing 16 top-level racers using a 3-D kinematical system and video recorded during an alpine ski world cup race. Based on energy behavior of several racers, it is demonstrated that the most direct line with shortest radius of turn is not necessarily the most effective strategy in contrast to what some coaches believe.
Jeffrey R. Campbell, Irving S. Scher, David Carpenter, Bruce L. Jahnke, and Randal P. Ching
ski boots and bindings have assured consumers that any alpine ski boot could be used appropriately in any alpine ski binding. Alpine touring (AT) is a subdiscipline of skiing in which the skier uses the skis to ascend, traverse, and descend snow-covered terrain, typically in the backcountry where
Valentin Bottollier, Matt R. Cross, Nicolas Coulmy, Loïc Le Quellec, and Jacques Prioux
To improve performance and to reduce injury risks, coaches and trainers need to use physical tests, which must be physiologically specific and reliable. 1 To the best of our knowledge, no study has demonstrated for alpine ski racing the physiological specificity and reliability of such a test
Walter Herzog and Lynda Read
The purpose of this study was to estimate cruciate ligament forces in Alpine skiing during a movement that has been associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Resultant knee joint forces and moments were obtained from two skiers during a World Cup Downhill race using an inverse dynamics approach and a 2-D bilaterally symmetric system model. It was found that ACL forces were typically small for both skiers throughout the movement analyzed because quadriceps forces prevented anterior displacement of the tibia relative to the femur at the knee joint angles observed. However, for about 10 ms, loading conditions in the knee joint of Subject 2 (who displayed poor form) were such that large ACL forces may have been present. These particular loading conditions were never observed in Subject 1, who displayed good form. Since neither of the skiers was injured, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about isolated ACL tears in Alpine skiing from the data at hand.
Andrew W. Subudhi, Scott L. Davis, Ronald W. Kipp, and E. Wayne Askew
The goal of this field study was to assess antioxidant status and markers of oxidative damage in elite alpine ski racers during routine training. Subjects included 12 members of the U.S. Men’s Alpine Ski Team attending a 10-day summer training camp. Blood draws were collected at rest and after exercise: (a) prior to training, (b) following 2 days of dry land training, and (c) after 4 days of on-snow skiing. Seven measures of antioxidant status were determined using colorimetric and HPLC methods (Trolox “equivalent antioxidant capacity, uric acid, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, total glutathione, cytosolic glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase). Oxidative stress was assessed using 2 markers of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxides) and 2 markers of protein oxidation (carbonylated total proteins and carbonylated hemoglobin). The results of this study suggest that antioxidant status of elite alpine skiers may decline over a period of intense training. However, elevations in markers of oxidative stress were not evident.
Caroline Barelle, Anne Ruby, and Michel Tavernier
Aerodynamic properties are one of the factors that determine speed performance in Alpine skiing. Many studies have examined the consequences of this factor in downhill skiing, and the impact of postural modifications on speed is now well established. To date, only wind tunnel tests have enabled one to measure aerodynamic drag values (a major component of the aerodynamic force in Alpine skiing). Yet such tests are incompatible with the constraints of a regular and accurate follow-up of training programs. The present study proposes an experimental model that permits one to determine a skier's aerodynamic drag coefficient (SCx ) based on posture. Experimental SCx measurements made in a wind tunnel are matched with the skier's postural parameters. The accuracy of the model was determined by comparing calculated drag values with measurements observed in a wind tunnel for different postures. For postures corresponding to an optimal aerodynamic penetration (speed position), the uncertainty was 13%. Although this model does not permit an accurate comparison between two skiers, it does satisfactorily account for variations observed in the aerodynamic drag of the same skier in different postures. During Alpine ski training sessions and races, this model may help coaches assess the gain or loss in time induced by modifications in aerodynamic drag corresponding to different postures. It may also be used in other sports to help determine whether the aerodynamic force has a significant impact on performance.
Kevin Eseltine and Maury L. Hull
This article describes the design of a new binding for Alpine skiing wherein the release level of the toepiece in twist is modulated based on the level of neural stimulation of one of the vastii muscles in the quadriceps group. A conventional binding toepiece that relies on the force of a compressed spring to resist the release of the boot was modified. To modulate the release level to either a high or a low state, a special solenoid activated mechanism that alters the binding spring constant was designed. The design details of this special mechanism are described and the computations necessary to ensure reliable activation with a low force solenoid are summarized. Also described is the special circuitry that was designed to actuate the solenoid. To demonstrate the workability of both the mechanism and the circuitry, a prototype binding system was constructed and tested. The results of this testing are described as well.
Vivien Schibblock, Joanne Hinds, Martin Kopp, and Martin Schnitzer
-presentation across multiple platforms with varying logics simultaneously nor has it investigated winter sports. Based on Goffman’s ( 1959 ) work on self-presentation, this research attempts to fill these gaps by investigating professional alpine skiing athletes during the Winter Olympic Games and the World Cup on
Werner Nachbauer, Peter Kaps, Benno Nigg, Fritz Brunner, Alexander Lutz, Günter Obkircher, and Martin Mössner
A video technique to obtain 3-D data in an Alpine skiing competition was investigated. The flight and landing phases of a jump were recorded during the 1994 Olympic combined downhill race. A direct linear transformation (DLT) implementation was applied, which computes the DLT parameters for each video image of each camera separately. As a consequence, one is able to pan and tilt the cameras and zoom the lenses. The problem of distributing control points in the large object space could be solved satisfactorily. The method proved to be suitable for obtaining 3-D data with reasonable accuracy, which is even sufficient for inverse dynamics. The computed resultant knee joint forces and moments compare well with results reported by other authors.
