Sagittal Plane Helmet Acceleration at Pole Contact of Alpine Ski Racers is Dependent on Slalom Pole Type and Skill Level

Abstract

A slalom ski racer's center-of-mass (CoM) has a negative acceleration during a turn. Some of this change in acceleration can be attributed to the physical contact with the pole, and possibly physiological and/or psychological factors of the ski racer. One factor may be the type/size of poles (gates) used to define the race line (route prescribed by competition rules) in slalom. Poles come in a variety of sizes and styles. This study utilized five differing pole types with 12-year-old male and female racers. As a general conclusion, they were faster on the small/shorter poles. They also felt faster, more aggressive, higher level of confidence, and thought their race line was superior on the shorter poles. When looking at the acceleration component, we divided the skiers into "skilled" and "less skilled." The two groups differed on direction of acceleration. The discussion lays out mechanical, physiological, psychological, and technique ramifications to interpret this acceleration paradox.