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Recent FIS News
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Making progress for safety in ski racing
FIS ISS with University of Salzburg: Focus on course setting, snow conditions and ski equipment
As part of FIS's long-term Injury Surveillance System launched in January 2006, a research project is in progress under the direction of the University of Salzburg (AUT). This research builds on a qualitative interview survey with 63 World Cup experts last season, which identified five main injury risk factors for Alpine ski racing. The current project is focused on three of the five: course setting/speed, snow conditions and equipment (combination of ski, binding, plate and boot).
To assess course setting and snow conditions, specific bio-mechanical measurements have been conducted at ten Audi FIS Ski World Cup events so far. Forerunners equipped with sensors and GPS devices have evaluated course setting's impact on speed, energy and forces affecting the athletes. Additionally, the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) from Davos (SUI) has measured snow conditions along the race courses to assess their impact on speed and the various forces impacting the racers.
Simultaneously, an equipment project involving development of special ski prototypes is underway through the support of the ski manufacturers. FIS, the ski industry and the University of Salzburg defined the specifications last summer and a number of prototype skis have been built for downhill and giant slalom. Recently retired World Cup racers have started testing these prototypes this season.
"The goal of producing these prototypes was, first of all, to gain more safety. The ski industry is ready to invest in the safety of the athletes. A key problem seems to be the combination of aggressive snow and aggressive skiing. To make the skis less aggressive, the new prototypes are experimental in terms of radius, length, standing height and ski plates," noted Dr Michael Schineis, Chairman of the Ski Racing Suppliers' (SRS) Association.
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