Measurement of Skier-Generated Forces during Roller-Ski Skating

Abstract

This paper describes a system that was developed to measure ski pole and roller-ski reaction forces in three dimensions during roller-ski skating. Uni-axial force transducers mounted in the right and left ski poles measure axial loading of the poles. Six transducers in one roller-ski measure biaxial loads beneath the foot. A remote computer stores the amplified transducer signals transmitted from the skier through 100 m cables. Three-dimensional video-graphy determines the orientations of the poles and roller-ski in order to resolve the resultant poling and skating forces into three components. Calibration data suggest that the resolution of the force measurement system is ±3 to 9% of the actual poling and skating forces, respectively. Sample data are presented from a VI skating trial during roller-skiing. These data provide the first glimpse at the major functions of the upper and lower body during roller-ski skating and show how the tool could be used to examine the size and effectiveness of skier-generated forces.