Development of Equipment for Ski Mountaineering, a New Olympic Event

Featured Application This perspective paper describes the most current trends in the development of ski mountaineering equipment, along with the relevant regulations of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation. It also considers the limitations with respect to both the equipment now used and current regulations, providing guidelines designed to eliminate these deficiencies. This overview should assist coaches in the optimal selection of equipment for their athletes, designers in developing better products, and researchers who strive to incorporate the implications of scientific findings into both the engineering of equipment and athletic performance. Ski mountaineering, a new Olympic winter sport involving both climbing and descending snowy slopes, requires considerable physical and technical abilities, as well as highly specialized equipment. Herein, we briefly describe this equipment and its influence on performance and consider potential future advances. Skis, boots, and bindings must be light enough to facilitate climbing uphill (in which as much as 85% of the total racing time is spent) and, at the same time, provide stability and safety in often-challenging descents. A skier must be able to easily and rapidly attach and remove the adhesive skins under the skis that provide grip while skiing uphill. Poles and their baskets must be designed optimally to transfer propulsive force and help maintain balance. Despite the popularity of ski mountaineering, research on this sport is scarce, and we indicate a number of areas wherein improvements in equipment could potentially advance both performance and safety. Such advances must be based on a better understanding of the biomechanics of ski mountaineering, which could be obtained with novel sensor technology and can be best achieved via more extensive collaboration between researchers, skiers and their coaches, and manufacturers of ski mountaineering equipment.