Mechanics of wedge turns in alpine skiing

Abstract

A simple approximate theory of snow machining is applied to modelling successive wedge turns of alpine skiing. The model involves predefined control functions describing skier’s control over the turns via angle of attack, edge angle and loading of the skis. To demonstrate the model’s potential, reasonable control functions with a small number of free parameters are designed and used in attempt to reproduce the data obtained in a previous field study by other researches. The results are in semi-quantitative agreement with the data. In particular, the model explains the nature of the abnormally high values for the “coefficient of friction” deduced in that study. Future field studies of wedge turns should aim at measuring the angle of attack, edge angle and loading of the skis. This will allow to determine the control functions from the experimental data and hence to conduct a more stringent verification of the model.