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Scientific understanding of the contextual interference effect stems mainly from studies on unskilled participants learning artificial laboratory tasks. Although one goal of such studies is to extrapolate the findings to include real-world learning situations such as sports, this generalization is not straightforward. This study tested the contextual interference effect with 66 sub-elite, competitive alpine ski racers who learned a new movement pattern−the pumping technique to increase velocity in slalom−by practicing this skill in three different slalom courses over a 3-day training period. The interleaved group practiced all three courses each day in a semi-random order. In contrast, the blocked group practiced only one course each day, which was randomized and counterbalanced across the participants in this group. A retention test was delivered 72 h after the last practice day. In contrast to our hypothesis, the interleaved group did not display significantly better retention than the blocked group. The interleaved group’s performance was also not significantly attenuated during skill learning compared to the blocked group. Our results underscore the importance of conducting motor learning experiments in natural environments to understand the conditions that facilitate learning beyond the laboratory environment.

This study investigated the explanatory power of a sensor fusion of two complementary methods to explain performance and its underlying mechanisms in ski jumping. A differential Global Navigation Satellite System (dGNSS) and a markerless video-based pose estimation system (PosEst) were used to measure the kinematics and kinetics from the start of the in-run to the landing. The study had two aims, firstly, the agreement between the two methods was assessed using 16 jumps by athletes of national level from 5 m before the take-off to 20 m after, where the methods had spatial overlap. The comparison revealed a good agreement from 5 m after the take-off, within the uncertainty of the dGNSS (±0.05m). The second part of the study served as a proof of concept of the sensor fusion application, by showcasing the type of performance analysis the systems allows. Two ski jumps by the same ski jumper, with comparable external conditions, were chosen for the case study. The dGNSS was used to analyse the in-run and flight phase, while the PosEst system was used to analyse the take-off and the early flight phase. The proof-of-concept study showed that the methods are suitable to track the kinematic and kinetic characteristics that determine performance in ski jumping and their usability in both research and practice.

We have limited insight into how injuries occur in professional ski racing. The aim of this study was to describe the injury situations in World Cup alpine skiing. Injuries reported through the International Ski Federation Injury Surveillance System for three consecutive World Cup seasons (2006-2009) were obtained on video. In total, 69 injuries and 124 runs of matched controls were analysed by five experts to evaluate the skiing situation, skier behavior, as well as piste-related factors. A chi-square test (95% CI, P ≤ 0.05) was used to examine whether there was a difference between course sections regarding where the injury situation occurred. The skier was most frequently turning (n = 55) or landing from a jump (n = 13) at the time of injury. Most of the injuries to the head and upper body (96%) resulted from crashes, while the majority of knee injuries (83%) occurred while the skier was still skiing. Gate contact contributed to 30% of the injuries, while 9% occurred at contact with safety nets/material. Almost half of the injuries (46%) occurred in the final fourth of the course. A particular concern was the high contribution of inappropriate gate contact and the high-energy impacts to the body when crashing. Language: en

Analyzing an athlete's “technique,” sport scientists often focus on preselected variables that quantify important aspects of movement. In contrast, coaches and practitioners typically describe movements in terms of basic postures and movement components using subjective and qualitative features. A challenge for sport scientists is finding an appropriate quantitative methodology that incorporates the holistic perspective of human observers. Using alpine ski racing as an example, this study explores principal component analysis (PCA) as a mathematical method to decompose a complex movement pattern into its main movement components. Ski racing movements were recorded by determining the three-dimensional coordinates of 26 points on each skier which were subsequently interpreted as a 78-dimensional posture vector at each time point. PCA was then used to determine the mean posture and principal movements (PMk) carried out by the athletes. The first four PMk contained 95.5 ± 0.5% of the variance in the posture vectors which quantified changes in body inclination, vertical or fore-aft movement of the trunk, and distance between skis. In summary, calculating PMk offered a data-driven, quantitative, and objective method of analyzing human movement that is similar to how human observers such as coaches or ski instructors would describe the movement.

The accurate measurement of mass flux is identified as being essential for the successful use of phase-Doppler anemometry (PDA) in many applications, in particular with sprays. Thus measured sizes of individual droplets and the cross-sectional area to which the flux measurement is referenced must be reliable. This paper investigates sources of measurement error in each of these quantities and provides means to eliminates or minimize these errors. A new PDA configuration, termed dual–mode PDA, is introduced as an implementation of these suggestions. Example measurements illustrate the advantages of the system over conventional arrangements.

Particles comparable in size to or larger than the measurement volume need extra consideration when measured by a phase-Doppler system. The phase of the Doppler burst received when such particles traverse the measurement volume depends not only on the size of the particle but also on its trajectory, since the particle is not uniformly illuminated. We present a strategy for securing correct measurements even under such conditions, taking advantage of the three-detector receiving optics of the Dantec Particle Dynamics Analyzer. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated for sizing drops in liquid-gas and liquid-liquid two-phase flows: water drops in air, water drops in FC72 and FC72 drops in water. The combination of water and FC72 is also of interest because the relative refractive index is close to unity. Measurements of drop size were made on a monodisperse stream of drops about 2 mm in diameter, i.e. substantially larger than the measurement volume, and polydisperse distributions of drops ranging in diameter from below 0.2 mm to about 1 mm

P hase D oppler A nemometry was used to measure the size of drops of a silicone oil. Since the refractive index of this oil was not accurately known, photography was employed as an independent means of sizing. The two methods gave very close results. For the phase Doppler technique considerations of light scattering are discussed.

Much of the training of competitive telemark skiers is performed as dry-land exercises. The specificity of these exercises is important for optimizing the training effect. Our aim here was to study the activation of the knee extensor musculature and knee angular displacement during competitive telemark skiing and during dry-land strength training exercises to determine the specificity of the latter. Specificity was analysed with respect to angular amplitude, angular velocity, muscle action and electromyographic (EMG) activity. Five male telemark skiers of national and international standard volunteered to participate in the study, which consisted of two parts: (1) skiing a telemark ski course and (2) specific dry-land strength training exercises for telemark skiing (telemark jumps and barbell squats). The angular displacement of the right knee joint was recorded with an electrogoniometer. A tape pressure sensor was used to measure pressure between the sole of the foot and the bottom of the right ski boot. Electromyographic activity in the right vastus lateralis was recorded with surface electrodes. The EMG activity recorded during maximum countermovement jumps was used to normalize the EMG activity during telemark skiing, telemark jumps and barbell squats. The results showed that knee angular displacement during telemark skiing and dry-land telemark jumps had four distinct phases: a flexion (F1) and extension (E1) phase during the thrust phase of the outside ski/leg in the turn/jump and a flexion (F2) and extension (E2) phase when the leg was on the inside of the turn/jump. The vastus lateralis muscle was activated during F1 and E1 in the thrust phase during telemark skiing and telemark jumps. The overall net knee angular amplitude was significantly greater (P0.05) for telemark jumps than for telemark skiing. Barbell squats showed a knee angular amplitude significantly greater than that in telemark skiing (P0.05). The mean knee angular velocity of the F1 and E1 phases during telemark skiing was about 0.47 rad x s(-1); during barbell squats, it was about 1.22 rad x s(-1). The angular velocity during telemark jumps was 2.34 and 1.59 rad x s(-1) in the F1 and E1 phase, respectively. The normalized activation level of the EMG bursts during telemark skiing, telemark jumps and barbell squats was 70-80%. In conclusion, the muscle action and level of activation in the vastus lateralis during the F1 and E1 phases were similar during telemark skiing and dry-land exercises. However, the dry-land exercises showed a larger knee extension and flexion amplitude and angular velocity compared with telemark skiing. It appears that an adjustment of knee angular velocity during barbell squats and an adjustment of knee angle amplitude during both telemark jumps and barbell squats will improve specificity during training.

INTRODUCTION: Fore/aft position and movement are important technical characteristics in ski racing that may affect slalom performance (Tjorhom et al., 2007). While the overall fore/aft range of motion was described in earlier studies, the phasing of this motion remains to be understood. Different fore/aft strategies are observable between elite skiers (Figure 1). The purpose of this study was to quantify successful and less successful center-of-mass fore/aft movement strategies. METHODS: The performances of 6 members of the Norwegian men’s Europa Cup team were analyzed through 2 complete turns during a slalom race simulation. Skier 3–D positions (Figure 2) were determined from 4 panning cameras and calibration control points distributed near the course (Nachbauer et al., 1996). Utilizing the method of Schiefermuller et al. (2005), a local coordinate system (LCS) originating at the outside ankle joint center was defined at each point in time. RESULTS: Fore/aft position is graphed in Figure 4 showing the ensemble average across skiers which involved about 28 cm range of motion.

Six members of the Norwegian men’s national team wereanalyzed while skiing through 2 turns of a rhythmicalslalom course during a race simulation on even, medium(19°) terrain with hard, compact snow conditions. Skier3–D positions were determined using a DLT-based methodwith 4 panning cameras (50 Hz) and calibration controlpoints distributed near the course [3] (Figure 2). Skierkinetic and potential energy were determined knowing thecenter of mass speed and altitude.

An acoustical wall panel for mounting on walls or similar surfaces includes a wooden support frame, low density fiberglass batts positioned within the support frame, and a generally rigid acoustical board positioned in front of and against the frame. A sheet of material is attached to the back of the frame to hold the fiberglass batts in place. The fiberglass batts and acoustical board are selected so that the batts effectively absorb acoustical energy at one end of the frequency spectrum while the acoustical board absorbs acoustical energy at the other end of the spectrum. An acoustically transparent fabric is positioned over the front surface of the acoustical board to extend over the edges of the board and support frame to the back of the frame where the fabric is attached through the sheet of material to the frame. The fabric serves to hold the acoustical board and support frame together. A mounting frame is provided for mounting the assembled acoustical wall panel to a wall or similar surface. The mounting frame and support frame include fastening elements which mate and detachably hold together when the support frame is inserted into the mounting frame.