GEOMETRY AND RUNNING OF THE ALPINE SKI FIS WORLD CUP GIANT SLALOM PART THREE - VELOCITY AS A FUNCTION OF GEOMETRY

Abstract

In order to evaluate setting of a giant slalom (GS) course one might use qualitative words such as: slow, medium, fast. This way of evaluation is subjective and inacurate. An objective method of describing a giant slalom course setting uses geometric data: distances between turning poles of the gates, angles of deviation and angles of incline. If one has a distance of running (through measurements of gate setting) and time of running (from video recording) then one can calculate velocities of running. This enables quantification of course setting. First experiments were done for Greek skiers, then for the best skiers in the world (Erdmann et al. 2000, Erdmann et al. 2001) The aim of this paper was to obtain objective way of evaluation of giant slalom course.