The Relationship between Equivalent Fall Height and Ground Reaction Force in Freestyle Ski Jumping

Master thesis (2023)

Authors

J.R. van der Schot Mechanical Engineering

Contributors

J.K. Moore Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (supervisor 1)
Faculty
Mechanical Engineering
Copyright: © 2023 Jan van der Schot
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Published Date

28-08-2023

Language

English

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Faculty

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between Equivalent Fall Height (EFH) and peak Ground Reaction Force (GRF) in freestyle ski jumping. An experiment was conducted in which a semi-professional freestyle skier was instrumented with Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and a position sensor. The skier performed jumps off ‘kickers’ in snow parks in four different ski resorts in Northern Italy. The gathered sensor data was utilized to calculate the EFH and GRF of every jump. The data reveals convincing evidence that a positive correlation between these two parameters exists. However, the coefficient of determination, R2, indicates only a moderate correlation. The results suggest that alternating landing strategies might have affected the measured GRF as well. This indicates that a higher correlation between EFH and GRF might exist than shown in this research. Further research should focus on how individual parameters, such as EFH and landing strategy, affect the GRF. This should develop a more comprehensive understanding of how to enhance the safety and enjoyment of freestyle ski jumps for a broader audience.