At the End of a Slippery Slope: A Pilot Study of Deceleration Mats for Snow Tubing

On-slope pilot testing of snow tubes was conducted at two ski areas in the United States to examine the effects of deceleration mats. Snow tube and rider kinematics were measured using an instrumented bodysuit and a GPS system worn by the rider. For each test, the riders descended a tubing run with minimal input and stopped in the run-out area. Snow tube and rider speeds when entering the run-out area were controlled to be approximately 9.5 m/s. Test trials were conducted with and without deceleration mats. Four deceleration mat conditions were tested, including two raised surface protuberances (ribs and projections) and two mat geometry parameters (flat and folded). The deceleration and effective coefficient of friction (COF) were determined for each trial. Data were recorded for 75 test trials with a mean (± standard deviation) speed entering the run-out area of 9.5 (±1.8) m/s. There were no significant differences in the deceleration or effective coefficient of friction between the surface protuberance conditions. The peak deceleration and effective COF for the folded mats (5.1 ± 1.6 m/s2 and 0.26 ± 0.14) was greater than for the flat (3.3 ± 0.8 m/s2 and 0.10 ± 0.07) and no mat (0.06 ± 0.3 m/s2 and 0.08 ± 0.03) conditions (all p < 0.05). Deceleration mats in run-out areas slow snow tube riders faster than without deceleration mats. Folding the deceleration mats produced greater deceleration but did not produce significantly different kinematics for the riders

Factors that influence chairlift restraint bar use in the United States

Objective: To observe chairlift restraint bar use at ski areas across the United States (US) to investigate the factors that influence restraint bar use, including: geographic region, passenger demographics, equipment type, and design features of the restraint bar. Design and method: Frequency of restraint bar use was observed on 24 chairlifts at 8 ski areas in 4 geographic regions of the US. For each chair, passengers were observed to determine whether the restraint bar was lowered soon after loading; the number of passengers, children, and equipment type were also recorded. A statistical analysis was performed to determine the factors that may influence restraint bar use. Results: 6,343 chairs with 16,286 passengers were observed. The overall frequency of restraint bar use was 41.6%; however, use varied significantly by geographic region, with the lowest use rates in the Midwest (9%) and highest use rates in the Northeast (80%). Other factors found to significantly increase use included a mix of children and adults on the chair (compared to only adults), chairs with only skiers (no snowboarders), and fixed-grip chairs (versus detachable). Restraint bar features such as footrests and handholds were not a driving factor in use. Conclusions: Large differences in restraint bar use were observed across geographic regions in the US that mimic historical snowsports helmet use, suggesting an effect of safety culture on restraint bar use. Geographic region and the presence of both a child and an adult together on the chair were stronger predictors of restraint bar use than design features of the restraint bar

Skier and snowboarder speeds at US ski areas

Objectives: To determine typical speeds of skiers and snowboarders on-piste groomed trails across the United States (US). Design and methods: On-slope speeds of skiers and snowboarders were measured on trails of varying difficulty at 8 ski areas across the US. The trail difficulty designation and slope were documented for each location where speed measurements were taken. The equipment used (skis or snowboard), whether a helmet was worn, and the estimated ability (determined by the researchers) of snowsports participants were recorded. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of these individual and environmental factors on the speeds of snowsports participants. Results: 4164 speed observations were made between 2004 and 2020 on groomed trails at 8 ski areas representing 5 geographic regions in the United States. Across all observations, the average speed was 34.9 ​± ​13.6 ​km/h. The ability of the snowsports participant had the largest effect on speed. Advanced snowsports participants traveled faster (44.5 ​± ​11.7 ​km/h) than intermediates (32.4 ​± ​9.9) and beginners (19.9 ​± ​7.2). Skiers on average were faster (35.8 ​± ​13.8 ​km/h) than snowboarders (33.0 ​± ​13.2 ​km/h) and beginner and intermediate snowboarders were slower on average than their skiing counterparts. While the average speeds increased with increasing trail difficulty and slope, the correlation was weak (R2 ​= ​0.15). Conclusions: The ability of the snowsports participant was found to be the most influential factor affecting speed

Recommendations to improve ski area safety with obstacle padding

Objective: Fixed obstacles, such as trees, rocks and posts, are common within recreational ski areas. Collisions with fixed obstacles (CWO) can have severe consequences with significant physical, emotional and economic costs. Despite worldwide use of ski area padding, few studies have focused on padding and CWO. The snowsports safety community is now focusing on this topic to improve safety at recreational ski areas. The objectives of this white paper are to summarize the recent work conducted on ski area padding, to identify unsolved questions about CWOs and opportunities to improve safety. Methods: A review of the current knowledge regarding CWOs and ski area padding was performed, combining scientific studies and experience from the authors and ski area safety professionals. This review covers: (i) the epidemiology of CWOs; (ii) the characteristics of CWOs; (iii) padding type and use; (iv) ski area safety professional practices; and, (v) padding performance and the limits for injury mitigation. Results: Previous studies focused on epidemiology, padding practices and performance and provide motivation for further study in the areas of: (i) prevention of CWOs; (ii) padding practices to improve safety on the slopes; (iii) requirements for padding performance; and, (iv) technological advancement of padding materials and design. Conclusions: There is a need for an international standard for ski area padding, to address the absence of padding performance requirements in most countries. Further research studies should also focus on providing guidance to ski areas on the best practices for choosing, applying, and maintaining ski area padding