Skiing is a popular sport in a lot of countries. The sport offers considerable touristic, economic, and health benefits; however, it is also associated with a high risk of accidents. Together with partners, Salzburg Research has developed and tested a method to assess the quality of skiing. It should help skiers to analyze their ski technique and thus avoid accidents and injuries.

In order to reduce the risk of accidents and fatalities, it is important that skiers are able to accurately assess their own skiing ability. To this end, Salzburg Research and its partners have developed a sensor-based feedback system— the so-called Connected Boot —with professional skiers. A pilot study was conducted in the winter of 2024 to test how recreational skiers could also benefit from this technology to assess and improve their skiing technique. The results have been published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.

Sensor technology analyzes skiing ability

The research led by Christina and Stefan Kranzinger used an IMU sensor system, called the “Connected Boot,” to analyze the skiing quality of 62 recreational skiers. The “Connected Boot” records kinematic parameters such as edge angle, speed, and forces to generate a quality score on a scale of 1 to 10.

„The Ski Quality Score was developed using data from professional skiers and gives recreational skiers instant feedback after each run, directly on their own smartphones.”

– Stefan Kranzinger, Data Scientist at Salzburg Research

Each turn individually, the average of each run, and the daily average are automatically scored from 1 to 10, where “1” corresponds to a “snowplow or pizza slice” and “10” can usually be achieved by only professional or top skiers in optimal conditions.

The results were compared with the participants’ subjective self-assessments collected before and after using the technology on the slopes.

Innovative methodology: Living Lab approach

The data was collected using a living lab approach. Participants selected their own ski resorts and used the sensor system in real-world environments. This user-centric approach provided authentic feedback and valuable insights for the future development of the technology.

Key results

The majority of participants agreed that the Connected Boot sensor system provided useful skiing information and improved their skiing style. Key findings of the study include:

• High correlation between technology and self-assessment: The measured ski quality scores correlated strongly with the subjective assessment of carving ability. This confirms the reliability of the technology, even for recreational skiers.
• Gender differences: Female participants significantly adjusted their self-evaluations after using the technology, while male participants did not. These differences may be due to different perceptions and responses to feedback.
• Experience influences scores: Skiers with more than 15 days of skiing experience per season achieved significantly higher quality scores than less experienced participants.

„The study shows that the Connected Boot can be a valuable tool for improving skiing technique by providing users with direct and accurate feedback. This could not only increase the enjoyment of the sport but also reduce the risk of accidents caused by overestimating one’s own abilities.”

– Stefan Kranzinger, Data Scientist at Salzburg Research

Background information

The Connected Boot was developed by Salzburg Research together with Atomic and the University of Salzburg as part of the COMET project “Digital Motion in Sports, Fitness and Well-being“. The study with recreational skiers was funded by the state of Salzburg as part of follow-up projects.

Publication: Christina Kranzinger, Stefan Kranzinger, Eva Hollauf, Harald Rieser, Thomas Stöggl (2024): Skiing quality analysis of recreational skiers based on IMU data and self-assessment. In: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 24 December 2024, Sec. Sports Science, Technology and Engineering, Volume 6 – 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1495176

More information in the press release: Feedback in Echtzeit: Wie Freizeit-Skifahrende durch innovative Technologie von Profis lernen können