On the impact of the skier-induced load and XC ski-snow friction

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

In cross-country skiing, the ski-snow friction plays a big role when optimising performance. Before competitions, extensive testing is performed to find what ski, grind, embossment tool, and wax combination that gives the best gliding properties for the given track conditions. These tests are mainly performed by two ski technicians free gliding in a tucking position in a downhill slope. However, since the skiing is a dynamic motion where the load the skier applies on the ski is ever changing throughout the race, it is important to understand how that affects the ski-snow friction. Previously, the ski-snow contact mechanics have been simulated at load conditions covering the whole double poling (DP) cycle. This study aims to understand how the load conditions in the DP cycles affect the ski-snow friction. The objective is to find the coefficient of friction (COF) of a grip waxed classical cross-country ski under loading conditions representative for the DP cycle.