Sport Science: Boot Buckles Can Lose a Downhill Ski Race

Dick Moss, Editor

According to wind tunnel tests, an egg has the ideal drag-reducing shape for downhill skiing. When you see skiers assuming a crouched position as they descend, they are attempting to simulate this egg shape as closely as possible.

Any deviation from this smooth, streamlined shape causes extra wind resistance. For example, exposed buckles on a skier's boots can cause enough extra drag to slow a skier's time by .3 seconds over a one minute race. Since many races are won by hundredths of a second, this is a significant factor.

References:
1. Chris Fellows, Total Skiing, Human Kinetics, 2010.
2. Carol Gold & Hugh Westrup, How
Sport Works: An Ontario Science Centre book, Kids Can Press, 1988.

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