• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2014

This study investigated foot pressure patterns between experienced skiers and intermediate skiers during alpine skiing. Five experienced skiers and five intermediate skiers participated in this study. Foot pressure measurement system was used to measure vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and contact area under the six plantar regions. Each participant was asked to perform basic parallel turns and carved turns on a $18^{\circ}$ groomed slope. Each right turn was divided into the initiation phase, the steering phase 1 and 2. For the initiation phase of the basic parallel turns, significantly greater contact area was found on the LRF and RRF of the intermediate skiers (p<.05) and significantly greater vGRF was found on the LRF of the intermediate skiers (p<.05). Also significantly greater vGRF and contact area were found on the LRF and RRF of the intermediate skiers at the steering phase 1 (p<.05) and on the LRF of the intermediate skiers at the steering phase 2 (p<.05). For the carved turns, significantly greater vGRF and contact area were found on the LRF and RRF of the intermediate skiers at all three phase (p<.05). On the other hand, significantly greater vGRF was found on the RFF of the experienced skiers at the steering phase 1 (p<.05). Also significantly greater vGRF and contact area were found on the RMF of the experienced skiers at the steering phase 2 (p<.05). In order to increase performance, we suggest that the intermediate skiers should be unweighted at the initiation phase and shift the body weight to the forefoot of the outer foot at the steering phase 1. Also, the outer ski should be loaded more than the both skis at the steering phase 1 and 2.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of long turn mechanism by describing long turns after kinematic analysis and provide skiers and winter sports instructors with data through which they are able to analyze right postures for turns in skiing in a systematic, rational and scientific manner. Method: For this, a mean difference of kinematic variables (the center of gravity (CG) displacement of distance, trajectory, velocity, angle) was verified against a total of 12 skiers (skilled and unskilled, 6 persons each), regarding motions from the up-start to down-end points for long turns. Results: First, concerning the horizontal displacement of CG during a turn in skiing, skilled skiers were positioned on the right side at the upstart and edge-change points at a long turn. There was no difference in anteroposterior and vertical displacements. Second, in terms of CG-trajectory differences, skilled skiers revealed a significant difference during a long turn. Third, regarding skiing velocity, skilled skiers were fast at the edge-change and maximum inclination points in long turns. Fourth, there was no difference in a hip joint in terms of a lower limb joint angle. In a knee joint, a large angle was found at the up-start point among skilled skiers when they made a long turn. Conclusion: In overall, when skilled and unskilled skiers were compared, to make a good turn, it is required to turn according to the radius of turn by reducing weight, concerning the CG displacement. Regarding the CG-trajectory differences, the edge angle should be adjusted via proper inclination angulation. In addition, a skier should be more leaned toward the inside of a turn when they make a long turn. In terms of skiing velocity, it is needed to reduce friction on snow through the edging and pivoting of the radius or turn according to curvature and controlling ski pressure. Regarding a lower limb joint angle, it is important to make an up move by increasing ankle and knee angles instead of keeping the upper body straight during an up motion.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.319-325
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• 2010

The purpose of this research was to investigate the differences in the ski carving turn motion according to level of expertise. The posture and movement of 6 skiers nearby the fall-line was evaluated with a biomechanical approach focusing the rotational mechanics. The slope was at an angle of $9^{\circ}$ and the following variables were measured and calculated: tangential velocity, change of COM height after passing fall-line, width between feet, angle between upper body and thigh, trunk angle, average radius of curvature and average centripetal force. The expert skiers minimized their center of mass height movement and maintained the width of between their feet after the passing the fall-line in comparison with the beginners and intermediate skiers. The experts restrained themselves from pushing their upper body downward after the turn to maximize the centripetal force. The experts in comparison with the beginners and intermediate skiers during the turn didn't have to reduce their radius of curvature to maintain a high centripetal force. It was concluded, that the most important factor affecting the centripetal force, was for the beginners and intermediate skiers, to minimize their movement while using the appropriate amount of edging.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.219-226
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of short turn mechanism by describing short turns after kinematic analysis and provide skiers and winter sports instructors with data through which they are able to analyze right postures for turns in skiing in a systematic, rational and scientific manner. Method: For this, a mean difference of kinematic variables (ski-hip angle, ski-shoulder twist angle, pole checking angle, the center of gravity (CG) displacement, trunk forward lean angle) was verified against a total of 12 skiers (skilled and unskilled, 6 persons each), regarding motions from the up-start to down-end points for short turns. Results: There was no difference in a ski-hip twist angle. The ski-shoulder twist angle was large at the up-start point while a pole-checking angle was high at the down-end point in skilled skiers. Concerning the horizontal displacement of CG, skilled skiers were positioned on the right side at the upstart point. No significant difference was observed in the trunk forward lean angle. Conclusion: According to the ski-shoulder twist angle and CG horizontal displacement results, the upper body should be kept leant toward the pole. In addition, big turns should be made via edging and angulation. During pole checking, the hand holding the pole should be thrown and released toward a vector direction of the forearm.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.35-41
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• 2014

In this study, joint angles of the lower extremity and inertial sensor data such as accelerations and angular velocities were measured during a ski simulator exercise in order to evaluate the skill of skiers. Twenty experts and twenty unskilled skiers were recruited for the study. All expert skiers held the certificates issued by the Korea Ski Instructors Association. A three-dimensional motion capture system and two inertial sensors were used to acquire joint movements, heel acceleration and heel angular velocity during ski simulator exercises. Pattern variation values were calculated to assess the variations in ski simulator motion of expert and unskilled skiers. Integral ratio of roll angular velocity was calculated to determine the parallel alignment of the two feet. Results showed that ski experts showed greater range of motion of joint angle, peak-to-peak amplitude(PPA) of heel acceleration and PPA of heel angular velocity than unskilled skiers. Ski experts showed smaller pattern variations than unskilled skiers. In addition, the integral ratio of roll angular velocity in ski experts was closer to 1. Inertial sensor data measurements during the ski simulator exercises could be useful to evaluate the skill of the skier.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2008

Purpose: Skiing and snowboarding are becoming increasingly popular. Accordingly, the incidences of injuries among skiers and snowboarders are also increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury patterns of and the contributing factors to head injuries of skiers and snowboarders and to evaluate the differences in characteristics between skiing and snowboarding head injuries. Methods: One-hundred patients who visited the emergency department of Wonju Christian Hospital between January 2005 and March 2007 due to head injuries from skiing and snowboarding were enrolled. The mechanisms and the histories of the injuries were investigated by surveying the patients, and the degrees of head injuries were estimated by using brain CT and the Glasgow Coma Scale. The degrees and the characteristics of brain injuries were also analyzed and compared between skiers and snowboarders. Results: Out of 100 patients, 39 were injured by skiing, and 61 were injured by snowboarding. The mean age of the skiers was $26.7{\pm}10.0$, and that of the snowboarders was $26.7{\pm}6.2$. The percentage of male skiers was 43.6%, and that of snowboarders was 63.9%. The most frequent initial chief complaints of head-injured skiers and snowboarders were headache and mental change. The most common mechanism of injuries was a slip down. The mean Abbreviated Injury Scale Score (AIS score) of the skier group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ and that of the snowboarder group was $5.9{\pm}5.0$ (p=0.222). The percentage of helmet users was 7.1% among skiers and 20.8% among snowboarders (p=0.346). Head injuries were composed of cerebral concussion (92.0%) and intracranial hemorrhage (8.0%). Intracranial hemorrhage was most frequently caused by falling down (62.5%). Conclusion: The most common type of head injury to skiers and snowboarders was cerebral concussion, and severe damage was usually caused by jumping and falling down. No differences in the characteristics of the head injuries existed between skiing and snowboarding injuries.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.259-268
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• 2011

This study aimed to examine the kinematic characteristics of the national elite cross-country skiers' double poling technique and to provide the quantitative data for better performance. Four male elite cross-country roller skiers skied maximum velocity with Double Pole technique. The cycle characteristics with angles of elbow, hip, and knee joint were analyzed. The results showed that CM velocity of the body was increased with the third cycle, the cycle time and length were also increased. The poling time and recovery time rate showed with 32.79%, 67.44% respectively. The joint angles with elbow, hip and knee were $106^{\circ}$, $133.14^{\circ}$ $156.87^{\circ}$ at pole in event, $158.94^{\circ}$, $65.7^{\circ}$, $140.19^{\circ}$ at pole out event. Elite skiers should decrease double poling time rate and increase recovery time rate in order to improve the double poling performance. The cycle length and velocity of the double poling should be increased for the better performance. The elbow angle should be minimized at pole in event with maximum extension until pole out event. The hip and knee angles should be increased for the recovery phase.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.386-394
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• 2013

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the difference in recreation specialization levels based on the levels of leisure constraint negotiation and to examine the effect of leisure constraint negotiation on recreation specialization. A total of 374 skiers Kyonggi and Kangwon provinces was selected using the cluster sampling method. All respondents were divided into 3 groups based on the levels of leisure constraint negotiation and one-was ANOVA and regression analysis were conducted. The main findings were as follows: First, skiers were divided into 3 groups(high, middle, low) by the K-mean cluster analysis. Second, there were differences in past experience, centrality of life, financial investment, and overall recreation specialization based on the levels of leisure constraint negotiation. Finally, leisure constrain negotiation had a positive effect on recreation specialization.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.153-157
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• 2003

Purpose: To identify injuries and profile the characteristics of injured skiers and to use this information in designing injury-prevention programs and protective equipment. Materials and Methods: Injured skiers treated at a clinic of a ski resort located in Kangwon province in Korea were reviewed from 1998 to 2001. An injury was defined as any accident occurred during alpine skiing that required medical treatment. All injured skiers were asked to fill in a questionnaire which documented the mechanism of injury, their experiences , and the slope where they were injured Results: 1197 patients experienced ski injuries over a three-year-period. The overall incidence of ski injuries was 6.4 injuries per 1000 skiers. There was a slightly higher proportion of men than women and the mean age was in the third decade. The injury rate was higher for beginners and for less difficult slopes . The sprain and ligament injuries were most common and knee injuries accounted for 30$\%$ of all ski injuries . Conclusion: In our study , ski injuries occurred more often compared with foreign reports. it was concluded that an insufficient injury prevention system, an increasing number of skiers and a growing proportion of beginners was responsible for such a result.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2002

The types of Alpine ski injuries have changed through the years in relationship to the development of skiing equipment. Modern skis, boots and bindings are better at protecting the tibia, which previously was almost as commonly injured as the knee. Since the 1980s, severe knee sprains, most of them involving the anterior cruciate ligament have tripled while injuries of the lower extremity below the knee diminished significantly. However, recent studies show no further improvements in either lower leg fractures or increase in the rates of ACL sprains has occurred. The use of carving skis presents an increased risk for sustaining isolated ACL injuries in more skilled skiers and less skilled skiers are more likely to sustain an ankle fracture than skiers using conventional skis. To restore the trend of diminishing lower leg injury rates, efforts will be needed to motivate skiers to have their equipment serviced by ski shop professionals following ASTM (American Society for Testing and Material) standard procedures. As of now, there are no boots, bindings or skis on the market designed to protect skiers from the ACL injury. The only method proven to reduce ACL injury Is a training program based on recognizing the circumstances that lead to ACL injury in skiing and to avoid these events.