The Science of Alpine Ski Racing

Book excerpt: Alpine skiing or downhill skiing is defined by six disciplines: Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Parallel, and Combined that test the athletes’ technical abilities and speed. It has long been a popular sport with many national and international championships and is a mainstay of the Winter Olympic Games. The Science of Alpine Ski Racing is the first book to discuss the science, coaching, research, and training of elite to recreational alpine ski racers for optimal performance. This book brings together the complex physiological, biomechanical, and technical components of the sport in a practical manner with which coaches and researchers alike can adopt to elicit better performance outcomes for athletes. Literature of this kind has never been formally researched and published specifically for the sport of alpine ski racing making it both unique and a cornerstone to the discipline. Backed by cutting-edge research, the book provides practical guidance on preparing athletes for high performance and understanding the core tenets of sports science underpinning it striking a balance between the complex theoretical and practical components coaches and athletes must prepare for in alpine ski racing. Accessibly written and featuring contributions from world-leading experts, The Science of Alpine Ski Racing covers key topics of health, training, and high performance in the sport and will be vital reading for youth coaches, professional ski instructors, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports science staff associated with winter sports programs as well as applied researchers looking for a model to apply to other sports. James (Jimmy) Pritchard is a human performance specialist/sports scientist who has trained and consulted athletes at the Olympic, NHL, NFL, and Division I collegiate level. Specific to alpine ski racing, he served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Ski and Snowboard Club Vail in Vail, Colorado where he helped prepare a long list of US Ski Team athletes including Alice McKennis, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Tess Johnson. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) as well as registered strength and conditioning coach (RSCC) through the NSCA working with athletes and human performance program managers on a regular basis to find optimal human performance solutions. James has presented at conferences around the United States discussing long term athlete development, written over 150 articles for several media outlets, has been published in the NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Journal, and taught courses about strength and conditioning at Colorado Mountain College. James holds a BSc in Exercise Science from Colorado Mesa University and MSc degree in Exercise Science from Edith Cowan University. Jim Taylor, PhD, Psychology, is an internationally recognized authority on the psychology of sport and parenting. He has consulted with athletes, coaches, and parents in tennis, skiing, cycling, triathlon, track and field, swimming, football, golf, baseball, fencing, and many other sports for more than 30 years. Dr. Taylor is the author of 17 books and the editor of 4 textbooks on sport psychology. He is also a former world-ranked alpine ski racer, second-degree black belt in karate, marathon runner, and Ironman triathlete.