A three-dimensional kinematic analysis of Alpine skiing in moguls

The alpine skiing freestyle discipline of mogul skiing received full medal status at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, resulting in a demand for expert coaching which would benefit from a detailed kinematic analysis. General alpine skiing injury mechanisms and the epidemiology thereof are well documented in scientific literature, however no studies have been conducted on injury mechanisms occurring specifically in mogul skiing. The dynamic nature of mogul skiing, in which impacts of the lower limb with moguls up to 1.5 m high occur at a high frequency, places considerable stress on the joints of the lower limbs. Personal correspondence with a number of mogul skiing World Cup competitors indicated a high proportion of elite competitive mogul skiers suffering from injuries at the knee joint. This study was an initial attempt at providing a detailed kinematic analysis of mogul skiing to be of technical assistance for coaching purposes and also to identify potential injury mechanisms encountered in this sport.