Background information
Snowskating – or how I learned to ice-skate down a ski slope
by Patrick Bardelli
Warming up with Wendy Holdener
27.1.2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
If you want to minimise the risk of injury during snow sports, it’s important to warm up properly before hitting the slopes. No motivation? Suva has launched an augmented reality animation to help with that. Here’s what I think after testing it.
The topic of warming up before skiing or snowboarding first came up in Switzerland in the mid-1990s. Around this time, skiing and snowboarding accidents in Switzerland had increased rapidly – as did the cost of insurance benefits.
But it wasn’t long before «Dance the Warm-Up» – and with it, the handy warm up – fell into oblivion. If I’m being honest, I can’t remember the last time I warmed up before barreling down the slopes, either.
I know incorporating a warm-up into skiing is just as useful and important today. As I recently wrote, around 62,000 skiing and snowboarding accidents occur in Switzerland every year.
With all that in mind, Suva’s renewed effort to animate snow sports enthusiasts to warm up makes sense. Samuli Aegerter is a campaign manager for snow sports at the Swiss accident insurer Suva. He says that, in addition to protective measures such as helmets or back protectors, the primary goal is to prevent accidents and injuries from happening in the first place.
This is the reasoning behind Suva’s «Slope Track» app (link in German). The app gives snow sports enthusiasts the opportunity to warm up alongside pro Swiss skiers Wendy Holdener and Marc Gisin.
Free Wendy Holdener from the ice gnomes
Admittedly, I was initially a bit bemused by the game. After playing it a few times, I not only found my competitive spirit, but also ended up somewhat out of breath. It might not be quite as effective as «Dance the Warm-Up», but a few rounds in the Suva app will definitely get you warm as well.
What happens when an additional three quarters of my body weight bear down on me
The app has other interesting features, too. For example, it tells you what forces act on your body when skiing and snowboarding, and helps you reduce your risk of accidents with tips for improving fitness and reducing stress. An interactive infographic allows you to specify your speed, weight and curve radius. It then shows you what g-force, i.e. how much extra weight, is bearing down on your body.
I tested it out on myself. I weigh 80 kilogrammes, ski at 70 kilometres per hour and have a curve radius of 26 metres. Here’s what I found out: I experience 1.8G, which corresponds to 61 kilogrammes of additional weight, or three quarters of my body weight. «This causes your body to fatigue when skiing or snowboarding. Unsurprisingly, most accidents happen in the afternoon,» says Samuli Aegerter.
Our skiing holiday is approaching fast – and I’ve made a resolution. Together with my children, we’ll rescue Wendy Holdener from the ice gnomes. Hopefully, she’ll go on to win many more World Cups.
Header image: Martin Rupf
Martin Rupf
Senior Editor
martin.rupf@digitecgalaxus.chHalf-Danish dad of two and third child of the family, mushroom picker, angler, dedicated public viewer and world champion of putting my foot in it.
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