A major success for sports technology research: our colleague Christoph Thorwartl’s team was honored with the “Best Industrial Paper Award” at the international icSPORTS Congress 2025 for its outstanding scientific work.

The award-winning publication “Edging Velocity: The Crucial Role of Edge Engagement in Alpine Skiing” introduces a new measurement concept in alpine skiing. Using the Connected Boot System, which is based on sensors, Thorwartl’s research team developed the Edging Velocity parameter (EV), which describes how quickly a ski is brought onto its edge when initiating a turn.

The results show that the more athletic the technique, the greater the edging velocity. This makes it a key performance factor in the initial phase of the swing. These findings provide valuable insights for training analysis.

Direct practical benefits: EV is now integrated into a real-time feedback system and has been used in a field study, providing skiers with immediate, movement-related feedback on their technique while skiing (Alpine Ski Audio Feedback Study).

The award-winning paper

Christoph Thorwartl, Thomas Grah, Harald Rieser, Günter Amesberger, Stefan Kranzinger, Thomas Stöggl, Helmut Holzer and Thomas Finkenzeller (2025): Edging Velocity: The Crucial Role of Edge Engagement in Alpine Skiing In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support, ISBN 978-989-758-771-9, ISSN 2184-3201, pages 25-28.

About the conference

The 13th International Conference on Sports Sciences, Research, and Technology Support (icSPORTS) is a leading platform for sports science research and technological innovation. This annual event brings together experts from academia and industry to discuss the latest developments in sports technology.

The Best Industrial Paper Award recognizes contributions that demonstrate scientific excellence and high practical relevance. Further information can be found on the congress’s official website:icsports.scitevents.org/PreviousAwards.aspx#2025

In the picture (from left to right): Raúl Arellano, Aquatics Lab, Dep. Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Science, University of Granada; Christoph Thorwartl, Salzburg Research; Pedro Morouço, Clínica Espregueira – FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto;