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How fast do you think you ski on piste?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I confess that I find it extremely hard to believe that the speeds in that video were anywhere close to 57mph. The fastest top speed I've ever recorded is about 54mph and to achieve that I was on a reasonably steep slope in a tight tuck (with nobody else within miles). @markgerardy, seemed to be standing almost upright and putting in gentle turns at an allegedly higher speed. Having said that, I think Snowtracks (and similar apps) are actually pretty accurate most of the time, so if that's what his app said then I'd be inclined to believe it.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I hit 104.6kph on the Davos speed trap course (which is steep and long of its type) and that felt super fast
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Quote:

It's skiing Jim, but not as we know it.

Very Happy
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@foxtrotzulu,
Quote:


I confess that I find it extremely hard to believe that the speeds in that video were anywhere close to 57mph


Yes that was one of my thoughts but my main one was - how can anyone watching their shadow in that video use the word "expert" in connection with their skiing. I mean... wow!

The other one is that we have another data point supporting the correlation between recreational skiers wearing full face helmets and (strange, silly people).
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foxtrotzulu wrote:
I confess that I find it extremely hard to believe that the speeds in that video were anywhere close to 57mph. ... seemed to be standing almost upright and putting in gentle turns ... I think Snowtracks (and similar apps) are actually pretty accurate most of the time, so if that's what his app said then I'd be inclined to believe it.

50 miles an hour is about 25 meters per second. Of the two sources of contradictory evidence I'd trust the video.

--
This is a good read on the subject:
http://eliteskiing.com/2017/10/10/how-fast-can-we-really-ski/

Strava has some background on why GPS data isn't always accurate:
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216917707-Bad-GPS-Data-What-Why-How
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Actually on reflection - it has to be a wind up, right?
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jedster wrote:
Actually on reflection - it has to be a wind up, right?
If so, it's excellent!
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Hurtle wrote:
jedster wrote:
Actually on reflection - it has to be a wind up, right?
If so, it's excellent!


Indeed, a lot of effort to add all the videos to the Youtube channel.
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@philwig, from your very interesting article, this was my takeaway,

"Helmet users travel on average 3mph faster than non-helmeted users, generating 25% more kinetic energy than a non-helmeted user."

Shocked

Should ban helmets immediately.
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Using a tracker app I registered 75kph on an empty blue in La Plagne which is about 46-47mph.

I was using hired "intermediate" skis, am a big guy so had more drag (even in tuck) and only went from half way up the steep. One of my group who is a very experienced skier shot past me so I would expect he was probably touching 90-100kph.

Of course, the apps are entirely accurate but at least give an good representation of the speed.
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jedster wrote:
Actually on reflection - it has to be a wind up, right?


Must be. Either that or a complete lack of self-awareness. Must start jump cutting my pedestrian go pro videos to Motorhead or sumfink.
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Hurtle wrote:
Wow, I'm impressed. With the quality of willy waving.


My willy doesn't wave. It kind of slings it'self from side to side
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@GlasgowCyclops, there's probably a tablet you can take for that...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
under a new name wrote:
@philwig, from your very interesting article, this was my takeaway,

"Helmet users travel on average 3mph faster than non-helmeted users, generating 25% more kinetic energy than a non-helmeted user."

Shocked

Should ban helmets immediately.


Got to be one for Ski Innuendo Bingo. Give me 10 mins to I think of something.
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Hurtle wrote:
@GlasgowCyclops, there's probably a tablet you can take for that...


Bromine Ma'm
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3186678#3186678

Just for you @Hurtle, Happy
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The bullshitometer is in to the red zone whenever this thread comes up.

I always use ski tracks because I like to keep track of distances covered and then overlay the runs onto maps. Looking back I see the fastest I have hit was last year off the Schilthorn at 52.4 mph. This week in grand massif 46.9 mph is fastest at the bottom of the serpentine blue into flaine. Both speeds feel about as fast as I want to go on quiet wide tracks.

I’ve seen a handful (no more) of really good skiers probably around the 70mph mark which I always start thinking is too fast in a recreational ski area. Fine in a speed check run or closed piste training but with kids and duff skiers about speed can be deadly in my opinion.

Maybe I’m getting a bit soft in my old age (48 ) but I wish everyone would slow down a touch. Too many skiing too fast for their ability in the wrong places.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 6-02-18 17:26; edited 1 time in total
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@jirac18, completely agree with your sentiment; too many are skiing too fast and in the wrong places.
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@Fridge03, "intermediate" skis, of course being slower? Being "bigger" generally (despite Mr Newton's law) gets you going faster (IME, being "smaller")..

I have hit 100kph on a speed gun, with catsuit and DH skis. I would not want to do that speed anywhere other people were around.

I'm with Philwig's article.
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@GlasgowCyclops, Laughing

@LOTA, +2
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If 50mph is fast then how fast is the 120mph recorded in the TGR vids of La Grave Shocked
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Er I don’t think the person shouting “dude you were going at about 120mph” was operating a speed gun at the time
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@südtirolistdeutsch, on the grounds that the world record speed ski record is currently 158.424 mph and that was on speed skis., speed suit, aero helmet, and all sorts of additional aerofoils, etc. with a very steep icy course...

Not a ferckin chance.

Quote:

bullshitometer is in to the red zone


Indeedly.

For the record, 70mph is the speed limit on the motorway. How many skiers do you observe going that fast?

Exactly. None. All bollorx. A friend of mine had his fastest speed taken during the Lake Placid Olympic downhill at 68mph... while racing for GBR, in the Olympics. If any of you armchair racers out there think you are capable of sustaining WC level pace and surviving, I don't think I believe you. Or you need to write to Snowsports England as there's a promising career in front of you.

My suspicion is that the GPS is taking some weird instantaneous speed based on hitting a bump, or something. Not an actual sustained, controled, downhill velocity. (and I do know the difference, thank you very much).
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@philwig, Your post links to two articles - both interesting, but...
1. The first one is far too unscientific and doesn't explain why ski tracks should be inaccurate.
2. Th Strava article makes sense, but again doesn't really explain any possible inaccuracy.

We've had this discussion a few times before and I even went as far as emailing the SkiTracks team with some queries. Ski Tracks seems to be completely consistent with my car satnav as well as MotionGPS. I do understand the view that the speeds can't be as high as some claim but I haven't heard a convincing argument why not.
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Just to put 68mph into perspective, that's ~1,800m / minute - or 30ish m/s.

So anyone out there suggesting they could top to bottom say, Arare (Avoriaz) which is about 1,800m long in 60 seconds (it's a bit longer than 1,800m so that compensates for starting and stopping).

No. I didn't think so.
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Oh, and if we do loose maths and looser arithmetic (jeepers, had to relearn basic trig there, and me with a degree in physics and all)...

It'll take somewhere like 150-200m just to get up to ~70mph in a straight line (from a standing start).
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@foxtrotzulu,

Quote:

My suspicion is that the GPS is taking some weird instantaneous speed based on hitting a bump, or something.


My GPS running watch has shown me doing a couple of runs at consistently 18kph when my cruise is more like 10kph...
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Why are we all talking about 68-70mph? Who said that?

I thought we were discussing 57mph. As I said, I don't think the skier in the vid was necessarily doing that - it didn't look fast enough. However, I've no doubt that many skiers here could achieve that sort of speed momentarily ina really fast schuss.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@foxtrotzulu, well, that's just me, taking from @jirac18 saying he'd seen a few skiers do that.

57mph, that's easy, a modest 25ms-1.

So dual carriagewaytype car speed and at least 125-160m in a straight line from a standing start.

Still not happening anytime I've watched anyone.

Anyone who doesn't believe me hasn't watched a WC downhill from the side of the track.

Similar speed you hit in free fall after 30m...
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@markgerardy, looks to me that you need to re-calibrate your skitracks thingy and er probably your brain Toofy Grin
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@under a new name,
Quote:

7mph, that's easy, a modest 25ms-1.

So dual carriagewaytype car speed and at least 125-160m in a straight line from a standing start.

Still not happening anytime I've watched anyone.


Am I being thick? Are you agreeing that it IS entirely feasible ("that's easy, a modest 25ms) or are you saying that it's not ("still not happening anytime I've watched anyone")?

I would have thought that 70mph, or fairly close to it is possible. I've no reason to doubt my top speeds of 54mph and I am not a fast skier compared to many. What's the relevance of the distances you keep quoting?
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The "Ski Tracks people" said (see previous link):
"Sometimes we do see inaccuracy in speed, this can be caused by a range of issues including interference, visible sky, weather or battery modes.
While we do see spikes in the speed – these are easy to spot and most users would know this is an error.

Most but not all, apparently.
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No, @foxtrotzulu, IMHO it’s not feasible. Numbers coming from a very very rough calculation based on a longish blue run I know reasonably well, and geometry/physics.

Given my Olympic/WC DH chum had an all career best (measurement) of 68mph, I’d consider that easily beyond the reach of even the best recreational, notWC, not Olympic, not DH trained skier.

Just my opinion of course.

Think of the stopping distances Skullie Skullie


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 6-02-18 19:28; edited 1 time in total
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Quote:

Think of the stopping distances


That's the terrifying thing!
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@iSnowhead, say 40m ?
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I was in La Plagne last week and (assuming the App is correct) the fastest I clocked whilst absolutely hammering straight line down Le Tunnel run in full tuck terrifying myself and thighs burning was 48.1 mph. There was no turning involved and I only did it on clear piste with nobody in front. It was a lot of fun but to go any faster I would have needed faster skis and some kind of dodgy lycra outfit!! My guess is that fast carving down blue pistes averages low-mid 20's mph.
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@Adamski, even 48 mph pushing it. Just the laws of physics, y’ken.

Average highs in general maybe 30mph


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 6-02-18 19:49; edited 2 times in total
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At the Pyeonchang tester event last season they were struggling to see 70mph, that's on 205cm skis, fully race tuned, in aero tuck and on a prepped course.

The entrance to the Kernen S on this clip is around 65mph,

http://youtube.com/v/_-nQj5yyiQs
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@under a new name, well I'm relying purely on the accuracy of the app. I did it 3 times and each day the speed was within 1mph so at least it showed 2 things - i) consistent recording of speed and ii) I couldn't go any faster than that end of!! for what its worth, not that this is in anyway a boast as I am a decidedly average skier - but nobody went past me whilst I was doing this.
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under a new name wrote:
No, @foxtrotzulu, IMHO it’s not feasible. Numbers coming from a very very rough calculation based on a longish blue run I know reasonably well, and geometry/physics.

Given my Olympic/WC DH chum had an all career best (measurement) of 68mph, I’d consider that easily beyond the reach of even the best recreational, notWC, not Olympic, not DH trained skier.

Just my opinion of course.

Think of the stopping distances Skullie Skullie


I’m very confused. I thought that Downhillers reach top speeds well in excess of 68mph all the time. Are you confusing average speeds over a longish stretch with what ski tracks is measuring which is the peak speed achieved over just a second or two. I very much doubt recreational skiers could sustain those speeds outside of a straight schuss.
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