What Makes a Faster Skier Faster: Technique and Power Insights from Skisens (1/2)

For many skiers, the goal is not necessarily to ski fast — but most of us can agree that the joy of skiing increases with speed, with the feeling of gliding smoothly through the tracks. A few weeks ago, Skisens visited the sports science department in Gothenburg together with Guided Heroes to perform roller-ski treadmill testing. This made us reflect more deeply on what actually separates a faster skier from a slower one, and how we can explain this using Skisens power-measurement data.

Fig. 1. Roller-ski treadmill testing at the Center for Health and Performance, University of Gothenburg

Understanding Your Starting Point: The Key to Improving Ski Performance

For anyone wanting to improve in cross-country skiing, understanding your starting point is just as important as defining your goal. It is similar to orienteering: to navigate toward the finish, you first need to know where you are on the map. The map and compass are the orienteer’s tools — but what tools help a skier identify their current level and future target?

This is where the Skisens power grips enter the picture. Conceptually, skiing comes down to something simple: creating force in the direction of travel. This forward-driving force is what moves us — and this is exactly what Skisens measures.

How Faster Skiers Differ from Slower Skiers: Insights from Power Data

From the measured pole force, we can accurately describe how a faster skier differs from a slower one. The core difference lies in the skier’s ability to generate forward-directed force, adapt this force to variations in terrain, snow conditions, and speed, and maintain it consistently over time.

Skisens presents this information through unique force graphs and performance metrics — indispensable tools for skiers who want to track and develop both their technical and physical abilities. Skisens is built for skiers who want to improve.

Analyzing Every Pole Plant: The Importance of the Force–Angle Curve

A detail-oriented skier can, after training, study each individual pole plant. As explained on our ski-mechanics page, the forward-driving force depends on pole force and the pole angle relative to the ground — illustrated through the force–angle curve.

Skisens allows you to view the force curve for every pole plant, or as an averaged curve over selected terrain sections, such as a climb or during intervals. You can observe individual variations and how the curve changes with slope and speed. Figure 2 shows my force curves at three different speeds (14 km/h, 20 km/h, and 26 km/h) at the same incline.

Fig. 2. Force curves for right and left pole at three different speeds on the treadmill. Curves averaged over 10 seconds; dashed lines represent ±1 standard deviation.

It is striking how ground-contact time decreases as speed increases. One characteristic that often separates faster skiers from slower ones is the ability to maintain impulse — forward momentum — at higher speeds.

At 26 km/h, it becomes clear that I can no longer maintain impulse and must instead compensate by increasing frequency — taking more pole plants. This works only to a point; impulse often decreases further with higher frequency because timing becomes less precise. At the highest speed in Fig. 2, the force drops noticeably at the end of the pole stroke, reducing the proportion of force directed forward.

How Gradient Changes Force Output: Increased Incline vs. Increased Speed

When skiing at constant incline, as in the scenario above, the resisting force remains relatively constant. Power increases with speed, but the resisting force does not[1].
Another scenario is increased incline. Figure 3 shows three force curves where the speed is the same but the incline differs.

Fig. 3. Force curves for right and left pole at three different inclines (2%, 4%, 6%) on the treadmill. Curves averaged over 1 minute; dashed lines represent ±1 standard deviation.

We observe that ground-contact time remains nearly unchanged, but impulse increases significantly with increasing incline. Frequency also rises slightly — but nowhere near as dramatically as with higher speed.

Compared to increased speed, increased incline requires the skier to generate more force to overcome gravity. This is done by adjusting both impulse and frequency.

Technical Skill vs. Physical Capacity: What Truly Limits Speed?

Comparing increased speed with increased incline reveals an important insight:

– **Higher speed demands more technical precision**
– **Higher incline demands more physical strength and endurance**

A skier with strong core strength can usually double-pole effectively up short climbs. With good aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, this ability can be maintained over longer distances.

A much greater challenge, however, is maintaining impulse and forward-directed force at high speed. This is likely the single technical factor that most clearly separates a faster skier from a slower one — aside from raw physical ability.

[1] This is not entirely true outdoors, where air resistance increases with speed.

– Dan Kuylenstierna