Abstract

Structuring the variety of ski turn techniques phenomenologically is often proposed in teaching curricula. On one side several advantages are offered by this approach, on the other side a couple of problems are addressed to such an approach too. Advantages are mainly related to the field of teaching different tasks structured and sequentially on the basis of common learning theories. Whereas the problems primarily relate to the subjectivity of the criteria which the ski turn techniques are structured by and to the adequacy of proposed structuring and learning process in general or by individuals. Due to the subjectivity of the phenomenological classification procedure quantitative correlations between time discrete biomechanical data at certain instants of different ski turn techniques have been suggested. The essential condition for such an approach is a specialist with exact knowledge about the characteristics of each technique and the existence of same events in each technique. By following such time discrete and group oriented approaches investigations are mainly limited either on simple structured movement qualities or on general principles. Thereby the quantitative analysis of complex structured movement qualities as the gestalt of movements as well as the individuality of the techniques are mainly neglected. Especially, individual characteristics seem to have a more important role in the learning process than expected commonly. In order to identify individual movement styles in different types and performing levels of movements a process oriented approach has been suggested recently. In difference to a typical trainers recognition nothing specific about the analysed movements has to be known and therefore the influence of expectations is minimized. The purpose of the present study is to classify common ski turn techniques quantitatively by their similarity, dependent on the level of the skier and the number of variables and discuss briefly possible practical consequences. Einleitung