Article investigates snow board deck vibrations with potential performance implications [...]

Article Title

Vibration of Snowboard Decks.

Article Authors

Franz Konstantin Fuss, Ben Cazzolato, Ashley Shepherd, and Jason Harding

Abstract

Vibrations of snowboards are closely related to their performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequencies of bending and torsional modes, the damping ratios and location of node lines in two boards with different torsional stiffness under free-free boundary conditions with a non-contact laser vibrometer. The frequencies of the first three bending modes were at 16, 37, and 65 Hz. The frequencies of the first three torsional modes were at 30, 54 and 86 Hz in one board, and 10% higher in the 2nd board. The damping ratios of the two boards investigated ranged between 0.3 and 0.6% for bending and between 0.6 and 1% for torsion. The location of the node lines was comparable to a free-free beam with constant cross-section. Vibration analysis should be a standard investigation for benchmarking of snowboards, in addition to mechanical and geometrical parameters.

Full Reference

Fuss FK, Cazzolato B, Shepherd A, Harding JW. (2010) Vibration of Snowboard Decks. In: The Engineering of Sport 8, pp 2863 – 2867, Eds: Sabo A, Kafka P, Litzenberger S, Sabo C; Elsevier, Amsterdam.

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JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

A review of objective performance assessment methods under trial in elite snowboarding [...]

Article Title

Performance Assessment Innovations For Elite Snowboarding.

Article Authors

Jason William Harding and Daniel Arthur James

Abstract

This paper provides a review of objective performance assessment in elite half-pipe snowboarding.  Half-pipe snowboarding is currently coached and judged in competition using subjective measures.  Like other sports that rely on subjectivity however, the methodology underpinning how coaches assess athletic progression and judges score performance is open for debate.  This paper focuses on technology assisted, objective performance assessment.  Key considerations are the specificity of the information, the accuracy and reliability of results, the processing time required and the current accessibility.

Full Reference

Harding JW, James DA. (2010) Performance Assessment Innovations For Elite Snowboarding. The Engineering of Sport 8 – Engineering Emotion, Saboa, A., Kafkaa, P., Litzenbergera, S., Saboa, C. Elsevier Ltd Amsterdam., 2 (2), 2919 – 2924.

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JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Article focussed on snowboard performance at Burton Open Aussie Half-Pipe Championships [...]

Article Title

Analysis Of Snowboard Performance At The Burton Open Australian Half-Pipe Championships.

Article Authors

Jason William Harding and Daniel Arthur James

Abstract

Half-pipe snowboarding performance is assessed by subjective measures. Knowledge of the relative importance of objective performance indicators however can improve training and competition performance assessment. We analysed previously developed key performance indicators at the Burton Open Australian Half-Pipe Championships over three years (2006, 2007, 2008). Linear regression showed the two individual key performance indicators most strongly correlated to competition success and multiple linear regression (enter method) showed the shared variance in scores explained by these objective variables. The two objective performance variables most highly correlated with competition success were average air time (AAT) and average degree of rotation (ADR). When combined (multiple linear regression), AAT and ADR objectively explain 71 – 94% of shared variance in subjective competition scores. We compared magnitudes of differences in AAT and ADR between athletes achieving top three (podium) final rankings and those achieving final rankings outside the top three. Magnitude of difference between athletic performances was established with a standardised (Cohen’s) effect size (ES) with 95% confidence limits. Differences in AAT and ADR between athletes placing in the top three and those finishing outside the top three routinely showed moderate (ES = 0.6 – 1.2 95% CL) to very large (ES >2.0 95% CL) effects.

Full Reference

Harding JW, James DA. (2010). Analysis Of Snowboard Performance At The Burton Open Australian Half-Pipe Championships. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Volume  10 (1), 66-81

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JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Aussie Pro Snowboarder Andrew Burton Opens New Affordable Mentawais Surf Charter [...]

Aussie pro snowboarder Andrew Burton is a busy man and seemingly has his finger on the pulse.  One week he is over in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics as the Australian Half-Pipe Snowboard Coach and the next he is sailing through the Mentawais in Indonesia on his surf charter boat, The Asian Princess.   

Here is a few words from Burto on the idea behind his new surf charter venture: 

What we aim to do at Surf Charters Indonesia is offer a realistically priced surf charter to some of the most exotic parts of the world making it accessible to almost every surfer anywhere in the world.  There are some hefty prices associated with surf charters and we want to break that stereotype and offer a world class product for our guests at an affordable price.  Our boat can accommodate a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 11 guests at this time and she is specifically designed for long haul surf charters.  We can stay at sea without re-supply for about 3 weeks.  We have found this allows us the freedom to go wherever we want and get our guests into the best waves on the planet.  There are no other boats in the area that offer what we for the price.  So far we haven’t had any complaints and it’s all looking good for 2010. 

Last time I talked with Burto (which was about a week ago), the Mentawais was pumping.   If you want to get shacked in the Mentawais ASAP, check out The Asian Princess’s Website www.surfchartersindonesia.com

Keep an eye out for an interview with Burto on his Vancover Winter Olympc experience, his new surf charter venture, his ABC snowboard camps in NZ and anything else I can think to ask him.  Interview will be published on www.AnarchistAthlete.com as sson as possible.

JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

ISEA Conference 2010, Vienna Austria; Article Title And Abstract Details Revamped [...]

Jason Harding will deliver a podium presentation at the ISEA Conference in Vienna, Austria [...] 

The title and abstract associated with the full publication have been altered.   

Article Title

Performance Assessment Innovations For Elite Snowboarding

Article Authors

Jason William Harding and Daniel Arthur James

Full Reference

Harding JW, James DA. (2010) Performance Assessment Innovations For Elite Snowboarding. In: The Engineering of Sport 8, pp 2919 – 2924, Eds: Sabo A, Kafka P, Litzenberger S, Sabo C; Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Paper Abstract

This paper provides a review of objective performance assessment in elite half-pipe snowboarding.  Half-pipe snowboarding is currently coached and judged in competition using subjective measures.  Like other sports that rely on subjectivity however, the methodology underpinning how coaches assess athletic progression and judges score performance is open for debate.  This paper focuses on technology assisted, objective performance assessment.  Key considerations are the specificity of the information, the accuracy and reliability of results, the processing time required and the current accessibility.

CLICK HERE to check out the ISEA conference website.

JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Interview With Australian Olympic Half-Pipe Snowboarder Ben Mates Is Available Now [...]

Article Title

The Ben Mates Interview.

Article Author

Jason William Harding

Article Photographers

Andrew Fawcett, Mike Weyerhaeuser, C. Laurila

Article Introduction

When February 2010 rolls around, Ben Mates will be the first Australian male half-pipe snowboarder to have qualified for two Winter Olympic Games.  And this time round he did it on his own terms and with his own green. Put that in ya crack pipe and smoke it.  He has spent the past four years free of any restrictions, focusing on hunting down the Olympic standard 22ft pipes and elite-level competition that would provide him the means to qualify for Vancouver 2010.  In doing so the south coast local has succeeded whilst flipping the bird at the sports establishment that seemingly did not want anything to do with him. There is no doubt Mates is antiauthoritarian. A ‘fuck em if they can’t take a joke’ kind of guy.  It is a refreshing attitude.    Anarchist Athlete founder Jason Harding caught up with Ben via email just before he drops in and throws down at the 2010 O-Show.

Full Reference

Harding JW. (2010) The Ben Mates Interview. Published on www.AnarchistAthlete.com on 10th February 2010.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT INTRODUCTION PAGE

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED STRAIGHT TO THE INTERVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE

Jason Harding will deliver a podium presentation at the ISEA Conference in Vienna, Austria [...]

Founder of Anarchist Athlete Jason Harding will deliver a podium presentation at the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) Conference in Vienna, Austria.  The presentation is scheduled between 12^th – 16^th July 2010 (exact date and time to be advised). 

Article Running Title

Automated Objectivity And Performance Assessment In Elite Snowboarding – A Review.

CLICK HERE to check out the ISEA conference website.

More details on the presentation and associated published article will be posted up on www.AnarchistAthlete.com soon…

JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Two of the Anarchist Athlete team recently travelled to Indonesia.  Here’s the stills [...]Upload of new photography images into the Anarchist Athlete Art Gallery ‘Still images from Indonesia’.  These images are part of an art project titled ‘INDONINE’.  Keep an eye out for a series of upcoming video clips, part of the art project ‘INDONINE’ to be posted on www.AnarchistAthlete.com.  CLICK HERE to be redirected to the latest still images from Indonesia.

JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Katal Inc launch revolutionary freestyle snowboard landing pad.  This thing is so sick [...]

From my perspective, the Katal Inc freestyle landing pad is a huge development for coaches and athletes looking for an innovative method of enhancing elite-level snowboarding performance.  Ok, there are other methods of providing a safe environment in which both developmental and elite-level athletes can try out new tricks without the threat of seroius injury (namely foam pits, water-based jump training facilities, circus like acrobtaic rigging) but in my opinion Katal Inc has trumped them all for one main reason, That if you successfully land the new trick you are attempting, you can ride out as you would on a normal park kicker.  This is a huge benefit and advantage over the other methods.

Born out of  a tragic snowbarding accident where Aaron Coret, one of the inventors, ended up in a wheelchair after slamming on a solid park booter, the landng pad has the potential to be used in every snowboard park in the world in an attempt to provide a safe and fun environment where beginners and elite alike can push their own performance levels.  From a coaching perspective this tool is invaluable.  Athletes can practice new tricks without the treat of injury before taking their new found skill to a real park booter.  This is a huge advantage over the current aproach where if you want to try out a new trick, you just have to psych up, throw it down and hope it all turns out like you imagined. 

As far as I am aware, the current landing pad model is designed especially for park booters however I wonder if it has the potential to also be utilised within a half-pipe snowboarding situation.   I am sure a smaller version of the landing pad could be somehow draped over a section of  a snowboard half-pipe and work in a similar manner.  I have no idea of the cost assoiatd with he Katal Inc landng pad but I really do not think it matters.  If you are a coach or support staff member working within a national high performance snowboard program.  Beg, borow or steal.  Just find a way to get your greasy hands on one of these landing pads.  Before every other country beats you to it.

Check out Katal Inc’s website www.katalinnovations.com for the full low down on this product and to get in touch with them ASAP.

Anarchist Athlete responds to Red Bull surfing project conducted in Mentawais, Indonesia [...] 

Anarchist Athlete Responds to Red Bull Surfing Project in Mentawais.  Image: Jason Harding (Founder of Anarchist Athlete). France 2008, © www.AnarchistAthlete.com.  Jason Harding questions some of the finer details of the research on the recent Red Bull Surfing Project held in the Mentawais.  Red Bull recently sponsored a surfing project in the Mentawais focussed in part, on providing their elite-level sponsored surfers access to some innovative sport science concepts in a quest to enhance performance.  The trip included professional surfers, Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson, Michel Bourez, Christobal De Col, Conner Coffin, Evan Geiselman, Kolohe Andino, Sally Fitzgibbons, Sofia Mulanovich and Tim Boal.  The sport science research component was lead by Andy Walshe and assisted by elite-level surfing coaches Dan Ross and Andy King. 

From what can be gathered from the brief post on www.redbullsurfing.com (posted 12^th June 2009), the project used a number of innovative coaching and sport science techniques in an attempt to enhance the performance of the surfers on board.  As with most performance based sport science projects, the idea was to provide elite-level athletes (Red Bull’s sponsored surfers) with new types of practical and relevant information they can utilise in their quest to succeed at the highest level of professional sport.  Some of these techniques included providing the surfers access to a high quality wave location (in essence the ultimate training venue) in order to refine their already impressive skills.  In particular the team were taken to a wave that breaks with almost mechanical precision, allowing the athletes something that is rarely found in surfing – a relatively unchanging and uniform canvas with which to train on. 

One specific benefit of choosing such a location was that it allowed video footage to be captured and analysed with reference to each wave ridden (as each wave was ultimately very similar).  This location also provides researchers, coaches and athletes the capacity to compare intra-athlete performances (between performances executed by the same surfer) and inter-athlete performances (between performances executed by the different surfers) on waves that are for the most part, identical.  Most sports use some form of video based software to analyse and improve performance however, most sports have a consistent and somewhat static environment with which to conduct these comparisons.  This is the first concerted effort I have read about in surfing that has dealt with the issue that waves rarely break in a uniform manner and thereby often do not provide a consistent background on which to accurately and reliably analyse surfing from the same and different athletes.

In addition, the project used from what I can tell, commercially available GPS equipment to collect and provide information on an athlete’s paddling speed, surfing speed, paddling time and surfing time.  This is now routinely performed in other more mainstream sports but this is one of the first decent attempts to integrate this concept into elite-level surfing I have read about.  The concepts of pre and post surf session warm up and recovery techniques were also trialled and information such as heart rate and blood lactate levels were assessed at specific points during each session (although from the post it is difficult to tell just what time points these readings, in particular blood lactate levels were assessed).  I have only ever read one descriptive research paper focussed on the physiological demands associated with surfing and the study had major flaws within its methodology.  Overall, for the sport of surfing this is a very novel approach to performance analysis and performance enhancement and is one of the first major attempts at doing so that I have come across. 

There are however some major holes in the information provided within the original post and some major gaps in the provision of the finer details of the research.  The post mentions potential publication of the results of this project and if the publication of these results is intended for any sports science journal of significance, the missing information and the finer details of this project will certainly be required. 

I would therefore be extremely be interested in seeing the published (or unpublished) methods and results of the sports science component of this Red Bull surfing project.  In fact I believe I could provide an extensive review of any draft of the publication itself or proposed delivery of methods and results.  I am a qualified sport scientist (B.ExSc Hons, PhD Candidate) and have undertaken similar research projects with elite-level snowboarders over the past five years, including the development of a tech-based concept focused on automated performance assessment for half-pipe snowboarding (something that is closely related to what the Red Bull Research Team have attempted with commercially available GPS equipment).  I actually emailed Red Bull in March 09 with a proposal to do something very similar with surfing but never got any response. 

I have a number of questions and most likely some fairly decent advice for the Red Bull Research Team regarding the use of GPS equipment (and other tech-based concepts) to generate ‘in-field’ performance information, in addition to experience in sport science based performance enhancement techniques focussed specifically on enhancing performance in elite-level surfing, skating and snowboarding.

In general, I loved the overall concept of the project and am very impressed by the level of support the guys were provided from their sponsor Red Bull and also the level of cooperation from elite-level athletes on the trip.  This was probably the best attempt at integrating sport science into elite-level surfing I have read about.   The post on www.redbullsurfing.com was fairly light on the details regarding the sport science component of the trip and so I have compiled some questions that if answered, will fill in almost all gaps in the information already provided.  The Red Bull Research Team may have already dealt with the queries I have listed below but for the most part, they have yet to be explained in any post regarding this trip.  Here are a few of the questions I would pose to the Red Bull research team and some questions that I believe they will be asked (or should be asked) as part of the peer review process if they attempt to publish the results in a sport science or sports performance journal:

QUESTIONS ON THE FINER DETAILS OF THE RED BULL RESEARCH PROJECT

1.  What were the make, model and manufacturer details associated with the GPS equipment?

2.  Where exactly did you attach the GPS unit to the surfers and how? 

3.  How long after a session did it take to upload the information from the GPS unit to a laptop and how long did it take before you could provide feedback to the athletes (i.e. was there any post-processing of data before providing performance information to the athlete)?

4. Has the GPS system you trialled has been set up for collecting surfing specific data or are you just using a commercially available unit and taking the velocity and or speed info straight from the GPS unit and assuming it is accurate for your specific purpose?

5.  Are you aware of the errors inherent in calculating distance, velocity and / or speed from GPS equipment and have these errors been taken into account in your final conclusions? There are some issues with the measurement of distance from GPS signals when assessing over a small distance. 

6.  Have you validated the velocity / speed information you are obtaining with the GPS equipment in a surfing context against a gold standard or criterion method?  If so, what is the error associated with the GPS information such as velocity and speed when used in a surfing environment.      

7.  What sampling rate (Hz) did you use when assessing paddling and surfing velocity / speed?

8.  Have you trialled any other sort of sensor technology to generate the information you are after?

9.  What is your reasoning behind obtaining velocity / speed information in a sports performance context?  How do you intend to use this information to enhance elite-level surfing performance?  Or is this mainly a descriptive project (i.e. The highest velocity obtained by surfers in this project was 42kmh)?

10.    At what time points did you guys sample lactate from the surfers?  Did you take samples before and after each wave, before and after each session, or just during the active recovery period (stationary bike on the boat).

11.  What is the reasoning behind the lactate sampling?  Is this again purely descriptive or do you believe you can enhance some of your dry-land physical training based upon lactate levels witnessed during a real surfing environment?

12.  Why take lactate samples from the finger when the ear lobe has been proven to provide more accurate and reliable readings.  The most common issue here is that wet or sweaty finger tips can dilute the blood sample and therefore give you an underestimation of the actual level of lactate in the blood.

13.  What was the temperature and humidity like in the tropics where you used the ‘Lactate Pro’ (or whatever lactic acid measurement unit you were using)?  There are very strict limits on the environmental conditions where this sort of equipment is accurate and is always a good idea to ensure the unit itself is kept within those limits.  I have done this with cold temperatures in the snow using a constant temperature system I developed with some ‘technicians’ at the Australian Institute of Sport.  The same can be done for when it is too hot or humid.

14. Warm down bikes on a boat in the Mentawai’s.  I reckon it looks pretty stupid on the sidelines of professional football fields let alone on a boat anchored in the tropics.  There is obviously something there (and there are publications backing it up) but just how effective it is, I believe is still very debatable.  There are other methods of active recovery and ‘in-between heat’ warm down techniques that can generate the similar results without resorting to dragging one of those things around WQS and WCT events and on boat trips in the tropics. 

15.  Regarding my last point:  There is a very real but largely unpublished affect of an athlete’s perception of style on mental state and performance in elite-level competition, especially in sports like surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.  I have found that a number of seemingly minor things (things that most people, including sponsors, neglect) can affect an athlete’s competitive focus.  One very simple example is how they feel about the gear they are wearing and the type of team support they have surrounding them.  Imagine being the only WCT surfer carrying a stationary warm down bike around the globe during the WCT and to his or her photo trips.  Reckon he or she would cop a fair bit of shit from fellow competitors and peers.  Reckon an athlete’s personal perception of their current style and overall image has no effect on performance in the public arena?  Think again.  There is a large sociological effect and practice community perception of sport science projects and techniques on youth orientated extreme sports and to ignore it is to make a mistake.

16.  I could ask if you had ethical approval for your project and how you ensure anonymity of your subjects but that would be lame and typical of academic and government institutional red tape.  Most journals however will ask for the ethics approval number to be inserted somewhere in the methods section of the paper.  Instead I will ask you guys this.  From data collection to submission of a publication (depending on how large and complex the data collection and analysis is) should take about three months (in terms of journal publication).  Journal publication can take any where up to a year but with cool projects and connections with industry based magazines and journals comes the ‘oh-so good’ fast tracking of publication.  So when do you think your research results will become available?  Additionally, where do you think you will try to publish your results (a surfing magazine, sports science journal, on the wrapping around Red Bull cans, Penthouse)?

Just thinking out loud here as this is the sort of work I have been doing for the past five years or so.  I like the overall idea behind the project you guys have pulled off and I am very impressed by the support provided by your sponsor Red Bull.  I am however very passionate about providing results to athletes that are accurate, reliable, and repeatable and have practical relevance to performance enhancement.  I would be pretty keen to strike up a discussion regarding your surfing project and my thoughts on the subject.

JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETE

Action Sports Blips Website Claim Code 2593321717

Backhand carve from Anarchist Athlete founder Jason Harding, NSW South Coast Australia [...]

No real new info or news here, just a backhand carve image from Anarchist Athlete founder Jason Harding on an average wind slop day on the NSW south coast, Australia. Surf sure aint pretty or epic by any stretch of the imagination but it is salty and wet and after all, it is what we do.  Daily.  Image captured by Jade Barbay on 25th July 2009.

Article focussed on the opinions of elite-level snowboard judges to tech based concept [...]  

The article is focussed on the opinions of elite-level snowboard competition judges to a tech based performance assessment concept and is available now.  This article formed a podium presentation at the 2008 International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) conference held in Biarritz France and was additionally published in the associated conference proceedings hard cover book, The Engineering of Sport 7 as a full paper. You can now read these articles online and also download the PDF versions of these articles at www.AnarchistAthlete.com.  This article is an academic publication focussed on the unhindered and anonymous opinions of elite-level competition judges to the idea that we can enhance competitive athletic performance assessment during elite-level half-pipe snowboard competition by providing automatic calcuation of air time and automatic classification of the aerial acrobatics performed during competition runs. 

Article Title

Technology and Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition – Insight From Elite-Level Judges.

Article Authors

Jason William Harding, Kristine Toohey, David Thomas Martin, Allan Geoffrey Hahn, and Daniel Arthur James.

Article Abstract

Automated objective information specific to half-pipe snowboarding has now been made available with micro-technology and signal processing techniques. In consultation with the practice community this has been introduced into training and competition in Australia. It is understood that any integration of technology into elite sport can effect change beyond the original purpose and can often generate unintended consequences. We have therefore evaluated the perceptions of key members of the elite half-pipe snowboard community in regards to how emerging technology could interface with the sport. Data were collected via semi-structured, open ended interviews with 16 international, elite-level half-pipe snowboard competition judges. This study revealed 8 dimensions and 42 sub-dimensions related to the community’s perceptions to 5 major themes that emerged during interviews. The major themes included: 1. Snowboarding’s Underlying Cultural Ethos 2. Snowboarding’s Underlying Self-Annihilating Teleology 3. Technological Objectivity 4. Concept Management 5. Coveted Future Directions. There was dominant perception that an underlying self-annihilating teleology could exist within competitive half-pipe snowboarding. This was believed however to pose a distant threat on judging protocols to reliably assess performance. Judges sampled in this study were largely in favour of using automated objectivity to enhance the judging process however, with a number of caveats. Most importantly that objective information is to be used as a judging aid and not for automatic generation of scores. This would address the most prevalent concern that integrating any automated objectivity into snowboarding could potentially remove freedom of expression and the opportunity to showcase athletic individuality – traits valued by the practice community. Our data highlight that successful implementation of emerging technologies in sport will be not be based on the type of technology developed but instead by the integration process which must feature a large element of control imparted to the key players within the sport. 

Full Reference

Harding JW, Toohey K, Martin DT, Hahn AG, James DA. (2008) Technology and Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition – Insight From Elite-Level Judges. In The Engineering of Sport 7, Estivalet, M., Brisson, P. Springer-Verlag France., Vol. 2, 467 – 476.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ARTICLE ABSTRACT

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Anarchist Athlete launches new look website.  Find all your boardirding performance information at AnarchistAthlete.com 

Anarchist Athlete launches new look website.  Anarchist Athlete, a company focussed on enhancing surf, skate and snowboarding performance has just launched their new look website.  The website is easier to navigate and find what you want.  Find the latest in boardriding (surf, skate, snow) performance projects, read the latest published articles, download all published articles as PDF documents, read and listen to interviews, check out the image galleries (including fine art, style and latest sessions) and purchase image files at the online shop.  Find it all at www.AnarchistAthlete.com

CLICK HERE for Vitals

CLICK HERE for Team

CLICK HERE for Surf, Skate, Snow Projects

CLICK HERE for Articles

CLICK HERE for Interviews

CLICK HERE for Galleries

CLICK HERE for Contact Details

CLICK HERE for Online Shop

Article focussed on the automatic calculation of degree of rotation in snowboarding [...]

An article focussed on automatically calculating snowboarding aerial degree of rotation using a tech concept is available now.  This article formed a podium presentation at the 2008 International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) conference held in Biarritz France and was additionally published in the associated conference proceedings hard cover book, The Engineering of Sport 7 as a full paper.  You can now read and download the PDF version of this article at www.AnarchistAthlete.com  This article is an academic publication focussed on enhancing athletic performance assessment during elite-level half-pipe snowboard training and competition by providing automatic classification of the aerial acrobatics performed during half-pipe snowboarding runs.

Article Title

Classification of Aerial Acrobatics in Elite Half-Pipe Snowboarding Using Body Mounted Inertial Sensors.

Article Authors

Jason William Harding, Colin Gordon Mackintosh, Allan Geoffrey Hahn. Daniel Arthur James.

Article Abstract

We have previously presented data indicating that the two most important objective performance variables in elite half-pipe snowboarding competition are air-time and degree of rotation. Furthermore, we have documented that air-time can be accurately quantified by signal processing of tri-axial accelerometer data obtained from body mounted inertial sensors. This paper adds to our initial findings by describing how body mounted inertial sensors (specifically tri-axial rate gyroscopes) and basic signal processing can be used to automatically classify aerial acrobatic manoeuvres into four rotational groups (180, 360, 540 or 720 degree rotations). Classification of aerial acrobatics is achieved using integration by summation. Angular velocity (ωi, j, k) quantified by tri-axial rate gyroscopes was integrated over time (t = 0.01s) to provide angular displacements (θi, j, k) at ith sample points. Absolute angular displacements for each orthogonal axes (i, j, k) were then accumulated over the duration of an aerial acrobatic manoeuvre to provide the total angular displacement achieved in each axis over that time period. The total angular displacements associated with each orthogonal axes were then summed to calculate a composite rotational parameter called Air Angle (AA). We observed a statistically significant difference between AA across four half-pipe snowboarding acrobatic groups which involved increasing levels of rotational complexity (P = 0.000, n = 216). The signal processing technique documented in this paper provides sensitive automatic classification of aerial acrobatics into terminology used by the snowboarding community and subsequently has the potential to allow coaches and judges to focus on the more subjective and stylistic aspects of half-pipe snowboarding during either training or elite-level competition.

Full Reference

Harding JW, Mackintosh CG, Hahn AG, James DA. (2008) Classification of Aerial Acrobatics in Elite Half-Pipe Snowboarding Using Body Mounted Inertial Sensors. In The Engineering of Sport 7, Estivalet, M., Brisson, P. Springer-Verlag France., Vol. 2, 447 – 456.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ARTICLE ABSRTACT

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FULL ARTICLE

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS PDF DOWNLOAD OF ARTICLE

Three articles on the community perception to a tech based snowboard performance concept [...]

Three articles focussed on the snowboarding community’s perception to a technologically based performance assessment concept are available now.  You can now read these articles online and also download the PDF versions of these articles at www.AnarchistAthlete.com. 

Article Titles

1. Automated Inertial Feedback For Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition And The Community Perception.
2. Technology and Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition – Insight From Elite-Level Judges.
3. Fusion of Technological Objectivity into the Underlying Anarchy of Elite Snowboarding – Insights from the Australian National Snowboard Coach.

Article Abstracts

1. Automated Inertial Feedback For Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition And The Community Perception

Harding JW, Toohey K, Martin DT, Mackintosh CG, Lindh AM, James DA. (2007) Automated Inertial Feedback For Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition And The Community Perception. In The Impact of Technology on Sport II, Fuss F. K., Subic A., Ujihashi S. Taylor & Francis London., 20, 845 – 850.

No scientific research has yet targeted the athletic performance aspects or subjective judging protocols associated with elite half-pipe snowboard competition. Recently however, sport scientists from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) initiated a video based analysis of key performance variables (KPVs) associated with elite half-pipe snowboard competition. The development of a preliminary automated feedback system based upon Micro-electrochemical Systems (MEMS) sensors such as tri-axial accelerometers and tri-axial rate gyroscopes, designed to calculate objective information on these sport specific KPVs was initiated in parallel. Although preliminary, the results may provide practical benefit for elite half-pipe snowboard training and current subjective judging protocols. In light of theorised implications, this paper investigated the perception and possible social impact of these concepts on the practice community. Data was collected via semi-structured, open ended interviews with nine subjects (six athletes, two coaches, and one judge) currently involved in elite half-pipe snowboard competition. This study revealed 6 dimensions and 20 sub-dimensions relating to the practice community’s perceptions of 3 major themes that emerged during interviews. The themes included: 1) State of the current subjective judging system, 2) Automated feedback and objective judging system, and 3) Future direction of the sport. There was dominant negative perception of a proposed automated judging concept based solely on objective information unless the system integrates with the current subjective judging protocol and continues to allow athletic freedom of expression and the capacity for athletes to showcase individual style and flair in elite competition. The results of this study provide the practice community an initial public forum to describe its perceptions to future automated judging concepts, nominating them to be the primary determinants of change, technological or otherwise, within their sporting discipline.

2.  Technology and Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition – Insight From Elite-Level Judges

Harding JW, Toohey K, Martin DT, Hahn AG, James DA. (2008) Technology and Half-Pipe Snowboard Competition – Insight From Elite-Level Judges. In The Engineering of Sport 7, Estivalet, M., Brisson, P. Springer-Verlag France., Vol. 2, 467 – 476.

Automated objective information specific to half-pipe snowboarding has now been made available with micro-technology and signal processing techniques. In consultation with the practice community this has been introduced into training and competition in Australia. It is understood that any integration of technology into elite sport can effect change beyond the original purpose and can often generate unintended consequences. We have therefore evaluated the perceptions of key members of the elite half-pipe snowboard community in regards to how emerging technology could interface with the sport. Data were collected via semi-structured, open ended interviews with 16 international, elite-level half-pipe snowboard competition judges. This study revealed 8 dimensions and 42 sub-dimensions related to the community’s perceptions to 5 major themes that emerged during interviews. The major themes included: 1. Snowboarding’s Underlying Cultural Ethos 2. Snowboarding’s Underlying Self-Annihilating Teleology 3. Technological Objectivity 4. Concept Management 5. Coveted Future Directions. There was dominant perception that an underlying self-annihilating teleology could exist within competitive half-pipe snowboarding. This was believed however to pose a distant threat on judging protocols to reliably assess performance. Judges sampled in this study were largely in favour of using automated objectivity to enhance the judging process however, with a number of caveats. Most importantly that objective information is to be used as a judging aid and not for automatic generation of scores. This would address the most prevalent concern that integrating any automated objectivity into snowboarding could potentially remove freedom of expression and the opportunity to showcase athletic individuality – traits valued by the practice community. Our data highlight that successful implementation of emerging technologies in sport will be not be based on the type of technology developed but instead by the integration process which must feature a large element of control imparted to the key players within the sport.

3.  Fusion of Technological Objectivity into the Underlying Anarchy of Elite Snowboarding – Insights from the Australian National Snowboard Coach.

Harding JW, James DA. Fusion of Technological Objectivity into the Underlying Anarchy of Elite Snowboarding – Insights from the Australian National Snowboard Coach. Sports Technology 2008; 1 (6), 239 – 248.

This interview was focussed upon gaining practice community insight into the potential of micro-technology and subsequent automated objectivity to assist coaches and competition judges with performance assessment during elite half-pipe snowboarding. The sport of half-pipe snowboarding has however traditionally assessed performance during training, free riding and competition by purely subjective measures and until recently has had very little to do with sport science and the focus of objectifying performance parameters associated with rigorous scientific inquiry. The authors have previously shown there is a strong relationship between objective key performance variables such as air-time and degree of rotation (assessed using video based analysis) and an athletes’ subjectively judged score during elite half-pipe snowboarding competitions. Video based analysis however requires labour intensive manual post processing of data and is associated with a large time delay in information feedback. As such it is theorised to have limited potential for the feedback of objective information to snowboard athletes, coaches, and judges. The authors have therefore worked alongside numerous collaborators from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA), Griffith University (GU) and Catapult Innovations to develop a system of automated objectivity based on tri-axial accelerometers and tri-axial rate gyroscopes that can calculate air-time and degree of rotation during half-pipe snowboard runs. The concept was originally focussed on enhancing current training protocols but has also shown potential to support judges in assessing athletic performance during elite half-pipe snowboard competition. Although there is a potential benefit to using systems of automated objectivity within the sport of snowboarding there are also potential drawbacks associated with objectifying a sport that prides itself on providing a platform that allows freedom of expression and the capacity to showcase athletic individuality. It is believed that the integration of any form of objectivity into a sport such as half-pipe snowboarding should be conducted whilst allowing key practice community members control over the overall direction. This 45-minute interview was conducted by Jason Harding (AIS sport scientist) with Ben Wordsworth (the Australian national snowboard coach currently affiliated with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia) in between surfs at Manly Beach NSW Australia on Wednesday 1st October 2008.

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JASON HARDING

ANARCHIST ATHLETTE