The project brief
The brief
We were approached to improve the performance and usability of the rig used by Great Britain’s National Paralympic Skiing Team, GB Snowsport to deliver a competitive advantage for the athletes. The SItski needed to be aerodynamically efficient, lightweight through use of a complex composite structures, ergonomic and above all, safe for the athletes.
The new sit skis were used by the four-man Para Nordic World Cup squad throughout the 2021/22 season, culminating in the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, China and were the result of an advanced engineering innovation process led by WAE’s in-house Design Team, GB Snowsport’s Sport Sciences department and a multi-disciplinary research team from Coventry University.
Athlete involvement in the design process ensured each sit-ski was specifically tailored to the individual athlete’s technique, drawing on WAE’s impressive track record of supporting British Paralympic efforts since the Rio Summer Games in 2016.
The work
- Athletes were e 3D scanned to create geometry for CFD
- CAE/CFD programmes run
- Strain gauge tests conducted together with extensive Wind Tunnel Testing
The outcome
12% Reduction in Drag, compared to previous design
Reduction in Athlete’s Fatigue through weight reduction and ergonomics
“Personal Bests” recorded by all athletes in 2022 Winter Games
