SKIING &
SNOWBOARDING

About mechanicsofsport.com

Mechanics of Sport is a website that shows how and why sports work, by explaining the physics and mechanics behind them and the techniques that are used. The site currently covers skiing and snowboarding, using 3D graphics to make everything as clear as possible and easy to understand. Manoeuvres are explained step by step with common mistakes listed and tips given for achieving the correct techniques.

The Concept

The concept for the website came about from a disliking of how everything in the modern world is becoming too style based, with everything just made to look good, but not functioning like it should do, and not giving any technical information. Especially in sports, mechanics and physics are very important, as looking good is not even possible if you don't adhere to them. From my experience ski and snowboard instructing I also realised that my students learn a lot quicker when I use elements of physics and mechanics in my teaching, as then even if they don't understand everything fully, they still realise the importance of things. I then noticed that this way of teaching is not very common, and that there is very little technical information available linking learning to simple physics. From that I decided to make this site, showing how and why sports work, using carefully written explanations and examples to keep it easy to understand. Most people aren't idiots, even though the modern world likes to treat them that way, as long as something is well explained it might be surprising how much people can understand.

The Website

The website is aimed at explaining how sports work, right from the physics and mechanics that make them possible, to the techniques that are used. The idea is that with a good knowledge of a sport it will enable people to improve themselves more, and give a different way of thinking about what they are trying to do. The site has been very carefully written, trying to make things as short and simple as possible, yet still include everything that is important, with plenty of diagrams and graphics to aid the explanations and make things more easily understood. In my experience I have always found people learn more quickly when they know why they are trying to do something, instead of just being told to do it.

The site is starting off with skiing and snowboarding, providing the theory side to the sports that are very often overlooked. The sections are always being updated to include more information about techniques and equipment, or to consolidate what is already there.

The site started off with no money making agenda, but after realising how much time it was going to take to make the site, it became clear that adverts were going to have to be put on the site to try and make up for some of the money lost in hosting and making the website. I also realised that for the site to get to where I ultimately want it to be, it will have to earn enough for me to work on it at least part time. This is all still a long way off, but we will see what happens, I would really like to see the site get to the image I have in my head.

The website complies to the latest html coding standards, and might not display or work properly on some older web browsers. The site is aimed at people savy enough to know that they should always use the latest browser version, and no time has been wasted trying to make anything compatible with older browsers.

The site is intended to be used in conjunction with ski and snowboard lessons, and is not intended to be able to replace a ski or snowboard instructor, no website would ever be able to this. Performing exercises with an instructor in real life is a very important step in achieving the correct technique and learning to ski or snowboard safely. An instructor will always have exercises relevant to what you need to work on. This cannot be done on a website, as it needs someone who knows what they are doing to see the mistakes, and work out how best to correct them. In the same way having friends teach you to ski or snowboard, also rarely works well, as they rarely know what they are doing. Teaching skiing or snowboarding requires training and experience to know the best exercises for certain situations, and to be able to pick out mistakes being made that are not obvious.

If you would like to read about some of the decisions made while making the website, and a bit about how the website was made, you can do so on the Making the Website page.

If you would like to support mechanicsofsport.com, helping to keep the website a free and unbiased source of skiing and snowboarding information, as well as enable more content creation. Please make a donation using the button in the bottom right corner.

About Me

I am British, although I live in Austria. I have a degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a qualified ski and snowboard instructor. I teach skiing and snowboarding in Kitzbühel (Austria) in the winter. Since I was very young I have taken part in many sports where an understanding of mechanics and physics can really help, and over the years have come to understand many sports in ways a lot of people don't think of. I'm also interested in technology and in making this site it links many of my interests together. I am not able to effortlessly excel at sports as I don't have much natural spring in my body, but with my ability to understand how sports work, I have still managed to get to an advanced level in many sports. The website is aimed at enabling others to do the same, the average person is almost always capable of getting to a high level, and have lots of fun doing so.

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