The relationship between pole length and propulsion in sit-skiing for athletes with a disability

Sit-skiing is a Paralympic Sport in which athletes with a disability propel themselves around a 2.5K to 10K cross country ski course using a double-pole technique while sitting in/on a ski mounted sledge. Tri-axial accelerometry using a mobile Data Logger was used to sample acceleration 200 times per second over 5 full propulsion cycles on a flat level ski course using three different ski-pole lengths and two seat heights. Data analysis showed a clear relationship between generated impulse and pole length and between optimal pole length and seat height.