A Scientific Way to Go Faster Downhill
It's getting a little late in skiing season at this point, but chances are if you're hardcore about going downhill on a pair of boards you'll figure out a way to do so well into the Spring. If so, you're probably curious about how well you're skiing, especially if you're thinking of taking your skills to the next level by going pro.
If such thoughts are on your mind, a company Advanced Racing Computers has a solution for you: the vLink, a set of sensors and a lanyard-attached device the size of a Nano that work together to calculate speed, distance and slippage. The sensors work on the same technology as optical mice; the display can store up to 99 runs for comparison statistics and includes a tone generator that will alert you (via earphone) when you've started to move outside predetermined slippage limits. It's not quite the eye-mounted head's up display with a built-in coaching computer I know we all really want, but the US Olympic team seems to like it and its $750 price tag; they've been working with the company refining the device since 2004.
