A kinematic analysis of a telemark ski turn by Thomas Allen Trafton, Jr A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Of Master of Science in Health and Human Development Montana State University © Copyright by Thomas Allen Trafton, Jr (1998) Abstract: Sondre Nordheim, born in 1825 in the town of Telemark, Norway developed the telemark ski turn. Little experimental data has been collected on the sport of telemark skiing. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinematics of a telemark ski turn including joint angles, joint ROM, and position changes of the lower extremity and trunk. Five, advanced level, male telemark skiers (29 + 8.1 yrs) volunteered and gave written informed consent to all testing procedures. A single telemark ski turn was analyzed using 3-D videography. The two 2-D images were transformed to create a 3-D model using the DLT technique. Two coordinate systems were used to calculate the kinematic data. Descriptive characteristics and summary statistics were calculated for the kinematic data. All subjects showed similar characteristics and kinematic patterns during the ski turn. A telemark turn sequence was created from the averages of the five skiers. Movements and position changes of feet, ankles, knees, hips, trunk; shoulders, and COM were analyzed and described during the turn progression. ROM and joint angles were also used to analyze and describe the ski progression. The telemark skier works more like a flexible linked because the heel is not fixed to the ski allowing a greater ROM of the hips, knees, and ankles compared to alpine skiing. The telemark turn produced hip flexion ROM of 38 + 17.1 for the inside/uphill leg and 27 ± 12.0 for the downhill/outside leg, greater than alpine skiing results. Telemark skiers demonstrated greater hip flexion than alpine skiers when comparing maximum and minimum hip flexion angles for the inside and outside legs. Telemark skiers had knee flexion range from 88 ± 6.8 to 124 ± 7.1 degrees for the uphill knee and 100 + 3.9 to 119 ± 5.2 for the downhill knee greater than the results from alpine skiing. Differences from previous literature include the following; movements of the hips, knees and ankles near the completion of the sequence, pole plant occurring before the feet become parallel, and the forward to aft foot displacement during the turn.