The HPSNZ Athlete Performance Support team that partners with Snow Sports NZ is shredding every bit of data in its pursuit of performance gains and those forces are under scrutiny.
Physio Sarah Gillespie and Performance and Technique Analyst (PTA) Jamie Middleton are leading an innovative project aimed at understanding and mitigating the forces snowboarders face—particularly those that contribute to injury.
The idea behind this project isn’t new. It dates back to 2012, when HPSNZ’s Paul McAlpine, then Snow Sports PTA, developed an early version of a force plate system to measure load under snowboard bindings.
While groundbreaking at the time, the technology was bulky and required significant manual input. Still, it planted a seed. “The concept’s been ticking away in the back of our minds since then,” Sarah says.
That seed grew into action nearly two years ago, when three elite snowboarders sustained ankle fractures in a single season.
“It was a cluster that really highlighted how much we don’t know about the force going through the ankle,” Sarah explains. “We needed better data to help prevent these injuries and to enhance performance.”
The team turned to a new generation of force plates—thinner, lighter, and far more sophisticated. Developed by a German company with experience in gymnastics, alpine racing, and ski jumping, these plates are designed to be placed inside the boot, allowing for detailed analysis of foot mechanics during take-off and landing.
“They’re the least invasive option and give us a much clearer picture,” Jamie says. “We can now break down the data to look at specific parts of the foot, not just the total force.”
From a physio perspective, Sarah is focused on injury prevention and rehabilitation. The data helps identify asymmetries—like whether an athlete is loading one leg more than the other—and informs tailored gym programmes to strengthen vulnerable areas.
“It’s about preparing the body to absorb force more effectively, so it’s not all clustered at the ankle joint,” she says.
Jamie brings a performance lens to the project. “We’re looking at how different phases of a jump affect force, how rotation changes load, and how slopestyle compares to halfpipe,” she explains. “It’s about finding those easy wins that can make a big difference.”
The implications for Milano Cortina are significant. With the Games approaching, the team is in the peaking phase of their quadrennial cycle. “Our biggest risk to performance is injury,” Sarah notes. “The more we understand force and load, the more available our athletes will be for training and competition.”
Already, the force plate data has played a role in rehabbing the three athletes who sustained ankle fractures—athletes who are now back on snow and aiming for podiums in Italy.
The technology also offers insights into athlete development. Many snowboarders are still in their teens, navigating peak performance while their bones are still growing. “We’re negotiating active growth plates,” Sarah says. “Force plates help us monitor how their bodies respond as they mature. This is especially important during adolescence, when coordination, connective tissue tightness, and life load—everything from school to learning independence—can all impact performance and injury risk.”
Snowboarding is a sport that’s evolving at breakneck speed. Athletes are regularly attempting tricks that have never been done before. “To be at the top, you’re doing something no one has ever done—not once a season, but probably twice,” Jamie says. That means the performance team has to stay ahead of the curve. “We’ve got to learn faster than the rest of the world.”
The force plate project is helping them do just that. It’s not just about injury prevention—it’s about unlocking performance potential.
“We’re starting to ask new questions,” Jamie says. “How does a forward take-off compare to a switch take-off? How does the size of the jump affect force? What’s the difference between disciplines?” The answers could shape everything from training loads to equipment choices.
Ultimately, it’s a team effort. “It takes the full performance team to figure out what we know and what we don’t,” says Sarah. “The force plates are helping us turn unknowns into knowns.”
And for Sarah and Jamie, that’s the most exciting part. “We’re doing something new,” says Sarah. “We’re learning things no one else in the world knows yet. That’s a pretty powerful place to be.”
