The 10th International Congress on Science and Skiing will be Held in Italy this January – A Team of Ski Research Experts from JYU Participating
The first ICSS was held in St. Christoph am Arlberg, Austria in 1996. Since then, ICSS has been hosted at various locations, primarily in Austria, with a landmark meeting held in Aspen, Colorado, USA, in 2004. Under the original leadership of Professor Erich Müller and the University of Salzburg, ICSS has consistently covered a wide range of skiing disciplines.
At the upcoming congress in Val di Fiemme, presentations from JYU will be delivered by PhD Oona Kettunen, MSc Antti Leppävuori, MSc Ville Sampolahti, MSc Miika Köykkä, and Professors Vesa Linnamo and Harri Piitulainen. Many of the abstracts are co-authored by the researchers at JYU-Vuokatti. Additionally, ski service experts PhD Olli Ohtonen and MSc Teemu Lemmettylä will travel to the event and stay afterward to conduct ski tests, related on The Ski Service Development Project in preparation for the next Winter Olympics. The following abstracts have been accepted for oral or poster presentations:
Oona Kettunen, Titta Kuorelahti, Vesa Linnamo, Johanna K. Ihalainen & Ritva Mikkonen. Higher energy availability may support hemoglobin mass adaptation during a 21-day period at normobaric hypoxia and normoxia
Antti Leppävuori, Keijo Ruotsalainen, Miika Köykkä, Vesa Linnamo. A new electronic rifle range and shooting laboratory for biathlon training and research
Ville Sampolahti, Vesa Linnamo, Olli Ohtonen. The effect of sitting position on sit-ski performance on a treadmill and in a ski ergometer - cycle characteristics and physiological parameters: a case study
Zöe L. Wimshurst, Miika Köykkä, Keijo Ruotsalainen, Vesa Linnamo. Visual requirements and shooting performance of the elite biathlete
Miika Köykkä, Keijo Ruotsalainen, Vesa Linnamo. A static hold test can assess stability of hold and postural control for biathlon prone shooting
In Val di Fiemme, the results of a study investigating motor control and balance during cross country skiing, funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation's Kainuu Regional Fund (PhD Jarmo Piirainen), will also be presented in two separate congress presentations by JYU's Professor Harri Piitulainen and collaborator PhD Magdalena Karczewska-Lindinger.
Harri Piitulainen, Alessandra Giangrande, Alberto Botter, Giacinto Luigi Cerone, Magdalena Karczewska-Lindinger, Stefan Lindinger, Jarmo M Piirainen. Reproducibility of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials in cross-country skiing: a proof-of-concept study
Magdalena Karczewska-Lindinger, Stefan Lindinger, Harri Piitulainen, Alessandra Giangrande, Jarmo M Piirainen. Spinal and supraspinal excitability during cross-country skiing using V2 skating technique
Congresses Also Held in Vuokatti
Finland and the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ have played a significant role in the development of the ICSS congress series. The late Professor Paavo Komi was involved in the ICSS congress series from its inception and arranged with Professor Erich Müller to host the first congress focused on Nordic skiing disciplines, the International Congress on Skiing and Nordic Skiing (ICSNS), in Vuokatti in 2006. Professor Komi and Professor Vesa Linnamo, head ofs Sports Technology Unit Vuokatti, organized the event. The congress was held in Vuokatti again in 2012 and 2015 under the leadership of Professors Vesa Linnamo and Stefan Lindinger.
An all-encompassing International Ski Congress was held in Vuokatti once in 2019. During this congress, it was decided that separate congresses on Nordic skiing disciplines would no longer be organized. During this congress, the "International Congress on Science and Skiing" organization was established to determine future congress locations. Professor Linnamo had the honor of serving as the organization's chairman for one day before passing the role to Professor Thomas Stöggl. Currently, Professor Barbara Pellegrini, chair of the 2025 Val di Fiemme congress, leads the organization.
"My tenure as chairman was significant, but the shortest in my career," Linnamo laughs.
Driving Instructions and Angry Birds
Having attended these congresses for nearly twenty years, Professor Linnamo recalls various memorable moments. On one occasion, participants from Vuokatti were unsure whether they would reach St. Christoph due to deteriorating driving conditions.
"Olli Ohtonen skillfully maneuvered the rental car up the mountain with Komi and me giving directions from the passenger seats," Linnamo recalls.
At the 2019 Vuokatti congress, an amusing moment occurred when attendees were invited to the local Angry Birds activity park. Throughout the congress, one researcher eagerly asked when they would embark on a "bird-watching" excursion. The misunderstanding was clarified, and once at the park, the group split into those engaging in activities and those enjoying refreshments. The organizers were initially concerned about whether the first group would stay occupied long enough for the others to finish their refreshments, but their worry was unfounded - a park staff member remarked: "They don’t want to leave!"
ICSS as an International Platform
Academically, the congress has highlighted Vuokatti’s ski research to the global research community resulting in several joint projects with multiple research organizations.
"At the Austrian congress in 2023, I gave a lecture modestly titled: ‘How to Become the World’s Leading Research Unit in Nordic Skiing Disciplines by 2033.’ I emphasized the importance of international collaboration and listed how, at that time, JYU-Vuokatti researchers had co-authored peer-reviewed winter sports research articles with a total of 19 international researchers," Linnamo states.
Each congress features a robust scientific program, with over 200 oral and poster presentations complemented by engaging social and sports events that highlight local culture. Research findings are compiled and published as books or special issues of scientific journals after each congress.
Since 2006, Linnamo has encouraged younger researchers from Vuokatti to participate in these congresses. The Young Researcher Competition is one of the highlights of the congress and is eagerly awaited also in 2025.
