Department of Health & Human Development at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
"Can older skiers improve their fitness as they go downhill?"
John Seifert, PhD. is a professor in the Department of Health & Human Development at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. His expertise refer to the research field: Exercise Science, Exercise Performance; Cardiovascular Disease, Blood Pressure; Hypertension; Muscle Function, Physiology, Exercise Physiology and Muscle Contraction. Over the past 30 years, he has presented research data and published numerous articles in alpine skiing and alpine touring at prestigious scientific journals. His bibliography encompasses over 60 scientific articles, a lot of reviewed published conference papers, published book chapters, invited editorial, professional publications, and invited lectures. In his career, he successfully carried out over 50 research projects grants and received several significant honors and awards for his work.
Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
"Skis as a potential risk factor in alpine skiing"
Professor of Sport Science Kinesiology and Head of the Biomechanics Laboratory at the Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He has an interdisciplinary background with a B.Sc. in Physics, an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Sports Science. He is a former elite alpine ski racer, member of National Alpine Ski Demo Team and current member of the Technical board of the Slovenian Ski Association. His research work, which has been awarded two national prizes for scientific excellence and an international innovation prize, includes about 80 scientific papers, several invited lectures and presentations, mainly focused on alpine skiing, but also includes projects in other sports. He is President of the Organising Committee of the 25th International Congress on Snowsports Trauma and Safety and the 38th Congress of the International Society for Snowsports Medicine, 2024, Krajnska Gora, Slovenia.
Department of Biomedical Sciences of University of Padova, Italy
"Hamstrings morphology and function importance in Youth and Elite Skiers - a missing piece of the puzzle?"
Martino Franchi, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in Human Physiology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences of University of Padova (IT). He obtained his PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). After a 3 years postdoc position in muscle physiology at the University of Nottingham (UK), he was appointed as a Research Fellow in the Sports Medicine Research Group at the Balgrist University Hospital (University of Zürich, CH). He was a recipient, as Co-I, of a Swiss grant (Balgrist Foundation) for implementing novel ultrasound techniques for the study of specific lower limb muscles and patellar tendon mechanical properties of the Swiss Ski National Teams and of Swiss Elite Youth Skiers. His main interests lay in muscle and tendon functional and structural adaptations to loading, disuse, and ageing, with a from-the-macro-to-the-micro approach.
Team Palisades Tahoe Education & Development Manager, Olympic Valley, California, United States
"Analyzing Movement Analysis"
Ron Kipp is the Ski Team Education and Development Manager for Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows Race Team. Prior to that he was the Alpine Sports Education Manager for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. He did his Ph.D. work in Sports Science/Motor Control at the University of Utah prior to working with the U.S. Ski Team's Sport Science Department as Director of Athlete Preparation. He has also coached and was the Head Physiologist with the U.S. Ski Team's Men's Alpine World Cup Team and was Assistant Director of Coaches Education for USSA (United States Ski and Snowboard Association). He has worked with the Norwegian Men's Alpine National Team as an on-hill coach and sport science consultant. For five years he was the Education Manager for PSIA-I (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Ron is a Level 3 Instructor and Level 500 Coach. He has written two books, authored or co-authored over 40 scientific published papers, and has given over 100 presentations nationally and internationally on skiing.
University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Occurrence and trends of accumulated and acute injuries or painful sensations among ski instructors"
Research area:
- biomechanical diagnostics of posture status using 3D technology;
- isokinetic diagnostics of muscle potentials with biomechanical analysis of the results;
- kinematic diagnostics and analysis of moving structures in different sports;
- biomechanical analysis of alpine skiing technique with dynamic-kinetic tools;
Academic activities:
- university professor of Biomechanics in the first and second cycle of studies - University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education;
- university professor of Corrective Gymnastics in the first cycle of studies - University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education;
- university professor on the third cycle (doctoral study) - subject Research in kinesiological kinesitherapy, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education;
- elected lecturer on the third cycle (doctoral study) - subject Kinesiometry, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education;
- Lecturer at all courses for ski instructors (ISIA) and trainers of alpine skiing in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Scientific activity:
- actively participated, presenting his research, at numerous international conferences and symposia;
- participated in several international research projects financed by EC, in the capacity of researcher and coordinator of the entire research and as the original author of the project;
- author of university books in the field of Biomechanics, Corrective Gymnastics and Applied Kinetics;
- author of a number of scientific papers in the period from 1997 to the present, published in indexed scientific journals;
Professional activity:
- Served as head coach of the B&H Alpine Ski National Team from 1997 to 2004 with participation in the Winter Olympic Games, world championships and European and World Cup competitions, in the given period;
- President of the Ski Trainers and Instructors Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ATUS in BH)
Institute for Kinesiology Research, Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia
"Tracks in the Snow: Exploring the socialization of skiing"
Saša Pišot, PhD, is a sociologist, research fellow and assistant professor at the Institute for Kinesiology Research at the Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia.
Her research focuses on topics in sports sociology, especially social factors in shaping lifestyles and their influence on physical performance of specific population groups (elderly, children and youth, women) and other social phenomena related to kinesiology.
She has published over 30 original scientific articles and reviews in prestigious international scientific journals (over 700 WOS and Scopus citations) and regularly presents her research findings at international conferences.
She is currently involved in several national and European research projects. She is the coordinator of the ERASMUS + Sport - Cooperation project "SKI EASY – EASY" and a member of the project committee of EWAS – Empowering Women in Alpine Skiing.
She is a member of several professional societies: European Association for Sociology of Sport, Slovenian Society of Kinesiology, Slovenian Association of Ski Instructor and Trainers and since 2021 she is a field editor of the scientific journal Annales Kinesiologiae. From 2023 she is a member of the Commission for Equal Opportunities in Science at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. She was a member of the Alpine youth and junior national team (Yugoslavia) from 1982 to 1988 and has been a certified ISIA-CTT ski instructor since 1992 and an international Nordic walking instructor since 2018.
Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
»Aligning Assessments with Jobs: Workforce Development«
Pete Allison, PhD. is an associate professor of values and experiential learning in Health and Human Development (Recreation, Park and tourism management and Shavers Creek) at The Pennsylvania State University. He joined Penn State in summer 2016, moving from Scotland. Allison has worked with the British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) for the last 10 years on curriculum development and Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE). He and colleagues are now partnering with PSIA-AASI to develop curriculum, research, QAE and ultimately a degree pathway for snowsports instructors. Pete Allison is a member of the IAESS (Interanational Association for Eductaion and Science in Snowsport) and its Vice President.
Department of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Institute, University Medical Centre Maribor, Slovenia
"Surgical treatment of knee injuries in skiing"
Prof. Matjaž Vogrin is an orthopaedic surgeon and specialist in arthroscopic surgery and sports injuries. He is chairman of the Institute of Sports Medicine ” at the Faculty of Medicine in Maribor, Slovenia, and head of the medical subdivision of the Slovenian National Olympic Committee.
He was chief physician of the Slovenian Olympic team at the 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games (London, Rio, Tokyo, Paris), official physician of the Slovenian national football team and head of the Slovenian medical team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He has also been head of the medical team of FC Maribor ( UEFA Champions League and Europa League participants) since 1999. He has been an invited speaker at sports medicine congresses and conferences worldwide.