Perceptual consensus on cross-country ski-snow performance: a questionnaire study of experts and non-experts

Understanding how skiers and ski technicians perceive snow conditions and ski preparation is essential for optimising glide performance in cross-country (XC) skiing. While tribological research has established how snow microstructure, water-film formation, and ski-snow interactions influence friction, comparatively little is known about how skiers and ski technicians interpret these mechanisms in practice.

We therefore conducted a nationwide questionnaire study (n = 249) to quantify perceptual consensus on ten topics related to snow type, glide determinants, ski preparation, and skier-equipment interaction. Responses were analysed using van der Eijk's agreement coefficient for ordinal data and Cliff's delta to evaluate expert (n = 20) versus non-expert (n = 229) differences.

Agreement varied systematically across topics: the highest consensus was found for perceived ski speed on different snow types and structure selection, while the lowest was observed for glide determinants, paired glide tests involving skier mass, and double-poling positioning. Experts showed higher within-group agreement for perceived ski speed in skate-skiing and on moist transformed snow, and they consistently rated ski camber as more important than non-experts did.

These findings highlight empirically developed know-how within the skiing community, such as shared heuristics for snow-type assessment and preparation, and systematic expertise-related differences in prioritising fundamental ski characteristics (e.g., camber). As such, they can be used for targeted education and to inform future applied tribology research.