What creates drag in skiing?

Answer 1

For the purposes of this, I'll assume you are talking about snowsports.

For the recreational skier, aerodynamics have little or no effect. In other words, short of a parachute, no body position or clothing will create enough drag to effect a change in either speed or position on the mountain (turning). For the competitive "racer" aerodynamics can mean the difference between a podium stand or loss of sponsorship. But I won't get into that.

A recreational skier can create "drag" by using their weight on the INSIDE edges of the ski against gravity. This is begun by turning the ski out of "the fall line" (the imaginary line gravity would take ANY object down the mountain) and then engaging (standing on with all their weight) the uphill edge(s) of either ski-which ever is on the downhill side. Perhaps a better image would be that if you turned the ski all the way across the mountain (pointing it into the treeline of the run rather than the parking lot) and stood on the uphill edges, you would find the ski doesn't slid easily or at all.

Edging-

Think of viewing the ski from the front at the ground level. It would be flat on the surface of the snow. If you were standing on the inside edge or the "big toe" edge of the ski, the outside edge or "little toe" side would be lifted off the surface of the snow. This then is called "edge angle". The more weight the edge has on it, the more effective the action will be. Additionally, the higher the edge angle, the more effective the edge will be. Putting a ski slightly on its edge will have a little effect. Putting it as high as the skier can will have the most effect.

Ski position-

This is done in conjunction with, as I said above, turning the ski out of the fall line. If you look at the face of a clock, and make 12 the top of the run or the mountain and 6 the parking lot, then 3 and nine are all way across the mountain. And there are 15 points between 3 and 6 that then would constitute varying degrees of speed. 6 being the fastest (straight) and 3 being nothing or stopping. The closer the ski is to the 3 or 9 position on the mountain the LESS speed it will have. The closer the ski is to the 6 position the MORE speed the ski will have.

The skier uses the skis position on the mountain(9,6, or 3 in our clockface mental diagram), the edge angle, and their weight to create more or less "drag" on their skis edge against gravity.

We ( the recreational skier) only use the "inside" edges of the ski to effect these changes. The "inside" edges are those edges which correspond to the inside of the foot or the "big toe" side(s).

For the snowboarder, the explanation is EXACTLY the same except they have only the uphill edge or the downhill edge. They still effect edging by positioning their board closer or farther away from the fall line and effecting an edge angle by lifting their heels or toes, which ever is downhill.

What you have termed "drag" is commonly referred to as "edging".

A ski or snowboard is merely a GIANT ice skating blade. The physics, functionality, and performance of a metal edge on frozen water are the same. Whether the water is frozen in sheet form (ice skating) or flake (skiing & Snowboarding) Therefore, take a look at the following links to get a better idea how these physics are used to create "drag" and slow the user down.

Ice skating

Skiing

Snowboarding

These are all PERFECT examples of "drag" or edging to the absolute or maximum degree. In other words, all are using the drag of the edges to stop themselves.

Edging doesn't have to be used only to stop. It can, by less positioning angle (clockface mental diagram) and less edge angle be used to effect less or slight changes in speed and attitude while on the mountain. This would be called turning.

But, I used the stopping as an explanation because it is easy to see the effects of "drag" on a ski.