function, the frame rate is between 23.97fps and 30fps. The conscious visual frame rate of the human eye is somewhere between 60fps and 100fps. Subliminal detection can be as fast as 1/1,000 th of a second. Race car drivers and fighter pilots have been tested using a strobe light to arrive at these results. Ski and snowboard athletes fall within the same visually elite categories. For example, a freestyle mogul skier must judge distance, contour, horizontal angle, speed, and vertical depth, simultaneously. A slalom skier must visually compute distance, snow contour, horizontal angle of attack, vertical depth, speed, pole color, snow markings… all while achieving maximum speed and maintaining stability. New Olympic events like freestyle aerial jumping inject incredibly complex visual challenges that require different lighting considerations for the approach, the ramp, air hang time, and the landing. In addition to the competitor, lighting must provide the maximum visual experience for judges while meeting technical specifications for new video recording equipment. Unfortunately, very little attention has been paid to technical aspects of night time event lighting as evidenced by the entire FIS §655 inclusive. When the television standard was originally conceived, freestyle skiing and snowboarding didn’t exist, nor the half-pipe, aerial jumps, motor cross, and mogul competitions. Speeds were slower and even artificial snow-making and grooming lacked today’s sophistication. The primary importance is athlete safety and performance . Lighting must provide maximum visual acuity for the least capital and operating cost. Thus, light quality should be combined with energy efficiency to accomplish the ultimate goal. Today’s video camera technology can resolve images in less than 1 lux. Color rendering can be clear at 5 lux or less than half a foot candle. The more important elements of television lighting are color temperature, spectral balance, consistency, and stability.
Having uneven lighting that spot measures at 80 lux will not provide good video results if the intensity is uneven or there is spectral bias that distorts the image color. A spectrum balanced for video at an intensity of only 10 lux can produce better results than a conventional metal halide lamp that provides 80 lux. As the chart illustrates, conventional metal
halide and mercury arc lamps produce spectral concentrations in the ultraviolet range at 365nm, 405nm, and 436nm. More than 30% of the spectral balance is outside the eye’s most sensitive visual range. As it happens, video cameras are designed to accentuate wavelengths within the visually effective range. There is a significant spectral void from 450nm to 535nm, which is right in the middle of human visual acuity and the preferred range of modern video equipment. Given the expense of developing snow sports professional competition venues, it is highly advisable to consult a design firm with specific ski resort design experience specializing in slopes, terrain parks, and jumps. Resources include the National Ski Area Association
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