A screen on the floor of a wind tunnel displays drag readings as the racer simulates a short-radius turn.
Downhill racers improve their speed by skiing at a standstill.
Instead of gliding to the starting gate through the crisp, crackling snow, the skier cautiously steps onto a gridded platform in a test cell. The wind begins to rush by, and he drops into a compact tuck. The scene is the Calspan Corporation's wind tunnel in Buffaio, New York. NormalIy used to test the dispersion of pollutants and the airfiow around buildings, the tunnel is sometimes a training arena for members of the U.S. Olympic ski team. Mike Holden, a ski instructor and a principal engineer at Calspan, directs the program, helping both new and accomplished skiers to perfect their high-speed zigzags on treacherous downhill courses.