About
Protern Video Analysis is a specialized sports performance platform built exclusively for alpine ski racing. It bridges the gap between raw GPS sensor data and race footage by linking the two in real time, giving coaches and athletes a comprehensive view of each run without manually syncing files or toggling between separate tools. With Protern, users can visualize speed, acceleration, and line choice overlaid on race video simultaneously. This makes it immediately clear where time is gained or lost on a course and how different line choices affect performance. The platform supports all major alpine disciplines — slalom, giant slalom, and downhill — making it versatile across a full competitive season. Protern offers a dedicated Live Sensor hardware product (the Live Bib and original sensors) that integrates directly with its software ecosystem. Coaches benefit from fast feedback workflows and automatic video access, reducing the time between a run and a meaningful debrief. Athletes gain a clearer understanding of their own performance through synchronized data visualizations rather than subjective verbal feedback alone. The platform is designed for individual coaches, athletes, and full teams or programs that want to elevate their analytical approach to training and competition. Its workflow-focused design ensures minimal friction from capture to review, even in high-paced race environments. Protern is a paid hardware-plus-software solution aimed at serious competitors and coaching staff who demand data-driven insights.
Key Features
- GPS-Linked Video Playback: Automatically synchronizes GPS sensor data with race footage so coaches can scrub through video while seeing live speed and acceleration metrics.
- Line Choice Visualization: Displays the athlete's actual race line on screen, enabling direct comparison of route decisions across runs or between athletes.
- Multi-Discipline Support: Works across slalom, giant slalom, and downhill events, making it a complete solution throughout the alpine ski racing season.
- Fast Feedback Workflows: Designed to minimize time between a race run and a data-driven debrief, with automatic video access and streamlined review tools.
- Coach & Athlete Understanding: Presents complex performance data in a visual format that both coaches and athletes can quickly interpret, improving communication and learning.
Use Cases
- A ski coach reviews a slalom run with an athlete immediately after the race, comparing GPS speed data overlaid on video to identify where the athlete is losing time in transitions.
- A junior racing program compares line choices between athletes across multiple GS runs to identify the fastest route through key gates and standardize coaching cues.
- A national team analyst uses Protern to build a season-long performance database, tracking speed and acceleration trends across training and competition runs.
- An individual freeskier preparing for racing adds the sensor to monitor self-improvement over time, reviewing runs solo without a coach present.
- A head coach uses the fast feedback workflow to debrief a downhill athlete within minutes of finishing a training run before conditions change.
Pros
- Unified Data + Video View: Eliminates the need to juggle separate video and data tools — everything is synchronized in one interface for faster, more accurate analysis.
- Purpose-Built for Alpine Racing: Focused entirely on ski racing workflows, so features and UI are tailored to real on-mountain coaching scenarios rather than generic sports analytics.
- Fast Automatic Video Access: Reduces administrative overhead with automatic video capture and organization, letting coaches spend more time on performance review.
Cons
- Niche Sport Focus: Built exclusively for alpine ski racing — not applicable to coaches or athletes in other sports disciplines.
- Hardware Dependency: Full functionality requires purchasing Protern's proprietary Live Sensor or original sensor hardware, adding upfront cost.
- Paid-Only Model: No free tier or trial is apparent, which may be a barrier for individual athletes or small clubs with limited budgets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What alpine ski disciplines does Protern support?
Protern Video Analysis supports slalom, giant slalom (GS), and downhill disciplines, covering the core events in competitive alpine ski racing.
Do I need to buy Protern hardware to use the video analysis?
Yes, Protern's platform is designed to work with its own GPS sensors (the Live Sensor/Live Bib or original sensors) to link performance data directly to video footage.
How does GPS data get linked to the race video?
The Protern sensor records GPS metrics (speed, acceleration, position) during a run, and the software automatically synchronizes this data with the corresponding race video for a frame-by-frame overlay.
Who is Protern Video Analysis designed for?
It is built for alpine ski racing coaches, individual athletes, and full teams or programs who want to move beyond subjective feedback and use data-driven video review to improve performance.
What metrics can I see during video review?
Protern displays speed, acceleration, and line choice overlaid on the race video, allowing users to pinpoint exactly where time is gained or lost on a course.
