Interview with SlopeTracker's
Ken Rivera
Next
time you're bombing to the base of the mountain, look for the SlopeTracker
kiosk and stop by to have your GPS tracklog turned into "bragging
rights to go."
Earlier this year (2006) Doug Adomatis of Travel by GPS interviewed Ken Rivera of SlopeTracker, a business endeavor of Sports Stats, Inc. Read on to learn more about this great application of GPS technology.
Doug: Hi Ken. I've seen your SlopeTracker kiosk at Park City Mountain Resort, where I understand you can rent a GPS device and at end of the day can get a souvenir map of the resort with your personal tracklog overlaid.
Ken: That's right Doug. We're located in Telluride, Park City Mountain Resort, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Winterpark. The device you rent is on an armband which is worn during your day on the slopes. When you turn it in, we provide a souvenir map which includes traces all of your runs, and in addition we do statistical analysis of your ski performance which is also printed on the map.
Doug: What sort of stats?
Ken: The analysis includes number of runs, vertical footage, distance, top speed among other metrics.
Doug: What service do you have for people who want to use their own GPS?
Ken: If it's a Garmin we can use the data from your personal unit to create the map and statistical report. Currently, you will have to bring your GPS to the kiosk at the base of the mountain, but in the near future you will be able to upload your data over the internet.
Doug: Over the internet? cool. Will I be able to order the souvenir map too?
Ken: Yes, that's our plan.
Doug: What if I don't use Garmin? Do you have plans of supporting other data formats?
Ken: Yes... We're hoping the GPS manufactures will all soon support a common format like GPx eXchange (.gpx). But right now we are working to incorporate data in the native formats of Magellan and other personal training aids like the Polar AXN300 and Suunto t6.
Doug: When will this online feature be available?
Ken: The new web site is in beta now and hopefully by Spring, not only will skiers be able upload their data and order a map, the data will be part of a larger database which will include all the resorts where we have a presence. That means when you order a map for a particular resort on a particular day, you'll get your one-day stats printed on the front, plus on the back you'll get all your stats for all the days at all the resorts.
Doug: Ken, suppose that I want to compare my performance with others?
Ken: Great question, which really gets to the heart of our service. Your daily stats, and season total are part of a database that includes the stats from all SlopeTracker participants. You can see your standing on what we call the Leader Board. We call the guy at the top the "Boss Hog."
Doug: So SlopeTracker would be a good way to settle bets with my ski buddies about who gets the free dinner for the most vertical.
Ken: Exactly. And if you don't care so much about competing with others, SlopeTracker is good performance training tool for measuring improvement on a new skill you're learning.
Doug: This really is a great application of GPS technology. Is there anything else Travel by GPS patrons should know about SlopeTracker?
Ken: For those of your readers who are also Mountain Bike enthusiasts, you should know that we plan to have similar products and services during that season.
Doug: That's logical, since most resorts open the trails to mountain bikers in the off-season.
Ken: Another thing that I'd like to mention is about how SlopeTracker is bringing back story telling. People spend a lot of money to go on ski trips and most of what they have to show for it is photographs. SlopeTracker maps are a journal of the experience. It is easy to say that you did so many runs and so much vertical, but it is better to be able to show it.
Doug: Excellent. Thanks for telling me the SlopTracker story, Ken, and best of luck to your and your partners in this endeavor.
Ken: Thanks Doug. Come visit us in Telluride sometime.
