Sunday, December 19, 2010

Ted Ligety wins his third GS in a row! It all started at Beaver Creek.


It was amazing how on the Beaver Creek course almost every top racer gave up on "skivoting" because it's slow. Also, the perfect PMTS transitions were obvious. Flex and relax the long outside leg and then retract the leg, then tip and bend it to the little toe edge side, and continue. Continue flexing the inside leg to set up the stance side of the body, with counter balance and a stretched outside leg. Increase your counter acting to hold the edge, until the next release brings the whole process back, to start it again for the other side. Can't be more simple than that.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

My years as an international Racer, Canadian Ski Team 1971

I'm on the left side, the 5th one from the bottom, next to the white sweater.



Click on photo to enlarge.

Friday, December 10, 2010

In this video you will see "Counteracting" described!


Notice the solutions to the big mistakes in skiing right here.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Biggest Skier Mistakes!

I always watch skiers on the slopes from the chair lifts. In Harb Ski Systems ski camps, 40% of new skiers are everyday regular skiers with old or traditional techniques. There are frequently seen movements, I observe from the chairlift, made by regular (non-PMTS skiers).

Examples:
1. Starting turns with the upper body. Effect: no tipping of the skis, mostly leaning, poor control.
2. Finishing turns with a rotation of the torso and upper body. Effect: Can't develop a rhyme, turns never connect, interrupted movements. Disaster in Powder.
3. Up movements or extension. Results: Late on edge, poor turn control, and poor edge hold.

These are not subtle differences between PMTS and traditional skiing. They are major problems; if you want to move forward with your skiing, this needs to change.

Next installment, Corrects for examples of the major errors described here.


Mistakes: Extension and pivoting
ex:3

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Below in the last 3 posts, is a series of tips and examples of modern ski technique used by the best World Cup skiers.

And for the latest in ski technique discussion and other news follow the PMTS Ski Forum.

Harald Harb, Ski Practice 9, Expert Short Turns and Carving, "flexing in...

It is never to late to bring your skiing up to modern standards. At Harb Ski Systems we use only the best and most current ski techniques. Flexing or retracting into and out of turns gives you a faster transition and makes you quicker from edge to edge, for bump skiing and powder turns on steeps.




Sign up for a Harb ski training camp on snow or order my books and videos from www.harbskisysems.com if you want to revolutionize your skiing.

A transition with retraction and flexing. The way of modern GS technique by the best and the brave..


Marcel Hirscher, Austrian Ski Team


Fully flexed and retracted in transition to the new edges.
On new edges, without an extension. If you watch the video of this run I posted earlier, you will see this is a consistent pattern of movement used by the best skiers not only in slalom but also in Giant Slalom.


Compare Lindsey Vonn to Maria Riesch in the same course

Lindsey Vonn (below)
Severe, weak "A" frame alignment.


Maria Riesch (below) Strong, straight alignment of the boots and knee.


Lindsey Vonn, (below) Severe "A" framed knee, a weak position

Maria Riesch, (below) Strong straight leg


Vonn, weak knee, poor boot set up, poor alignment.
Vonn has already had a knee injury in training this year in Colorado. It is no wonder this is occurring. Her knees cannot last with this kind of boot set up. It's amazing her coaches (US Ski Team) and boot technicians cannot see this problem or do anything about it.