The Essentials of Skiing

How to get it done!

You don't have to figure it out, or get it second hand. The secrets of becoming an Expert Skier and a World Class ski coach, are in this book. There is a handy DVD series also available.
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Early edge and body angles

When the release is correct, early engagement above the falline is possible, with extension or up unweighting these turns "in short radius", are not possible.

The examples here are to demonstrate early edge angles really mean, for commentary in the video of Interski Skiing, which is in the Blog article, four posts "Below".

                                       Enlarge photos by clicking on them.

Demonstration of another transition, used by World Cup slalom racers.

Flexing to release

Movements that make sense start with correct analysis.

Click on this Photo to enlarge it.

From the left, fig. 1,2,3, The release sets you up for the next turn. Farthest right fig 4.  The top of the new turn sets you up for the ability to control the arc. 


We teach movements for these important parts of the arc. That's where I begin, I evaluate how a skier negotiates these parts of the arc and whether he is using the correct movements to achieve what he wants from the arc.

National Traditional Ski Schools always want to compare their technique, they teach and ski, to World Cup Skiing?

As a ski race coach, who skied in some world cup races as a competitor and coached world cup racers, I find there is no commonality between ski school, instructor skiing and world cup racer skiing.
There is such a large difference between the two that maybe they could even be classified as different sports. Like the difference between the bobsled, luge and the Cresta Sleds.

The movements and maneuvers that traditional instruction uses in their national systems would never hold up in the world cup arena.

Some examples are obvious, instructors teach and use up extension movements and skiers in slalom use retraction movements.

Instructors teach leg twisting and steering while world cup skiers use tipping and inside leg flexing and tipping movements.

World Cup skiers use relaxing and momentum to drop inside the turn to create angles, ski instructors use extension and push-off to move themselves into turns.

These are not subtle differences, they are totally opposite bio-mechanics. Yet the traditional instruction world still clings to the idea that their instruction systems are based on world cup skiing. You can be the judge. If you look at the posts on this Blog about World Cup skiing and skiers you will begin to notice some differences. Hopefully for your own sake!

The difference is clear in this comparison. Upper body discipline being the most obvious. Although this also shows in the lower photo, instructor skiing, already square to the skis at the falline, dropping the inside hand, losing hip angle and leg length position. The hard edge sets, due to excessive unweighting between turns, by instructors, is very obvious in versions of their higher end skiing.

Comments by Canadian demo team, about Interski, demonstrator techniques.

Link to interski video and commentary:

http://youtu.be/7rtzwqDeSGg

At the point of this very turn, this skier is making, as the commentary in the video says, "the skier has early edge pressure, before the falline".  This theme seems to be pervasive in the commentary, yet is never borne out by the demonstrators.

It seems to me that there is no 'edge pressure" before the falline, as the ski is not engaged in the snow. All the pressure is still on his inside ski.

Another quote: "The Austrians base their top end skiing on the World Cup model".
I don't understand, nothing could be further from the truth. Do these instructors commenting on skiers, only say this stuff because they like to hear themselves talk or do they really believe what they are saying?


                                 There is a huge difference, and a disconnect between the understanding of ski technique on the World Cup, compared to traditional ski schools.

Here is a world cup skier, showing edge pressure above the falline and a narrow stance, which it seems is still not important to the Canadian Demo Team, ski instructor community. 

How perfect is this, Mario Matt!

Here is a comparison of a typical top level instructor skier (bottom photo) compared to a world class skier and racer. The difference is dramatic. I continue to not understand how instructors try to relate their ski techniques to world class skiing, when they don't come close when put under technical scrutiny.

Mario Matt World Class skier

                                   The French Interski Team Demonstrator, a perfect example what happens when steering the skis with the legs, is more important to the skier than tipping and counter acting, which is what Mario Matt is demonstrating. Matt demostrates, perfect PMTS technique. 

Who said Head Downhill Skis don't bend?

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