Comments from World Cup Skiers

SÖLDEN is the beginning of a long tough season. GS will be a different event this year. Most of the skiers in the race have grown up on shaped GS skis. Now the new rules with more loose, larger dimensions have taken the technology backward, toward the nineteen eighties, 1980. Men's GS skis are now 35m length, 195cm. The reactions have been predicable coming from older coaches, who raced and coached with the straighter technology 30 years ago.

 Here are the valid comments from racers about the new skis.

1. Set up turn higher at the top of the arc.

2. More weight or all weight on outside ski.

3. Wider line needed coming into the gate.

4. Upper body more counter balanced.

5. Less inclination, more ski angle required.

World Cup Skiers speak out on 35meter radius GS skis.

  World's best skiers:

It’s not secret that straighter skis will require more work, that’s why the athletes are strained and fatigued after a run. Just watch the Hirscher interview!

You have to concentrate more pressure on the sweet spot, tip to a higher angle and stand on it.

Inclination and leaning, which you might get away with on a more shaped GS ski, now can’t be as easily implemented.

Some athletes say technique will change, not really.

Technique will become cleaner and more exaggerated toward older established fundamentals, such as Counter Balancing with the upper body. This is obvious while watching the top skiers. One other big change you are seeing immediately, is a narrower stance. This because a wider stance puts more weight/pressure to the inside ski, which will cause the outside ski to run straight, because it acquires less pressure. More dominate outside ski stance will become an advantage, although it always has, these skis require setting up the top of the arc with more outside ski dominance.

 Harb Ski Systems ahead of the realization curve: At Harb Ski Systems we have been saying this for years as the recreational skis got straighter and wider. So this is how discoveries from World Cup, support and substantiate what we do in our teaching and ski selection at our ski shop.

"High Performance Skiing": Best Skiing I've seen from Ted Ligety

High Performance Skiing! Ted Ligety Training for Soelden. This is the best skiing I've seen from Ted since Beaver Creek last year. No skivoting, much earlier high "C" engagement and no out of control inclination, which killed many of his runs last year. Notice the PMTS lift and bringing in of the new free foot to set up his tipping and balance. This is pure PMTS. He did not have this last year. The retraction of the old outside ski is key to this whole turn set up. It's the little things that make the big differences. Notice how his stance narrows up, with his free foot management. Free foot management, which most coaches don't see is the key. I don't know if Ted figured this out for himself or if someone has worked with him on it. This movement makes it much easier to stay Counter Balanced in the arc, and hold CB. This video clearly demonstrates CB, Tipping, inside leg flexing. Very strong demonstration of 3 important "Essentials of Skiing".