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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Why some World Cup racers are successful and others not.

The first two racers are similar in body angle and hip position. Their ski angles which is what rally counts are also similar.

When you look at the bottom photo you see a different story. The hip is dumped into the hill and the skis are not as angled. Ted's hips are also much further behind his boots.

Ted is struggling these past two seasons in slalom and the reasons are evident. He is behind his skis, not achieving angles with his skis compared to the best slalom skiers. 

Some of Ted's problems are related to his ski boot set up. But this gets complicated and he is not getting the help he needs.

Christian Neureither 

Hirscher has completed more turn at this point than the other two racers. He consistently gets more turn completed than any other racer, because he develops more rebound and ski energy from each turn.

 

                                                    Marcel Hirscher

                                                        Ted Ligety

Baring an injury, Marcel Hirscher is your World Cup overall winner for 2012.

When Hirscher is on his game no one can touch him. His technique and aggression,  are taking ski racing to a new level. The rest of the field has to figure out how to lift their attack and technique. When you think your feet are too close together while skiing, look at the world cup skiers in slalom.

Feet together, narrow up your stance

When you think your feet are too close together, watch the world cup racers.

Technique break downs and poor boot set up, makes it tough for Ted to score on the World Cup.

In this photo, Ted is totally out of balance.

Ted is fighting two battles in slalom this season. One is his back seated position and the other is his boot set up. Ted skis mostly with his hips behind his boots in slalom, which doesn't work when the gates are close and turns are quick. In GS there is more time between gates so he can adjust. 

Schild, makes it 5 in a row, two Austrians on Podium.

Slalom Queen stomps her authority on the world, wins by 1 second. point 4.

Maze 2nd.

Austrian Women after a few rough years, are currently dominating world cup races.

Fenninger, last year's World Champion in Combined, wins GS, Schild wins the last 4 slaloms. Lindsey preying for the Downhills.

Looks like Fenninger is well set up in Head boots, so it has to be the US Head boot techs that can't get it right for Lindsey, Ted and Bode.

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Counteracted upper body

                      Sometimes counter acting is better seen looking down the slope.

Inside hand leading, chest pointing toward the falline, skis headed toward the side of the slope.

Razzoli, Olympic champion finally comes through on World Cup

Podium at Alta Badia slalom!

Slightly undisciplined with his upper body compared to the Austrians, but very fast when he makes it.

Same characteristics for Ted compared to Hirscher, as you see below with Schild and Vonn .

Here you see Hirscher outside leg already straight, with strong edge angles at the skis. He has a bowlegged set up with his boots. The Bowlegged set up  is the most successful in Slalom with shaped skis. 

Knock Kneed Alignment

Here you see Ted Ligety, this is a weak position, his ski, edge angles that let the skis slip. Ted has to wait until the back of his skis hold, but with this set up, his knee has to drop in, which is weak, it makes him late and hold on to the turn too long. Hirscher is on and off the edges fast, Ted is skiing too round because he can't get the immediate pressure on his skis he needs to be quick.

Compare best slalom skier in the world to Vonn's set up.

                                               Knock Kneed Alignment
Vonn, twisted up! When the knee drops inside as shown here, the upper body follows with flexing at the waist, this loses power to the ski. Upper body rotation follows in this case, which helped to skid the tail of the stance ski. Notice how lindsey's outside boot doesn't have a strong angle it's slipping.

Schild, Straight leg, but still countered! Check out the great alignment on this girl. She just won her 30th World Cup slalom, amazing. Straight leg, upright upper body and skis headed where they are tipping. Strong angles on both skis, no knee drive, excellent!

                The next two photos show not an subtle difference, it's dramatic.

Collapsed at the waist, excessive hip drop and excessive twist of the hips.