Slalom
Following our warm up run Derin was taken straight to the slalom course and introduced to slalom for the first time ever. She wasn’t familiar with a button lift either so that was the first challenge to overcome. There was no difficulty for her to understand the timing apparatus or the actual course and the basics of how to make use of it. We carried out a run together where I showed her how to take a good but slow line (Line B in the earlier blog posted today!). Our situation was ideal because there was practically nobody there as it was lunch time for most people. For the first proper timed run I wanted Derin to follow me as I filmed her and I was once again going to lead on a slow line – but she didn’t understand this and just headed off through the course like a Tiger – much to my surprise. She did seem to remember how to get that good line and managed to keep things under control and finish her first run correctly and was quite happy with it. The button lift scared her more than the slalom – despite it being on a “black” slope. Sara and Gerard who own and run the slalom training facility… 
One Ski Pivots
More time was spent practising pivoting and also attempting to do this on one ski. Persistence is needed here. We did static exercises where I held Derin so she could feel how to move the body and there was gradual improvement as she practised. Skiing is a blend of dynamics (racing) and pivots (containing speed) – with the racing turns starting by using the inside edge (outside ski) and the pivot turns starting by using the outside edge (outside ski). The pivot is used in bumps and for short turns at low speed – and for containing speed in fall line deep snow (has a braking effect – opposite of racing). It’s necessary to develop both of those key skills because most skiing is a blend to the two extremes. We skied a steep off piste run (Familial – Tovière) and Derin had to side step back up the hill to the lift at the bottom. Along with skating to get up to the ramp in the slalom stade and this side stepping she is developing good edging skills that she has lacked up until now. Our final run was down from the Grande Motte and once again Derin stayed right in behind me as I did short racing type turns at qutie high speed using dynamics and timing associated with line “C” (previous blog entry!) 
