Alex 3

Yesterday Alex finished the day with a change in technique that stuck with him and he was able to reproduce it immediately this morning – being able to use the front of the outside ski while taking a line with it further from the pole. When Alex changed his line the result was so obvious that we had to reset the course to avoid his old ruts. Alex used 3m carve radius blades for warming up – to develop his dynamic range. He was told to move more at the start of the turn through the transition period where there is not much feedback from the ski – don’t wait unitl the ski provides pressure before dropping deeper into the turn. Today Alex improved strongly upon the following:

• Staying forward and using the front of the ski – bending the whole ski
• Instead of stivoting and skidding towards the pole he used the outside ski to carve towards the pole on a better line
• Today he didn’t try to get the outside ski near the pole – but to incline against a solid carving outside ski and use the inside knee to clear the pole
• Instead of throwing his hip out to stivot at the start of the turn he was able to move more effectively (and rapidly) across the skis and engage the edge for carving
• Improved line – changing from a high line (slow) to a lower line with the middle of the turn right on the apex. Initially Alex thought that this was “late” but it was in fact optimal – his previous “high” line being too slow.

    Two of the best slalomers in the world today…                                                             The last two photographs show the whole outside ski bending.   The following diagram shows the lines – the green being “high” and the red being the optimum line with the middle of the turn on the apex and so the maximum pressure being there too as there is not so much turning across the hill. In Alex’s case there is also less skidding – which was also part of his way to get a “high” line.