Extremes
Pivoting – braking turns – always using uphill edges – sideways motion of the skis – relates mainly to the vertical. “Fall line” skiing – narrow corridor, bumps, pathway, couloir, deep snow rhythmic turns. Speed is controlled by the ski travelling mainly sideways. Pole plant restrains dynamics of the centre of mass.
Carving – accelerating turns (angular acceleration) – forward travel of the skis – edge to edge – always on the inside edge of the weighted (outside ) ski – relates mainly to the perpendicular (to the slope). Unless racing used only on wide, moderate gradient slopes with a smooth surface and few people. Speed is controlled by “line” and finishing the turn completely. High dynamics with the centre of mass – no pole plant – only a pole touch going into the new turn at the most. Turn radius is controlled by modulating the dynamics. More extreme and active dynamics shortens the turn radius – lay it over!
Blended (unless someone can think of a better name) – most turns are a blend of the elements from the two extremes and with additional adaptations for terrain and snow types.
Pivot
We began with the pivot – working on sideslipping on the top ski and moving forwards as the horizontal ski tipped downhill into the turn. The aim was to manage to stay on the front of the ski and ski boot through the manoeuvre – committing to fully standing on one ski.
The forward pressure was taken into blended turns in general skiing, with work being done on angulation and further explanations given of the function of the pivot in skiing.
Feet
Indoors we looked at the function of the feet with relation to extending on the balls of the feet and flexing onto the front of the heels. We looked at how to use the muscles in the feet to use the arches.
Either extend the ankle when on the ball of the foot or flex only when on the heel for strength and stability. Those stances also allow lateral actions of the legs with the adductor muscles and prevent twisting of the knee. The feet can also be cleanly rolled onto their edges (inside edges for skiing) using the subtaler joints beneath the ankles (especially when standing on the front of the heels).
Off Piste
Commit to using the ski to turn with pressure on it (using the front) instead of hopping! You only bail out of this in impossible crusty snow where you break clean through. Even then it can mostly be skied.
If in doubt increase dynamics and angulation for security.
Independent Leg Action (rectact)
During a turn the inside leg bends and the outside one straightens – use this bent leg to complete turn with the push up from the inside ski (for early pressure and muscle tensioning – joint protection). During the turn transition (turn completion) the outside leg retracts and the inside leg begins to extend). Sometimes a wider stance increases the independence as there is a bigger flex of the inside leg and so a bigger push is possible. In the bumps a close stance is better as the terrain is too uneven to separate the legs.
Carving
“Pull in” instead of bracing against the outside carving ski. The accelerations throw you onto the back-seat so this takes even more work to control fore/aft body motion and angulation than pivoting.
Bumps
Compression turns – learned with slow speed leg retractions (bend to 90°) going over the bump and fully extending the legs into the trough after sideslipping down the lower face of the bump. When bumps are skied with speed the retraction is replaced by a compression from the bump.
Hands kept in front downhill and “forward gear shift” after the pole plant. Weight on the pole shows the body is forward and ready to exit one turn fully and get early into the next turn. You almost have to launch the body forwards over one side of the bump with and skis going around the other side – then if you rotate you cannot act quickly enough to make the next turn by launching the body the other way – which may be only a fraction of a second later. To an onlooker it looks like the upper body is completely stable when doing this.
