Today we began with a focus on “strategy” – how to get down a difficult or potentially dangerous slope. Traversing, sideslip, side step and kick turns can be used to get down anything. If in doubt then just use them.
Sideslip
- Feet together
- Both feet inverted
- Adductors working on both legs
- Use the Centre of Mass like a joystick to control the direction or stopping (CoM uphill) of the slipping
Skating
- Diverge skis from the hips – wide
- Both feet inverted
- Adductors working on both legs
- Propulsion from Centre of Mass falling forward (diagonally) and gliding in the direction of the diverged ski
- Fall over more to generate dynamics and skating becomes skiing
- When skiing let the lower ski bring you up out of a turn – thus the skating “happens to you”
- Link the turns – don’t kill the energy by going into a traverse
Parallel
- Stand up on the balls of the feet – slight ankle extension
- Use the muscles in the feet (as shown indoors)
- Feet inverted and adductors activated
- Stance close (as in final video clip)
- When dynamics are used to initiate a turn also tilt forwards to anticipate the acceleration and slope geometry
- Shins against fronts of boots – ankle kept firm and supportive
- Close stance prevents “resisting” and “pushing out” with the outside leg and allows it to relax and flex more easily
- Maintain the skating timing – either actively or passively – linking turns (Keep the legs active and avoid being static – always movement)
