Today the pitch was steeper and after a few runs the snow was packed down and became faster. That’s when the fun began with Alex getting constantly ejected out of the course and ducking several of the gates.
There’s a basic, simple solution to this predicament and it sorts out a lot of other “symptoms”:
Use the Fronts of the Skis More!
Just like with a bicycle the main force in turning comes from the front of the ski – and just as with the bicycle if the backs are involved in turning it’s mainly with them skidding sideways.
When the front of the ski grips it drives you into a turn – converting forward speed into a change of direction and this actually slows you down. However – slalom isn’t just about pure speed it’s also about control and without this happening there is very little control of direction. Once the principle of control is established then the skier will be able to choose a better, tighter line and will overall end up even faster than before – but with full control.
Getting pitched into the back seat, getting “late”, ducking poles, lack of movement of the legs, speed going out of control etc are all just symptoms. The principal “cause” is that there is not enough use of the fronts of the skis.
Directly
How do you use the fronts of the skis more? First of all just make a determined effort – even try to overdo it through tilting forward from the ankles – perhaps on the balls of the feet and with pressure on the fronts of the ski boots.
Indirectly
Launch/project the body downhill at the start of the turn and as the skis begin to turn the pressure will be on the fronts for a moment. The skis can then be pushed forward – but we aren’t going into this until we see consistent success with pressure on the ski fronts and all the “sickness symptoms” eradicated.
17 months ago Alex managed to experience feeling the control from the front of the skis in a slalom course on steep terrain (psychologically challenging!!!). Unfortunately there has been no opportunity to take this forward until now. However – already on day 2 the feeling has been recovered and can be built upon.
Tricks like visualising the course as flat instead of a slope are useful – but skiing is really “feeling” and we must have a complete library of familiar feelings to draw from.
