Today we took a look at some underlying essential skills…
- Side stepping
- Bullfighter turn
- Herringbone stepping uphill
- Side slip (forward and backward diagonal)
We also re-visited Dynamics, Pivot and added Hip Angulation for the first time – also began to use a closer stance to help bring those skills together. (Intending to film this tomorrow)
Joy Stick Control
The side slip needs the skis close together so that they both stay on their uphill edges. Initiating the side slip is done simply be moving the centre of mass slightly downhill – and stopping by is moving it back in the uphill direction. To side slip slightly forward the centre of mass goes slightly forward as well as downhill and to go backward the centre of mass goes backward and slightly downhill. You can visualise the centre of mass as acting like a joy stick control.
This takes practice because it’s the basis of short controlled turns on the steep and for a smooth turn transition on all turns except those involving pure carving.
Hip Angulation
Sarah recognised that she had a problem toward the end of each turn on steeper terrain – feeling unsafe over control. Rotation of the upper body was the cause of the problem and this is mostly managed through applying hip angulation. Sarah was shown (and made to feel) the reflex operated postural muscles working when angulation is done correctly – and how this protects the lower back from injury. You have simply to pull the hip backward on the outside leg in the turn – but the shoulders must continue to follow the skis – this keeping the hip behind the front ribs. This generates a hip angle and keeps the body inside the turn towards the end when forces build up.