First day on a piste – skiing parallel.
With only one 3.5 hr session planned I felt it necessary to stretch Ana to the maximum to try to equip her with the tools to make something of her holiday. The parallel turns in the video clip are not an accident – they are the basis of a future solid skiing capacity. I’m not going to recount all the detail of the session but just focus instead on what is required from here on. All of the technical info that might be required can be found in links on the page menu above.
Dynamics
For Ana the way forward is to focus on dynamics. Practice skating turns on the flat or almost flat terrain. Get used to strongly moving/directing the centre of mass and try to avoid twisting/rotational actions. The skis turn you – not the other way around.
Stay on the gentle gradient until you get used to speed. Speed allows you to apply dynamics clearly so that you get feedback from the forces generated. Use a snowplough (from the hips) for any emergency stop – otherwise just complete the existing turn until you go far enough back up the hill to stop.
Although we worked on developing both Dynamics and Pivoting in a plough (converging skis) this is not the ideal way forward here – everyone is different in this respect. Despite lack of skating experience it’s skating (diverging skis) and associated dynamics (disequilibrium) that Ana naturally responds to.
When feeling ready to move on then take a navette from the station at Plagne Centre to Plagne Bellecôte and use the long Arpette chairlift. Ski back down using the “Cool Ski” sign posts and path.
