As a brief interjection into the magical ski world, let me recommend a site to keep updated on the conquering of the Winter Olympics 2010 by the US Ski Team (I apologize to my French readers. But if it's any consolation, I am rooting for you to come in second place).
http://teamUSAnews.org
There are some great causes that you can support on this site as well. Don't be afraid to give! (On that note, feel free to also give to me. I accept cash, check, and money order. Contact me or leave a comment for where to send it to).
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Stay Perpendicular to the Fall Line to Maintain Balance on the Steeps
Have I told you, lately, that I love you...uhh...err...excuse my inner Rod Stewart lyrical self.
What I really meant to say is: Have I told you... why is it harder to ski down steeper slopes, and why our own time-tested movements seem to do even worse on the more challenging terrain we tackle? Yes, that was the question.
Anyways, just as there is a difference in the slope itself, there is a resulting difference in the way we want to ski these slopes to maintain control while we ski, and look good doing it while skiing past the luxury catered ski chalets.
Making sure that your body remains over your base of support (a.k.a. your feet) is essential to maintaining an effective, balanced stance that will allow you to make efficient and controlled movements in your skiing.
I am going to let you in on my little trade secret - the perpendicular skier. Now I don't mean to bash your lack of geometry knowledge (I would much rather brag about mine), but the perpendicular skier is a great way to think of one's body position when skiing.
What is this "perpendicular skier?"
Basically, what you want to do is try and keep your torso perpendicular to the slope. (For those of you still struggling with the geometry concept, perpendicular means at 90 degree angles to one another).
And why do I bring up geometry at a time like this when we were trying to learn how to ski the steeps? Let me explain.
Whenever you start down the double black diamond cliff, your body position changes relative to the pitch of the slope. If you maintain the same body position on this pitch as the position you skied down the bunny slope, I can say with a percentage of accuracy that is higher than the 99.9% of germs that antibacterial hand sanitizer, that you will fall straight back on your behind. Let's look at the following figure for an example:
In this image (praise my revolutionary artistic abilities later), I took the skier in the first image and pasted his exact body and skis to the steeper slope in the second image. The key here lies in the angles between the skier's body (represented by the purple line) and the pitch of the slope (represented by the blue line).
You can see that as the pitch of the slope increases, the angle that the black arrow points to decreases markedly. You should also take note of the fact that the angle is now less than 90 degrees, meaning that the skier is now leaning backwards relative to the slope. Three guesses what happens next to this poor little skier man...
Therefore, the lesson here is, as you attack the steeps, make sure you lean more forward to maintain a perpendicular or slightly forward of perpendicular body position (See July 2009 article: "A Balance Tip That Is Slightly More Than 'Lean Forward'"). This gives you more balance and therefore control when skiing these steeps.
Now go out there and shred up those steeps, and a shout out to those of you on the US east coast - Washington D.C. received more than a foot and a half of snow last week I hear. I wonder which reader received the most...let us know via the comments. And for those metric-system-lovers out there, that is about 46 cm.
What I really meant to say is: Have I told you... why is it harder to ski down steeper slopes, and why our own time-tested movements seem to do even worse on the more challenging terrain we tackle? Yes, that was the question.
Anyways, just as there is a difference in the slope itself, there is a resulting difference in the way we want to ski these slopes to maintain control while we ski, and look good doing it while skiing past the luxury catered ski chalets.
Making sure that your body remains over your base of support (a.k.a. your feet) is essential to maintaining an effective, balanced stance that will allow you to make efficient and controlled movements in your skiing.
I am going to let you in on my little trade secret - the perpendicular skier. Now I don't mean to bash your lack of geometry knowledge (I would much rather brag about mine), but the perpendicular skier is a great way to think of one's body position when skiing.
What is this "perpendicular skier?"
Basically, what you want to do is try and keep your torso perpendicular to the slope. (For those of you still struggling with the geometry concept, perpendicular means at 90 degree angles to one another).
And why do I bring up geometry at a time like this when we were trying to learn how to ski the steeps? Let me explain.
Whenever you start down the double black diamond cliff, your body position changes relative to the pitch of the slope. If you maintain the same body position on this pitch as the position you skied down the bunny slope, I can say with a percentage of accuracy that is higher than the 99.9% of germs that antibacterial hand sanitizer, that you will fall straight back on your behind. Let's look at the following figure for an example:
In this image (praise my revolutionary artistic abilities later), I took the skier in the first image and pasted his exact body and skis to the steeper slope in the second image. The key here lies in the angles between the skier's body (represented by the purple line) and the pitch of the slope (represented by the blue line).
You can see that as the pitch of the slope increases, the angle that the black arrow points to decreases markedly. You should also take note of the fact that the angle is now less than 90 degrees, meaning that the skier is now leaning backwards relative to the slope. Three guesses what happens next to this poor little skier man...
Therefore, the lesson here is, as you attack the steeps, make sure you lean more forward to maintain a perpendicular or slightly forward of perpendicular body position (See July 2009 article: "A Balance Tip That Is Slightly More Than 'Lean Forward'"). This gives you more balance and therefore control when skiing these steeps.
Now go out there and shred up those steeps, and a shout out to those of you on the US east coast - Washington D.C. received more than a foot and a half of snow last week I hear. I wonder which reader received the most...let us know via the comments. And for those metric-system-lovers out there, that is about 46 cm.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Skiing the Bumps - PSIA Video
I found an awesome video about skiing bumps and moguls that is done by Dave Lundberg of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Alpine Team. Dave is one of best alpine skiers in the world and skis with incredible style and grace (reminds me of myself). He is also an expert at describing and teaching skiing. He talks about some great tips, and the video provides great material for all you visual learners out there. Just follow the following link...
http://www.rsn.com/files/rsn-podcast/111509_RSN_PSIA__SM.mp4
Also, make sure to look at my own written post on skiing the bumps ("Skiing Those Things Called Moguls," 6 April 2009.)
It's already November. Think snow!
http://www.rsn.com/files/rsn-podcast/111509_RSN_PSIA__SM.mp4
Also, make sure to look at my own written post on skiing the bumps ("Skiing Those Things Called Moguls," 6 April 2009.)
It's already November. Think snow!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
How to Win a Season in the Canadian Rockies and Become a Ski Instructor
I was asked to post this opportunity contest on the blog. I almost hesitated because I was going to enter hundred times myself, and figured the more people that read this, the less chance I have to win. But in the end, I folded to the pressures of authorship and sharing the mountain with others. Sometimes I kick myself in the gluteus maximus for being such a nice guy. But then again, that would impede my balance movements while skiing...
NONSTOP Ski & Snowboard is offering one lucky person the chance to win a place on its 11-week instructor training course in Fernie, including return flights with Air Canada, worth over £7,500 ($11,000 USD).
NONSTOP’s 11-week course is ideal for a career break, Gap Year or fast-track into the instructor industry.
Win this prize and you’ll be learning from some of Canada’s most respected instructors. During the course you can achieve internationally recognised level one and two Canadian ski or snowboard instructor qualifications that allow you to work as an instructor worldwide.
You’ll be staying in the NONSTOP Lodge, in downtown Fernie, which has fantastic facilities including ensuite twin bedrooms, swimming pool, hot tub, movie room and ski/board tuning room. And there’s also a bar and restaurant where you’ll enjoy healthy, hearty meals.
The prize includes practically all you need to spend a season in the Canadian mountains – flights with Air Canada, a season lift pass, weekly professional instruction, half-board accommodation, plus numerous extra activities like cat-skiing, snowmobiling, weekend trips to other resorts and an avalanche and first aid course. Full details available at www.nonstopski.com/win-a-season-in-canada.
NONSTTOP Ski & Snowboard have teamed up with metrosnow.co.uk to offer this amazing prize. To enter visit www.metrosnow.co.uk/competitions until April 6, 2010.
NONSTOP Ski & Snowboard is offering one lucky person the chance to win a place on its 11-week instructor training course in Fernie, including return flights with Air Canada, worth over £7,500 ($11,000 USD).
NONSTOP’s 11-week course is ideal for a career break, Gap Year or fast-track into the instructor industry.
Win this prize and you’ll be learning from some of Canada’s most respected instructors. During the course you can achieve internationally recognised level one and two Canadian ski or snowboard instructor qualifications that allow you to work as an instructor worldwide.
You’ll be staying in the NONSTOP Lodge, in downtown Fernie, which has fantastic facilities including ensuite twin bedrooms, swimming pool, hot tub, movie room and ski/board tuning room. And there’s also a bar and restaurant where you’ll enjoy healthy, hearty meals.
The prize includes practically all you need to spend a season in the Canadian mountains – flights with Air Canada, a season lift pass, weekly professional instruction, half-board accommodation, plus numerous extra activities like cat-skiing, snowmobiling, weekend trips to other resorts and an avalanche and first aid course. Full details available at www.nonstopski.com/win-a-season-in-canada.
NONSTTOP Ski & Snowboard have teamed up with metrosnow.co.uk to offer this amazing prize. To enter visit www.metrosnow.co.uk/competitions until April 6, 2010.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Stopping Power and Technique in Skiing
I received a question/comment (awesome in itself) from someone "over the water" (also awesome in itself) about stopping on the "How to Feel Less Fatigued When Skiing" post:
Very interesting, Skiblog. Let me pose a question from over the water. I am an ice skater who discovered skiing. In skating being able to stop is a high priority and learnt early in lessons. In skiing it seems to be well down the list, and some books seem to say that at certain speeds, there is no way of braking safely. Any thoughts, please. David
Let me start off by saying, I can stop in mid-air...well, maybe not mid-air, but you get the idea.
This is actually a very good question, and a tough one at that. There is some debate among professionals about the appropriate teaching methodology when it comes to stopping (the reasons I will explain below), but ultimately there is a need for some practicality above all else.
Among beginner skiers, one of the main goals of the American Teaching System (which I believe very strongly in) is to develop new skiers directly into the most fluid, dynamic skiers possible from the start. In the past, ski schools have taught beginner students some skills that actually interfere with more advanced techniques further down the yellow brick road, specifically, the "wedge stop" or "pizza."
The wedge stop is a double sided axe. On one hand, it is needed to allow new skiers to stop themselves, which in itself I think is an obvious necessity. If you need further clarification, see the NY Times article about the skier who was unable to stop.
However, this wedge becomes a very comfortable safety valve for a frightened and inexperienced skier...too much so if not controlled, thus leading to what is infamously known as the "power wedge," a full-out wedge with skis spread twice as wide as the shoulder-width standard. This is a comfortable and safe-feeling position. However, it is very detrimental to the ski skill progression. Skiers often get too comfortable. Sooner or later, they find it very hard to break this large power wedge position, which makes it almost impossible to continue on to parallel skiing.
Therefore, many instructors will teach beginner lessons without any wedge, but instead teach a direct turn stop, that is, turning into the hill to stop. This would be similar to a ice-skate or "hockey" stop. However, it is also harder to stop in this way.
One could say, then, that it makes most practical sense to teach a wedge for convenience, but strongly enforce that no power wedge forms.
Some will argue this is true. I (and others) will tell you that a fairly skilled skier with good balance can do so. I am sure there is an analagous dilemma in skating.
To conclude - yes, you can stop safely. And yes, stopping is important and is taught, but it must be taught judiciously. We want to teach our students in ways that will not only allow them to get up the slope and coast down the green lollipops, but also provide a foundation upon which they can easily improve to attack the blacks.
Very interesting, Skiblog. Let me pose a question from over the water. I am an ice skater who discovered skiing. In skating being able to stop is a high priority and learnt early in lessons. In skiing it seems to be well down the list, and some books seem to say that at certain speeds, there is no way of braking safely. Any thoughts, please. David
To Stop, or not to Stop...
Let me start off by saying, I can stop in mid-air...well, maybe not mid-air, but you get the idea.
This is actually a very good question, and a tough one at that. There is some debate among professionals about the appropriate teaching methodology when it comes to stopping (the reasons I will explain below), but ultimately there is a need for some practicality above all else.
Among beginner skiers, one of the main goals of the American Teaching System (which I believe very strongly in) is to develop new skiers directly into the most fluid, dynamic skiers possible from the start. In the past, ski schools have taught beginner students some skills that actually interfere with more advanced techniques further down the yellow brick road, specifically, the "wedge stop" or "pizza."
The wedge stop is a double sided axe. On one hand, it is needed to allow new skiers to stop themselves, which in itself I think is an obvious necessity. If you need further clarification, see the NY Times article about the skier who was unable to stop.
However, this wedge becomes a very comfortable safety valve for a frightened and inexperienced skier...too much so if not controlled, thus leading to what is infamously known as the "power wedge," a full-out wedge with skis spread twice as wide as the shoulder-width standard. This is a comfortable and safe-feeling position. However, it is very detrimental to the ski skill progression. Skiers often get too comfortable. Sooner or later, they find it very hard to break this large power wedge position, which makes it almost impossible to continue on to parallel skiing.
Therefore, many instructors will teach beginner lessons without any wedge, but instead teach a direct turn stop, that is, turning into the hill to stop. This would be similar to a ice-skate or "hockey" stop. However, it is also harder to stop in this way.
One could say, then, that it makes most practical sense to teach a wedge for convenience, but strongly enforce that no power wedge forms.
"...at certain speeds, there is no way of braking safely..."
Some will argue this is true. I (and others) will tell you that a fairly skilled skier with good balance can do so. I am sure there is an analagous dilemma in skating.
To conclude - yes, you can stop safely. And yes, stopping is important and is taught, but it must be taught judiciously. We want to teach our students in ways that will not only allow them to get up the slope and coast down the green lollipops, but also provide a foundation upon which they can easily improve to attack the blacks.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
How to Feel Less Fatigued When Skiing
I came across the following question while reading online on Wellsphere:
I just returned from skiing with some buds who never train physically. We would walk up stairs and they would be winded while I could just keep going. Why then, do they just fly down the hills and I struggle??? I have been skiing for 10 years and have taken many a private lesson. I have completed 2 iron-man triathlons, train physically 3-4 times per week and noticed that while I am skiing, my feet are sore. Super sore the next day. This is not from my boots as they are custom Sure Foot boots, but more that my intrinsic foot muscles, calves and quads are just beat!... I am obviously over working myself as I ski and am getting frustrated. I have great balance and feel that I am just working too hard.
Does this sound like you? Well, how about some SkiBlog-SkiBlog advice...
Any time you feel fatigued, no matter what sport, the reason is due to the muscles. Your muscles are what you use to move. Your muscles get tired. Why? All the chemicals in your body that produce the muscle contractions come out of balance.
The answer....steroids. No just kidding (seriously). Actually, time and rest will put your body's chemicals back in equilibrium to make you feel less tired.
To prevent this problem, try standing up a little bit straighter when you ski. This puts more of your weight and external forces on your skeleton and bones, which are designed to support weight. When this happens, less of the force is supported by your muscles. When you lift weights, which is easier and makes you less tired - 100 pound weights or the 10 pounders? Same idea.
So, stand up straighter to last longer on the slopes. Additionally, make sure you are getting enough carbohydrates, sugar, electrolytes, and water (the body's chemicals) while on the slopes. Breaks in between runs or halfway through a run will help too. Ultimately, building these skiing muscles through actual skiing or training are the best long-term solution to skiing fatigue.
Oh, and you have sore feet? Welcome to skiing.
I just returned from skiing with some buds who never train physically. We would walk up stairs and they would be winded while I could just keep going. Why then, do they just fly down the hills and I struggle??? I have been skiing for 10 years and have taken many a private lesson. I have completed 2 iron-man triathlons, train physically 3-4 times per week and noticed that while I am skiing, my feet are sore. Super sore the next day. This is not from my boots as they are custom Sure Foot boots, but more that my intrinsic foot muscles, calves and quads are just beat!... I am obviously over working myself as I ski and am getting frustrated. I have great balance and feel that I am just working too hard.
Does this sound like you? Well, how about some SkiBlog-SkiBlog advice...
Any time you feel fatigued, no matter what sport, the reason is due to the muscles. Your muscles are what you use to move. Your muscles get tired. Why? All the chemicals in your body that produce the muscle contractions come out of balance.
The answer....steroids. No just kidding (seriously). Actually, time and rest will put your body's chemicals back in equilibrium to make you feel less tired.
To prevent this problem, try standing up a little bit straighter when you ski. This puts more of your weight and external forces on your skeleton and bones, which are designed to support weight. When this happens, less of the force is supported by your muscles. When you lift weights, which is easier and makes you less tired - 100 pound weights or the 10 pounders? Same idea.
So, stand up straighter to last longer on the slopes. Additionally, make sure you are getting enough carbohydrates, sugar, electrolytes, and water (the body's chemicals) while on the slopes. Breaks in between runs or halfway through a run will help too. Ultimately, building these skiing muscles through actual skiing or training are the best long-term solution to skiing fatigue.
Oh, and you have sore feet? Welcome to skiing.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A Balance Tip That Is Slightly More Than "Lean Forward" (plus a Boot Adjustment Trick)
Chances are that if you have spent five minutes on a ski slope before, you have heard the amazingly overused and almost meaningless word in the skiing dictionary - the most given piece of unsought advice that exists in space and time - the ... oh, let's just cut to the chase ... LEAN FORWARD.
Lean forward. A simple term that seems to be your skiing buddy's answer for everything. It has come down a long line of useless friends teaching friends and is deeply rooted in everyone's skiing history.
The thing is...what does it mean? I will bet you a million and one dollars that you really weren't sure what to do when you were first told to lean forward, and I will bet you a million and two dollars that the person you are trying to teach doesn't know what this means either. Here's why...
Lean forward is an extremely ambiguous phrase. It seems straightforward to an experienced skier, but to someone new to this heavenly sport, lean forward could mean several different things. Should I tilt my head forward? Should I reach my hands forward? These skis are so hard to move on. Should I bend my shoulders forward? My hips? Did I mention it is hard to move while sliding on these stupid skis? And I wish that Alec the smart lass would stop shouting lean forward at me.
I think you get the point.
So instead of shouting the same, useless phrase over and over again, try using some of these more specific and helpful tips the next time you decide to give some unsought advice.
Equipment note: Here is a simple check to perform to make sure that your boots are better-fitted, giving you more balance while you ski. Put on and buckle your boots. When you stand up straight or flex your knees, your boots should be in contact with your legs all the way around the front and back of the legs. If there is wiggle room, tighten up your boots so that there is no more extra space.
Bob Shostek, PSIA Examiner and former PSIA-E President, recommends the following: Velcro your power strap, or booster strap, underneath the outer shell of the boot (the shell contains the buckles). The straps should be velcro-ed in between the soft part and shell part of the boot. Then, buckle your boot shell over top of the already connected power straps. This will give you a tighter "seal" around your leg by the boot, and you will notice more control in your skiing.
Additionally, you can place wedged pieces of a soft but sturdy material between your leg and the boot to eliminate some of the extra space. When there is less or no space between your leg and the boot, your own movements transfer easier, quicker, smoother, and with less effort.
When there is room for error, it takes large, gross movements to make a small difference in your skiing. This trick will result in more fine-tuned movements that are able to allow you to move while skiing without large, drastic, and visible movements of the lower leg.
So after you perform your boot test and adjust your power straps, head up the chairlift, and push your friends down the newly introduced mountain, give more specific advice than lean forward. Give them advice that they will actually understand, comprehend, and execute. And that's how memories are made.
Lean forward. A simple term that seems to be your skiing buddy's answer for everything. It has come down a long line of useless friends teaching friends and is deeply rooted in everyone's skiing history.
The thing is...what does it mean? I will bet you a million and one dollars that you really weren't sure what to do when you were first told to lean forward, and I will bet you a million and two dollars that the person you are trying to teach doesn't know what this means either. Here's why...
Lean forward is an extremely ambiguous phrase. It seems straightforward to an experienced skier, but to someone new to this heavenly sport, lean forward could mean several different things. Should I tilt my head forward? Should I reach my hands forward? These skis are so hard to move on. Should I bend my shoulders forward? My hips? Did I mention it is hard to move while sliding on these stupid skis? And I wish that Alec the smart lass would stop shouting lean forward at me.
I think you get the point.
So instead of shouting the same, useless phrase over and over again, try using some of these more specific and helpful tips the next time you decide to give some unsought advice.
- Slide your feet underneath your hips or Bring your body over top of your feet - These pieces of advice reinforce vertical alignment of the body over the hips over the feet. They both are two ways to think of accomplishing the same thing. Often, adjusting the position of your feet (and therefore skis) is easier to focus on than moving your upper body. This also provides proper ankle flexion.
- Stand up straighter - Many people new to skiing believe that skiing should look like the racing pros on TV. This is almost always not the case, as we rarely get to the speeds where those kinds of extreme bending movements are needed to produce such high magnitude forces. When a skier bends over too much, the hips revert back and bring the weight of the skier into the "backseat," or too far behind the ideal central stance. Our weight should be over the center of our feet.
- Press the front of your shins against the front of your boots - Something that even many advanced skiers forget to remember is that our shins should be in contact with the fronts of our boots at all times. Often, when a skier falls back in his or her stance, he or she can easily fix the problem by putting the shins back in contact with the tongues of the boots. This flexes the knees and the ankles, ensuring a better balanced stance.
Equipment note: Here is a simple check to perform to make sure that your boots are better-fitted, giving you more balance while you ski. Put on and buckle your boots. When you stand up straight or flex your knees, your boots should be in contact with your legs all the way around the front and back of the legs. If there is wiggle room, tighten up your boots so that there is no more extra space.
Bob Shostek, PSIA Examiner and former PSIA-E President, recommends the following: Velcro your power strap, or booster strap, underneath the outer shell of the boot (the shell contains the buckles). The straps should be velcro-ed in between the soft part and shell part of the boot. Then, buckle your boot shell over top of the already connected power straps. This will give you a tighter "seal" around your leg by the boot, and you will notice more control in your skiing.
Additionally, you can place wedged pieces of a soft but sturdy material between your leg and the boot to eliminate some of the extra space. When there is less or no space between your leg and the boot, your own movements transfer easier, quicker, smoother, and with less effort.
When there is room for error, it takes large, gross movements to make a small difference in your skiing. This trick will result in more fine-tuned movements that are able to allow you to move while skiing without large, drastic, and visible movements of the lower leg.
So after you perform your boot test and adjust your power straps, head up the chairlift, and push your friends down the newly introduced mountain, give more specific advice than lean forward. Give them advice that they will actually understand, comprehend, and execute. And that's how memories are made.
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