Slalom, work on technique in the season 2016. Catch the arc

The primary goal for ski season 2016 was set in the end of season 2015. This is to “catch” the first half of arc of the turn. Of course, besides constantly worked to improve the “old” issues, mostly “A-frame” , asymmetry and trajectory of ski in slalom track. 

Last season it was the opportunity to train 6 times a week. This year it was continued. Planned to have 4 workouts a week with slalom track and two trainings with exersices in free skiing, but the weather in the form of several-days-rains made adjustments. Season was a 1.5 times shorter then normal for Moscow, and free skiing was more often than in a course, because after the “plus” temperature at night (we train early in the morning) we did not install the track. A total were about 70 trainings and 6 competitions. Four times went for lessons to coach Boris Proshlyakov, and very glad for it.

General view of our training is:

Two courses with different level of difficulty and sometimes one more course with “gummies”.

So at the end of last season, caught the clear sign of absence the beginning of the arc in the turn. In general it is nothing new to say (here and hereafter 🙂 ). After change of edges you must be able easy go in the same direction, at least a meter. More exactly skis goes to the same direction as on prevous edges. This is could be clearly seen on the trace, traces from the lower edges interrupted and at the same point begins the traces from the upper edges. This I could do in the past, but the key point – “easy” was not fulfilled. Therefore I could not do it in slalom track. More information about the foundation of the process is described in the article “ Ski pressure control at first half of turn “. Here I put sensations that  led to the result: the same rail traces in the snow, but in easy way. Brainstorming (in last Spring) led to a simple conclusion (nothing new!): one have to try to apply pressure on skis peramnently in each phase of turn (to one ski or to the other, or at least to both).

In my case it was “unloading”, that is, the absence of pressure on the ski, and it was just on edge change. Then everything is simple. Indoor without ski took slalom stance and pushed to the floor, first on one imaginary edges, then at the others. First on one leg, then on the other. And watch that the transition was clear under control, without jumping. And push into the floor with all strength. Included it in set of warm-up exercises. Before go to ski or a bike always warm up at home: stretching, coordination and balance. Over the summer, the pressure to the floor was supplemented by pendulum motion, because the maximum pressure is obtained by moving the knee forward while feet pressed heel to toe, in addition to that from edge to edge. In addition, it is basically not necessary, but there is quite an important point, which is connected also with a cure from the “A-frame”. You need to press “to ski” and not to the edge. Here, too, it is nothing new, but when there is a simple goal, to push as hard as possible, then the imaginary “flat” ski can be pushed down a lot more than edged.

When ski season came I try to choose the time from the opening of slope, when there is no many people, and slope itself is fresh and smooth. After exit from previous turn to phase “just across the slope,” waited until accustomed over the years desire to unload the ski completely ended and then just started to apply pressure to the upper ski. Next keep pause and wait for ski change edge itself and begin to curve down the arc. Strange of course, that similar exercises did a lot before, and even on one ski, but the feelings were very different, the moment of the beginning of the arc that time was went with unloading.  In general, everything turned out well. I advised then this exercise for skiers of different levels and was convinced that this work immediately. What is important is just to endure the moment, when you want to unload the ski. But this is not difficult because there is no unstable state in such transition from ski to ski. At first, there was doubt that the ski begin to turn by itself, but this is the difference between carving and the “classics”  skis on which rode 15 years ago (and the habits hard to overcome until now :)). That is, the carving ski turns without unloading and furthermore, not turn by itself with unloading.

In general, the most important, perhaps said. But of course this was only the beginning. Next, you need to reduce the arc by control the pressure on the upper (outside ski), to add speed of transition. In this time-space compression starts to work “springboard” objectively shown in the article “Ski pressure control at first half of turn“. So just press down the upper ski as in wide and slow arcs do not work. It was turned out a lot more feelings that perhaps it is not necessary to describe in detail. I will say only about good advice, which was very timely given by the coach Boris Proshlyakov. Once passed the virtual hill at the end of previous turn, you need to put pressure on the toe of ski and the more, the better. It just gives you the opportunity do not have to wait, when the upper-outside ski starts itself to follow the arc, but send it to turn hard and fast.

---

Vadim Nikitin

 

 

 

to top of page