K2 Girls and Outdoor Divas are Getting Out!
K2 Girls and Outdoor Divas
Archive - February 2009 by: Jonathan Lawson
We were in the moguls working on Pressure Control as a skill focus. Today, we dove right into the lesson. We wanted to add the element of a flat ski and skidding for speed control, and Leg Rotation to control our line in the bumps.
We started with a sideslip, then went into Pivot Slips. During this time we were able to address "turning forces". Upper body, hip, leg, and total body rotation. We attempted to identify, and create a method for change of our rotary forces. Leg rotation is desired. Specifically creating rotation of the femur within the hip socket. Next week we will have a few other exercises to isolate these rotary moves. Some of the common mistakes in the group, and among the general population of skiers, was total body rotation (rotating then entire body across the hill), hip rotation (twisting the hip/butt) to generate the twisting of the ski, and lifting the inside ski off the snow (lacking the touch of edge release).
We also concentrated on LINE, and using leg rotation to ski the desired line. But before we ski the line, we must become aware of the line we are skiing. Seeing ski lines is simply a matter of adjusting how the brain sees, processes, and moves to the upcoming mogul patterns. Most people can see the "rut line", which is the "fast line" for most people.
Identifying different lines quickly uses a similar process as being able to identify the Young "aloof" Lady in this picture, and the old lady in this photo. 
Although one of the best illusions with description is the Spinning Silhouette
To slow down the movements and take away the anxiety of sliding down the mountain, we took off our skis and "walked the bumps". With the given objective of skiing from the soft front of the bump, "the face", to the face of the next bump. How it was accomplished, was up to the 9 skiers. Of the paths, there were 5 different lines walked. None of which were necessarily wrong or right. 4 of the lines simply required a different blend of skills to accomplish them.
We focused on a more skidded (friction) and rounder line that banked off the "shoulder" bumps (outside of the rut-line), which brought us back to the soft FACE of the next bump.
I look forward to a very busy ski school 3-day weekend.
Jon
http://mysnowpro.com/jonathanlawson/
Email
Print
Feed
