Diva Ski Tips

Going from wedge to parallel is a process that asks a lot of both student and teacher. As the skier develops skills, confidence and mileage they begin to match skis (make parallel) and the matching happens earlier and earlier until they ski parallel all the time. Our teaching system is based on the principal that everything from a wedge to a dynamic parallel turn uses the same movements. What separates them is in the execution. So we want to keep student on a developmental track by introducing only movements they use later on. What you are about to read is a gross simplification of this process. I wrote it so that instructors can begin to understand it. As always, balance is fundamental to all good things happening. If balance isn’t working, start there. Getting the first match Getting skis to match at the bottom of a turn is usually easy to achieve. Frequently all it takes is a little more pitch and speed. As the student builds mileage and improves rotary function the skis ar

A learning style is the way a person’s sensory, perceptual, memorial, decision-making, and feedback mechanisms operate. Or more simply, the preferred technique to approach learning. Some students have a dominant style and others are comfortable in more than one. PSIA references different theories on learning styles, this is a classic one. Doers Values active experimentation Pragmatic, practical, functional Good problem solvers, work well with others Constantly active, doesn’t like being idle and gets frustrated with too much talking Learn by experimenting, trial and error Instructor should provide experiences that will guide the child Experiential learning is an effective method for all students

With all teaching styles variety is the key to keeping the lesson interesting Command Instructor takes control of the group and sets boundaries and is the center of attention, providing direction and feedback. The instructor explains, demonstrates, executes pratice and evaluates Works well with children since setting safety boundaries and controlling the group is important Examples Have students ski down one at a time and give feedback Tell students to follow you in a line staying in your tracks Task Similar to command style but allows student to do task on their own Instructor provides the focus or task and sets up practice boundaries With children boundaries are very important, set clear starting and stopping points Examples Ski down to the blue sign and practice you wedge turns all the way Ski down to the orange sign, counting to give during every time Reciprocal Instructor pairs students so they can learn from each other The partners assume the roles of observe

by Alison Clayton-Cummings PSIA-E In teaching skiing, instructors should address the common movements that lead to more effective and efficient skiing. Adults are able to learn and develop these movements precisely and accurately. With less strength and coordination, children may not be able to develop and utilize movements with the same refinement as an adult and may substitute other movements in their place. This does not mean that children are incapable of effective, efficient movements, only that it may take more time, practice, and repetition to reach the same level of competency as an adult. While the real movements of children may involve larger muscle groups and more gross movement patterns, these will gradually come closer to ideal movements as the children grow older, bigger, and more experienced. In setting lesson goals, instructors should observe the real movements their students are making and strive t help students come closer to the ideal movements. In the descrip

One of the most common complaints I head from instructors is that they didn’t get any feedback from their trainer. If instructors want feedback, it’s not a stretch to say that students are looking for feedback too. Feedback helps Reinforce positive actions Redirect ineffective movements Keep your student emotionally invested Feedback shouldn’t be judgmental it is imprecise and be taken personally. Get the words good, bad, right and wrong out of your vocabulary. Focus on what you see and how it relates to the student’s intentions. For example: Judgmental feedback: “Those turns looked bad,” “You’re in the backseat” Objective feedback: “Do you feel how your hips drift back during the finish of the turn. It puts you in a difficult position to start the next turn,” “That last turn washed out because you looked uphill” Make sure your feedback is welcome Create an atmosphere of trust by showing respect and empathy Students will be more likely to receive feedback if you ask for p

Atom Bomb (Balance/Stance) Balance a pole on the back of your wrists to promote a quiet upper body and good balance. If you drop it you blow up. Flat Tire Turns (Pressure) To start the turn inflate you tires and turn them until your toes point down hill. As you begin turning down the hill, you get a flat. **For matching deflate inside to make matching easier Cowboy Turns (Edging) Use very wide stance, put your hands on your knees, use your thumbs to push against inside of downhill knee Skating (develops active movement from one ski to another, edging, moving CM forward) Ice Skater - Glide on one ski for three seconds, then on the other, keep the glide ski pointed where you want to go Speed Skater - Roll your ski on edge and push off, move across your skis like a speed skater Xtreme Skater - Xtreme skaters know no fear, they skate down hills, but to do that you really have to get skis on edge and move across your skis The Squatty Body Waltz (Edging) Ski in a squatty

Balancing Movement Skill (involves Rotary, Edge & Pressure-control too) • While on flat demonstrate shuffling through a turn, emphasizing keeping the feet under the torso. On gentle terrain have students shuffle through medium radius turn maintaining a round turn shape. • Ask the students where they had the most difficulty maintaining the shuffle (in the fall line). To increase ability for students to maintain shuffle throughout the turn have them constantly move their center of mass in the direction of the turn (into the future) and progressively roll their ankles to tip skis by pressing against the front corners of the boot or the big toe/little toe. • Once they are comfortable with shuffling, ask them to shuffle into the fall line and ski out – maintaining the same movement of the center of mass. • Bring it back to regular skiing

A big source of confusion is the difference between tactics and technique. Any good athlete has to have strong technique and the ability to change their tactics to succeed. Technique is spending hours working on your jump shot, golf swing or backhand. It is breaking down the swing in to different movements of the body and perfecting it. If you are doing a drill of focusing on a particular movement of the body, you’re teaching technique. Tactics is making changes on the fly. What club should I use? Should I do a chip shot? What play do we run? In skiing terrain (bumps, steeps), conditions (ice, powder) and tasks (gates, halfpipe) require us to make adjustments to be effective. If you are in the bumps and having students do schmeary/skidded turns, you’re teaching tactics. You can change up your tactics by using DIRT Duration length of time you do something Intensity power or force of the movements Rate speed of the movement itself Timing when you make the movement

• Requires the constant action of muscles and use of specific movements to moderate forces foot to foot • The amount of pressure can be controlled by moving the CM, changing the turn radius, speed, amount of blend in the joints, edge angle or weight distribution • Pressure is greatest at the bottom of the turn Fore and Aft Control pressure along the length of the feet and ski You can shift your CM by leaning your whole body or shifting stance Turn Radius Tight or short radius turns create more pressure than long radius turns Speed The greater the speed the greater the pressure Flexion and Extension • The speed at which you flex or extend can define the amount and duration of a turn • If you move at a constant rate the pressure can stay the same • Flexion helps absorb changes in terrain and snow conditions and allows powerful rotary movements • Flexion can be active (muscular contraction) or passive (letting a bump push up your legs) • Extension is active move, such

Rotary movements, along with other movements, allow us to initiate a turn and guide skis through the turn • If your skis are flat they will skid, If your skis are on edge the skis carve • Beginner skiers use large-scale rotary movements often involving the whole body • More advanced skiers use rotary movements that are subtle, originate from the lower body, and are distributed evenly throughout the turn

Edging movements allow a skier to • Change direction • Control speed • Change the size and shape of turn • Slip, skid and carve Inclination (Tipping) Edging is created by tipping different parts of the body together The higher the tipping occurs the larger the amount of movement Inclination w/o angulation is knows as whole body tipping or banking Angulation Involves forming angles between body segments and flexing and extending along a diagonal or lateral plane (eg. On a short radius turn your upper body remains stationary and your legs move) This allows you to • Change the amount of edge angle w/o changing inclination • Maintain a balanced stance • Resist forces created during the turn • Align the body to work most effectively • Manage pressure from ski to ski • Increase or decrease the speed of foot movements • Alter turn shape • Negotiate changes terrain and conditions We angluate with a combination of hips, knees and ankles The hips create the biggest cha

Balance is dynamic , the whole body participates and the whole body must always participate to maintain balance • A balanced state allows the skier to have a positive selective effect on any of the skills, with either leg, during any part of the turn • Good skiing balance is an activity rather than a stance What movements can you make to affect balance? • Change the width of your stance • Flex or extend your ankles, knees, hips and spine • Use fore and aft movements to shift your center of mass • Change the amount that you lean or tip into the hill • Move your head and arms • Increase and decrease muscle tension The most important joint for balance is the ankle.   Poor boot fit could impede ankle flex by being too stiff or their could be too much forward lean.

From Alpine Technical Manual PSIA, ©2002 Skiing has a simple formula (9) Stay in balance while moving Tip certain body parts to edge the skis Rotate the back, hips, legs, and/or feet to help turn the skis Control pressure along the skis to shape the turn and handle changes in terrain and snow conditions *Simple, my ass Blending skills enables the skier to link technique with tactical choices Here it is in a baseball metaphor Movements - Learning to swing the ball Ski performance - Hitting the ball Demands of Terrain or Task  - Playing the game Skiing Skills Balancing Movements - Maintaining balance while in motion Edging Movements - Aiding in adjusting the edge angel of the skis in relation to the snow Rotary Movements - Turning and guiding the skis Pressure Control Movements - Managing and manipulating pressure variations between the skis and snow

The most important piece of equipment Proper fit is one that gives the foot a hug but does not cause hot spots or pressure points The entire bottom of the foot should be in contact with the liner The toes should not be jammed, but should be able to wiggle a little When you turn your legs to make a move to tip the skis on edge they should respond immediately You can flex when you need and have support when required

Skis • Sidecut, flex, torsion, and width can vary to make skiing easier in different conditions while allowing more dynamic moves at slower speeds • Modern skis are more “forward moving” designed to carve more readily yet skid if necessary • Sidecut: the hourglass shape of a ski, wider at the tip and tail and narrower at the waist • A narrow waist allows skis to be put on edge more quickly and hold a carve more effectively • A widder waist allows the skis to float over softer snow, the trend is towards wider waists • The deeper the sidecut the tighter the turning radius of the ski • Longitudinal Stiffness determines how hard skis are when bent or flexed lengthwise  • Torsional Stiffness determines how twist-resistant your Skis are and how well they can hold an edge Bindings • Today’s bindings are designed to release under certain types of force to prevent injury • Modern bindings help dampen vibrations before reaching the boots • Riser plates (lifters) influence the flex

There are lots of ways we use our skis on the snow.  Here's how PSIA defines them and ways you can use them. Sliding Is when the skis move in the direction they are pointed, such as during a straight run or across the hill Uses: Not much, mostly for gliding from one place to another or getting beginners started. Slipping Is when the skis move sideways down a hill, relative to the skis.  Can be diagonal slipping or sideslipping Uses:  Getting out of a difficult spot, practicing releasing and engaging the edges, tidying up a race course, falling leaf Skidding Combination of sliding and slipping as the skis move through a turn- with the tails of the skis moving through a wider path than the sips Uses: navigating tricky terrain or conditions, bump skiing Carving When the tails follow the tips with no skidding or slipping Uses: Having fun

Turn shape All turns have a shape (C, S, J, Z) Different movements will create different shapes. If you shove the skis sideways to slow down, you create a Z turn If you continue turning your skis up the hill until you stop, you create a J turn If you actively steer the skis through the turn and cross the fall line, you create a C or S shaped turn The Fall Line Imagine the path a big red ball would take falling down the slope The path of least resistance, the place where the skis are pointed downhill This can be scary but is a great place to teach speed control through shaping Turn size Turns come in short, medium and long size. There is also the popular shmedium (no idea how to spell it) that falls in between short and medium. Turns are described by radius size. The radius is the distance between the center of the turn with any point on its edge. Phases of the turn 1. Initiation Phase • The mass of the body moves over the skis and to the inside of the new turn • T

From Alpine Technical Manual, Chapter 4 PSIA, ©2002 Introduction • Movement analysis is the process of comparing a student’s current ability to the desired goals. • You will need to view skiing from the perspectives of the parts as well as the whole. • Observe > describe > identify cause and effect

I'm pretty sure this is from the wonderful Weems at edgechange.com Reach for the pole plant. The toughest (read, scariest) thing for many skiers to do is to move the torso down the hill into the next turn. Yet the fluid linking of turns that results from this move is what makes good bump skiing happen. A great tool for moving your torso downhill is to reach, with the pole hand, straight down the hill towards the next turn’s pole plant while you’re still in the previous turn. If you reach early enough, the sensation will be like you’re “hand-walking” down the hill, and you will be totally ready for each successive turn.

From Jim Lindsay There is a pair of boots for every skier from a beginner to a world cup racer, a bootfitter’s job is to help find the pair of boots that will suit you best. Five Factors for selecting a boot

Visual learners These students learn best by watching and imitating others. The following guidelines are helpful when teaching visual learners. • Ski well-executed demonstrations that illustrate the point. Be careful not to exaggerate and destroy the picture of good skiing. • Target the students’ attention to a certain part of your body or to particular movements.

• Emotional learning can be a powerful component in creating long-term memory of an event • Each new experience is given value and meaning based on previous experiences • Learning is almost impossible for someone who is scared

Chapter 4: Discovering your Students From Core Concepts for Snowsports Instructors PSIA , © 2001 An individual’s learning style is determined by how she or he receives, processes and absorbs information. Learning Process ( figure 2.2, pg. 13) • Readiness – The circumstances surrounding the learning situation (physical, environmental, social, emotional) • Reception – the preferred sensory input mode for the individual learner • Processing – the method of digesting and absorbing information (brain hemisphere dominance) • Reaction – what the individual does with the information Kolb – Perception and Processing Perception • The way a person collects the information to be learned • Big picture learners (“feelers”) > Parts learners (“thinkers”) Processing • How we mentally manipulate information to help us learn it • “Refective observers” (watchers) > “active experimenters” (doers) Type 1 – Innovative Learners – Why? • See the whole first and then the parts

Chapter 4: Discovering your Students From Core Concepts for Snowsports Instructors PSIA , © 2001 How the Brain Works • Learning begins when specialized nerve cells, called neurons, make connections with other neurons in response to a movement or sensory input • Groups of neurons build pathways that form a sort of map for the body to access information • When we first learn something it goes slowly, as nerve cells are simulated again and again myelin is laid down and it goes more quickly – “practice makes perfect”

Note:  These are notes from lots of different sources.  My apologies for poor attribution Effective movements for ice • Modify your stance — keeping your skis further apart not only enhances your balance, but also allows your inside ski to act as insurance in case your outside ski slips out from under you. • Use the whole edge of your ski — keep your weight balanced in the middle of your skis and keep the pressure on your edges right under your feet. • Be very subtle in your skiing — any sharp movements will result in your edges breaking their tenuous grip on the ice. • Don't over-steer your skis — they steer very easily, and can rapidly end up across your direction of travel; once this happens, you will have little option but to slip sideways until your edges grip. • Make sure that your edges are super-sharp.

From Ski Magazine Effective skiing in powder and crud • Make less finished turns to compensate for greater snow resistance • Edging movements increase the capacity of the ski to bend and turn • Steering movements are progressive

Steve is the divas' ski school director 1. Learning to bend their ankles in an effort to maintain a centered stance. 2. Changing the movement pattern from one of up to moving more directly into the new turn. 3. Making certain that the turning of the skis comes from the legs not the upper body. 4. Understanding the concept of getting your skis on edge earlier in the turn helps create better turn shape and use of the skis. 5. Speed is controlled by appropriate turn shape and not jamming on the edges. 6. Learning not to hang onto the old turn to long. 7. Learning the concept of absorbing pressure not creating it. 8. Beginning to get the skis out from under their body during a turn. (i.e. Long outside leg, short inside) 9. Learning to use the side cut of the ski effectively. (Not so much pivoting as in the past, a lot of tip and guide) 10. Learning to truly connect turns not end one then start the next.

From Jeb Boyd www.skipresstv.com video We hear all the time that you need to move forward. When you nail this drill you’ll know what moving forward is and it will really improve you’re skiing. 1. While standing still with skis pointed across the hill pick up the tail of the downhill ski as if you were starting a new turn. Feel how this changes your body position. 2. Make a few turns lifting the downhill ski at the start of the new turn, the trick is to keep the tip on the snow. 3. Focus on feeling the ski tip press into the snow and creating a tight feeling in your ski boot. Now you’re moving into the ski boot and turn, instead of moving back from it.

From Divas Megan Harvey and Katie Fry www.skipresstv.com video Skiing the bumps Pressing on the gas pedal A lot of people get the back seat and accelerate in the bumps. To prevent this, as you come over the top of the bump, press your toes down like your pressing on the gas pedals, pick your heels up slightly towards your but and keep your skis in contact with the snow for better control.

This drill helps the student learn about the sensations that come with flexing the uphill ankle underneath the hip. Step one: extend up and forward onto the uphill edge of the uphill ski - the downhill ski only needs to come off the ground a few millimeters - the ski comes off of the ground through the movement of the hip forward and over the uphill foot (do not pick up the downhill foot off of the ground - allow it to come off of the ground) - really flex the ankle forward and into the hill (diagonally) - traverse with balance. Step two: Re-engage the downhill ski by shortening the uphill leg that you are standing on - make sure that you have parallel legs and skis when they are both engaged - allow the skis to carve in a clean arc up the hill to a stop. Step three: Take it back into good skiing - with a focus on feeling the uphill edge engaged into the hill, and with a flexed ankle that is underneath the uphill hip (as best as possible - lots of dorsiflexion) An extra step is

Note: The Diva is handing out the knowlege, pay attention.  This is just as good with real students as it will be in an exam

Concentric contraction – muscles perform by getting shorter Eccentric contraction – muscles perform while getting longer Isometric contraction – muscles performs while staying the same length (tense up to stabilize)

Make safety a routine and drill it every time. For example: Always look uphill before starting a run, keep an eye on merging traffic. Stop away from the group and then approach. Explain ropes, signs and warnings.

The following some exercises to use with intermediate athletes who are matching skis at the end of the turn. By developing their skills we can help athletes to match progressively earlier in the turn until they are skiing parallel all the time.

Get good and bad out of your vocabulary. Think of movements as a way to accomplish a skier’s desire and find something more desirable for them. Do the skis tip or twist first?

If the skills or outcome based observation approaches don’t work for you no worries, I’ve got a big bag of tricks and there is bound to be something in it that tickles your fancy. How about something more holistic? Less formal? In this type of analysis you look at the whole picture and begin to break it down. Is there something that jumps out at you? Investigate that and determine its importance. You may see that the hands are low, but is that really having an impact? Flow plays a big role in this type of observation. Do the turns flow into one another? Where does the flow break down? The breakdown could be a clue. Other parts to consider are the phases of the turn? What is happening and/or what should be happening? Look at the lines the body is making, could you draw one from the feet to the head. Or would you need to draw an angle? This is the way I generally evaluate skiing, it’s also the same way I evaluate a design or script that comes across my desk at the bill-paying jo

The skills-based analysis may not be your thing. Some people don’t like asparagus, you don’t like that method. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Another option is to look at the outcome of the movements. Skis Are they tracking? Do the tails follow the tips? Are the skis following a similar path, or diverging at the tip or tail? Do the skis move forward and along their edges throughout the turn? Where does the snow spray?

Quick, what are the four basic movements and skills of skiing? Balance, rotary, edging and pressure control. If you didn’t know these, you’re going to make me roll my eyes or toss the Alpine Technical Manual at you. The skills give us a good framework to analyze a skier’s movements. They’re used in a snazzy flipbook of effective and ineffective movements courtesy of our distinguished national demonstration team. I would certainly encourage everyone read it, but whipping it out during a lesson and looking back and forth at the card and the student doesn’t exactly put the ‘P’ in PSIA. Instead, you can you ask yourself these skills-based questions and hopefully yield a skill-based idea of what to do with at skill-desiring skier.

Note: I can't remember where I found this. I apologize to whoever I've taken this from. Although we practice these skills one at a time, keep in mind that the functional blending of these skills is the ultimate goal in all levels of skiing. Keep practicing! Balance and Stance A balanced state allows you to have a positive, selective effect with either leg during any part a turn. To become more consistent with your balance:Use all of your joints – ankles, knees, hips and lower back evenly and appropriately together, not one more than the other. Feet should remain under hips vs. ahead of hips Outside ski should bend more than inside ski Outside leg carries more weight than inside leg Shoulders, hips, and hands remain level (angluation) vs. tipping in (inclination) Inside hand, shoulder and hip lead into turn, not outside Hands are in front of the body, not at sides Activities to enhance balance 2 footed shuffles 1000 shuffle turns Ski without poles 1000 steps L

Notes from Brian Whatley as interpreted by Kerry Some of the ‘older’ examiners use a simplified movement analysis framework for all moves. It is an easier way to access the visual cues to effective skiing, and each move is still held to the national standard. 1. Athletic stance: In each move the joints should be aligned and use the visual cues to verify that the skier is in a balanced stance. 2. Turn connection: Fluid movement from turn to turn, seamless transition between turns. Things to check for: Are balance corrections happening Does the skier end up in the back seat and have to re-center? Does the skier tip shoulders or hips into the turn especially at the end of one turn and have to make a gross adjustment to begin the next turn? Are the skis remaining parallel throughout the turn? 3. Round turn: A consistent shape of the turn where the tips lead the entire ski. This is where the C-shape is fundamental. Things to check for: Does the skier push the tails out, especial