Diva Ski Tips

This December I skied with the wonderful Mermer Blakeslee and a group of really fun people. The lovely Jane skied with me and I'm putting our notes together to create a series of posts. We experimented with different radii turns at different speeds and on different types of terrain. Then we moved on to skiing with little or no edge angle. Mermer coached us to must resist the temptation to slip into a wedge by working the inside ski. If you work the outside ski only, the wedge will appear. Why? This drill helps you center yourself over your skis and gives you immediate feedback if you start getting back. If you can lean on an edge, you probably will. Taking the edges away means you have to center yourself. It’s a particularly a good drill to get things back in shape in early season. You can take this drill in a couple of different directions. Rotary - Add focus of turning the legs and shaping the turn Edging - Add progressive edging to shape turns Pressure - Add flexion...

During a lesson I noticed a student’s boots were unbuckled and suggested she might want to fix them. She replied, “my instructor told me to ski like this.” I quickly remedied that situation, but it serves as a constant reminder to always bring my lessons back to regular skiing. By the way, they were rear-entry boots. Every lesson has time constraints and we need to come up with a lesson plan that works within those constraints that includes enough time practice and integration into regular skiing. Let’s say we are working on drills involving lifting the inside ski. As we near the end of the lesson I’ll ask my student to start out lifting the inside ski and then start to do the same turns with both skis on the ground. Then we should take the same feeling and movements into our regular skiing. If the movement starts to break down, don’t hesitate to go back to the drill and work your way into regular skiing. At the end of the lesson, I like to wrap up by reminding my students why...

Note: I was poking around the interwebs and came across a great post by Bob Barnes on EpicSki .  It's worth reading the whole thing and seeing the great drawing, but here are some excerpts. I've had trouble with boots with too much forward lean and getting fixed really helped my skiing. Forward lean--which is influenced by boot cuff alignment, boot design and fit, footbed design, internal ramp angle and heel lifts, external ramp angle (boot sole angle), delta angle (the effect of bindings), leg and calf shape, and ankle range of motion--affects ankle and foot function, fore-aft balance, range of flexion-extension, and the ability to tip and steer skis. While there is some room for personal preference, optimizing fore-aft boot setup is absolutely critical if you want to perform your best. And there is no substitute here for a top-tier bootfitter who can decipher all the variables I mentioned above and come up with the best individual solution specifically for you.

We've done an extraordinary amount of skiing in the rain this year, it seems.  Lots of weekend rain capped off most recently by a fun wet day at Elk Mountain on Monday.  I'm becoming better at skiing in the rain and enjoying it. The snow is great on most rain days here in the mid-atlantic, but when you have to be out or you want to be out, it's important to dress appropriately and have reasonable expectations for the day. Whether teaching or freeskiing, my tips for skiing in the rain: Start with a good base layer .  When the chances of getting wet are high, bet on wool.  Or polypropylene.  Cotton will just make you colder.  This goes for socks too. Rookie ski instructors teach the most on rain days.  They have the least rain gear.  Be prepared with what you've got. Have your best rain gear, even if it looks ridiculous.  Gore-tex is great.  Clothing made for fly fishing and hiking can be even better.  Watch out for zippers o...

What's going on here and what do you want to in your lesson? Post your answer in the comments.

Congrats to everyone (but especially Carl) who became a level 2 yesterday at Elk. It was great to meet you and I'm glad that we could help. Welcome to everyone who's coming to the blog for the first time after learning about it at Elk.  I hope you find it helpful. Everyone feel free to comment on posts and make requests.  We're here to help.

You may have heard instructors talk about the pivot point of the ski. So here's a little rundown how to look for the pivot point and how it's location impacts skiing. Ideally the pivot point is directly is in the center of the ski.  When the pivot point is in the center, the tips follow the tails and both tip and tail move the same amount. It requires good balance and active leg steering to accomplish this. It’s very common for the pivot point to be in front of the binding. In this case the tails don’t follow the tips and the tails are displaced. This can be caused by a number of things: back stance, pushing the tails, rushing turns. Less common is a pivot point behind the binding. Here, the tips displace more than the tails.

According to PSIA people learn 10% of what they hear, 40% of what they see and 80% of what they do. So why do instructors spend so much time doing something that doesn’t really stick? Instructors complain frequently about trainers talking too much and then we turn around talk too much to our students. The cycle of too much yakking must cease! I don’t need to know the when, why, how, where and what of the whole lesson at the beginning. Only tell me what I need to know right now. “Try this” is one of the best ways to start a lesson. Then add in the why, pepper in some how and keep the show moving with when. Keep tweaking your script to make it tighter and punchier, especially when you’re teaching something new. If you spend less time rambling, you can spend more time practicing. If you spend less time explaining, you’ll have can spend time giving individual coaching. You can have a more lasting and beneficial effect on your students and give way better customer service. You wil...

Many people believe in skiing and teaching from the feet up. The theme of these variations is simultaneously releasing the old edges and reengaging the new edges. There is no wrong answer as long as the student is successful. If the student isn’t connecting with the activity, you need to try another approach. Magic pennies There are magic pennies under your little toe. To get the turn started push on the magic pennies. Big toe Ever done the cheesy thumb dance? We’ll this is like it. Pick up your big toe and rotate it to get the ski on edge. Instep to little toe My instep is that red thing on my foot when I take cycling shoe or ski boot off. Move your instep towards your little toe. Each one starts with a static demonstration then skiing practice. Watch out students may move too laterally, instead of forward and into the turn. You can develop this activity a couple different ways. Keep the focus on the foot by • Adding a focus on the outside foot Move the focus up fr...

Skijoring a winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by a horse. Gotta love it! The faster the better says the Diva and friends.

This is the beginner progression I wrote to help my new instructor candidates. I welcome feedback on it. Here are my sources and additional resources. Introducing the lift • Organize the group before getting to the line. • Check for loose clothing and to make sure pole straps are removed. • Point out groups loading the lift and explain the process. • Explain how to unload and tell group to meet at the trail map sign at the top of the hill. • Explain how to use the safety bar Responsibility code • Always ski in control. • People ahead of you have the right of way. Look uphill and yield. • Explain the significance of trail markers. Show guests the terrain available to them. First run • Some guests may become scared looking down at the slope. Remind guests of the skills you developed on easier terrain. Ask guests to make a turn to a stop to develop confidence. • Manage your group. Tell them exactly where to stop • Give individual coaching so that each guest walks a...

Weems wrote a book called "Brilliant Skiing, Everyday" that is free online and very worth a read. In it he provides a boat load of teaching pointers and lays out the Sports Diamond. The parts of the diamond are: Power - Technical, mechanical, technique, movements Purpose - Tactics, results, intentions Touch - Physical, mental and spiritual Will - Commitment, action and choice We tend to focus most on power, but a complete skier needs to be balanced in each corner to succeed.  If you find you're getting stuck in a lesson or in your skiing it's time to move to a different corner of the diamond. I can't describe it as well as Weems, guess you're gonna have to read it for yourself.

This is the beginner progression I wrote to help my new instructor candidates. I welcome feedback on it. Here are my sources and additional resources. Shallow deviations Goal: Help students develop their first turns, starting with small changes in direction working towards turns and turns to a stop. Terrain: Small incline Estimated Time: 10 -15 minutes Suggested activities: • Cross the line – Draw a line in the snow, ask guests to point the tips of the skis across the line. • Follow the path – Draw a path the snow for guests to follow. • Clock face – Draw a clock face in the snow. Ask guests to point their skis towards 11 and 1. Coaching Points: • Ankles, knees, and hips evenly flexed • Active steering of the legs Turning and stopping Goal: Develop the shallow deviations into turns and stops.  Terrain: Slightly steeper incline Estimated Time: As long it takes Suggested activities: • Slalom course – Put cones, gloves or poles up for your students turn ar...

This is a pretty classic drill that hits on all the elements of the skills concept . The “standard” version involves making small steps throughout a series of turns. There are many variations on the theme of 10,000 or 1,000 steps (depending on how you say it). It can be customized to work for different skills, skier levels, ages and parts of the turn. Beginners Any hopping, stepping, or shuffling style activities work on the two most important skills for beginners: balance and rotary . You can use them with just boots and/or one ski then repeat with both skis on flat or very gentle terrain. Intermediate Using this kind of drill can help facilitate matching skis. For wedge turners stepping or shuffling drills will improve balance and rotary movements of the inside leg. You can help more advanced intermediates become parallel skiers by working on engaging and releasing edges. Step to the edges, then flat, then to the new edges. Your student may be reluctant to pick up a ski....

This weekend I was doing training with some coaches and we started talking about fear. One of them said they couldn’t imagine anything scaring me. Oh, they were so wrong. I’m recovering bumpaphobe and not ashamed to admit I’ve cried and been near hyperventilating in some nasty steep stuff. This book helped a lot. In The Yikes! Zone: What Skiing Can Teach Us About Surrender and Trust (Hardcover) Knowing a skier of Mermer’s abilty gets scared makes me feel better and it’s why I’m open about my freak outs. Her strategies for working through fear have helped me and my students. I've been lucky enough to ski with some amazing teachers and skiers. Mermer has the best eye of anyone I've ever seen. I’ve modeled my teaching style after her custom approach for each skier. I’ve also got some great NSFW stories about her, just ask me some time.

I picked this up from a clinic with an examiner. I just wish I was this clever. This is a simple, fun progression you can use to teach speed control tactics in the bumps. You can use it with adults as is or make it a bit more serious. We have a mission, a great destiny to create castles in our hilly kingdom. Where should we put our castle? Why on the top of the hill of course. Stop on the top of each bump to place your castle. By focusing on stopping on each bump, you use turn shape to control speed. Also, your students will be able to easily pivot on the top of the bump since there isn’t much resistance. Now, all castles must have a flag pole right? What color is your flag? Plant your flag like this when you get to the castle on top. Then motor around the castle to cut the grass. You can demonstrate touching pole on the top of the bump or the downside of the bump depending on your student. Touching on the top is the most neutral. Touching on the downside helps the student mo...

There are as many different ways to ski bumps as there are different bumps. Here are some tactical and technical ideas to use in your bump lessons. Funnel This is a way to work into the bumps and help students transfer effective movements into the bumps.  Start with medium radius turns and progressively reduce the radius of the turn while maintaining good movements.  On the road Here’s another way to work into the bumps, imagine the trail is a four lane highway.  Start off by making turns in one lane, then practice moving from lane to lane. Schmear it My mom’s family is from New York and they love their bagels with a heaping mass of cream cheese. A cheese knife, spreader or what we call a “schmearer” is a key piece of equipment. The flat blade easily spreads cream cheese or peanut butter.  This tactic uses low edge angles, progressive rotary and an emphasis on a tall stance. Castles You can find the complete description of this kids drill here. Wah Wah...

This is the beginner progression I wrote to help my new instructor candidates. I welcome feedback on it. Here are my sources and additional resources. Why teach rotary? If a student can stand on skis then balance is working. The skis are in a wedge, so there is edging. Pressure is created naturally. Leaving only one of the four basic skills we need to introduce: rotary. You are also using a movement will serve guests as they continue to improve. Old school pressure turns are a dead end. Two ski Goal: Maintain balance while moving, reinforce rotary movements. Terrain: Flat Estimated Time: 10 minutes Suggested activities: • Skating • Sliding • Step around – Step in a circle with tips in and then tails in • Duck walk/Herringbone • Sidestepping Coaching Points: • Actively flex ankles to remain in balance • Take small steps to avoid tripping • Use edges to move uphill and stand in place on the hill Straight run Goal: Maintain balance while moving, reinforce go...

I love the music for this. Let's assume this is your student. What's going on here and what do you want to in your lesson? Post your answer in the comments.

Technical We use tasks for two reasons 1. To evaluate movements 2. To develop effective movements In a skiing exam, tasks are used to poke holes in your movements. If you own the movements, you shouldn’t have trouble with any of these tasks on reasonable terrain. If you’re having trouble with a task, there’s something in your movements that needs fixing. So the task becomes both a diagnostic and troubleshooting tool. Tasks like railroad tracks and inside ski only are great for this. Tactical A lot of times we focus on the tech and forget the tactics. I can only handle so much technical coaching before I want to beat my head against the wall, switching to a tactical focus is a nice break. Know the tasks and what they’re looking for. Practice them and make sure you have a focus for each one. Find a coach to help you put the spit and polish on them. Your goal is to be mentally prepared for whatever they throw at you. Don’t assume how to perform a task from its name. Listen ...

Often skiers ski with a very straight or arched back. This position puts the skier’s head slightly back and limits the range of motion to absorb terrain. I was looking for something else and found these notes from skiing with the wonderful and awesome Megan Harvey at National Academy. Softening and rounding out the spine allows for a greater range of motion and a more balanced position with the hips over the feet. In Megan’s words this creates “options and opportunities” in all types of terrain and conditions. Try this by doing a cat stretch, relax your spine, pull your stomach in and tuck your tail  in. Or imagine someone dropping a 10 pound bag on your back from above. What position would you be in? In a skier with a soft and rounded spine you can see a half circle in both the arms and back. To reinforce this, Megan had us do a drill that brought on basketball practice flashbacks. With our skis off we partnered up, partners faced each other in an athletic stance. One part...

Tasks you will get (99.783% chance) Short radius turns in fall line They may ask for a change in speed (moderate to slow or vice versa), adjust turn shape to create difference. What they want to see • Consistent speed and radius • Tails follow the tips • Upper body separation • Simultaneous leg steering Medium radius turns They may ask for a change in speed (moderate to slow or vice versa) or radius medium/short/medium What they want to see • Consistent speed and radius Free runs What they want to see • Versatility – changing turn radius, responding to demands of conditions or terrain • Modern movement pattern • Speed control Wedge Turns What they want to see • Consistent stance width • Slight movement of the CM over the inside ski to flatten it (Long leg/short leg) • Both legs turning together with the femurs turning in the hip sockets • A gliding wedge and not a breaking wedge (speed control through turn shape versus a defensive edging move) • Ski into ...

This is the beginner progression I wrote to help my new instructor candidates. I welcome feedback on it. Here are my sources and additional resources. After the boot excercises it's time to put on a ski.  It's up to you to allow guests to choose a ski or tell them which ski to put on.  Given a choice most will choose their dominat foot, so give plently of practice time when you go to the week foot. One ski Goal: Help guests become comfortable on a single ski and introduce balancing and rotary movements. Terrain: Flat Estimated Time: 10 -15 minutes Suggested activities: • The name game – Practice naming the parts of the ski. • Practice putting the ski on and taking it off • Gliding on one foot, scooters • Follow the leader • Red light/Green light • Push against the poles - On opposite edges, place one pole near the tip and the other pole near the tail. Then turn the skis to push against the poles. This gives the guests the feeling of creating turning force wi...