Diva Ski Tips

UPDATE: October, 2015: This has been updated with new links, programs, and information. Please let us know if you have other references, we promise to update again before 2020! - Kerry (Diva2) Last year when I was preparing for my L3 Part 1 Skiing exam, the Dev Team Diva turned me on to these great task descriptions developed by Bob Barnes for the PSIA Rocky Mountain Division (the Pocket Summaries listed under "Skiing" below). (Kerry's edit: Those pocket summaries are not on the PSIA-RM site anymore. But I think what you're looking for is in the Skiing IDP linked below.) In my search for them online, I discovered lots of other valuable ski teaching resources tucked away on various PSIA divisional Web sites. So I printed them out, organized them into categories, and stuck them in a binder. The binder became an invaluable resource in discussions with my good friend and ski coach as I helped him to prepare for his Dev Team tryout and he coached me to success in my ski...

I heart Weems and think every instructor should get over to edgechange.com and get his book. Changing edges is the critical move at the critical moment that determines whether you will make, and connect, smooth, fluid turns—or whether you’ll be taken over by alien beings bent on destroying your dignity (and your body). What follows are several ways of thinking about edge change. Each serves as a different cue to evoke a different awareness in the body, and all are effective. You choose. Change both edges at once. The body wants to “walk”—using one foot, then the other. Resist the bipedal urge! Instead, tip both edges from one side to the other at the same time. This is, after all, the definition of “parallel” skiing. Tip first, then turn. Your boots are naturally tipped uphill at the end of a turn. Before you try to change direction, tip both of them downhill. Tip them downhill before you try any other move. Very scary! It can feel like you’re falling off the mountain; but i...

• 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

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.

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...