Aristotle used to say that the desire to know was innate, and Plato argued that knowing was costly and not usually done willingly. But what is it meant to know how to ski? Skiing knowledge entails having complete certainty about our actions. It means knowing how to discern between right and wrong, but this discernment is not given to us. We have to acquire it. Fundamentally, the forms of this knowledge can be reduced into two categories: common skiing knowledge and critical skiing knowledge. In the reality of concrete skiing, these two forms of knowledge are intimately linked and their limits fluctuate.
The ordinary skier only has common knowledge, whereas the ski instructor and the ski coach have critical knowledge. We understand here as common the relationship with something that has no specialization in its line. It is the knowledge acquired through daily skiing interactions with others and with nature, which is superficial.
Common skiing knowledge accumulates without us deliberately or consciously setting out to acquire it during our daily skiing experience. It is the knowledge that comes from our regular and ordinary contact with the environment and with other skiers, that is, the knowledge that the natural and social environment transmits to us.
Its first characteristic is spontaneity, since it is constituted without a deliberate purpose of achieving it. The second characteristic pertains to knowledge that is socially determined, as it is shared within a particular social environment and is governed by the established rules.
This type of knowledge is influenced by our emotional factors that restrict the representation of skiing as it is, making it deformed. An illustration of the matter at hand arises from the categorization of slopes by color, wherein the color alone serves as an emotional indicator of a particular subjective difficulty. Therefore, skiing knowledge is not only based on sensibility, but also on subjectivity in terms of our prejudices and fears. It is subjective because it is not determined by what skiing itself is like, but by our emotional life. Hence, it differs from one skier to another or from one social group to another.
In common skiing knowledge, the majority of statements we make are established without our knowledge of the reason behind them. This knowledge, which is described as subjective and unreflective, arises from experience. Regarding its conformation, it possesses an additional characteristic, namely its non-systematic form, wherein it accumulates in a succession of more or less disordered daily experiences. This accumulation does not affect our logic or rationality, but our emotional factors. Common skiing knowledge, as a factual phenomenology, is found in most skiing situations.
Continuing with the exposition, critical skiing knowledge implies focusing not just on getting down the slope, but on understanding our own skiing and doing it in the most efficient way possible, making the most accurate decisions in appreciating and evaluating this process. We apply the principle of reason to arrive at the best achievable skiing according to the context.
Criticism, despite having a negative connotation in common language, actually refers to the process of analyzing, discerning, and recognizing a problem, in this case, the skiing itself and its various constituents in order to arrive at a conclusive conclusion. Criticism leads to an evaluation of what has been analyzed, both positive and negative.
Our goal in critical skiing knowledge is to achieve a critical attitude. It is not necessary to adopt an inexpert behavior, just as it is not possible to become an expert spontaneously. This knowledge necessitates discipline and a modification in our approach to skiing, as it is only at certain moments when we adopt a critical mindset towards our own skiing. It has the essential characteristic of being driven by a method, a procedure that includes observation and experimentation.
Critical skiing knowledge requires us to prove the reasons for each assertion. It is not sufficient for an instructor or a coach to affirm that the technique of changing directions when skiing is executed in a particular manner; rather, they must demonstrate the foundation for their assertion, such as the biomechanics or the physics of skiing.
We maintain that essential skiing knowledge is based on a systematic approach, owing to the predominance of order and the articulation of technical concepts. By employing this approach, we can eliminate any discrepancies that may exist, as otherwise, a situation of error may arise.
The crucial attribute that we recognize in this knowledge lies not in our assertions, but rather in the manner in which we affirm the skiing foundations through a critical mindset. In this situation, we usually affirm that we could have skied differently, but it is not true because, if we knew it, we would have done it, but we did not ski efficiently because we could not or did not know how to do it better. Critical skiing knowledge is not shared by all skiers, but rather by certain skiers, especially instructors and coaches.
Other distinctions between common and critical knowledge can be exemplified by the fact that the common skier knows skiing without going any further. On the other hand, the ski instructor and the ski coach know skiing and its causes (all or some, only the proximate ones or the proximate and remote ones). The critical knowledge is certain, but the common one, many times, is not because of its opinative character.
The critical knowledge of skiing is achieved by means of a method, whereas the common knowledge lacks these characteristics, and its obtaining is easy. This is the reason why it is accessible to any skier, but not the critical or technical knowledge, as it requires a person who is disciplined and reflective.
Critical skiing knowledge exhibits a tendency towards universality and, in a sense, permanence, whereas common knowledge encompasses the singular and the contingent, i.e., it only reaches the immediately perceived information. When taking lessons or instructing himself, the common skier seeks common knowledge; the professional skier attempts critical knowledge, through reason, just as the athlete pursues it during training, but uses it as a means to an end, i.e., to be the fastest; and the ski theorists are after scientific knowledge.
Common knowledge is essential for all skiers; however, it is imperfect as they are content to know what skiing is by mere experience or by the authority of others, though they make no effort to understand its nature or purpose. This type of knowledge is a prerequisite to critical knowledge and is readily accessible to any skier.
Our goal should be to achieve uniform and permanent skiing based on technical knowledge of what it really is: objective and all-valid critical skiing knowledge provided by technical concepts and definitions.
