Discovering learning references is a mental “click” where our brain connects previously scattered information, steering to a deep understanding and a sense of clarity and pleasure at having defined it.
General Technical References
- Pressure reference: pressing the ski about the first buckle of the boot (starting from the front) at the beginning of the turn, and on the second buckle during the rest of the turn.
- Reference for correcting upper body rotation: on a gentle slope, pointing the tips of the skis toward downhill until reaching the fall line, then point the tails rounding off the end of the turn. These movements are performed with feet and legs only while the upper body remains still.
- Turning Control Points: in skidded turns, it is the tails of the skis that control the direction, while in carved turns it is the tips.
- Forward Body Positioning: pushing back slightly the supporting foot at the oscillating phase can help to bring the upper body forward.
- Diagonal Pelvic Drive: for efficient pelvic movement at turn initiation, orient it diagonally forward (somewhere between the center of the turn and the fall line).
- Slope-Speed Pelvic Adaptation: the steeper the slope or the higher the speed, the greater the displacement of the pelvis toward the inside/uphill side.
- Bilateral Stop Mastery: paying attention how to make a hockey stop on the skilled side as a reference, then practicing with the less skilled side.
- Heel Thrust Direction: when braking in a wedge both heels push in opposite directions, while in a skidded parallel turn or in a hockey stop, both heels push the tails in the same direction.
- Wedge Width & Edge Angle: the further apart the tails are in a wedge, the more difficult it is to turn the inside ski due to excessive edge angle.
- Turn Reference Points: in carved turns, taking the orientation of the ski tips as a reference, gradually aligning them towards the Destination Point or the Direction Change Point. If the intention is to perform skidded turns, then taking the heels as sensorimotor references, using them to dynamically align the ski tails towards one of the mentioned points.
- Little-Toe Edge Engagement: “scraping” the snow with the little-toe edge of the inside ski in skidded turns allows, in addition to controlling it, a better adaptation towards carved turns.
- Basic Reference for Parallel Skiing: feet are resting on the little-toe and the big-toe sides. If both big toes are leaning towards the snow, it means we are still skiing in a wedge position.
Parallel Transition References
- Bilateral Edge Alignment: practicing traversing stance with parallel skis maintaining support on the uphill edges (big-toe side of the supporting/downhill foot and little-toe side of the steering/uphill foot).
- Early Little-Toe Activation:activating the inside-steering foot by placing it on the little-toe edge earlier and earlier at the start of the turn. Refining the movements by making them more precise.
- Inside Leg Shortening: from the start of the wedge turn, shortening the inside leg to facilitate the matching of the unloaded tail of the inside ski by “brushing” the snow with the tail.
- Inside Heel Pressure Release: when turning on a wedge, lightening the heel of the inside-steering foot to bring the tail of the inside ski closer to the outside ski earlier and earlier during the turn.
- Inside Knee Drive: reducing the edge grip of the inside ski by rolling the inside-steering foot and pointing the inside knee in the direction of the turn. This facilitates pivoting and matching that ski to the outside/downhill ski.
Skidded Parallel Turns References
- Downhill Leg Release: relaxing the outside/downhill leg feeling it shortens.
- Inside Foot Supination: disengaging the big-toe edge of the outside/downhill ski by supinating the inside-steering foot (rolling the foot toward the little toe) and guiding it in the new direction.
- Dual Foot Guidance: feeling the ball of the new supporting foot and guiding it together with the little-toe side of the steering foot.
- Outside Leg Extension: feeling the new outside leg lengthening slightly.
Analog Clock-Face Turning References
- Taking as a reference that the turns are made by passing through the hours of a large analog clock-face on the snow. The turn initiates at 12 o’clock. At 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock (depending on the turning side), the skis pass through the fall line, and at 6 o’clock the turn ends.
- On steep slopes, finishing the turn at 6 o’clock by placing the skis perpendicular to the fall line for a better speed control.
- In linked turns, the point determined by 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock (which is the same point) is the Inflection Point, i.e., the end-start of the turn (finishiation).
- For medium radius turns on intermediate slopes, the linking point (end-start) would be at 5 o’clock on right turns, or 7 o’clock on left turns.
- For bigger radius turns on gentle slopes, perform the end-start at around 4 o’clock during right turns, or around 8 o’clock during left turns.
- In deep, heavy snow, steering the tips from 12 o’clock towards 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock (fall line), depending on which is the turning side, then steering the tails towards 6 o’clock (across the fall line).
The “Rocking-chair” Oscillation
In skiing, the sensation on the soles of the feet is key. According to the biomechanics of the turn that we are analyzing on the clock-face, the pendular displacement of the Center of Mass feels like a “rocking-chair” oscillation. Here is the breakdown of how the Center of Pressure should be perceived on the outside foot:
- Turn Initiation (12 o’clock zone): pressure is primarily felt in the forefoot (the ball of the foot). This helps the ski’s shovel bite into the snow to initiate the curve.
- Apex/Fall Line (3 or 9 o’clock zone): pressure is distributed more centrally and powerfully over the arch of the outside ski.
- Turn Exit (4-5 or 8-7 o’clock zone): pressure gradually shifts toward the heel. This rear support allows us to harness tangential inertia to “catapult” ourselves into the next change of direction.
