Ski Blog

Exercise/maneuver efficiency

Preface: I recently observed an instructor with a class doing a particular exercise and couldn’t help ask myself “Why is he doing this? What is the benefit to the student? Does it relate and easily blend back to *actual* skiing? Is it efficient, or is this exercise chewing up time that could be better spent otherwise?” In certification prep classes the examiners would have us do stuff that to this day I still cannot understand how it related to what I would need as a skier or as an instructor. 

I hope you will participate in this discussion. I will gladly feature you and your ideas in future blogs if you would like to participate.   Again, everything contained in my blogs is simply MY opinion. You should not take it as gospel as you be examining EVERYTHING you are told about skiing and ski instruction and use what works best for you.

I believe we as ski instructors need to examine WHAT we do and WHY we do it and WHEN we teach it. We often teach exercises and maneuvers that have limited effectiveness. I often wonder why we continue to use obsolete techniques and maneuvers that slow down or even impede our ski students’ progress? This is the beginning of a discussion on such things.

This first entry is something that is something that every newbie instructor is trained to teach, but I have to question why we haven’t yet abandoned it?

The notorious “bullfighter”.  Why do we teach this? What does it accomplish?  What are the implications? Is there an alternative?

Bullfighter-Why?

Some would say that it allows the new skier to ready themselves to make their first straight run.

Benefits to the Bullfighter?  What is it suppose to do?

It allows the skier to turn their skis into the fall line before starting any sliding. The skier can then remove their poles from the snow and begin sliding once they feel “prepared”.

 Are there negatives to the “bullfighter”?

1)     The students learn to use their hands/poles as braking devices which transfers to their skiing.

2)     In a class situation, it slows the class waiting for each student to get into position before they actually do any ski activity.  The amount of time it takes for each student to utilize this action is disproportionate to its arguably few benefits.

3)     The hands become an issue of posture and balance when sliding begins and may contribute to unnecessary tension in the skier’s body.  

4)     Some students do not have sufficient arm and upper body strength to do this maneuver comfortably.

5)     Students miss out on learning how to effectively start movement (by turning their feet without using poles first) by gradually turning into the fall line and gradually beginning the slide.

Are there Alternatives?

Instead of the bullfighter, (while standing across the fall line on extremely gentle terrain) have the student pick up each ski sequentially (essentially marching, but only picking up the skis slightly), and with baby steps begin pointing the skis toward the fall line. As the skis point more toward and into the fall line they will gradually begin moving forward. Continuation of the marching and direction change will actually create a path whose shape resembles a turn. From that point, it is a simple matter of changing the march to a shuffle (retaining the turn shape, of course). As the skier gains confidence in sliding freely while shuffling, have them eliminate the shuffle while retaining theguiding motion… and voila… you have created a skier (if you’ve taught it correctly, a parallel skier, no less!).  

Please not that it is important to make sure the slope you select  is *very* gentle at first to keep the student at ease while learning this (and every other) new skill.

Additional Benefits?

The alternative method of starting the skiing action is that with the gentle guiding in the turn path, the student can learn to control speed through turn shape rather than through a braking action. The student learns independent foot action, yet discovers how both skis can ultimately be guided in the snow together.

Important note:  I am not advocating the abandonment of braking maneuvers, but braking should be taught , as a secondary speed control skill, not a primary one. Near universal use of shaped skis allow most skiers to not only ski, but ski parallel in a  fraction of the time than with straight skis.   Yes, there will be skiers where sliding movement at any speed will create fear. In the case of fearful skiers the braking maneuvers as speed *fearful skiers*control and potentially the bullfighter can be used. However, those techniques should be considers as remedial and a fallback plan. As always, terrain selection and judgement are key elements to safety and success.

In closing

There are many techniques and exercises which we ski instructors ask our students to perform.  Try to take the shortest route to the ultimate goal. Make sure that exercises are pertinent to the goal and that they actually can be blended back into real skiing. Can you suggest any other teaching boondoggles that you regularly see? We can talk about them in future blogs.

Ski Well!

Skiing’s Most Basic Concept

In recent years teaching the TURN SHAPE has been my primary starting point in teaching all levels. It really doesn’t matter how many skills the skier has acquired, but unless they know where they want their skis to go (and why) they will never ski to their full potential.  Racers, who have well developed mechanics, are primarily focused on the path in which their skis travel. It should be no different (and IMO is no different) for the lower level skiers. I believe that awarness of the desired turn shape can have as much influence on the mechanics as the mechanics have on the path of the skis.

Remember, speed control is the ability to go slow OR FAST at will. Turn up the hill a little more to keep speed in check  and let them run down the hill more to  maintain speed (S shape turns). Using turn shape for speed control is a lot different and more effective than trying to “throw out the anchor” (i.e. wedge or Christie) to keep speed under control.  This is particularly true as the skier starts to carry more speed.

Once the student understands the critical importance of turn shape they can then apply the physical skiing skills that they already have, a lot like a musician envisions how they want to sound in addition to just playing the right notes. 

I explain the use of turn shapes to my students like this…

Q) If you want to go as fast as possible, what do you do?

A) Point your skis straight down the hill.

Q) If you want to go as slow as possible what do you do?

A) Point your skis straight UP the hill.

Q) And so, if you’re skiing along and continue to change your direction until your skis are pointed up the hill what will happen?

A) You will slow down and ultimately stop.

Q) And if your skis begin lose too much speed what then?

A) Don’t turn up hill quite so far and begin the next turn by pointing them toward the fall line (sooner).

The one ski shape to watch out for and correct immediately is the “Z turn”. The Z turn is characterized by a quick move into and then out of the fall line and a large “dead spot” in the middle of the turn (often a traverse).  Though the Z turn may provide some feeling of security to some skiers and give the skier time to regroup between turns, it should not be a regular part of the skier’s turn pattern.  I suggest that a skier making these types of turns is probably on a slope too advanced for their skills. [If a skier is on too difficult a slope, the Z turn is probably a good way to survive it until they can move to a gentler area]

Essentially, the skier should either be turning right or turning left.  In other words, we are looking for is continuous direction change one way or another. Once the skier has decided to stop turning in one direction it is time to begin the next turn in the opposite direction. 

As per the illustration neither C shapes nor S shapes should have significant dead spots. You’re either turning one way or the other. Continuous turning (and smooth transitions) is what “flow” is about in skiing.

One thing the new skier might want to be aware of is the constant speeding up and slowing down throughout each turn.  This may be a new concept for wedge turners who are continuously “using the brakes” to (erroneously) maintain a steady speed. Once the newer skier develops confidence in the ability to slow down by continuing their directions change toward uphill, the acceleration will become a joyful event rather than a fearful one. Round, consistent turn shapes will lead to the next steps in a skier’s development. 

As I said, the turn shape is a great foundation for teaching mixed groups and the foundation of all good ski turns. Given the  proper choice of slope, you can use the same turn shapes for each level in the group but simply assign a different task and focus appropriate to the individual.  The shallower the slope the more technically challenging it becomes for the more advanced skier because they can’t rely on momentum and centripetal force, while at the same time you can work on skill acquisition with the lower levels in the group.

Good luck!

Copyright 2011 Stanton Kramer  All Rights Reserved

Forward: Exploring WHY things work is just part of who I am. So, my blogs can get a bit involved. My personal situation (due to a serious permanent injury) sent me on a journey to find unique solutions to overcome some physical  issues.  In doing so I discovered many UNIVERSAL solutions, many of which are not readily discussed in mainstream ski media or PSIA. You may not agree with what I saying or like what I’m saying… or just THAT I’m saying it.  Like TV, you can change the channel.   I write this blog for myself and for anyone who thinks they can benefit from those things in the blog. I  ask you to read this through and keep an open and critical mind.  

Yes, this is a blog for serious and/or aspiring skiers.  I  have tried hard to keep things succinct while trying to make my thoughts clear as possible. If anyone has any ideas on how to edit any of this for clarity or brevity, please feel free to write me. I hope to add some photos or video some time in the near future.  

…And so, the continuation of my discussion of Leverage as it applies to skiing…

Leverage “cuts” both ways. In a previous blog (The Secret Sauce) I explained how pressuring the “power point” and rolling off the foot, ankle and lower leg into the boot to create a fulcrum that produces a powerful torque (leverage).  This leverage should be applied to release the edges of your skis as well as engage them.  By creating the fulcrum and consequent leverage you create the most solid connection between skier and SNOW.

The kinetic connection that links the skier with the snow can also act as a stabilizer with which the skier can adjust the body! It’s the old physics law about equal and opposite reactions.

To put it in simple terms, if you release the edges (from a turn) and begin the next turn by leveraging from the “power point” (discussed in Leverage- The Secret Sauce) through the feet and into the snow, this fulcrum action HELPS DRAW THE BODY ACROSS THE SKIS in the direction of the new turn. As the feet and ankles roll, so do the knees and just pulls the body across the skis. This was one of the key discoveries that I made when attempting to continue making dynamic turns while conserving energy (see earlier blog-Exploring Efficiency).

When I teach an advanced class or a clinic I regularly ask the question, “How are edging and steering RELATED”?  Everyone knows how they are different but their relationship to one another is often overlooked.

The answer to the question is simple:  Both edging and steering are a result of the femur rotating in the hip socket.  It’s just that each motion occurs on different axes. When one understands this relationship, it is easy to accept the concept that to some extent steering (rotary) and edging are “kissing cousins”. Consequently, the torque created while edging or steering travels up the leg to the hip, where the energy and leverage on both axis planes can be used to our advantage.  

As stated previously, the force generated from edging can pull our center of mass (via our hips) across the skis and down the slope in the general direction of travel.  But in aggressively edging while generating leverage, we also have created a stable rotational counter force with which the hips can remain pointed in the direction of travel (as opposed to following where the skis are pointed).  This is the most efficient and powerful way to achieve “separation of upper and lower body”.  Yes, other methods are available, but require much less effective movements. Executed properly, the body remains quiet and stable, while the feet and skis can be quick and powerful, as well as supple.

Further discussion:  Around 1984 I began experimenting with a type of turn popularized by then Olympic Champions Phil and Steve Maher. From time to time, quite accidentally, and intuitively they would initiate a turn in a quite unconventional way.  Instead of unweighting and transferring weight to the new outside ski as would be the norm,  to quicken a turn, they would leave the old outside ski weighted, and just flip it from inside edge to outside edge to try to get an earlier turn initiation.  The new outside ski would have little or no weight (pressure) on it. The pressure on the outside (and sometimes the ski itself) was “dropped in” much later in the turn- at or sometimes after reaching the fall line. This type of turning was coined “The Whitepass Lean” (after the Whitepass Ski Area that they called home).

Actually, the “Lean” part was really a misnomer. It did look like they were leaning, but in fact the action of rolling (leveraging?) the new inside ski over rapidly caused the body to cross over the skis quickly and powerfully.  The Whitepass Turn wasn’t really practical for a bread-and-butter turn in the form in which Phil and Steve used it, but it provided an excellent basis for everday use only requiring a few minor alterations.

My first modification of the Whitepass turn was to attempt to ski two footed while still attempting to first roll the old outside/new inside ski.  Two-footed skiing allows for the concept of the turn to remain intact while subduing some of its more radical elements.  Not only did the modified WP turn become less abrupt, but IMO with the right adjustments were made my turns smoother than ever.  Now, to me, a foot to foot (pressure transfer) turn initiation looks herky and jerky.  The test is in the transition from turn to turn. The modified WP turn has a feathered pressure transition that is natural and flowing.

By engaging the new inside ski first, the  body is drawn into a natural state of dynamic balance as the body position is directed from the feet, rather than the feet directed  from the upper body (hence the fallacy of the term “lean”).   The change from turn to turn is no longer dependent on pressure transfer from ski to ski, but in change from edge to edge, with the body no longer lurching around.  Pressure transfer happens naturally, almost on its own and keeps the skier poised to change edges and direction in an instant. Additionally much more control is achieved because the skis will be carving and loaded much higher in the turn…  And not only that, these kind of fully carved turns are SO much fun!

If you want to learn more about the Whitepass Turn, read Warren Witherell’s  _The Athletic Skier_ ca 1984. 

Looking forward to comments and questions.  Ski well and have fun!

10 Steps to a Great Start

Copyright 2011 Stanton Kramer  All Rights Reserved

Most skiers don’t really want to take lessons.  Ski lessons, like school, can be BORING!   Beginners don’t want to spend the majority of their time standing in line listening to an instructor drone on, waiting to for their turn to perform the next maneuver. They have heard horror stories from friends who took lessons, but weren’t shown how to ride the chair lift or ski the most basic trail.

When I was a novice instructor I was taught that the goal of the first lesson was to *attempt* to get the students to ride the chair lift at least one time during the first lesson.  I was told that if I was a good instructor,  in that 75 minute lesson  I *might* be successful getting between 70-80% of the students skiing beyond the rope tow area.  With the “pre-packaged” standard lesson plan that all of us were trained with I would regularly have to spend extra (unpaid) time with some students just so they wouldn’t crash and burn in the newbie area. I knew had to be a better way.

I started with the premise that there are three reasons beginners don’t get very far in their first lessons. 1) There are a lot of unnecessary steps and exercises that are used in the lesson. 2) As previously stated, the students have so little opportunity to put on much supervised practice mileage.   3) With the standard instruction model the instructor ends up talking far more than demonstrating while the students stand in a line. 

And so, I devised a system for myself that exponentialy hastens the introduction of skiing to the new skier!  The following are my 10 steps to an efficient beginner lesson.  FWIW, even though shaped skis make things easier, the lesson works just as well on straight skis.  

Note: I usually have students do all of the following initial exercises on the flat area,  at the bottom of a *very* shallow slope. I make sure that the area has a safe runout to naturally stop skiers who may not at first be successful in any exercise.

Step One: Marching

I start my group of students off by simply marching in place. Right-left-right-left and so on. This promotes independent foot action. While marching they don’t have to worry about overcoming the resistance of the snow until they are prepared for it.  Without the independent action of the marching new skiers sometimes get locked onto both skis and forget that they have TWO feet, losing all maneuverability.

Step Two: Twirly Birds

Next, while doing the march step, I have them make little baby step movements and twirl/spin 360 degrees  in place in a circle. I let them do that for a few revolutions, then have them reverse and do it in the other direction. This exercise gets them familiar with how a small motion in the foot translates to the big lever arm of the ski, and that a little too much foot twisting can cross skis and trip them up. So, they learn how much is enough as well as how much is too much.

Step Three: Marching in circles

Starting on the flats of the aforementioned shallow slope I have them start marching in a line in a circle.  All the students are marching and following simultaneously in “follow the leader” fashion. No one stands around. I have them march clockwise, then have the line begin a counterclockwise circle doing the same thing.

Note: To get started I act as the leader so that I can dictate the path throughout.

Step Four: Escalating Circles

Without breaking or further explanations, I start leading them in circles that get larger and larger, with the expansion going up the small slope.  As I go a bit higher at the beginning, just using the poles to help them climb (Nordic style) they are just fine, but I then tell them (while still in a marching pattern) to allow the skis to glide a bit as the circle begins to point down hill. I try to allow them to circle both to the left and to the right so they get the feel of each direction. All the while we have continuous movement. Each subsequent pass has me lead them higher and higher up the small slope and allows for longer and longer gliding.

Step Five: Introduce Side Step

At some point, no matter how shallow the slope, we will have to stop from sliding backwards. So, at this point we take a momentary break from the movement and learn to walk sideways on the uphill edges of their skis.

By this time they have had a significant amount of time to get used to skis being on their feet and how to control where they are pointed.  It is now an easy process to begin to make them aware of their edges.  Once we are able to side step up our small slope we can resume our circular movements (in both directions, of course).

Step Six: Direction Change Awareness

We are still marching through our circles as they get higher and higher. But as the steepness increases the student begins to experience marching through the “fall line” and will start to experience longer and longer terms of gliding and sliding.  The bottom of the circle remains as it has, and the student is instructed to continue to march and turn his feet even if there is still glide in the ski.

At some point I will stop to point out that by continuing the march in the circle, even while sliding, they were able to turn away from skiing straight downhill by marching and turning their feet, even while sliding. Also, should there be a little speed in their descent, continuing to turn (the feet) until they are pointed a bit up the hill will ultimately slow them to a stop.

Instructors note: This is the introduction to speed control through turn shape. Note that I did not introduce braking at all, nor did I introduce the wedge!

Step Seven: Transform the Marching Into Shuffling

At this point they are quite familiar with many skills, not the least of which is direction change and speed control by turning their feet in a march step.  To progress out of the march step I have them replace the marching with SHUFFLING.  The shuffle step, though not the final form helps the new skier keep the feet independently functioning as they continue to make higher and higher circles. 

Imporant note:  You have not yet introduced active edging. All the above maneuvers, with the exception of the side steps should be taught on flat skis. The main skill until this point has been steering/guiding. Edging and pressure have remained totally passive, except to the extent that the weight should be fairly evenly distributed throughout.

Step Eight: Blend Shuffling Into Actual Skiing

Because we have not yet introduced edging into the mix, the skier may begin to experience a bit of spontaneous skidding (lateral slippage).  This is quite alright.  Just reassure them and tell them to go with it. The idea is to get them to continue to guide their feet as the skis slide through the snow. If they get hung up with guiding the feet without shuffling or stepping have them shuffle while they attempt to change direction with sliding/foot steering.  Eventually when confidence grows and they allow themselves to gain a little speed, they will generally abandon the shuffling.  Again, we have not yet abandoned the circle.

Step Nine: Linking Right and Left Direction Changes

Now that the student can essentially complete a turn (while turning into the slope) we can begin to have them link direction changes.

Instead of making a full turn to a stop, we will make partial turns, first to the right, then to the left, without a complete stop.  The idea is to educate the students on the use of momentum and turning radius (turn shape) to control their speed without total loss of momentum. At this point they are ready to ski on very gentle, but longer ski runs.

Step Ten: Other stuff they need to know

Now that they have confidence that they can stop by turning and have control of foot steering we can now teach a wedge stop (snowplow).   Instead of turning feet in both directions, they can try to point both toes toward each other while pushing the heels out evenly. With all the skills they already have, this should be super quick and simple.  They are now ready for instructions on how to ride the rope tow and/or the ski lift.

FWIW, on average with an average group of 7 to 10 students I am generally able to go through the entire sequence and introduce chair lift in about 15 minutes.  Yes, you will have the occasional student that will never be able to become a skier.  But I have found those to be quite rare with my approach. As a side note, none of these exercised require the silly “bullfighter” pose which slows things down to a crawl.

If you review the progression, you will see that my groups rarely, if ever, stop moving. They get maximum mileage and practice in the lesson because at every part of each exercise they are (tacitly) working on the different skills.  So to recap what we’ve taught:

1)     Walking sliding on flats (with poles)

2)     Guiding the skis

3)     Climbing/sidestepping/introduction to edging

4)     Gliding Sliding

5)     Direction change

6)     Speed contol through direction change

7)     Maintaining momentum and linking turns

8)     Speed control in tight areas with converging skis(snowplow)

I hope you can see how the system itself is not so different from the mainstream beginner lessons.  What makes it different is that the stream of movement combines all the different skills the beginning skier needs to acquire and provides them one by one as needed in context.  The continuous motion, leads to actual skiing in a minimal time frame that actually allows the instructor to spend a larger percentage of lesson time refining the skiers first turns even more.

Please pay special attention to the fact that the students learn direction change (turning) and speed control without having to learn (or unlearn) a wedge turn!  Subsequent lessons will consequently start at a higher level and go farther because there won’t be anything to reverse that they may have learned in the first lesson.

Teach well!

Copyright 2011 Stanton Kramer  All Rights reserved.

Modern shaped skis have changed the way we ski.  Higher levels of skiing can be achieved much earlier than with straight skis. We now can much more easily initiate turns and carve turns at much lower speeds.  This acceleration of learning and improvement translates all the way down through the beginner level…IF we adapt our approach to fit the new ski technology.

When we think of the beginner lesson many instructors use the WEDGE turn as the primary goal of the lesson.  One can make a case for using the wedge, but I prefer to teach proper movement rather than teach a wedge position. Sometimes the wedge will happen spontaneously, but the goal should be creating turns with the correct movement patterns, NOT to ski in a wedge. FWIW, the INCORRCT WAY TO FORM A WEDGE is to push the tail of the dominant outside ski out and around the inside ski, pointing it more toward the fall line into the direction of the new turn. This may make it a bit simpler and easier for the beginner, but will create hard to break habits.

One important thing that is often overlooked when debating whether or not it is proper to teach the wedge to beginners is that for the skier to progress further and “lose” the wedge, one must either adopt a “christie” (skidding) phase in their development until the skier can learn to point both skis in the same direction,  or unlearn the outside ski dominant approach and replace it with a technique where the inside ski becomes the leading movement. For the most part we no longer teach the Christie phase in a typical lesson progression!

TODAY’S NEW AND IMPROVED TEACHING TECHNIQUE FOCUSES LARGELY ON THE INSIDE SKI, ALLOWING EVERYTHING TO FLOW IN THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW TURN. The outside ski, though important, should no longer be the dominant focus of the turn. Much of the correct function of the outside ski is a result of proper inside ski function- much like your third finger following along when you wiggle your pinky.

Advanced skiers (on shaped skis),  tend to achieve the release of their turns by flattening the skis, transitioning to the other set of corresponding edges while expert skiers may try to move quickly from one set of edges to the other with little time spent on a flat ski. Subtle guiding of the feet is involved, but for the most part steering has become much more passive (except for bumps and steeps).  The feet tend to turn as a response to the ski pulling in the direction of the turn, rather than attempting to use steering to actually turn the skis. We no longer actively “weight” the ski and work more with pressure development, managing the pressure through extension and retraction of the legs as the skis and skier progress in and out of turns.

Rather than pivoting and steering or pushing out the outside ski, what a beginner should focus on is standing on BOTH skis.  To begin a turn the skier should flatten and guide the inside ski into the direction of the new turn.  Yes, it will take a few feet of forward movement for the arc (turn) to develop, but if the inside ski is actively guided; the outside ski should follow, provided it is not locked up on edge.

Focusing on keeping the inside ski active turns the hips into a “fulcrum”, providing its own resistance in which torque is created (torque) which helps guide the skis. As a side benefit, guiding (and beginning to edge) the inside ski actively will help actually pull the body into proper position, allowing for more stable turns and quicker initiations.

Once the skier has developed the proper technique (hopefully as a beginner) progress will follow quickly as we no longer have to unlearn the wedge, thinking of parallel as something “different”.  If you’re not quite ready to give up the wedge as your primary beginner method of turning, it is critical to understand that the modern wedge still initiates with the inside ski.  The wedge forms because the rate of the outside ski steering exceeds the rate at which the inside ski is steered. The wedge is then turned to parallel by decreasing the rate of the outside ski pivot until it matches the rate of the inside.

Below you will find a diagram illustrating the above dialogue. 

Just to recap:  [While moving] Start the turn by directing the tip of the inside ski gently in the direction of the new turn. Note: As the skier progresses a tipping of the inside ski (right turn/right ski/ right edge; left turn/left ski/left edge) will accompany the guiding, and eventually become more predominant than the guiding action. Allow the outside ski to follow. Make sure the weight is kept pretty evenly distributed between both skis. Do not emphasize pressure/weighting.  Simply allow the pressure to develop naturally and allow the skis to turn while they move forward thru the snow.

As a side note, since we are no longer teaching a braking maneuver within the turning mechanism, it is important to point out that speed control is a matter turn shape and terrain selection. Have them make the (round) turn go up the hill (as much as needed) to slow, and point the skis more down the slope to go faster. 

THE ONLY APPROPRIATE FUNCTION OF  BRAKING (wedge, snowplow or otherwise) THAT YOU SHOULD TEACH  IS TO BE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN OR CHANGE DIRECTION IN TIGHT AREAS  (such as lift lines or near stationary maneuvering).

 Once you get your students started with this technique you will see incredible progress happen in days and weeks, where once it took years.

Good luck!

Copyright 2011 Stanton Kramer All Rights Reserved

I remember not too long ago, watching in awe as POWERFUL looking skiers would ski by. Many of them appeared to be naturally gifted athletes. When speaking to them most could only attribute their success to learning proper ski technique and training.  Everything just seemed to work for them and I found many totally unaware of elements of their equipment allowed them to ski so beautifully.  What many of those powerful skiers exhibited was a natural LEVERAGE generated inside their ski boots!  IMO, this is the “secret sauce” to becoming a powerful skier…for the rest of us.  

Often you will hear “expert” instructors say “roll the knees to edge the skis”.   Whether they realize it or not, real expert skiers (mostly) begin the chain of movement AT THE BOTTOMS OF THE FEET.  The rolling of the feet and ankles provide the anchor from which power transfers to the ski, then rolling of the knees and ultimately angulation of the hips will kick in as momentum and centripedal force build. If the first motion is initiated higher up on the chain, it the forces directing the skis are delayed.  Not only is the action begun from the bottoms of the feet, more specifically the action begins,  with the first “anchor” is located slightly behind the ball of the foot, and slightly to the inside of center of the foot. I call it the “POWER POINT” [See illustration 1]

Illustration 1

Adjusting equipment for maximum efficiency of the individual skier, aligning the skier’s center of mass over the POWER POINT is relatively simple, yet seems to escape most of the “expert” boot fitters, technicians and instructors alike.  One simply has to locate the POWER POINT and balance the skier over it!  The POWER POINT is essentially a fulcrum.  Once located, all you have to do is make sure it is supported properly as it becomes the “command center” of the boot/ski interface.  The skier can then roll the foot and ankle in any direction to begin transferring power directly to the ski with little or no upper body movement.  This provides the most efficient control in all directions and becomes the key to fine tuning your turns as they develop! 

We have all seen skiers “in the back seat”, butt sticking out, hands out and forward, just fighting for ski control. This is a clear indicator of a desperate need for fore/aft adjustments. Poor fore/aft balancing is probably the number one issue hampering aspiring skiers, yet is often overlooked in terms of equipment adjustments. The novice/uninformed instructor will often tell the student to “keep the hands forward” or “move the body forward” He/she does not understand that the student is fighting the laws of physics and will always have to make contorted gestures with hands, butt and body until the root of the problem, proper fore/aft balance in the boot/binding/ski/skier interface is achieved.

The more precisely balanced (positioned) from front to back on top of the ski the easier it will be to ride the ski.  Imagine someone sitting in the middle of a well balanced teeter-totter. It isn’t hard to get one end to go up and the other to go down, or vice versa just by applying a *little* pressure on either side while just sitting there. .  But if the sitter is just a little off-center, one has to make contorted moves, just to keep the teeter-totter in a balanced position and seems terminally stuck on one side. The same situation applies with the skier on skis. If just a little off (relative to the individual’s anatomy an boot selection and setup) the effort involved in delivering power to all areas of the ski is multiplied exponentially. This is usually handled within the boots as binding installation instructions are pretty specific where bindings should be mounted.

Understanding the practicalities of fore/aft balance is pretty easy.  Every boot has a “ramp angle” which is essentially how high the heel is in relation to the toe. However the position of the boot mounted on the ski affects how much ramp angle is ideal due to the curvature of the top of the ski (see illustration 2). It is essential that the skier is aligned so that he/she can be balanced front-to-back over the POWER POINT so that supporting all of the skiers weight (mass) is done skeletally, rather than being held in postion with muscular effort. In other words, the skier should just be able to stand in the flexed skiers’ position with the mass balanced right over the POWER POINT, just like the teeter-totter example.  Most often a skier out of balance needs more ramp angle to get aligned longitudinally (fore/aft) to get out of that “back seat” position.  That is *usually* easily fixed by adding a small heel lift.  It is far more rare to see skiers with too much ramp angle. Too much ramp angle is exhibited by too much pressure on the tongue area of the boot, or in extreme cases, “hanging” in the binding.

[Footnote: Often when a skier is too far back on his skis  an inexperienced instructor will tell him/her to “keep the hands forward”. Adjusting the hands without addressing the longitudinal balance is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound.  It might try to cover it up, but it sure won't fix it. Everything starts with balancing over the PROPER point of the feet (POWER POINT). Also note that the boot shaft should not be so straight or so stiff as to impede forward positioning of the knees and hips, nor so far forward that it does not provide adequate  resistance to create leverage. ]

Once we have established proper fore/aft position we can turn our attention to lateral alignment.  If you will note in Illustration 1, the Power Point is not located in the center of the foot, but almost directly behind the second toe. With the foot properly positioned neutrally (laterally) on the boot insole, one has to make sure that the natural stance laterally aligns over the POWER POINT. This can be measured with a plumb-bob, hanging from the center of mass of the knee to roughly over the second toe. Once this is accomplished, the boot cuff should be adjusted so that there is equal space on both sides of the lower leg. Getting all the elements aligned laterally will allow quick and easy access to the edges on both sides of the skis.

After all the major tinkering is done, the fun begins.  While standing in your boots, try to feel for the POWER POINT area on your foot. In my boots I actually build up the area with a few small pieces of decorator tape (similar to electrical tape, but not as gooey). Duct tape can work well too, but requires fewer pieces and is not as easily refined. Once I have the proper support, all I have to do to edge in either direction is ROLL MY FOOT OFF THE POWER POINT.  Because of where my mass is aligned, I can adjust pressure to the front or back of the ski with very little additional effort while I am edging.

Illustration 3 shows a photo of an off-the-shelf ergonomic 3/4 insole.  Note the metatarsal pad that most ski insoles are lacking. The power point usually does not require this much support, but it sure illustrates the idea of balancing the foot from a central point.

[Point of interest: In the early 80's Caber boots introduced something called the "rocker sole". I'm told by some that had it really worked. However it was regarded as just a gimmick and discontinued quickly. However the rocker sole idea is not dissimilar in nature to supporting the power point]

The major part of the success of the system is the leverage generated. As you roll your foot/ankle off the POWER POINT, a fulcrum is created inside the boot generating incredible power that can be transferred to the ski.  In other words, it may feel like pushing off from the bottom center of the foot INTO the side of the boot.   You should be able to feel it from the top (usually front) part of your ankle and pretty far up the boot shaft.  By creating leveraging in this manner, your boots don’t have to be as stiff to generate the kind of power needed to make slicing turns but you can generate incredible power in your skiing as it helps focus the center of mass directly into the ski. The foot and leg are held solidly by the torque created when pushing from the center of the foot to the boot walls… P.S. Try pushing down with your toes for additional leverage. If you can’t, perhaps a couple layers of tape under the toes will help as well…

…One last thing… After all the adjustments are made, if you still have difficulty edging evenly on the outside and inside of your boot/ski, consider having your boot soles ground by an experienced professional. You won’t believe the difference.

Good luck everyone. I look forward to your questions and comments.

FWIW, my inspiration for this stuff is Warren Witherell, author of How the Racers Ski (ca 1970) and The Athletic Skier (ca 1984).  I haven’t read either of his books in 15 years or so, but will be re-reading shortly to see what I have forgotten. If I’ve lifted anything from him for this blog it was strictly unintentional, and all credit goes to him. He was so far ahead of everyone else in his time…and maybe still is.

I was recently skiing  in New Hampshire. The snow conditions were much like you would find in the midwest.  Hard, groomed corduroy.  However the vertical was over 1500 ft and the runs were approximately 2 miles long (as I am told).  The steepness wasn’t any more than the steepest parts of the local midwest runs, but when a pitch of even moderate steepness goes on and on you have to make some turns, lest you build up a good head of steam.

When you are traveling fast for long distances, the forces feel significantly greater, especially when the lactic acid kicks in after a mile or so of continuous skiing. I *could* have backed off and just let things get a little “looser” so not to expend so much energy. But I really wanted to keep up the quality of my turns. I needed to increase my efficiency or I would have rubber legs by the end of each run. And in my search for efficiency I discovered a few things (your mileage may vary).

The source of my fatigue was constantly pushing and pulling so hard to maintain edge grip and control.  I was constantly concerned about maintaining edge hold moving at continually fast speeds.  The solution, I discovered, was not to be so active in pressure control!  With the speed and centripetal forces generated, mother nature would take care of most of that, if I would just allow it to. Alignment and edging were really the key.

Essentially I found a simple and easy to use solution.  Take the old outside ski and just keep rolling it over (to become the new inside ski) AND WAIT!  You don’t need to transfer pressure as early as some of us like to do it. As the ski rolls and the turn progresses, simply gradually retract the inside leg*.  By using the inside leg for both edging and pressure control, you minimize a lot of the jerkiness that occurs with a weight transfer turn initiation.

 *Footnote: Retracting the inside leg will create more angles and allow the skier to edge further and more completely into the turn.

 A big help in this technique is to attempt to ski as two-footed as possible. If your turn shapes are round you may even have to fight to continue skiing two-footed. That’s ok. Just the attempt will be good enough. Attempting to ski two-footed helps keep the body from moving laterally too far either way. Tipping and controlling the edge of the inside ski helps maintain the proper upper body position as the action actually pulls the body in the desired direction.  But beware that if you don’t try to tip the inside ski, you may end up tipping the body improperly (banking).

 As the turn develops, the pressure transfer happens almost automatically. There comes a point where you can’t NOT transfer the pressure (yes, a double negative). Mother nature will pretty much do it for you, just don’t fight it. What’s great about it is that the technique works well in many situations (i.e. hardpack, powder, crud).

 I don’t really have to think much about edging the outside ski. It sort of automatically wants to mimic the inside.  It’s like wiggling your baby finger. Unless you’re a freak of nature, your third finger will want to wiggle too, just as it will take effort not to edge the outside ski in sympathy with the inside when edged.

 The one caveat of this is that the timing at which you roll the edges has to correspond with the shape and diameter of the turn you are trying to achieve. Of course this is coupled with the speed you are carrying and the steepness of the slope. Once you find the sweet spot of the timing and understand how far and how fast to roll, everything will fall into place and skiing will become nearly effortless.

To summarize it all- While skiing more or less two-footed, start rolling and continue to roll the new inside ski (old outside ski) over to end the old turn and begin the new, then wait for the pressure to begin to equalize (but don’t forget to continue rolling). As the new outside ski begins to engage on its own, continue rolling, then soften and begin to retract the inside leg through to completion (again continue rolling). If you get too much pressure on the outside, simply extend the inside leg down to more equally distribute the pressure. If you want more on the outside, continue to retract the inside leg. That’s it! 

Good luck. Let me know what you think.