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Are you on Carving Skis? Do You Know How to Use Them?
Hello everyone In the previous article I left in you all skiing like Jedi Knights. I hope that by now you have found the force and that you have managed to stay away from the dark side, especially on those icy black runs. Has anything really changed in 100 years of skiing? Lets look for answers
at two skiers carving in the photos below.
Do you notice interesting similarities between these two skiers? Has anything been achieved in 40 years? · The Author
(photo 1)
is on modern equipment, killer Lange Race boots, riser-carving plates
on Volkl P40 F1 carving skis. Yet the similitude between the two skiers is undeniable! Why such similarities? 1. Because universal laws do not change, the mountain's slope always provided the propulsion power for skiers to use. Skiing was just as much then a gravity powered sport as it is today. 2. Both skiers are using a lot of edge. Notice how much edge is applied to the skis, notice how the legs are not vertical. Place yourself in front of a mirror and tilt your legs to the same angles you see on the photographs…compare this massive tilt with the bolt upright position of recreational skiers you see on the mountain. This will give you an idea of how much they are missing the point about ski technique and carving. Carving, or edging the skis, is the fundamental principle governing all skiing behaviour. 3. Both the 1962 and 1999 skier are looking for the same thing in their skiing. Both are seeking maximum turning effects from the skis and mountain with minimal strain on their skeletal structure (body) and consequently both the 1962 and 1999 skiers align their body structure to allow the most power to flow through it. Both are doing the same job of maintaining a mechanically strong body structure in order to get the same effect and carve on their skis. Does this imply that 1962 ski technique is similar to today? Yes it does! I said before that the game of progress has to be seen as a simple process of aligning your body structure to allow the most power to flow through it. This was true 40 years ago and it is still true today. This is just plain mechanics. What differentiates these 2 skiers? Look at the lines between the shoulders and the tip of the outside (downhill) ski. These lines represent an imaginary string attached to each shoulder. In an ideal world both strings should be of equal length. When this condition is achieved, the ski carves its tightest arc allowing the body to suffer minimum "structural distortion". The 1962 dude is skiing with too much anticipation by allowing each shoulder string to be of different length. This creates a structural twist in the body and opens the arc of the carve proposed by the skis. 40 years of skiing has taught us to make two strings equal. What are they getting out of their skiing that is so special? They are getting huge pleasure from their skiing! Why: Because they ride their skis with massive edge. Yes folks, riding skis with massive carving edge is the path to great fun. Ski equipment manufacturers have figured this out, look at what is out there: Snow blades, radical carving skis, fun carving skis, free ride carving skis, race carving skis, all these skis and more have one thing in common, they provide immense fun provided you use them on edge. Equipment manufacturers are investing big bucks to get you to have fun by designing great gear suggesting that you finally change your style and get carving on those edges. You don't need to go at warp speed to feel like Alberto Tomba…just use your carving skis on their edges and a miracle will happen. You will experience loads of fun! Any skier today who still resists the experience of carving skis on edge is definitely not living in the new millenium, especially knowing that ski racers have been doing the right stuff for the past 40 years… So upgrade your skiing style now and get on your edges. Do it, the fun is waiting for you. Asides from receiving my newsletter, what more can you do to reach the ethos of skiing? Remove mechanical imbalance from the body with alignment. Call me in Val D'Isere to organise your appointment. I am using medical grade British orthotics, (or footbeds) as the starting point for all alignments. Please do not purchase footbeds for your ski boots, many of them perform extremely poorly compared with the Vectorthotics that I am now using. Even if you not considering alignment Vectorthotics are outstanding and come highly recommended by British practitioners, and are used by the National Health in the UK. Contact Bernard Chesneau by e-mail at ski@ski-mastery.com or by phone on 00 33 4 79 40 1 68 for bookings and answers to queries about skiing issues. Or visit our alighment pages at Skier Alignment. Until then, Ski With Passion. Bernard Chesneau Les Anemones, |
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Balance and Power |