Edging is such a vast topic when discussed but at it’s core it is a ludicrously simple movement. The skill of edging, in isolation, starts with the inversion and eversion of our ankles. (Here’s an article on anatomical biomechanics if you’re into that stuff.) That’s fancy speak for rolling your feet from little to to big toe using our…
Edging is the skill of tilting the ski onto an angle against the snow. This skill when combined with the other skills (balance, twisting, etc) results in multiple effects. On its own, I like to simplify edging as giving skiers a grip on the snow. When we have a firm grip on the ground, other…
When we ski, we shouldn’t be looking down at our feet or skis. So we can’t see whether what we are doing is right, enough or even wrong. We have to feel it. Video can be a useful learning tool but ultimately, the only immediate and constant feedback we have to rely on is what…
“My short turns feel like shit. I’m heel pushing to slow down cos I can’t turn my legs to finish my turn because I’m not crossing over because steeps terrify me.” That was part of a recent conversation I had with a fellow instructor who was preparing for an exam. In that sentence, she…
If you’ve ever been to a dance or yoga studio, you’ll notice there’s always a wall covered with mirrors. Now besides catering to the narcissist inside all of us, the mirrors serve as instruments of feedback and self-correction. The guy might actually feels like he’s doing what the instructor is doing, till he looks in…
Put any fool on two planks and they’ll be able to head straight down a hill. Gravity ensures it. Skiing is all about turns though. And we should make turns for two reasons only; “We turn to change direction or to manage our speed via turn shape.” A huge bonus is that those turns start…
In my first few seasons of instructing, I had the good fortune of teaching an honest-to-god rocket scientist (who shared with me that rocket science is actually a lot simpler than a whole lot of other sciences out there). He was an inquisitive student that was learning the snowplough turn. I remember one of…
OK, let’s take a break from skills, strategies and concepts. The brain and body can only absorb so much. Let’s hurt something else. Our wallets. Equipment is something that we all can change relatively easily. Compression clothing really does help a skier. I don’t pretend to understand how it truly works but it does. With…
A round turn shape is the canvas where all ski movements are painted on. It’s tough to perform the movements correctly if you’re not skiing in a rounded turn shape. It’s like the path a race car takes in a racecourse. That path is the framework so to speak. Deviate from that path and you’ve…
Part 1 of speed control showed us what’s wrong. Now lets find out how to do what’s right. This topic usually gets a bit techie. Its the nature of the concept unfortunately. Lots of physics and that kinda stuff involved. This is my simplified version of it all. The shape of a turn manages a…
turnshape 