Mental tactic applied while skiing
A special post for all Australian Snowsports instructors.It’s that time of the season again; instructors all around Australia are heading off to different resorts to take their examinations. Unless the premise of the examination is your home resort, you will likely be on unfamiliar terrain. Australian ski instructor exams follow the format of one terrain…
Traditionally, the start and end of the turn has been defined by a C shaped curve. Linked them together and you should end up with the S shaped turn that we so commonly see. Traditional turn shape. Now here’s the problem. Almost all skiers mentally approach skiing using this traditional C shape curve. What results…
To the untrained eye, skiing appears as a fast and sudden moving sport. That’s a big part of the appeal and attraction of the sport for most people. Unfortunately, skiers also usually attempt to imitate what they see. Good skiers often make what seem like quick, jerky movements and those learning the sport try to…
When skiing we look ahead. Simple. But there is a little bit more to that statement. For where exactly do you look ahead? In short turns, it’s straight forward. Pick a point, actively look at it and keep heading towards it. (The technical definition of a short turn is one where the radius of the turn is within…
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…
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…
Speed control is usually the first lesson I find myself having to teach. Most skiers have little understanding of efficient speed control when it comes to steeper terrain. In fact there is a large percentage of skiers out there who have very little speed control at all. They put a few turns in until they…
Every start of the season, after a few runs of clearing the cobwebs, I find myself skiing quite well. Then somehow through the season, that feeling slowly but surely dissipates. It happens almost without fail every season. Through shared conversations with other instructors, I’ve discovered that this phenomenon is not unique just to myself. So…
Skiers are vain people. We loooove to look at ourselves. Even when we know we should be looking ahead when skiing, we can’t resist a little peek below to see what our skis are doing. I still do it myself but I try my hardest not to. Don’t believe me? Get a friend to stand…
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