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Mendieta

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I just came across this (older) video, which I saw before, and I absolutely love. This is Bode Miller (you might have heard about him, aka as the most successful US male racer in history) and Phil McNichol, ex USST Men's Head Coach. (These guys clearly know what they are talking about :D)


I am a confessed sucker for ski racing. Not so much because I care about the competition per se, being mostly an outsider, but really because of its full focus on results. There is little dogma that I can see. It's all about being as efficient as possible so that you can clock better. So, I think about it as containing the essence of skiing, which can the be taken out there, off piste, etc. The essentials are there.

And this video is all about that. Functional skiing. "This is what you do, this is why". Simple words, beautiful skiing. Seeing Bode free ski is something. Here he is focusing on pure technique and it's a joy, at least to me. A lot of the topics discussed in our Ski School section are touched upon, in what, IMHO, is an incredibly high level, with very simple, unassuming words. I thought I should share.

Bode, Phil, you guys seriously rock. Thank you!

:pug:
 

skier

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I just came across this (older) video, which I saw before, and I absolutely love. This is Bode Miller (you might have heard about him, aka as the most successful US male racer in history) and Phil McNichol, ex USST Men's Head Coach. (These guys clearly know what they are talking about :D)


I am a confessed sucker for ski racing. Not so much because I care about the competition per se, being mostly an outsider, but really because of its full focus on results. There is little dogma that I can see. It's all about being as efficient as possible so that you can clock better. So, I think about it as containing the essence of skiing, which can the be taken out there, off piste, etc. The essentials are there.

And this video is all about that. Functional skiing. "This is what you do, this is why". Simple words, beautiful skiing. Seeing Bode free ski is something. Here he is focusing on pure technique and it's a joy, at least to me. A lot of the topics discussed in our Ski School section are touched upon, in what, IMHO, is an incredibly high level, with very simple, unassuming words. I thought I should share.

Bode, Phil, you guys seriously rock. Thank you!

:pug:

That's a coincidence. I just posted this video a few days ago in the backseat thread.
 

skier

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Here's another one with Phil McNichol that's very interesting.

 

Josh Matta

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so when you press on edge how are you able to maintain that pressure thought out the whole turn?
 

Andy Mink

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Ah. Thank you. I will remove this thread. We son't beed the duplicate.
Just leave it. It's a good video and maybe will attract different views with a different title. :thumb:
 

Bolder

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I'll give you a like!

I did like the terminology. As someone who's working on carving without hip dumping, If falling leafs/leaves are good enough for Bode, they're good enough for me. I also liked the point about why you should really press on the shovels, i.e., because that area of the ski is softer, wider, and where the sidecut begins. And, Bode's arm/hand position is something to emulate. I keep my hands too low, I think.

On a travel note, off to St.Gervais/Megeve/Les Contamines on Saturday. Hoping the expected warm weather doesn't materialize.
 
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Mendieta

Mendieta

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why you should really press on the shovels

Yes, or more explicitly, how you should be on the front of the ski at the beginning of the turn, and how the turn will naturally push you back unless you fight it, and overall, it is expected that the weight will be transferred to the back of the ski, towards the end of the turn. Basically, the complexities of for-aft weight transfer, and what to do to avoid being pushed to the back seat.
 

James

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One really does not need to "press on the shovels". It will just get you thrown backwards. Nor do you need to be "on the front" of the ski. Sort of the same thing really. "Ahead" of the skis is a different matter. It's a different direction.

The interesting thing I saw in the first vid with the falling leaf- You can see the extremely subtle body rotation that steers the tips. We've argued about this concerning straight side slips. Shifting weight for or aft really doesn't do a whole lot in terms of getting the tips or tails to go downhill.

There's always something else we do that makes that happen. It really doesn't take much. You can see the something else in the Bode vid.
 

JESinstr

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The only thing that the first video proves is my long standing belief that great racers do not necessarily equal great teachers. In the static mode they advocate and demo gross leaning of the upper body. In Bode's dynamic skiing demo there is no leaning as far as I can see. Forward pressure management is handled through the boot by the Flex Complex (ankles, knees and hips). The upper body mass remains stable within the confines of the arched based BOS...as it should.
 

Dudeabides

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What struck me most about that video is the section on vertical movements. Does that seem a little outdated to anyone else?

Also, I agree on the points made above me regarding falling leaf- it doesn't really matter if you are leaning towards the tip or tail of your ski... what matters is if you steer the tips up or down the hill.
 

skier

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What struck me most about that video is the section on vertical movements. Does that seem a little outdated to anyone else?

Also, I agree on the points made above me regarding falling leaf- it doesn't really matter if you are leaning towards the tip or tail of your ski... what matters is if you steer the tips up or down the hill.

So, sometimes there can be a fair amount of resistance to steering. It's easier to steer the tips down the hill or the tails down the hill with the help of gravity. If you put your weight forward, then with less pressure on the tails it's easier to steer the tails down the hill. With weight on the tails and less pressure on the tips, it's easier to steer the tips down the hill. So, leaning towards the tip or tail does indeed matter when steering the tips or the tails down the hill.
 

Dudeabides

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So, sometimes there can be a fair amount of resistance to steering. It's easier to steer the tips down the hill or the tails down the hill with the help of gravity. If you put your weight forward, then with less pressure on the tails it's easier to steer the tails down the hill. With weight on the tails and less pressure on the tips, it's easier to steer the tips down the hill. So, leaning towards the tip or tail does indeed matter when steering the tips or the tails down the hill.

I should be more precise with my words- surely everything you do with your body has some effect on the skis. I'd argue though that fore/aft pressure is far less important in this scenario than edge engagement. When I do this drill, I move slightly fore as the tips move down the hill and slightly aft as the tails steer down the hill, which would be the opposite of what you describe if I understand correctly.
 

James

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We're steering tails because we're skiing switch?
 

Josh Matta

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I really liked Nyman's and Mikaelas take on this. In fact I honestly look forward to Mikaela as a coach.
 

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