Tips / Drills / Advice for keeping weight forward...

[RelaxedNinja]

I got in some reps at Belleayre again yesterday. This time with the gear I bought the other day. It wasn't too terrible with the longer (163cm) skis, no wipeouts at least.

Still trying to bring over that inside ski to match the new direction of the outside ski while in the middle of the turn (or earlier eventually).

Thanks for the tips. Maybe I can find some good lesson rates before the end of season if I check farther up north. Don't know much skiing is left in the Catskills at this point.

 

[Yepow]

The next time you dive into a swimming pool try this; put your toes on the edge of the pool and stand tall, but with a little flex in your joints. Rock forward slowly, bending mostly at the ankles and play with that moment when you're actually too far over to stop. Think about that brief moment in time; you're falling but you're OK with it because you know what's coming next. Chances are you know that feeling already so you will recognize it when you work it into your skiing.

I'm going to fill up my tub and try this!!

 

[James]

The next time you dive into a swimming pool try this; put your toes on the edge of the pool and stand tall, but with a little flex in your joints. Rock forward slowly, bending mostly at the ankles and play with that moment when you're actually too far over to stop. Think about that brief moment in time; you're falling but you're OK with it because you know what's coming next. Chances are you know that feeling already so you will recognize it when you work it into your skiing.

The similarities with skiing end right there for obvious reasons but that feeling of committing to the fall line and being able to control and redirect your path is essential. Now to be sure that moment I described is not all the time but "being forward" means that you can put yourself in that position whenever you need to. Things get quite difficult as the slope increases, the visibility gets worse, your speed goes up and the snow surface gets unpredictable. Your brain will tell you that you're falling down the mountain but your feet know better and come to the rescue every time.

Good point.
This is by far the hardest thing to teach in skiing. You pretty much have to teach it yourself. Or get over it. “It’s like diving into a pool” People don’t like to hear that and ignore it. Once you get the commitment, you understand it.

It’s also psychological, and has almost nothing to do with dorsiflexing.

 

[Yepow]

Good point.
This is by far the hardest thing to teach in skiing. You pretty much have to teach it yourself. Or get over it. “It’s like diving into a pool” People don’t like to hear that and ignore it. Once you get the commitment, you understand it.

It’s also psychological, and has almost nothing to do with dorsiflexing.

I've felt this (I think? but maybe just in the back seat even at my best) on not-so-steep runs... presumably incrementally trying it on runs where you are comfortable and then runs where you are marginally less comfortable is how to get more committed time after time (not breaking your face a number of times repeatably should eventually dampen the "WE IS GONNA DIE, LEAN BACK" response?)

 

[James]

not breaking your face a number of times repeatably should eventually dampen the "WE IS GONNA DIE, LEAN BACK" response?)

Yep. Kids can invent all sorts of ways to get around it because they’re so flexible and short. Like sitting back practically on the tails and somehow getting the skis around.

They can get quite creative. I once had a kid about 9-10, who used to stop in general by just sitting back down on the ground. He was so good at it you couldn’t convince him of a better way.

 

[Yepow]

Yep. Kids can invent all sorts of ways to get around it because they’re so flexible and short. Like sitting back practically on the tails and somehow getting the skis around.

They can get quite creative. I once had a kid about 9-10, who used to stop in general by just sitting back down on the ground. He was so good at it you couldn’t convince him of a better way.

Yeah, there is something to be said for the plasticity of children's brains (and the under developed pre-frontal cortex)... to learn what came easily to them is harder as an adult. Assuming you can never get hurt and that you are invulnerable is actually good in this case.