2010 Fall Training Seminar

Movements of Skiing

Evolution of an Instructor What do I teach? (Drills/tasks) How do I teach? (Progressions) Why do I teach – develop an

understanding of the fundamental movements of skiing.

Fundamental Movements

• Stance Adjustment• Tipping of feet & legs to engage and release

edging• Twisting the feet and legs• Adjusting foot to foot movements• Flexing and extending of the ankles, knees,

hips and spine.

Based on Vail Handbook and Sean Warman Images & Concepts of Skiing 2008

Adjusting Stance• Open stance (functional for your body) • Shoulders forward of hips• Spine fairly tall but flexible • Keep functional tension of torso • Shins maintain contact with boot cuffs forward and

laterally• Feet are pushed and pulled forward and back under

a stable pelvis• Efficient hand are arms movements in direction of

travel

Adjusting Stance

How do we teach? • Open stance?• Shoulders forward of hips?• Upright spine? • Functional tension of torso?• Shin/tongue contact?• Push pull of feet?• Efficient hand movements.

Tipping the feet & legs /edging

• Feet, legs and hips move diagonally (forward and laterally) to engage/release edges

• Feet roll in and out (pronate /supinate) inside boot.

• More dynamic? Skis tip on edge earlier.• One smooth movement

Sean Warman Ch 4

Tipping feet legs / edging

How do we teach? • Diagonal movement of legs/ feet /hips?• Rolling of foot inside the boot? • How to tip skis earlier? • One smooth movement?

Twisting Feet and Legs

• Legs turn more than upper body• Turning movements originate in feet and legs• Develop counter/anticipation movements

with inside leg, hip and shoulder, hand leading through turn.

Twisting Feet and Legs

How do we teach?• Legs turn more than upper body• Turning movements originate in feet and legs• Counter? • Strong inside half?

Adjusting foot to foot movements

• Weight transfer is smooth – Dominate outside foot through two feet to

dominate outside foot. – Balance is directed toward outside ski as weight is

re-distributed to two feet– Outside ski bends more than inside ski – inside ski

is grounded – using both skis– Shoulders are level to the horizon through turn

Adjusting foot to foot movements

• How to we teach? Weight transfer is smooth – Smooth weight transfer? – Balance over outside ski? – Keeping outside ski dominate but using both skis– Shoulders are level to the horizon?

Sean Warman – ch 3 (fundamental 2)

Flexing and Extending

• Ankles knees and hips • The outside ski bends from the middle. • In VERY dynamic turns, pressure is applied to

the tip and tail through use of the whole foot under a stable center of mass.

• Shins seek contact with both boot tongues • Continuous movement of all joints.

Flexing and Extending

How do we teach?• Flexion of the Ankles knees and hips • How to pressure the middle of the ski. • Using the whole foot under a stable center of

mass to transfer pressure from tip to tail. • Shins seek contact with both boot tongues • Continuous movement of all joints.

What movements are we teaching?

Tipping• Sideslips• Traverse• One ski traverse• Garlands• Tip the leg

Twisting• Pivot slips• Hockey Slips• Patience turns• Hourglass (long –short -long)

Flexing and Extending• Falling leaf• Leapers• Skating