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Show lation layer is compressed by a tigh t outer layer, your system will be less efficienr. EXTREMITIES Even if most of your body is covered, you can still become very uncomfortable if you forget abom keeping your hea d, hands, and feet warm. Your body's extremities are extremely efficient at dissipating excess heat. They also can be difficu lt to keep warm. This is particularly true of your hands and feet. One of the body's first reactions to cold is to constrict the surface blood vessels that ca rry warm blood to you r skin . The body wi ll allow the extremities to cool to pre ~ serve heat withi n the vital organs. That is why the hands and feet get cold first. So when your hands or feet get cold, it's a sure sign that you should take action to prevent further heat loss. It's easier to keep your hands and feet warm if you keep them dry. Try to wear gloves that are both wate rproof and breatha ble, and wear glove li ners and sock liners that wick moisture away from the skin. The head dissipates heat even faster than the other extremities. That's because it has a large, exposed surface area and a ric h, warm blood supply. Fortunately, the hea d's blood su pply is not diminished when exposed to cold, so you can regulate heat retention easi ly by wearing a hat to retain heat and removing it to rid yOllr~ self of excess heat. WRAP-UP Develop your own layering system for the upcoming season. Remember to monitor your extremities. With a little forethought, YOll can stay warm and dry-even if YOLI go from a cold morning teaching basic stance on the flats to a warm afternoon giving an advanced lesson in the bumps . • This article was compiled from luaterial sllb~ mitted by Nick Allen of w.L. Gore & Associates. AlleN directs product and market development (or Gore's I1lilitary applications. COLD FACTS WHEN YOUR FEET ARE COLD, PUT ON A HAT. ON A VERY COLD DAY, YOUR BODY CAN LOSE --- KEEP YOUR FEET WARM BY WEARING SOCKS THAT WICK MOISTURE AWAY FROM YOUR FEET. AVOID conON SOCKS; UP TO 60 PERCENT OF ITS HEAT FROM AN UNCOVERED HEAD. THEY ARE POOR INSULATORS AND CAN ACTUALLY MAKE FEET MUCH COLDER IF THEY GET WET. TO KEEP WARM, PROTECT YOUR HANDS. MITTENS ARE BEnER THAN GLOVES, BECAUSE THEY ALLOW HEAT TO PASS BETWEEN THE FINGERS. THE SOLU I ION TO COl Dr WET SIOUFTS MAKE SURE YOUR BOOTS FIT PROPERLY. BOOTS THAT CONSTRICT CAN CAN ENCOURAGE FROSTBITE. I llustrated ill .folid black • Fits snugly, covering you r sitting area • Highly adjustable leg and waist straps • Made of scuba-diving dry-suit material • Sizes - 20 to 36 and 30 to 44 inch waists • Used since 1984 by instructors, patrollers, snowboarders and recreatio nal skiers S"sOO PRO· IIIIIIII FOR M plus 53.50 shipping and handling Colors: Black, Navy, Royal Biuc,Turqlloisc, Aqua, "Vine, Rose, Camouflage SlIiLffCS"d retn if $3.5. ()() Instructors earn $1000'5 selling HOT BUNS, w,;te: Brad Pitman, P.O. Box 2555, Attleboro Falls, MA 02763 Fax or phone: 508-222-4564 FAll 92 THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER ADAP T I V E Adaptive skiing's increasing popularity has dictated a steady introduction of new equi pment and techniques. It is the ada ptive instructor's respons ibility to keep pace with these changes, ro understand the various adaptive equipment, and to determine who is able to Lise a device and how to instruct those people. MONO SKI I NG: A Breakthrough of the '80s The most important innovation in adaptive skiing in the 1980s was the in vention of the mono-ski. Basically, a mono-ski consists of a seat mounted on a single ski with a shock absorption system. BY DOUG PRINGLE accompli shed mono-skiers to load and unload chair lifts unassisted. Mono-skis cost about $1,600 and weigh from 40 to 50 pounds. The mono-ski was invented to overcome the problems inherent in the sit-ski, The mono-skier uses outriggers (forearm the "snow kayak" type dev ice used by crutches with ski tips attached to the bot- people unable to ski in a standing position. toms) to help maintain balance. The sit-ski was the innovation of the 1970s, There are severa l manufacturers of and it opened lip our sport to many peomono- skis, each producing a unique pIe who previously could not participate. design. Variations occur primarily in the However, the sit-sk i is basically a highseating and shock absorption systems. tech toboggan; its wide base makes it staAll mono-s kis are designed to be chair- ble, but it is more difficult to turn than a lift compatible, and all incorporate-",-,a-SlZl. t i lso doe~t do well on ice or on "self-loading·' system, whjc al lows the steeps, where it : di fficu lt ./ 24 THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER FA LL 92 or impossible to hold a traverse. Thus, si skiers are limited by the device itself. Another impetus of mono-ski deve opment carne from the world of com pet tion. Because of the sit-ski's long tumin radius, sit-skiers cannot compete on t~ same race courses as stand-up skier. Slalom turns are too tight and the devie simply will not hold the proper line in tr giant slalom and the speed events. The mono-ski overcomes these prol lems because it is mounted on a ski. allows for a smaller turn radius and mot contro l. Furthermore, mono-skis ar designed to work with conventional skis, s the mono-skier can switc sk is based on terrain c conditions. Also, the seat adjustable along rhe lengr of the s ki , which al ia" s ki ers to position theIr selves where they want t over the sk i. WHO CAN MONO-SKI Mono-skis, can be use by anyone with a stron upper body. Mono-skier include paraplegics, doubl am-purees, and polio vic tims. Some important fae tors in assess ing the SUil ability of a n individual t mono-skiing are the exter (if any) of paralysis, th amount of body strengd' and the degree of previou athletic involvement. Eac person should be individ, MANO A MOUNTAIN. Adaptive instructors use a va riety of functiona l tests to determine a person 's abi lity to learn mono-skiing. While seared in a wheelchair, the student is asked to bend down and touch his or her toes. Are the person's back muscl es strong enough to allow the person to sit back up? The person is asked to pick up an object on one side of the cha ir and to place it on rhe other side. Again, can the person do this using the trunk muscles, or must he or she use the other ann to ass ist the movement? While sea ted on the mono-ski, can the persall li ft himself or herself and the device using outriggers? Can the person do a sta tionary "step around" turn? Other deciding factors a re the candidate's personality, desire to learn, and determ ination. For those studcms una ble to use a mono-ski, the alternative is not bad. Bisk is are gaining favor o n the adaptive front. They're easier to use than 1110110- sk is, but just as much fun. ATS REVISITED The mono-ski progression is basica lly the same as that used for three-track skiers (a mputees who sk i on o ne ski and use outriggers ). It is sometimes refe rred to as " instant parallel. " But the mono-sk ier's application of the Skills Concept varies greatly from the Center Line, whereas the three-tracker's does not. This was made quite clear to me by George Twardokens, Ph.D., a sports educator and long-time PSIA member whom I had the pleasure of room ing with at the PS IA National Academy in April. One evening George asked me what I had done rh~lt day, and I told him I had given a cl in ic in which everyone skied on mono-skis. He responded, "Oh, a mono-ski ... an inverted conica l pendulum." I have to admit [har I had never thought of a sk ier as a conica l pendulum or of a mono-skier as an inverted one, But George was right. A mono-s ki cr's movcments are inverred when compared Stay in tune with the latest in ski equipment, clothing, and accessories ... by reading Ski Tech Ski Tech, North America's premier trade magazine, is a quality 4-color publication providing the most updated, well-illustrated, "how-to" features and comprehensive product information available. Ski Tech reports solid information so you can make intelligent buying decisions and get better performance and longer life out of the equipment and skiwear you purchase. Now, you can stay "in tune" with five glossy, full-color issues For only $16.00 a year! Ski ~ h ______ , 1 ec _ , _________ -'Exp. Dale, __ _ I o Ched< or Mooey Ood" Endosed Sf I ... __ M.!I!..t:,~~!.3!.~O!'!.R! . .:.~a~~.!.~! . .!~~_.::J with a stand-up skier's. Stand-up skiers a re taught to keep the upper body quiet. In effect, the head is a fixed poim, and the lower body is {he pendulum swinging below it. Inclination and angulation are creared by the movement of the feet a lit from under rhe upper body in short turns and by the cross-over movement in longer turns. Rotary movements occur primarily in the lower body. But a mono-sk ier must use different mechanics, because rhere is no muscular control in the lower body. Although a small amount of flexion and exrension can be achieved in the spinal column by sitting up ta ll and by relaxing, fl exion and exte nsion take place primarily in the shock absorber system of rhe mechanical dev ice. Beca use the mechan ism absorbs the pressure built up in a rurn, the monoskier does not "feel" the need to flex and angulatc. The skier can become very comfortable keeping the upper and lower continued .... ~ continued from page 25 body aligned and simply banking from turn to turn. Furthermore, since rotary movements are not possible in the lower body, the mo no-skier produces acti ve steering in the upper body. This is very simi lar to the Arl be rg tec hni q ue used 40 yea rs ago. The shoulders are rotated in the direction of the rurn. Incl ination and angulation a re created by aggressively moving the upper body in the d irection of the new turn . This replaces the cross-over (Le., the movemcnr of the body over the ski in the direction of the new turn ) typical of stand-up skiers. Many mono-skiers, even racers, have not yet learned this upper body projection technique. They simply bank from turn to turn . Upper-body projection a llows monosk iers to mo rc quickly move the centcr of mass from the inside of the turn being completed to (he inside of the new turn . in effect, edge cha nge is quicker. Another way to look at upper body projection is in terms of a nticipation. The mono-skier has to actively counter-rotate the upper body to achieve antic ipation in the completion phase of the turn. This crea tes upper and lower body separa ti o n, resul ting in a wind-up of the body. Angulation is simulta neously enhanced. The mono-ski turn is ini tiated by projecting the upper body rowa rd the turn cenrer and by pla nting the downhill outrigger ro produce the blocking that is the final essential ingredient in anticipa tion. Projecting the upper body is what causes the ski to ro\1 from edge to edge. A stand-up skier augments the natural tendency of the upper and lower body to rea lign by steering or rotary movement in the legs during the turn . The mono-skier uses the upper body. As the turn is initi ated, the upper body is al ready rotated and actively steering. Just as with stand-u p skiers, there is no exact dividing line between the completion of one tu rn and the initiation of the next. The idea is ro produce a smooth TH E P ROFESSI ONA L S K IER T I V E ---------------------------------------, center of mass from turn to turn. counter- rota ry movement of roo late in the completion over-tu rn ing and an .o_ ._, .. for edge control. ACTIVE OUTRIGGER ,,« ..... ~ Our job as inst rtlcrors is (Q way to tell our stude nts how to move their bodies. None of us would want to try to explain this movement pattern in the techni ccl l te rms I have llsed in th is article. One effective way ro describe these movements is what I call "outrigger lead change." Since outriggers are extensions of the skier's hand s, the skier can feel what is happening with them. Therefore, they serve as a good point of reference. Ju st before init ia ting a turn , the skier adva nces the uph ill outrigger and applies slight pressure to it. The downhill oll trigger is back nea r rhe hip a nd unweighted . T he a na logy ro a stan d-up skier is that the mono-ski is always the downhill sk i a nd the uph ill o utrigger is the uphill ski. Like an uphill ski, the uphill o utrigget is advanced and slightly ptessured. T his puts the shoulders in a countered position. At turn ini tia tion the downhill o urri gge r is mo ved fo rwa rd and toward the rurn center as it is pla nted (p icture a pole plant) . T his is the movement that d irects the cross-over. JUSt as with pole plants, an outrigger plant will vary with the type of turn. Reaching forward and downhill at rurn init iation produces fo rwa rd leverage and ass ists in upper-body projection. This is a more aggressive movement than fl icking the wrist to plant a pole. The upper body is actively moved. In the control phase of the turn the outside o utrigger is gradua lly moved back to- FALL 9 2 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, hip. This produces the count' movement of the sh o ul de rs need ed I complete the turn and to set up for d next one. CHALLENGE OF THE '90S The mono-sk i rep resents one of the cu rent challenges for adaptive ski instructor Our tas k is to a nalyze, define, and ir prove the movement patterns associ an with the technique, especia lly at the upp levels of skiing. Most of us spend the majority of 0 time teaching beginners and intermediatt We have little time to focus on the advano mono-skier. Much of the progress at tl upper levels is a result of the work of t1 coaches for the U.s. Disabled Ski Team al the Far West Disabled Ski Team. In fae the Far West Team is becoming the mec of mono-ski development. As much as I prefer nOt thinking terms like " inverted conica l pendulum the time has come for us to apply to mon skiers the same intense analysis com m Ol: applied to stand-up skiers. We must th, find simple, direct descriptions of m Oil skii ng's movement pa tte rns so we co effectively instruct our students . • Doug Pringle is the education director National Handicapped Sports. He h been a PSIA member for more than . years and currently instructs adapti skiers at the Tahoe Handicapped S School at Alpille Meadows, California. WATERING DoWN 1BE BUMPs BY SCOTT MATH.RS Helping yo ur students to ski the mogul s successfu lly can be one of the greatest cha llenges you wi ll encounter as a ski instructor. Mogul skiing is difficult for inexperienced skiers because of the constant balance adjustments requ ired just to stay uprig ht. Mogul skiing also puts a premi um on tactica l decision making, which can be overwhelming for intermediate-level students. To help your students develop prowess in [he bumps, ge t them to " th ink like water." Page 70 of ATS: Strategies fo r Teaching reads, "Turn thro ugh the troughs: Move the turn into the troughs and create more arc in the turn by going around the bump. This turn requires less absorption and is easier for balance and constant speed for linking turns." I call this line "the path of least resistance." In essence, you guide your skis where water would flow, seeking the low spots, flowing up OntO the flank of the bwnp outside the trough, and sloshing up the backside of the downhi ll bump, slowing momentat ily before casca d ing into the next trough. Simply pur: jusr ski around the bumps. I have found that most inexperienced inside knee somewhere up aro und t heir ea r. Both of these situations are a result of the skier ru shing the turn initiat ion, not being patient enough to steer the skis around the bump. The reaching ractic I like to use to change my stud ents' line in the bumps is to first prac-tice on short sections of shal low bumps on a gentle pitch. I use these easy situations to teach my students how to delay their tu rn ini t iation, gliding far enough across the slope to easil y steer both sk is into the top of the trough. Only after success with easy bump scena rios do I gradually increase the length and then the d iffic ulty of the terrain . Remember that success breeds success! This round line ca n be relatively fast through the bwnps, and many students will balk at the velocity. The key is to show these students when and where to slow down. Just like water would slosh up the backside of the bump, so should your stu- - FOLLOW THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO GET DOWN THE BUMPS. .- dents' skis. Once a round the bump, the skis will enter a zone where there is room to turn them sharply across the slope and against the back of the upcoming bump. Timed with a solid pole plant, this tactic will q uickly sc rub much of rhe speed acq uired at the top of the tro ugh. This speed-controlling move is critical to giving your students the confi dence to ski the path of least resistance through the bwnps. Again, see that your students' shortbump skiers a([empt to turn basics in easy mogul turn th eir ski s on the steep downhill flank of the bump directly in front of th em. T hi s us ua l ly res ults in an uncontrollable slide down this steep wall a nd a brutal slam If you have a useful teaching tip, The professionI' Skier wants to ~now about It; The "Bag of Tricks N department provides a forum for brief presentations of innovative or helpful ski lesson tac - situations are solid, then have them attempt more di fficul t terrain. Tell them to "think like water" for flowi ng tu rns th rough the bumps .• into the bottom of the trough. Some students get it half right, guiding their outs ide ski nicely into the tro ugh, bur their inside ski cl ings to the flank of the bump with their tics. The purpose of this new section is to asSist ski Instructors who are developing their own teach· in8 repertoire or "bag d ttlcks. " ~1$slOn$ fJIUIt contain the followlns elements: 1. WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE TIP. IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS THE DESIRED OUTCOME? 2. A CLEAR DiSCRIPTION OF THE TIP AND THE TECHNICAL BASIS FOR IT (ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN TEACHING SYSTEM). 3. H W YOU ARE ABLE TO DETfRMINf WHfTHER THE STUDENT ACHIEVES THE 015l1li0 OjITCOME. Submissions must be 800 words or less, typed or computer-generated, and double- s~ed . Please endose'a photo or illustration. if possible. Send to: The Professional Skier, Bag of Tricks, Suite 101, 133 South Van Gordon eet, l akewood, CO 80228. Scott Mathers is a member of the PSIA Alpine Demonstration Team. He is the training coordinator at the Alf Engen Ski School at Alta, Utah. FA LL 92 THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER Just when your students think they've conquered mountain, the mountain cha),liJt~'s its fa ce. Or, to be more precise, you take them from the beginner slopes to intermediate terrain, where they promptly fall apart. There are a lot of skiers out there who never seem to make it off the green runs. On the beginner slopes they are invincible. They use a braking wedge to control their speed, and their basic wedge turn gets them where they want to go. But when they venture onto a blue slope with its dips and rolls, their technique fails them, and disaster follows. Sound familiar? Here's an approach to turn-ing that will help skiers push out in their exploration of more difficult terrain. This turn is called "pedal and settle," and it's as easy as riding a bike. 28 THE PROFESSI O NAL SKIER PEDA SETTLE BY JOHN ALDERSON PEDAL Starring with a definite action tends to make most people feel as though they have more comrol. Have your students starr their weoge turns with a pedalling motion by extending the outside leg (Figure I ). From a traverse, demonstrate a ri sing motion (in a wedge stance) with an emphasis on extending and steering the OUtside leg. Allow your students to practice this pedal motion to starr the rum. SETTLE Now ha ve your students add a settling motion to finish the rurn, fl exing in the hip, knee, and ankle to accommodate the fo rces generated through the arc of the turn (Figure 2), This makes it easier to guide the ski(s) in the second half of the rurn and therefore provides your students with the ab ility to use rurn shape over braking for speed control, Shaping the turn for speed control is the key to breaking through the blue barrier. If you can get your sUldents to say "pedal annnnnd settle" wh ile in iti ating and completing rurns, they'll be able to draw out their movements for more rhythmic, controlled rums. TO THE POINT With all this pedalling and settling, your students might display a bit too much upand- down motion. This isn't so bad, as long as you can get intended travel. Have them add a pointir movement to the sta rt of their pedal-sen rums. Point the kneecap of the uphillic in the direction of the desired turn (dow: hill) whi le pedalling, then settle. Pointir rhe knee during extension creates a 111m morc effi cienr and flowing movement. INTO THE BLUE You can see how in this progression rI srudents go from using a limited range motion to extreme motion, and finally where the movements of their turns a more flowing. Through "pedal and Sf tle," studems learn to use turn shape ov raw strength to comrol their speed, af they do so with greater ease. With rI control comes more co nfidence and desire to explore and conquer. • them to pro perly direct this movement in the direction of "-- -- FALL 92 John Alderson, a member of PSIA's Junior Education Team, supervises the ski school program for 6 to .12 year olds at Beaver Creek, Colorado. Alderson was nafJ'ted Colorado Ski Instructor of the Year for the .1991-92 ski season by Colorado Ski COllntry USA. 'IGU.' ~ SETTLING INVOLVES FLEXING AT THE ANKLES, KNEES, AND HIPS . DURING THE SETTLING PHASE, USE TURN SHAPE OVER BRAKING FOR SPEED CONTROL. FAl l 92 'IGU.' 1 AS YOU ~PEDAL ~ BY EXTENDING THE OUTSIDE LEG IN THE ANKLE, KNEE, AND HIP, STEER THE LEG INTO THE TURN. IllUSTRATIONS IV PAUl KO NOS IHtI THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER Do you want to be able to set a race course for your students at any time and place without worrying about poles? Do you want to try a ve ry helpfu l tool for working on turn shapes and steering? If the answe r to either of these questions is yes, "snowcasties" are for you, I build snowcastles in my lessons using a small bucker that belongs to my three-year-old daughter. I make the castles the same way she makes "s3n dcasdes" in the sandbox; I simply fill up the bucket and empty it upside down. Here are some ways of using snowcastles, and you can invent a lot more! O Often in my private classes I have kids who just don 'r want ro turn. They can stop and control their speed using a wedge, and they are very happy about that. But as a child's confidence build s, so does speed, and so does the size of the wedge when it's time to s low down. To persuade these kids to make turns, I build severa l snowcastles and te ll rhem to smash the castl es with their skis. They like this game very much. Initia lly, I place the castles in close proximity to one another, then I position them fa rther apart, so the students must make me effo rt to get from one to the next. This way they make th eir first turns without even rea lizing it! o. THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SNOW BY ALEC ERKEBAEV ~ Use a corri dor of silowcastles to ~ make stude nts perform wedge christies. The corridor na rrows and hooks at the bottom, which forces the students to match their skis. Similar corridors can be used to develop turn shape. FAll 92 ~ Many of us use race courses in I ~ classes. The problem is that we h to climb back up and co ll ect the pc after the students are finished. We sim don ' t set cou rses 011 severa l differ, slopes because of this tiresome operati With snowcastles, we can set a course, it, then leave it where it is. The snoV' soft enough that it won't present apr, lem for other skiers who come upon it. When higher speed is involved when vis ibil ity is poor, some amOI of dye on the snowcastle can be v helpful. If the snow isn't soft enough scoop up, mark your co rridors a courses with tennis ball halves with drinking straws that h. - surveyor's ta pe attacl to the top. But do fo rget ro retrieve th when you finish, (don't encourage y( students ro smash them. In ski teaching, "fun: the name of the game. Snowcast provide a quick and easy method of int ducing fun into our lessons. Fortunan they're a great teaching aid, as well. • Alec Erkebaev has been a member PSJA for two years and is certified alpine instruction. Erkebaev teaches Bear Mountain Ski Area at Big Bear L, in California. ILlUHRATION BY PAUL KO~OIHnz I I CH\LDREtl Ever notice that your group of five year olds-though comfortable on their skis-just cannot seem to consistently turn both feet at rhe same time to make para llel (Urns? Or maybe YOll keep getting a class of nine-year-alds who get down anything anywhere but are fl a iling their arms and shoulders and swiveling th ei r feet between crashes. These fairly common situations are the DEVELOPING STANCE IN CHILDREN result of stance. Skiing involves dynamic BY MAGGIE SJOSTROM balancej the skier must constantly maintain and occasionally regain balance while moving through space. A skier must first be in balance to effectively blend rotary, edging, and pressure camral movements. While the children in the examples above a rc managing terrain and probably having fun, their instructors shou ld focus 0 11 activities that enhance rheir stances and, in rurn, rheir balance. According to the Sk ills Concept of the PSIA Center Line, a good stance results from : • An unconrrived, functional relationship of the legs. • A flexed, upright stance that allows for benet muscu la r/skeletal efficiency and greater accuracy of movements. • Balance on the whole foot with the ability to work the entire ski . • A slightly cOllntered, dynamic relarionsh ip of the upper body to the sk is. • A discip lined upper body. FACTORS IN STANCE: Ages 3 to 6 A toddler's center of mass is located near the chest. As th e child grows, the center of mass moves down to the hip a rea, where it usually is established by the age of nine and remains throughout adulthood . A toddler's center of mass is higher than an adult's because small children have large heads in proportion to their torsos, and their limbs are shorr in comparison with th eir bodies. This prese nts a problem because the farther the center of mass is from the base of support (the feet), the less stable rhe body. This problem is compounded when the chi ld is in motion. Pic- [Ure a group of three year olds. Like the mllshrooms in "Fantasia," they glide down the hill, rigid from boot CO helmet, appearing to lean back toward the mountain. In addition to having a higher center of mass, young children ha ve a smaller proportion of muscle to bone than adults. As a result, they do not have the leg strength required to bend the stiff ski boot in the ankle area and to turn the entire ski with rotary motion. How does all this a ffect stance' Small ch ildren tend to have a static position on the skis that is behind what we perceive as center. The back of the leg rests against the ski boot, resulting in a pushing out of the tails of the skis. The wedge is often on edge, and the tips of the skis tend to be apart. Although very comfortable on skis, these ch ildren often have difficulty making the jump to parallel skiing until they a re older. Because the wedge stays so wide, and because they rely on the back of the boot, it becomes impossible for them to guide the ski from the middle of the foor. Without this ca pabi lity, the skis can not flanen , the inside foot cannOt be guided simu ltaneously with the outside foot on corresponding edges, and the center of mass ca nnot flow toward the next turn. PRACTICAL APPLIATIONS: Ages 3 to 6 Fear not! The problem with the high center of mass does not mean that small children cannot ski functionally. What it does mean is that our expectations mllst be altered to FAll 92 encompass their physical development. These children must be challenged at their own level of terrain and speed. We should use games and activities that promote use of the whole foot, ankle flex, ta ll stance, and flow from rurn to turn, and we should choose terrain carefully. Games such as pretending to be kernels of popcorn and popping into the air help develop balance and movement. Pretending to be on a bus and traveling bumpy roads, smomh roads, and ducking under bridges keeps the children motivated and interested. These types of activities promote movements that enhance active guida nce of the feet, independent leg act ion, and shaping of turns to prevent the wedge from becoming [00 wide. Select activities that a re appropriate for your group of srudents. The choice depends on the ability levels of the children, as well as their age, attemion span, and motivation. Also, it is very important to remain on mild to moderate terrain when working on stance, since more difficult terrain can cause students to become defensive on thei r sk is. One additional note: proper equipment is essential for young skiers. Boots that a re easi ly flexed, skis and bindings that a re light enough to allow movement, and proper sizing mUSt be the rule. All the creative and effective teaching in the world carmot fix equipmenr problems. Wise reachers learn to recognize and address these problems early in their classes before the continued .... THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER ., ... continued front page 31 excitement of learning turns to frustration and disappointment. STANCE IN OLDER CHILDREN: Ages 7 to 12 Refer to the example of the "grand flailer" in the introductory paragraph. This child is often throwing the feet from side to side and affecting no progressive edging and no pressure management. The arms a re often flailing about in a very disquietIng way. Many well-intentioned in structors try to so lve this problem by anchoring the child 's anns. However, the flailing anns may be the result of seance problems. The child may nor be balanced over the whole foot, but rather braced against the back of the boot (a holdove r from you nger years, combined with a still-underdeveloped muscle mass). By rotating the upper body, (H\LDRE" the child can pivot both feet; this is usual ~ Iy accompanied by an upward movement to flatten the ski. Sometimes this back~ fires-the edge catches, and the child falls. If the arms are anchored to quiet the motion of the upper body without correcting the stance, the effect may be a smoother appearance for a shorr time, but the improper mechan ics of the turns wi ll remain, and the chi ld will usually retreat to the easier method of using the arms to help get the feet around. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ages 7 to 12 To improve the stance of your student, watch as he or she sk is, and go through the checklist for good stance in your head. Are the legs locked together or aparr' Is the stance upright. or is the chi ld over~ flexed at the waist or knee? (Check boots for pronounced forward lean .) Is the child SKI AND BIKE RACKS BY Pi?aR ~-~~~~~~~~.!! -- f- i- -••-- -.--.- --. ' AU t h orize d II .! ~.a:.~ .E..a:.~ PIPER Distributor I Hertel & Co_.lnc_ P.O. Box 10. Cuper/ino. CA 95015 415-966-8888 1-800-531-1188 I Prices plus $1 0.00 shipping and handling. I Nome 0 Moster Cord 0 VISA 0 COD I Address Cord No. I City Expirotio-n dTCot-e ==-=--/,---/'_-_-_- I IL S t_ate _________Zip ______Sign_atu_re ___________ ~I 12 THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER FALL 92 ba lanced over the whole foot, or is there a reliance on the heel? Is the child's upper body facing in the direction of the new turn, or is it ending up facing uphill at the finish of the turn? Does the body remain rig id over the ski, o r is it in dynamic movement with the ski? Instead of harping on those bother~ some arm movements, try some of the many activities that wi ll improve the child's balance and sta nce. Usually the arm problems will dec rease as the stance improves. The trick is to mesh the proper lesson plan with the ch ild's ability and interest and to choose the proper terrain. Often, ch ildren at this age wish to ski more difficult slopes, and it is only the experienced and brave instructor who can motivate them to stay on more moderate slopes to practice and improve. One-ski activities-proceeding from moving from foor to foor on flat terrain to hopping over bamboo po les on steeper hill~ffer great opportunities for challenge, excitement, and skill development. Good rwo~ski activities include leaping exercises, turn-shape exercises, and side~s l ip games. Successful instructors use props, energy, and their love of the sport to motivate the group. It is helpful to offer a less structured time in class so students can assimilate what they have learned in their lessons. CONCLUSION Learn to recognize and promote function~ al stance. Become familiar with balanced, efficient skiing for different age groups. At the same time, learn to recognize the resul[s of poor stance and less~than-ade ~ qu ate bala nc ing movement s. This will help you channel your young charges in directions that will improve the overall efficiency of their skiing and improve their potential as mature athletes. The key to a ll of this is using drills and activities in a fun and exciting way . • Maggie Sjostrom is a member of the Natiol1~ al Children's Committee. She instructs at Maine's Sunday River Ski Resort. Ahe United States Ski Coaches Association and the U.S. Ski Team have released their Alpine Raci ng Technical Statement, which will provide race coaches throughout the country with specific technical guideli nes and objectives to apply ro their race training programs. The statement is intended [0 he lp coaches improve communication and consiste ncy in racing programs. With this ALPINE RACING STATEMENT DEVELOPED attempt at standardization, athle tes BY JOHN ARMSTRONG throughout the country can hear similar terminology and concepts, regardless of geographical location or level of performance. The development of the statement was initiated in 1991, when Denn is Agee accepted the post of alpine program direcror of U.S. Ski ing, which encapsulates the U.S. Ski Team and the Coaches Association. Agee saw the need for a unifying statement on technique and racing that U.S. Skiing could subscribe to. Agee appointed a roml of 20 coaches from the U.S. Ski Team, I'SIA, and the PSIA Demo team to develop the statement, which was released July 1. The statement builds upon the American Teaching System, which PSIA has had in place for many years. The U.S. Ski Team staff recognized that the basics of technique, through dynamic parallel, had been developed to a high level and were al ready recognized and accepted internationa ll y. Their desire was to produce a sta tement to be used as a guideline for coaches to adapt specific needs and appli-cations to best direct the progress of their skiers. The intention was not to produce a rigid American technique. Since there are no rea l "typical" turns, there can be no " typical " American skiers. The U.S. Ski Team hopes to achieve two specific goals with the publication of this statement. The first goa l is to provide coaches with clear reference points from which to ori ent.lte and evalu ate their work. The second goa l is to provide the nation 's coaches wi th a better basis of understanding and commun ication on technical matters and therefore less doubt and confusion for our ath letes. The team is looking for skiers with ve rsatility, all around athletic ism, and the abili ty to adapt both technically and tactica lly. The point of the sta tement is to produce skiers who have those characterist ics. The following portion of the techni- £ x c e ca l statement is reprinted here to give rSIA members a taste of the work and its intention. This excerpt dea ls with the phi losophy and application of the progression from an entry-level racer to the elite level of international competit ion. The complete statement will be published in American Ski Coach magazine next season. For a subscription or for further information about th e sratement, contact USSCA at P.O. Box 100, Park City, Utah 84060, (801) 649-9090. The autho rs of the Alp ine Racing Techn ical Statement are: Thor Kallerud, Paul Major, Tim Ross, Shawn Smith, and John Armstrong. Reviewers of the materia l in c lud e: Bruce Lingelbac h, James Major, Crawford Pierce, Ellen Foster, Georg Capau l, John Leffler, Olle Larsson, Finn Gunderson, Lester Keller, Rob Clayton, Max Walquist, Craig Cruger, Pat Savaria, and Susan Gaylord. PROGRESSION p PYRAMID The ultimate goal of an a lpine sk i racer is to negotiate a given cou rse in a minimum amount of time. Generally, this is done by consistently making carved turns, the tail following the same track as the rip throughout the turn, with center of mass tra veling in the most direct line from start to finish. This simple statement, however, is composed of a complex blend of alpine technique and tactical applications. The goal of coaches is to aid and assist ath-letes in reaching their goa ls and making skiers as complete as possible. To acquire an understanding of the progression in volved in alpine skiing, it is helpfu l to refer ro a pyramid presentation (see Figure 1). In order to develop a well -rounded athlete and focus on the athlete's adaptability, versa tility, and all-around athleti cism, the pyramid ill ust rates a general approach at the lower levels. The pyramid further suggests a more individual and FALL 92 specialized training approach to ski racing at the advanced levels. The athletes must be able to learn and train what they are not able to effectively perform. Thus, the skiers might need to take pertinent steps downward with respect to the pyra mid in order to cover deficiencies. BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID Beginning skiers should be exposed to all continued .... THE PROFESSIONAL SKIER .. |