Advanced Counter Acting: The Transition

[h.harb]

I know what you are talking about. I rarely think about it because I learned it years ago while I was racing. I was doing it even on straight skis. It's really a function of strong foot pullback at the transition. It also involves holding the feet back as you let the hips develop forward. The real ability is to hold the hips forward, ahead of the feet, when it gets tough. By tough I mean icy, steep, ruts and chatter grooves. You don't have to push the feet for the skis to go forward, they do so on their own, as the arc develops, and as the pressure on the tip is reduced. Of course, a skier can never achieve this if they don't make a move to get forward on every arc. As anything else that is learned, it takes a dedicated amount of time to develop this way of slicing, for it to become natural. I taught myself out of necessity, because I was sick of getting back in slalom courses.

I don't talk or describe it often because so may other things are needed before this becomes a limiting factor in ones skiing. I do coach it with racers that are ready. I did so this season with a US Team development racer. He's showing good progress with the idea.

[jclayton]

The hips relax as the release is begun but should there still be tension in the torso to keep an upright spine ? I.e. to get a sharp CB angle at the hips instead of a sideways bend . Also it appears to me it would assist the action of lifting the inside hip .

[Max_501]

There isn't much of a relaxation phase for me. I move from one side crunching to the other. If I can't feel it I'm not getting nearly enough.

[jclayton]

Max501 , I suspected as much , in the video of you with Harald you hold your torso quite upright . the angle between the legs and torso is quite sharp . Do you feel you don't lose any sensitivity in legs/hips ?

[Max_501]

Do you feel you don't lose any sensitivity in legs/hips ?

Nope, I'm not aware of any sensitivity loss.

[BigE]

Skiing requires a powerful and activated core. You will lose a lot of control, leak energy and risk injury if you don't keep the core activated. Don't look for times during the turn to be lazy!

[h.harb]

JClayton, The hips relax as the release is begun but should there still be tension in the torso to keep an upright spine ? I.e. to get a sharp CB angle at the hips instead of a sideways bend (upper body torso) . Also it appears to me it would assist the action of lifting the inside hip .

This post was dismissed, but to me it's an important aspect of CA and CB. Without the flexibility and activation of this move, skiing can't be developed to the highest levels.

[jclayton]

Thanks Harald , sometimes I think I don't get my point across clearly enough .

As you mentioned previously you relaxed the hips at release ( or in order to release ? ) Not just the stance leg .

I thought that tension would have to be retained in the torso for the reasons suggested .

My feeling is that having tension in the hips at this stage would tend to cause the less desirable side bending of the spine . Also I feel less comfortable performing CA with this side bend/curve .

Also , in my desire to find physical cues which may be appropriate to me , do you have any cues to give you an awareness of the relative positions of the hips ? I have found it hard not to have a disconnect between shoulders/arms and lower torso/hips . Itend to be more aware of the upper body .

By the way , after a year of intensive Pilates work my hips are a lot better . I have had the side benefit of being much more aware of their range of movement in relation to skiing movements .