Jay, you would love this

[Best in US using PMTS]

I have to post as I am happy with our last days of training and coaching at Copper. I am directing/hosting a Masters racing camp. Yesterday at 5:30 am, we trained on a course set by the US Ski Team, for Super G training. I have great video of four of the world?s best skiers. Bodie, Erich and Darren and a new Swede who has been top three in World Cup races three times.

I think he is possibly the next Stenmark, because he is good at all three events. Our Masters ran the course with the US Ski Team. They are having a great week improving their skiing dramatically. My two assistant coaches are Diana and Crawford Pierce. Crawford is a long time friend and colleague; we have coached together for years. He is presently a US Ski Team regional development director and one of the best coaches in the business. I know most of the US Team coaches, as I coached two of the present men?s team coaches when they were racers.

What I can tell you from this training and observation is that the top racers are skiing and training with a narrower stance, especially during the transition between turns. They are tipping the little toe first and they are lightening the old downhill ski to release from the turn. This is no surprise to most of you.

What they are not doing are the following: standing on two skis, using rotary movements to edge or turn the skis, pushing the CM or steering.

I am scheduled to sit with Erich and Bryan Friedman (US national DH champion) to review their runs on video. I saw some things that interested their coach, he is excited by the possibilities.. I will report back later, as for the next few days, I?ll be on the slopes at 5:30am and back in bed by 10:30pm, that?s why you haven?t heard from me lately. This hectic schedule will continue until November 23rd. So please be patient, as I will try to respond to many questions I?m not able to respond to now, at a later date.

[Harald]

Sorry, I screwed up that was me posting above.

[John Mason]

Harald, careful, you may find yourself sucked into to WC coaching. We want you for PMTS. Don't let them do it! Don't enjoy this too much!

Kidding aside - Sounds like great fun!

[belskisfast]

It is a thrill to see the "best in the world" in the best of hands. I believe we will see the economy of motion and the dynamism of alignment which PMTS enables, result in fast times and races being won. This is very exciting for a USST and PMTS fan. GO USA!!!!!!

one question....is a weight shift to the tail at the end of the turn and the energy derived from using the entire length of the ski still the best method of gaining speed in the gates? Would an early release to a flat ski not leave some speed untapped?

[Harald]

Nice question, since I had some of the best coaches in the country in my Alignment Center today. Yes, you are right sometimes racers leave the pressured ski too soon. Mostly this happens because they can't hold the forces and bleed them off pressure by either stepping out of the turn with the inside leg, leaning or banking and rotating.

The vogue again is back to narrow stance, tucking the inside boot back and keeping it close to the outside foot. The top coaches in the US have known this for the last two years. Most coaches and instructors won?t find out about this for another six or seven years. PSIA will be again left further in the dust as they don't seem to grasp the concept of balance and balance shift.

Of course within PMTS we have never advocated a wide two footed stance. By the way according to these coaches steering is a by product of edge angle and passive leg following. Anyone using leg rotation and steering to increase angles, pressure or direction is lost. No paper tigers here.

[Harrison]

no way?!? are they really skiing with their feet close together???

Why do my coaches always tell me to get my feet wider apart???

...and i always thought they were good coaches too...

[Harald]

Harrison, your feet are too close together, and think how well you'd ski if you tried to add some steering and leg rotation to that wider stance you so desperately need? You could ski like a golf cart in probably, say, a day or two. Why can't you just listen to your coaches instead of being so stubborn?

When a coach has nothing to say to a ski racer worth saying or doesn't see anything or know anything worth while, they tell kids to widen their stance. Kids watch out for those types.