MA for A.L.E

MA for A.L.E

Postby A.L.E » Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:08 am

Interested to here any comments on these turns. The first few turns are on terrain a little steeper and the turns are a bit more dynamic. I see on a few turns I'm losing the edge of the stance ski resulting in a stem, not sure of the reason.

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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby leopold_bloom » Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:36 am

Hello A.L.E.

You are so close! One small change will make a gigantic difference in your skiing!

Have a look at your video in slo-mo and tell me if you see what I am seeing.

I will say that I only really looked at the first part of your video where the images were big.

I see the start of a nice release with some flexing action. Your skis begin to tip of the old edges nicely then just when I want to see your body cross your skis and develop early angles, you stop! In fact, you start to extend a little and push the feet out a bit.

You brought your girl to the alter and then you bolted out the side door!

Pursuing the marital theme, it's all about commitment. Judging by the sample of video on this site, I'd say this commitment to releasing and crossing the skis is very difficult to come by. It's a bit of a binary thing: either you're doing it or you aren't. I see a lot of skiers who have made diligent progress in eliminating the up-move but can't quite cross the threshold.

Now if you can just continue to flex the inside leg and tip past this sticking point you will net huge rewards. You won't believe how easy it is to make the skis arc in the top half of the turn if you just get some angles!

Somewhere on the PMTS site there is a little clip of Harald Harb doing some similar radius turns. Compare them to yours. His body moves like a pendulum from one side to the other in a continuous motion. A pendulum doesn't stop in the vertical position and neither should you.

I don't know that there is a drill that can help you. It's a mental hurdle you will have to overcome.

Have fun.

- Leo
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby MonsterMan » Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:20 pm

I'd like to see some older video before getting rid of the dreaded A.L.E. "hip dump" as a comparison. I don't see the feet stop tipping more through the turn in this latest, (and beautifully shot and edited), footage. Indeed, I think there are some wonderful "analog" movements and great control on very hard, cold, and quite steep snow. So I think the question is, how do you get inside early with this dynamic release, "using the force" if you like, and not end up parked. It must be a very subtle, and I look forward to the answers.
"Someone once said to me that for us to beat the Europeans at winter sports was like Austria tackling us at Test cricket. I reckon it's an accurate judgement." Malcolm Milne
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby A.L.E » Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:27 pm

I don't need to see any old "hip dump" video, although it wouldn't be difficult to find...Harald has 4 days of it on his camera. This beautifully shot video will do me for the moment. At least until I get some new stuff from Montana in April, I'll upload it somewhere raw for you to edit Geoff. Thanks in advance.

Hopefully whoever shoots it doesn't forget to remove their fingers from in front of the lens like that useless clutz that shot some of you. :oops:
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby h.harb » Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:36 pm

This is a fine piece of editing, and about the skiing, I see some effort to add pressure or keep pressure on the edges through the transition or after the transition. In some cases you may feel you need pressure to hold the edges and the result of this while tipping to the edges is a quick extension to gain some pressure or hold on the edge? This looks like fairly icy conditions? Try to keep flexing and tipping movements progressive and developing. Any quick movements of either kind, extension or steering on the High C will release the edges. Concentrate on the boot tipping (while still flexed) further, before you apply pressure, then the ski will hold because it has enough angle. And the slope will provide the pressure. Of course, if it is really icy, the edges have to be perfect or a slip will happen. Such a slip can look like an extension, because as the skis slip away the legs have to extend.

I forgot to add there is considerable improvement in upper body discipline, good CA and CB. Also, no hip dumping, which was the major concern at the time.
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby A.L.E » Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:03 pm

I think LB is onto it with this release and slight extension with heel push MA.

I agree Monsterman that part of what LB is explaining sounds a bit like a hip dump. However, I'm thinking that provided we keep good CB in place, with a better flexed release, stop the heel push, stay more flexed through the turn and maintain strong HI C tipping, it will restrict any adverse consequences of moving the hip across early. The other thing I want to achieve is developing some more counter and levelling the pelvis in the CB movement.

Ahhhh what a wish list. :D

LB your description of HH having a fluid pendulum type movement is so right. I used to think he was just unnaturally flexible with rubber legs, hahahaha. No it's just PMTS movements at their best. But we are capable of obtaining pretty much the same level of movements with the PMTS roadmap and this forum. Will just need to up the ski days a little.
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby leopold_bloom » Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:24 pm

Hello ALE and Monsterman,

I have no prior acquaintance with the term hip dump but I have seen some references to it and a partial explanation elsewhere in the main forum. I would be interested in the definitive explanation of hip dump.

From what I can gather it sounds like excessive hip counter that locks you into a static position. I have seen skiing like this and I think of it as a form of fore-and-aft bracing. I would guess that this position provides a certain comfortable stability because the foot connected to the lead hip can push against the foot connected to the trailing hip and you can balance this way. Similar to the way you can brace in a wide stance for lateral stability.

I don't advocate comfort or stability.

Now to your question. How do you use a dynamic release and not end up parked? I offer this explanation. The general answer is calibrated movements. The release is not a 44 calibre handgun. It's more like a water pistol. You can squirt a little or squirt a lot.

How you manipulate your release controls your direction down the hill.

If I want to make a tight turn, I release harder or with more energy. It feels like my body is crossing my skis more. It feels like my skis are shooting out away from me of their own accord before they arc back under me. To stay alive you will have to flex your inside leg and tip and counter and allow your outside leg to get long and loose to stay in contact with the snow. One of the clear sensations is that the flexing of the inside leg is just one continuous movement that started with the flex-to-release. This is no park job.

You calibrate your release by how much counter you hold onto at the point of release. You can readily find footage of slalom racers that demonstrate this. They are heavily countered as they approach the next really tight turn. They release and often you see their feet leave the ground because there is so much energy and their skis unwind underneath them quickly. They aren't pivoting. This is a reaction to the release of the counter. They determine their path through the next gate by how much counter they held from the previous turn.

A longer GS turn uses the same energy just less of it. Less crossing of the skis. A more gradual tipping. Calibration again.

One other point. The big pay off from a dynamic release is the float.

I've never been able to ski hard icy snow when my float isn't happening. The float is your opportunity to get it all together for the next turn. When you're floating you have the luxury of adjusting things without affecting the engagement of the skis because your skis aren't really weighted. On ice it is so important to change edges without changing direction. Once you release, the path of your centre of mass is determined. During the float you can make little adjustments to the way your skis are pointing, how much ankle tipping, hip counter etc. such that when your skis are weighted on the snow again everything is working to direct the force straight through the ski without any sideways deflection that would cause you to skid.

I hope that made sense.

- Leo
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby h.harb » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:22 am

From what I can gather it sounds like excessive hip counter that locks you into a static position.


This is part of it, the other part is an extension and push in the release and engagement. In its extreme manifestation, hip dump is simply strong counter rotation, same as we used to see with the old straight skis. Now with shaped skis there is more ski action that help create an arc. The reasons a hip dump takes over, is due to lack of foot and ski tipping.
It's rather simple to get rid of actually, just stay flexed until the skis are on enough angle to feel them hold. Then keep tipping but keep balance on the outside ski.

Inside leg flexing and tipping should lead the body into the arc. An active extension can happen in two ways, with the skis light and skidding, and if the edges are holding. The first causes a late edge set, the second causes the CM to move inside, with weight and balance transferring to the inside ski.

The solution for these afflictions is staying flexed while the outside leg develops extension by inside leg tipping. It is important to be patience to allow the outside leg to develop. A key to all this is keep the hip over the outside ski. And keep the outside hip down or level to the inside hip. Lifting the outside arm and leaning really exaggerates the hip dump.
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby MonsterMan » Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:01 am

Work the boot?

Stay flexed....engage!
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby A.L.E » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:36 am

Thanks Serious, I'll get the PMTS gig sorted eventually.
Just as well though I won't be practicing the nauseating stuff the L3 Candidates at Bridger Bowl spend time on. Hopefully they don't venture out to nearby Big Sky when I'm there in a couple of months. BS is a thing of beauty and that drill would hurt my eyes and put me off my lunch!
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby trtaylor » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:05 am

A.L.E,

I think you should ban yourself from this forum for a period, after posting that!

:D

Tim
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby h.harb » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:55 pm

That was a nice set of what, what was she watching, I didn't see a set did you?
Good thing they aren't teaching or skiing with an up extension any longer. Or maybe Montana is out of PSIA's jurisdiction?
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby BigE » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:17 pm

My eyes! My eyes! Make them stop, please! Make them stop....<reduced to sobbing>.....
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby A.L.E » Tue Apr 20, 2010 3:54 am

Apologies for the camera shake, discovered afterwards the stabiliser mode was off. Didn't know an off mode existed...... :oops:

Sorry no steeper stuff shot, getting a video person was a bit tricky this trip, Monsterman failed to show up at the airport in Sydney.......plus we had too many powder days. Finally on the last run of the last day my 16yr old emerged from the trees and park to be my very reluctant camera man........sheeze. Reckon he'll be more enthusiastic about it when he's 18 and I'm still interested in paying for his skiing. At least I'm happy he hasn't fought too hard my consistent refusal to hire a snowboard for him or his little brother.

I had just swapped skis from a rented pair of 97mm powder skis after another previous day/night dump. Tipping those 185cm, 97mm Mantras on groomers could have been a near death experience. Luckily for me and the trees I quickly became an expert pivoter in a blink........ and they say pivot slips are a PSIA L3 test, hahahaha. In comparison to the Mantras the 170cm Supershapes were like little noodle skis when I changed over for the video run, very weird feeling, so I started with some slow tipping.

Overall the same issues on my RH turns prevail, lack of CB. Back to the drills.

I opened up my stance a little on this trip, at least for these medium radius turns. I think it has had some benefit, it seems a little easier to involve the pelvis in CB. I'm a bit concerned though I'm just compensating, where other measures to improve CB and pelvis work should be used?

One thing that I was surprised to see, particularly on my right turns, was what looked to be a consistent wayward left leg. Even aside from the one turn when it really slips away at 2.05min, there is often either a knee dropping in or what appers to be, a lack of big toe edge hold on my left ski. I know the Supershapes had about 25 days on them and could do with a tune but it looks like an alignment tweak may be in order???

Any comments welcome. Rip in at will.

Last edited by A.L.E on Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:39 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: MA for A.L.E

Postby Max_501 » Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:38 pm

You're letting your horizontal stance width get too wide. Result is too much weight on the inside ski. Also, notice the lack of CB on your turns to the right.
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