Again controversy over the Hirscher gate straddle

[mrvilliams]

Actually now from looking at HIrschers photo on facebook that he posted of it looks like it was not a straddle...

[Max_501]

I agree, doesn't look like a straddle here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=498735200237779

[arnokamphuis]

Yep

[Max_501]

What do the comments in Hirscher's FB post say? I'm watching the footage in HD on a 50" screen and can't find a matching frame.

[h.harb]

The photos and frames are so doctored up unless you have the original HD feed in the studio, it's useless to analyze. Not much discussion in Europe. I can't believe there were no protests.

On another note I can't believe the number of top 10 women in the last slalom who's alignments were the Lindsey Vonn school of canting. Some of the Rossi boots were good, the Head boots are terribly aligned and I know it's the reps because mine are perfect and so are Diana's. It looks like they are doing too much cuff canting moving the cuff too far toward the leg, which is cuff out. It gives that knock knee, big knee angle, big toe knee drive look, but no rebound, just gives you a grinding a turn. The Fishers also were weak in alignment, except for two women who have amazingly straight legs. The Canadian girls must have a different rep than the Swedes, because their Rossi set up is totally different and really "A" framed. It's sad to watch this because there is damage being done. The Atomic set up with Shiff, Schild sisters is the most straight. Bernadette Schild almost looks too over canted, too strong in some turns.

Anyway, there is lots to still be learned by the boot racer reps.

[theorist]

Here's something recent from Ski Racing, updated on Feb 1: Porino and Lewis have decided it wasn't a straddle, and German Eurosport, while initially questioning whether it was a straddle on Jan 31, said on Feb 1 that they believe it was an optical illusion created by the broadcast's too-slow refresh rate: http://skiracing.com/stories/outrage-in ... al-sports/

[arnokamphuis]

It looks like they are doing too much cuff canting moving the cuff too far toward the leg, which is cuff out. It gives that knock knee, big knee angle, big toe knee drive look, but no rebound, just gives you a grinding a turn.

Can I make the following conclusion from your remark: "the solution to being knocked kneed is not a big cuff canting to the inside." ? Or is that a little too harsh or quick?

[h.harb]

I'm only pointing out that one of the reasons you see poor alignment in the knocked kneed direct is because of over cuff canting. We have done many experiments with cuff canting, always getting the same results. Moving the cuff outward "lateral direction" makes a skier more knocked kneed. The cuff against the leg pre-loads the boot while the ski is flat. Pre-loading puts the ski on edge even if the skier wants the ski flat. This causes the leg to move further inside or "A framed" when creating outside ski edge angles. Creating the "A frame" is not the culprit for a racer, it getting back off the extreme knee angle that takes the releasing so difficult. It also puts tremendous loads on the knee joint and doesn't create a carving ski, the ski grinds around the turn. This is only one aspect of "A frame" skiers. There are other reasons for "A frame" stances in skiing. Expert Skier 1 describes the basics.