A-Basin December 07 Camp

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Re: A-Basin December 07 Camp

Postby Arkady » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:24 pm

I think I am ready for a summary of my December A-Basin camp. It probably were the most important days for my skiing - this year, maybe any other year.
A big "THANK YOU" to all coaches and staff making this experience great. It was nice to meet a lot of fellow campers, ski with a nice group of people, learning also from each other. I should confess, that learning from ACBAES books is great, but camp experience is something entirly different. :D

I should mention four distinct results, offer one warning to fellow PMTS-students, and one question.

Results:

1. Alignment check and adjustment worked beautifully. Now my one-foot skiing is much more stable and tipping is much easier.

2. Easy greens and blues: Prior to the camp, my skis would not turn while going slowly, needed some speed. After various tipping drills in the camp, I learned at last how to tip and carve slowly on a gentle grade. It was a real breakthrough! Lift-and-tip changed to lighten-and-tip, and it is entirely different story.

3. Blacks: Prior to the camp, I could navigate blacks, skidding out of trouble if I gained speed. Speed control (at least, some) by changing turn shape (the key seems to be pulling back the inside foot along with tipping) is a real result of the camp. Focusing on tipping helps to stay in control.

4. Various terrrain and conditions: Prior to the camp, I was helpless in crud, bumps, powder. After the camp, I tested the SAME movements for these various conditions - well, tipping and puling back the inside foot seems to work much more universally than I could imagine!

By no means I became an expert skier, but my free skiing really went up another level!

WARNING: Do not expect immediate results! I needed approx. 10 more days on the snow after the camp, following up with the drills, gaining confidence, digesting the new information, to get this new feeling. Only after that the progress became visible.

QUESTION: While my free skiing really moved up a level, I did notice any progress in my NASTAR racing. I seem to be forever stuck in BRONZE, and my free skiing progress did not translate into higher speed in the race course. More confidence - yes, speed gain - no. I understand that racing training was not one fo the goals of the camp, but now my question is: HOW TO TRANSFER IMPROVED PMTS FREE SKIING TECHNIQUE TO THE RACE COURSE? Any experinece? Any ideas?
Arkady
 
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Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:29 pm
Location: Minnesota

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