bumperdude wrote:Dewdman-
Thanks for your comments. As I just wrote in a question to Harald, I was just kind of screwing around on this run, having a little fun skiing with a stance I do not use normally. (narrower)
And looking pretty darn great too I might add!
I feel my poles didn't hold me back very often, and only when my balance was kindof needing it. But I felt the flow of my body was pretty smooth. Yes there were a few times when my head did get snapped a bit. I'm also wondering if my poles might be just a tad long (52").
Possibly shorter poles would reduce the block that was sometimes happening. its not so much that it pushed you excessively back. You are a strong skier and you were using your core to power forward. However, I feel that those blocking pole plants blocked that side of your body, holding it back a little while the rest of you moved forward. Not always. That reduces the effectiveness of the top part of the turn. Its subtle, watch it in slo mo.
Simply planting your poles a little further down the hill on the downhill side of the bump or on the crest at the very least will reduce a lot of that, even without shortening your poles.
I also asked Harald if my boots might have been stopping me from flexing the way you suggest. (nodica Dobermans 150)
Harald will have to answer that himself. Personally I did not think there is anything wrong with your ankle flex and I don't think Harald was trying to make your ankles flex more per say. Pulling your feet back is another way of moving your hips/pelvis forward. Right on the top of each bump there is a very slight moment where your feet are a bit forward.
I was watching a Warren Miller movie the other day, uhm, I think its the one called "Ride". check it out. There is some excellent film footage in there where they followed along the side of a WC bump skier and shot only from her neck down skiing through some bumps, from a side angle, following her down the slope. Its really great footage because you can see all kinds of stuff. I watched it in slow motion a bunch of times. You can see the feet pullback on the crest of each bump and you can see what the fore-aft is during the extension. You can see the extreme amount of flexion/extension they are doing and it looks reasonably as comfortable as getting in and out of a chair. Check it out if you can find it. But the interesting thing to see there in this context is how they pull their feet back as they cross the crest of the bump. Also, you do not see their boots flexing a lot. Most of the absorb is happening from knees.
I actually think that just a little bit more knee flex is what you need, not more ankle flex. BUT.... If you flex the knees more and don't deal with the previously mentioned fore-aft issues, then you very well may find yourself in the backseat.
So, pullback your feet as you crest the bump, reach further down the hill with your pole baskets and flex your knees more. All of that should help you develop the earlier edge angles to scarve down the back of the bump more effectively as well.