by h.harb » Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:02 pm
How much emphasis should you put on the stance foot, ski and leg? The answer is, use the correct side of the body, at the right time and you will be excellent. For sake of clarity let?s call it the stance side. In PMTS Direct Parallel we have deemphasized the stance side during the transition or changing edge phase, between turns . The purpose is to reverse the damage done by (dead-end) movements engrained in skiers by traditional teaching progressions.
This de-emphasis helps reduce movements that put the new stance ski onto the big toe edge. With this de-emphasis the releasing side (old stance side) has time to change and allow the mid and upper body to be in position for the angles required for the next turn. Most skiers learned to ski with the Wedge Turn and Christie movements that lead them into movements that hold the stance ski on edge while activating the new stance ski with a tail push to the new big toe edge.
Although traditional systems don?t intend to have skiers stuck in big toe to big toe push off movements, the general skiing population demonstrates what actually happens as a result of traditional systems. The slopes are filled with skiers pushing the back of the skis from side to side trying to access the big toe edge. It maybe that instructors don't see these movements or do they think they happen by accident.
We know that the movement that should activate new turns should be started at the old stance side which becomes the new free foot and leg side.
Once the edges are engaged and the skis tilted after the transition, in the ?High C? part of the turn, the stance side of the body becomes active. If you have kept the free foot light, during the transition, stance foot activity will occur through balancing movements on the stance foot and leg. This happens automatically through co-contraction and the reaction of the kinetic chain or you would fall over.
In my books, I recommend that skiers evert (tipping) the foot on the stance side to access the ski and boot angle for increased ski performance. In addition, once the turn has begun, (without skidding) the free foot side of the body can relax and collapse to the inside of the turn to create higher angles. The stance side becomes active with foot and ankle tipping or as we call it ?laying over?. Laying over the stance foot, ankle and therefore the boot after the transition is encouraged to help increase body angle and edge grip. Don?t confuse this with knee angulation, which is created by internal rotator and adductor muscle activity and rotation of the femur. Correct boot alignment will provide ample and correct passive and complimentary rotation of the femur, rather than a poor result from active femur twisting.
This is the crux of the movements in transition. Too much activity of the new stance side at or during transition blocks the releasing side and causes a skidded flat ski tail. You can increase stance side activity after you are sure your skis are tilted and engaged.