tip inward (the inside edge of your ski) or outward (the outside edge) intensifies the effect of the lateral movements you make to edge your skis. Fine-tuning this deliberate action can help you become more aware of pressure along the inside edge of your outside ski, and have a better “feel” for the snow. Te following exercises develop awareness
of the muscular tension involved in ankle flexion, tipping the foot, and combining these actions.
FLEX YOUR ANKLES AND MOVE FORWARD TO START TURNS When you’re in trouble on steep terrain, do you find yourself in the “back seat?” How easy it is to fall back and how quickly it can happen! When you relax the muscles that keep your ankles flexed and your body forward, it’s hard to start the next turn. You lose the options to pivot, edge, or steer your skis effectively.
Continuous muscular tension in the foot and lower leg allow you to flex your ankle and move forward along the length of the ski. It can help you regain or maintain a balanced position, and pressure the fore-body of an edged ski to create a round-shaped turn entry. In the exercise shown here, PSIA Alpine
Team member Eric Lipton first pushes me onto my heels (photo 1a). In photo 1b, I rock forward, flexing my ankles to move pressure toward the balls of my feet. When you try this, feel the engagement of the muscles of your feet and lower legs. Tis is the same muscular tension you’ll need in order to move forward along the length of the ski and to stay forward when you’re skiing. It feels much like holding a soccer ball trapped between your foot and shin. Strive to capture this feeling in your
skiing, particularly when starting into a new turn and through the shaping phase. You can move your feet forward through the finish phase, but don’t lose the tension; don’t end up in the back seat. Te degree of tension does not need to be intense, nor should it always be the same. Only do what is necessary to achieve the desired turn size and shape. Over-tensing the muscles can result in rigidity and fatigue. In a second exercise, imitate the movements
in photos 2a and 2b, while stationary and then moving in a traverse. Rock forward
1a
1b
GRANT NAKAMURA
Photos 1a and 1b: Feel the engagement of the muscles of your feet and lower legs to move forward.
2a 2b
BRAD FOSTER
Photo 2a: Move your upper body forward and/or your feet back.
(photo 2a) and backward (photo 2b) like a rocking horse to move your center of mass back and forth over your base of support (your feet). Focus on the muscular tension you create in your legs and feet to control these movements. Tis exercise is less strenuous than the first one, but the tension should be just as deliberate. Ten, ski with the focus of bending the skis in front of the binding toe piece at turn initiation. Tis encourages you to move forward in the transition from one turn to the next. In contrast to balancing fore/aft over your feet, try moving your feet under
Photo 2b: Move your upper body back and/or your feet forward.
your center of mass. Again using photos 2a and 2b for reference, imagine pulling your feet back (photo 2a) or pushing your feet forward (photo 2b) instead of moving your body. In a stationary position, try sliding your feet forward and back. Ten, in medium-radius or larger turns, try sliding your feet back and forth during transitions between turns. Don’t push your feet so far forward that you lose the muscular tension to pull them back under you. Always maintain deliberate tension in your lower legs and feet. Typically, you need to move forward to ski through a balanced position between
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