It’s a question a 4 year old would ask: “Why does the ski turn, Daddy?” While this might seem like a tough question, there are surely many other topics which are more difficult for parents to address with their children than why a ski turns. Why a ski turns is simple in concept, if fairly challenging in execution. A ski is built with a specific shape and flexing characteristics that allow it to prescribe an arc in the snow if it’s on edge and is weighted in the middle.
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
We can take a tip from the Aussies for sun protection in spring skiing conditions. Living on the hottest, driest, and flatest continent on earth, Australians are far more aware of the dangers being in the sun than most Americans. Teaching skiing Downunder was unique in many ways, perhaps most notably that you’re a lot closer to the sun in the Southern Hemisphere than when you’re in North America. The Aussies’ national motto for having fun outside is “Slip, Slap, and Slop!” and it’s a good mantra for spring-time skiing and riding as well.
Before he became an Olympic Champion, Seth Wescott has been a spokesperson for the Winterkids program; www.Winterkids.org. Winterkids is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting lifelong habits of health, education, and fitness in children, specifically during the winter months. Thanks in part to changes in lifestyles, children have mirrored adults in becoming more sedentary with a resulting increase in childhood diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other lifestyle-related afflictions. The cold weather that arrives with winter can make it even more difficult to keep children active in the face of competition from video games and snacking. With Seth’s help as an awesome role model, Winterkids has been promoting several programs that encourage kids to get off the couch, get outside, and have fun in the outdoors!
It’s just human nature to want things to come easy and the frustration level can rise with an activity that requires a substantial amount of learning before you master it. Skiing requires thorough learning which builds methodically to bring you to a higher level of ability. If you rush that process, you may create a situation of diminishing returns as you abandon what’s come before in a hurry to get to what’s next. In skiing, telemarking, and snowboarding, use patience turns to give your gear a chance to do the turning for you.
In the pursuit of better skiing and riding, it can be hard to self-assess which movements are keepers and which to toss away. There are many feedback methods (visual, audible, inner ear, etc.) that don’t leave a hard record for evaluation. Consider that animal tracks can speak volumes about the animal’s behavior, emotions, and activities. Your hunt for direct feedback in skiing and riding can end simply by observing the tracks you leave behind in the snow.
Skiing’s just plain not like other activities, you know. Many activities require some form of a weight change in order to make a change in direction and skiing surely requires that as well. Where skiing is unique is that in order to move in the direction you wish, you need to initially move away from where you want to go. This subtle rule for the weight shift is critical and its absence will result in less balance and control as a turn progresses.
If you are one of the growing number of people who has a GPS device, a company called Mountain Dynamics now offers a product called SnowRanger which provide trail maps in electronic form on your GPS device.
The idea is this, let’s say you are planning to take a vacation to Steamboat, Colorado. You download the GPS map for $4.95 and install it on your GPS device. Then while skiing at Steamboat if you ever get lost or are just wondering how to get from one point to another you simply pull out the GPS and find your location.
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There’s an old saying that basically goes “That’s about as useful as yesterday’s newspaper!” The simple message is that if your news isn’t current, it isn’t really all that helpful. In skiing and riding, the situation around you changes by the moment and you’ll need to develop good mental awareness along with your physical skills. You’ll learn to know that you shouldn’t be concerned with where you are: you want to focus on where you’re going.
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In driving, your responsibility is to avoid what’s in front of you. That’s basically the Cardinal rule in skiing and riding, too; you should ignore what’s above (behind) you and avoid only what’s below you. Unlike a road, however, there’s usually little organization to a trail and there could be skiers/riders overtaking you from any direction while you are overtaking others from any direction. With so many moving objects (and no rear-view mirror), you’ll want to make every effort to know what’s around you including uphill.
If you’re going to ski and ride, it’s going to be something you’ll want to do safely. Things can change quickly on the slopes and keeping an eye on your environment is just common sense. You’ll contribute to everyone’s safety if you pay attention while on the slopes, all the time. It isn’t enough to know where you are and where’s you’re going; you’ll also want to focus on everything that’s around you and where it’s going.