The Limitations of Traditional Ski Instruction
Phil Smith, founder of Snowworks, shares his journey from UK dry slopes to the Alps, highlighting a critical realization about the ski industry. He observed that traditional instruction often prioritizes fitting a specific aesthetic "template" rather than focusing on functional competence. Smith recounts a pivotal moment where students with objectively "terrible" form outperformed technically "perfect" skiers in mogul fields, leading him to realize that looking good does not always equate to skiing well.
Judged vs. Measured Skiing
A core theme of the discussion is the shift from "judged" skiing to "measured" skiing. Traditional lessons often judge a skier based on how their form compares to an ideal model. Smith argues for a measured approach, similar to a high jump: if the athlete clears the bar, the bar should be raised, regardless of style. In skiing terms, if a skier can control their speed and direction on a red run, the goal should be to move to more challenging terrain (black runs, bumps, off-piste) rather than staying on the red run to perfect a specific body posture.
The Lightbulb Moment: Snow Displacement
Smith introduces the concept of "Snow Displacement" as the fundamental mechanism of speed control. When skiing challenging, variable terrain where perfect turn shapes are impossible, the focus must shift to the interaction between the ski and the snow.
- The Concept: Speed control is achieved by moving snow. This creates friction and resistance.
- Application: Whether pushing through deep powder with thighs and shins or scraping the surface of ice with sharp edges, the goal is to displace material.
- Outcome: This creates a tangible focus for students (moving mass) rather than abstract body positions, helping bridge the gap between subconscious expert movements and conscious learning.
Open vs. Closed Skills: Solving the Intermediate Plateau
Smith draws a distinction between "closed" sports (fixed environments like swimming lanes or gymnastics) and "open" sports (changing environments like soccer or surfing).
- The Mismatch: Skiing is inherently an open sport due to constantly changing terrain and conditions. However, it is predominantly taught as a closed sport, utilizing repetitive drills on groomed runs.
- The Plateau: The "intermediate plateau" occurs when skiers trained in a closed environment (groomed runs) cannot adapt their rigid skills to an open environment (bumps, ice, crud).
- The Solution: Instruction should introduce variability and adaptability early on to prevent this skills gap.
The Four Performance Threads
Finally, Smith advocates for rebalancing how skiing performance is evaluated. While the industry focuses heavily on Technical skills (approx. 90%), Smith suggests an equal distribution across four threads:
- Technical: The mechanics of movement.
- Tactical: Line choice and decision-making.
- Physical: Fitness and strength.
- Psychological: Confidence and mindset.
By balancing these elements, skiers become more versatile and capable of handling the entire mountain rather than just specific runs.
Mentoring question
Reflecting on your own training or teaching, are you treating skiing as a ‘closed’ sport by seeking repetitive perfection on groomed runs, or are you embracing it as an ‘open’ sport by actively varying your environment and tactics to build adaptability?
Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-7xcCHbiEcA&si=iMViq1tRm4Es58S2