This video transcript details a technical breakdown of visual cues used to identify effective versus ineffective ski performance. The presenter, Brandon from Okimo Ski and Ride School, focuses on translating abstract technical concepts into concrete visual observations across four primary skill zones.

Fore and Aft Balance Skills

This zone focuses on cues demonstrating control of pressure along the length of the skis. The central goal is to balance against forces to allow proper ski performance.

• Snow Spray Source: In effective skiing, snow spray comes evenly from the length of the ski, predominantly underfoot. Ineffective skiing shows spray primarily from the tail (backseat) or tip, indicating poor center of mass positioning.
• Ankle Movement: Effective skiers move ankles in unison with matching forward shin angles, creating a strong connection to the ski. Ineffective performance is marked by open ankles (lack of shin contact), leading to a loss of control.
• Joint Usage: Forward movement should come from extending the knees and hips. Ineffective movement involves bending at the waist (tilting the torso), which compromises the athletic stance and hip range of motion.
• Timing of Movement: The Center of Mass (CoM) should move forward at turn initiation to engage the tip, and move aft at the turn finish to maintain tail pressure. Ineffective timing leads to tips flapping (lack of engagement) or tails washing out.
• Hand Position: Hands should be used dynamically for balance, not held static. Static “tray carrying” arms can negatively impact fore/aft balance.

Lateral Skills

Skiing is a sport defined by lateral balance against forces. This section covers how skiers manage edge angles and pressure distribution from ski to ski.

• Pressure Distribution: Effective skiing shows snow spray coming primarily from the outside ski. Ineffective skiing shows spray from the inside ski, indicating weight is on the wrong foot.
• Ski Contact: Both skis should generally remain on the snow. Lifting the downhill ski to release an edge is a compensatory move often seen in beginners afraid to commit to the new turn.
• Leg Independence: Legs must flex and extend independently. The downhill leg should flex while the uphill leg extends to move the CoM. Ineffective skiing sees a long downhill leg blocking lateral movement (pole vaulting).
• Edge Transition: Edges should be rolled smoothly. Ineffective skiers push the ski away from the body to find an edge, often resulting in slipping on firm snow.
• Angulation vs. Banking: Effective skiers create angles (angulation) by keeping the upper body more upright than the lower body. Ineffective skiers bank, tipping the entire body into the turn as one unit, risking a loss of outside ski pressure.

Rotational Skills

These cues relate to turning, pivoting, and steering the skis. The presenter emphasizes that rotational issues are often symptoms of other inefficiencies.

• Tip Lead: The inside ski tip should lead slightly. If the outside ski tip is pushed ahead of the inside tip, it indicates upper body rotation is driving the turn rather than leg steering.
• Counter at Finish: Legs and skis should be turned more than the upper body at the end of a turn. If the upper body rotates as much or more than the skis, it creates rotational momentum that makes the next turn difficult.
• Parallel Steering: Skis should steer simultaneously. Sequential steering (one after the other) often results from a failure to flatten the skis before rotating.
• Turn Shape: Look for a smooth, progressive "C" shape. A "Z" shape indicates sudden, pivoting movements often caused by fear or poor edge transition.

Ski-Snow Interaction Skills

This section addresses the regulation of pressure between the skis and the snow, particularly regarding terrain absorption and managing forces.

• Terrain Absorption: Legs should flex and extend to absorb bumps (moguls) and maintain contact. Ineffective skiing features stiff legs, causing the skier to bounce off the snow and lose friction/control.
• Pressure Management on Groomers: Similar to moguls, the outside leg must extend during turn initiation (as the ski moves away from the body) and flex at turn finish (as the ski comes back) to manage pressure. A stiff outside leg at the finish leads to ski chatter.

Conclusion

Movement analysis is a skill that requires practice. The presenter suggests focusing on a small subset of these cues rather than trying to see them all at once. Developing an eye for these specific visual indicators allows for a more accurate diagnosis of technical inefficiencies in oneself and students.

Mentoring question

When observing a skier, do you tend to focus on the symptoms (e.g., ski chatter or skidding) or do you trace those symptoms back to the specific body movements (e.g., stiff outside leg or lack of angulation) that caused them?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_jrvaZi7HDI&is=XL8BP2mPVX98rJkr