 Poster: A snowHead
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Review of Snoworks slalom training
This is the fourth time I've done a race training course with Snoworks, and the first time on a slalom course. This review is likely to be of particular interest to GrahamN and skimottaret who are doing the same course later this autumn, but the race training that Snoworks offer (particularly GS training) is great fun and good for working on the fundamentals of ski technique and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who is a competent intermediate skier and above.
The course took place on the Grand Motte glacier in Tignes, with most participants staying in the Hotel Aiguille Percee where the evening feedback and seminars took place, (although it's not compulsory to use this accommodation). It's run by Mark Warner and is a bit nicer than the hotel that Snoworks have previously used for their autumn courses (the Curling). The downside is that it is less convenient for the Grand Motte funicular, with either a bus ride or short drive to get to Val Claret. This meant breakfast at 7.15 and leaving the hotel shortly after 7.30 to get into the queue for the first train up the hill.
Hotel Aiguille Percee
Inside the Aiguille Percee
These times are a bit earlier than normal, but as it was French half-term and an Italian bank holiday there were a lot more race clubs training in Tignes than I've seen before. This meant a lot more pushing and shoving in the funicular queue first thing, and long lines for the lifts on the Grand Motte until about 11.30 when the race clubs begin to pack away.
Queue for the funicular
This was the first course of the season run by Snoworks so there weren't that many clients, but as in previous years there were a couple of people I'd previously skied with on a Snoworks course. The school seems to have a fairly loyal client base, with a number of people returning year after year. There were three courses running: slalom race training, technical and a gap course. Instructors for the week were Phil Smith and Emma Carrick Anderson, the two directors of the ski school. Phil is extremely well regarded as an instructor, is a former BASI Trainer and helped to develop the curriculum followed by BASI instructors. Emma, who runs Snoworks pro-level race training programme, is a former World Cup skier who represented the UK at four Olympics.
Emma
Sunday was free skiing to get warmed up, and the courses started on Sunday evening with a seminar from Phil on types of body movement and steering techniques. In addition to my own evening feedback sessions Phil suggested that I sit in on the Gap/Technical feedback/seminars as this would be useful for me later this season when I do a BASI course. This was extremely helpful, but did contribute to a full schedule in what was already a fairly busy week. The format for the slalom course was a prompt start to get the first train up the Grand Motte, an hour or less of free skiing to work on technique, then into the gates until about 1pm. I didn't ski after lunch, with the exception of one day when I didn't ski well in the morning and wanted to get my head back together with a bit of free skiing that afternoon. After skiing there were fitness sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and video feedback on Tuesday and Thursday (plus for me technical seminars from Phil on Sunday to Friday). I also squeezed in a sports massage to help with tense shoulders, a visit to the spa in Tignes, serviced my skis three times to make sure edges were as sharp as possible and a couple of late nights in the Alpaka. It was a hectic week. The fitness session on Monday was a test of the fitness levels of those people who were training with Snoworks until at least Christmas, so as a one-weeker there seemed not much point in joining in (I did a lap of the lake instead). The session on Wednesday was a half hour of volleyball then 40 minutes of core muscle exercises, and Friday saw interval training on the hill underneath the Palafour lift (static tuck, sprint, lateral bounds, backwards walking tuck, straight bounds, another sprint, followed by a gentle run to warm down). I still hurt...
Fitness training
 
The slalom course I did was from the range of professional courses offered by Snoworks targeted mainly at instructors who are working towards their speed tests, but as I don't yet have an instructors qualification there does seem to be a bit of flexibility in this. If you are interested in doing this course it's probably best if you get in touch with Emma and discuss your requirements. There were eight people in my group, three young racers who are training with Emma for the season (one who has competed in FIS races for the last few season and two former England Alpine squad juniors); three instructors training for their Eurotest and Test Technique (all very strong skiers, including our own stewart woodward); and two strong recreational skiers, one of which was me. I was easily the least experienced and weakest skier in the group, but this didn't matter as we skied at our own level and got appropriate coaching from Emma. For most of the group this was refining already good technique, but for the two recreational skiers who had done virtually no slalom skiing the coaching was focused on basic technique used to get down a slalom course at a reasonably quick pace. I thought I might be intimidated by skiing with such good skiers, but I found it inspiring to see them do their stuff, and was given lots of encouragement and camaraderie as the week went on. The coaching from Emma was very impressive. In common with other top instructors she has a great 'eye' for seeing things - she was able to spot things in everyone's skiing that I could only see when looking at slo-mo video replay. She was also good for suggesting different things for me to think about as I started a run to find a better performance.
Me
Stewart
I was hoping that we would be allocated a training lane on Rosolin (a gentle blue piste) or even on Champagny (a slightly steeper blue), but all week were were based on either 3500 (a moderate red) or the top half of the SuperG course (a steeper red). Snow conditions were extremely challenging, with solid ice (the Grand Motte glacier itself) just an inch or two below a layer extremely hardpacked snow/granular ice. This was tricky enough for free skiing, but in the gates where everyone takes (approximately  ) the same line you soon sweep away what little snow there is to reveal the ice. Emma would re-set the course mid-way through our session to find a bit more snow to ski on. Although I've never been particularly phased by skiing ice and hardpack, after this week I think I'll be much happier on it!
Our training lane
Course inspection
Prior to the week I didn't think that there would be a lot of time in the gates and that we might use stubbies for some of the time. But that was not the case as we spent a fair bit of time each day in full slalom gates. It was for me, as Emma had suggested earlier in the year, a case of being thrown in at the deep end, but I enjoyed the challenge and felt that I made a bit of progress as the week went on. Free skiing concentrated on getting on the edges early in the turn and varying the turn shape, and then when in the gates the feedback was entirely individual. On the steeper section of the piste we were on the pitch and snow conditions meant there was little point in me trying to stay in the gates as I would be surviving rather than skiing, therefore not learning anything other than bad habits. So I would miss the first dozen gates and join the course midway. This worked OK and by the end of the week I think it was noticeable that my skiing had improved by a fairly big step, although this was more apparent on the flatter sections of the gates and when free skiing. What really surprised me, even after a little bit of slalom on my local dry slope, was how aggressive you need to be to attack the course and slam through the gates. I'd never thought of skiing as a violent sport, but after this week I'm beginning to think it is! One of my big challenges was being committed to the turn early enough to take a smooth line into the gate without rotating my skis at the start of the turn. When the gates come at you in not much more than the blink of an eye this is not so easy without extensive practice. There would be no hope of me getting better at slalom, to pass the TT for example, without working extremely hard on this. A week or two per season then ignoring slalom skills for the rest of the time would undoubtedly be inadequate if I had the ambition to go for the TT. However, I've got a clear idea of what I need to work on during this season to improve my performance, and I'm hoping the next time Emma sees me in gates she'll be pleased with the progress I've made. Overall it was a great week, and one I hope to do again.
In the gates at the start of the week
 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 5-11-07 11:18; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sounds good Rob and those gate pics look pretty impressive!
are you doing slalom training purely as a way to improve your recreational skiing or are you aiming for some competitions some where?
cheers,
Greg
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi, I enjoyed reading that, and the pics really present the experience well.
You look pretty competent in those last 2 pics, so how far off TT standard does Emma think you were by the end?
Cheers,
Stuart.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 5-11-07 11:45; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kitenski, to improve my recreational skiing more than anything else. I have no plans to race on snow, and probably not on plastic, so anything I do in gates is about raising my performance when free skiing.
balernoStu, I'm a complete beginner at slalom so I'm a million miles away from TT standard. So far, in fact, that I wouldn't even have asked the question of Emma. I have to say I was surprised by how hard slalom is. I've done a little bit of GS which I thought was very tough, but slalom seems to be even harder again. It demands very tight technical control of your skiing otherwise you almost immediately come off the racing line, unlike GS which seems to give you a bit more time to recover (at least it does at the speed I ski GS!).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| balernoStu, I'm a complete beginner at slalom so I'm a million miles away from TT standard. |
Fair enough, but its not obvious in the shots!
During a brief shot at slalom on snow I kept shutting my eyes Like you I was surprised by the 'violence' involved.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar, nice report. When I read your comments about crowds and see that queue though! Yuk.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| When I read your comments about crowds and see that queue though! Yuk. |
Yes, it wasn't ideal. The queue for the first and second funicular was grim, and some of the queues up the hill were also bad at certain times of day. Unfortunately I didn't have much flexibility in dates so was obliged to go during French half-term. The phrase 'grin and bear it' was often crossing my mind. I think it will be much quieter in Tignes from the middle of this week when many of the race clubs disappear.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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rob@rar, Great report, thanks for taking the time to put it together, it is very illuminating... The best bit for me was hearing that you enjoyed it and didnt feel overwhelmed being the least experienced in the group. At least on my session it shouldnt be as crowded!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob@rar, Did you have Emma coaching you on the slopes for the whole week or did they swap coaches around? To be intensively trained by someone of her caliber would be a real treat.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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rob@rar, Great report. You asre of course barking mad  Hope the body is still ok.
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You know it makes sense.
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stewart woodward, swine!
skimottaret, yes, we had Emma all week, including the fitness sessions. It's pretty awesome watching her ski.
Frosty the Snowman,  Aching and bruised, but in one piece.
Richard E, glad you enjoyed the PSB stuff. I think skiing gates is a good way to test and develop basic technique, although I'd say GS was an easier starting point than slalom. Doing some training with Snoworks over the last few seasons has made a big difference to my skiing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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rob@rar, thanks for going to the effort of writing such a full and detailed report. The pics are great 
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, thanks for that. I'm thinking of joining a race club at the new manchester chill-factore for the same reasons as yuo, i.e. I don;t want to race but I think that better technique will help. Just need to work out if I can afford it...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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GrahamN, We'll see...
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rob@rar, Great report, sounds like you had an enjoyable week.
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Great report rob@rar, you've given a really good flavour of what it would be like. Good to see the photos as well. I know you've been on snoworks race training courses before - it sounds like this was your first slalom course. Was it GS previously?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| cathy wrote: |
| Great report rob@rar, you've given a really good flavour of what it would be like. Good to see the photos as well. I know you've been on snoworks race training courses before - it sounds like this was your first slalom course. Was it GS previously? |
Yes, this was the first time in slalom gates. The three previous race camps I've done have been GS. I thought GS was hard work until I tried slalom!
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Great report, rob@rar. I've wanted to do one for a while but doesn't look like it'll be this season.
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FAQ
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