Exercises shown on Ski Sunday.

A snowHead

On Ski Sunday Graham Bell had that Chef guy doing a couple of exercises. One was called the 'tea-pot' where he put one arm on his hip and one out in front (no poles), the other (I forgot it's name) involved lifting one ski off the snow during a traverse and crossing it over the other one slightly. I THINK it was the uphill ski.

Can anyone comment on these exercises and explain what they help with and how to do them properly?

The reason I ask is that our Austrian Instructor had us doing both of them last week, but didn't say too much about why (other than 'to help vis ur balance unt position') Laughing

A snowHead

The other exercise is "javelin turns" - you ski on the outside ski and lift the inside ski and cross it over the tip of the outside ski. Both exercises are used to focus on steering the ski with edging rather than rotation (carving, not skidding). The aim of both should be to get good edge angles by moving the hips to the inside of the turn, and keep the upper body stable and following the path of the skis.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I really like the "tea- pot" one. Somehow it just makes me feel so much more balanced. If I didn't look such a div that's the way I would ski all the time! Haven't tried the other one but I'm off to the dryslope today. Very Happy

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both are very good drills.. on the teapot (aka "schlopy") really emphasize pressing the hip inwards with the "handle" hand on the hip while keeping the shoulders level to mountain in order to get the feel for angulation and tipping the skis on edge

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

skimottaret, We've missed you wink

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He also told him to "sink" into his downhill hip - I tried that on Mon at Xscape when I was traversing - and started to turn uphill! I think that is going to help me as I realised it was making my hips lean towards the slope a touch without my shoulders doing so. In fact it has sorted out something which has been a bit of a blocker for me. I had been told "lean down the slope, not into the hill". Well that gave me images of my whole body in a straight line, leaning downhill and that felt really wrong. I now realise the upper body may be leaning away from the slope, but the knees/hips are leaning into it and this comment about sinking down into one hip seems to have started that process in me. Well I think so anyway.

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I used that one in my CSIA L1 exam. Examiner liked it. I've got a warm fuzzy feeling now... Very Happy

After all it is free

Thanks folks, Yes 'javelin' turns it was indeed. I found both drills very helpful in Austria and want to practice them some more next week in Val. Just checking but it IS the 'downhill' hand that goes on the hip, with the 'uphill' arm forward isnt it? (This brings the uphill shoulder round nicely which addresses one of my biggest problems (apart from generally skiing like a gonk) Embarassed

The teapot helps with angulation, instructor had us doing it on the icy slopes of Soll last season.
Downhill hand 'pushing' the hips into the hill/mountainside, but keeping the shoulders up and away, to keep one on ones edges.

Been using it as a stretching exercise in the gym, so hopefully be able to do it on the snow a little easier.

Haven't seen the one legged tip crossing exercise before.

Is it compulsory to do them with an unfastened helmet though?

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AxsMan, yes, the downhill hand on the hip (actually, pushing the hip to get good angulation rather than just resting it there). I prefer to think of it as the 'outside' hand (or leg/ski) as uphill and downhill are relative terms (I often start a turn with my 'downhill' leg being higher than my 'uphill' leg).

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Teapot works best with a song....

'I'm a little teapot, short and stout.......'

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(slight diversion warning) - if you're having tea on the slopes don't forget to share it Laughing

You know it makes sense.

rob@rar, Yes understood, and of course at the point in the turn where you are facing straight downhill neither side is the downhill one. But If I am turning toward the right (call it a clockwise turn?) then it will be my left hand push my hip and my right arm in front of me yes?

In fact in Austria our instructor had us bending our leading arm as well (a bit like a pantomime villain holding a cape across his face) rather than pushing it straight out like superman in flight. Dunno why?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

AxsMan,

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

rob@rar, and smirking quite a bit Embarassed

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AxsMan, there's your answer Wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

rob@rar, and whistling 'phantom of the opera'. Funny we never twigged really Laughing

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Yoda, and you have to sing it in martin's peculiar accent Laughing

After all it is free

I'm confused too. And I just watched the scene again and it didn't help!

I was once given a list of things javelin turns can be used for....

I have also done a couple of different variations of them...

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OK, I just watched it yet again, and the wording he uses is "what I want you to do is, when you make the turn, I want you to take your outside hand and put it on your hip, and have your inside hand up and forward." Does that help?

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Two Ears Laybelle, Why confused. If you are turning to the right then the left ski becomes the downhill ski and your left arm the downhill arm.

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Just think - push the hip into/up the mountain and point with the other hand the way you are going. Does that help?

- sorry, ignore, cocked up the coding -

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

You don't put pressure on the hand on the hip until the last part of the turn, so once you are facing/starting to face the new direction. Everyone is right and saying the same thing I think it's just being interpreted/coming across differently.

There's a link to a vid of someone doing this. Hang on I'll try to find it.

http://youtube.com/v/vlzIkIQa3e0

He does by touching the knee rather than the hip but you'll get the idea.[/quote]

A snowHead

Two Ears Laybelle

ickabodblue wrote

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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rob@rar when should you start to pressure the hand into the hip then, I took it to start applying it gradually from facing the fall ine getting stronger through the last 3rd of the turn. Please correct me if I'm wrong so I don't make a t*t of myself. wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Two Ears Laybelle, you can watch it via this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/default.stm

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Thanks. Picture worth a thousand words and all that, and moving pictures even better. Don't know why I didn't think of YouTubing for skiing tips, either. There seems to be some good stuff on there.

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minx, the italian national coach i skied with last month said pressure from start of turn.... but then his english is not fluent Wink

After all it is free

little tiger thanks. Want to practice this drill correctly and the Javellin one as I am stiff in the hips and I think it will help in the upper body aswell.

minx, make the movement fluid into and out of turn though IIRC (i have a nice picture in my head of said person demoing) ... No sudden movements... but then I have likened his skiing to watching a large cat like a puma moving.... I'd love to watch his buddy do that exercise Smile

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i have done both of those exercises in the past and they do help. we used skiing on one ski whilst traversing to get us used to aveing the weight on the downhill edge and we also did them in turns to get us out of doing a snowplough when turning ( i think) i also did the teapot one with my hand on my knees rather than my hip too.

it's good to be reminded of these exercises and i'll be having a go when i next ski

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Exercises shown on Ski Sunday.

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