 Poster: A snowHead
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So as not to hijack the "Hands and arms - position" thread...
| snowbunny wrote: |
| And there was a really "nasty" one where a bungee cord was looped round the knees-to keep it taut the knees had to be kept apart while skiing ! |
I've not heard this discussed before so...
The way I heard this works (with it's opposite - ball between the knees) is that the cord pulls your knees together and so encourages the student to apply outward force to keep the legs apart - useful for those who lock their skis together. The ball between the legs forces you to squeeze - so although it appears to force your legs apart, it's actually useful for skiiers with a too-wide stance. It's certainly one I'd like to try.
The discussion came up when my instructor in Canada saw the ball one mis-applied - the instructor was obviously using it to try and widen a stance by keeping the legs apart but was training the muscles to squeeze the legs together.
comments?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've done the bungy thingy. Not particularly helpful for me, as my stance is preternaturally wide. Maybe the ball exercise would help, but I've never tried it. The bungy helped Mrs L, who used to have a bit of an A-frame, but she hated the exercise.
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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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All sounds very awkward to me, mind you when I was learning the trick was to keep a pair of gloves between your boots from top of slope to bottom, not very good for carving skis though 
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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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I was once told that the ideal stance is the one you take at the urinal. So, next time you're going for a leak, take a look at your feet. Generally when men are in that position, their legs are in a neutral stance, and that's where you want to be when skiing.
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marc gledhill, I'm of a similar opinion, especially as I can use that old style skiing perfectly well with my shiny new GS skis, which supposedly should not work as well as they do.
A lot of the new style skiing is actually designed to get people skiing faster rather than more stylishly or better, it's the same reason that certain schools no longer train people how to snowplough, sideslip and a host of other skills that are no longer being classed as necessary for your enjoyment of the piste
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Wear The Fox Hat, hmmm, now there's another exercise to have Johnny Foreigner looking on in bemusement at British lessons!
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lbt, It's a great exercise..Well it worked for me.
D G Orf, You cannot be serious ! 'A lot of the new style skiing is actually designed to get people skiing faster rather than more stylishly or better'..... well not in my lessons. The new skis, and teaching methods, are about using the skis effectively. Having you legs apart will allow you to use two skis rather than one, and tilt the skis over further... should you want to. If the new equipment and teaching methods allow parrallel skiing to be learnt sooner, what's wrong with that ?
The first time I heard the 'skis apart' mantra was 1991 maybe, inspired by one A Tomba. Feet apart is not new.................
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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ski, I didn't say it was necessairily wrong, it's just different, also I only said some schools.
Over the years more people have started to ski aided by cheap flights and so on, this has resulted in a huge increase in skiers wanting to learn to ski in a week or less (the standard time for most package holidays) the ski schools have gradually adapted their teaching techniques because of this and also because of advances in ski technology, skis are easier to turn so easier to teach, however in many cases the cost of lessons combined with an attitude of I know how to ski I don't need more lessons plus an increasin selfishness on the part of many skiers and boarders has undoubtedly bought about an increase in risk on the slopes which is further compounded by the fact that when people do get into difficulty they often don't know the easy method of recovering because they were never taught what were once basic skills.
As someone who has been skiing for over 30 years, mostly at a single resort I have seen a noticeable decrease in what were once regarded as basic skills, whilst I accept the reasons behind that loss of knowledge it does not stop me being upset by it
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lbt, 'Ball between the knees sound good", but a question ( and avoiding the obvious lewd comments).
What size ball ? Bit of a difference beween say a Tennis ball and a Football.
Wear The Fox Hat, I quite like that analogy however think I might get a few problems if I focus on toilet-based stances and motions while skiing down slopes. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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lbt, As I understand it the use of either of these aids, but specifically the bungy cord, is to assist people (particularly women) who ski with a marked A-frame, ie their knees together. By making them seperate the knees to keep the cord taught and up, they learn a new position which will facilitate much more independent leg action.
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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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Newbie50, we've done it with a beach ball, only 2/3 rd's inflated!
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D G Orf, sorry - caught me at a bad moment, felt the need to climb on a hobby horse.
Everyone else, not sure about this ball idea, surely you'll have to sqeeze you knees together ?
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You know it makes sense.
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ski, that's ok I think I might have been on a similar creature when I replied 
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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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Skiing with my German friend in Zermatt this year (he is a much better skier than I am), I finally managed to persuade him to spread his legs. He noticed an immediate improvement in the turning performance of the skis, so I do think that there is something more than mere style in it.
What I want to know is, when we ski bumps, should we be keeping our legs together or apart. When the bumps get big, I find that I have to keep my feet together, to ensure that both skis take roughly the same line over the bumps.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Kramer, I've long been of the opinion of whatever works well for you is a good way of doing things, certainly on moguls keeping the skis together will make turns much easier
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kramer, Feet together, for the reason you specfied ! Everywhere else...feet apart (stretching a bungee) - go on, you know it makes sense ! 
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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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I feared the worst when I read the title of this thread. With considerable relief I realise that you're talking about clutching something between your knees rather than some sadistic new teaching technique!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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"Nice legs love, when do they open?"
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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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| Kramer wrote: |
| "Nice legs love, when do they open?" |
piste-off, mate, you're not my type...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Try this...stand up. Place your feet together. Now roll your feet over to one side. See how far you can go. Now put your feet apart. Repeat. Now you've found how much further you can roll your feet when apart, you'll see why skiing is better with your feet apart.
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ski, another good illustration is to stand with feet together, hold your arm out to one side, and try to resist someone pulling on it. You don't stay on your feet for very long. Repeat exercise with feet apart and they can pull to their heart's content.
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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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ski, try this, stand up. Place feet in monoski. Instantly look like an eighties Austrian powder god. Now you can see how much easier it is to pull girls in batwing jumpers and puff-ball skirts, you'll see why skiing is better with your feet together.
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Kramer, I must be going to the wrong places I've never seen a girl skiing in a puff ball skirt
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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D G Orf, obviously you wear the monoski in the nightclub, not on the slopes.
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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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Kramer, Ahh buty how do you get into the nightclub whilst wearing the monoski ?
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First of all, don't start in Wengen.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Where have people been using the bungee? Thus far this season I've done 3 trips, admittedly only to France and only had one lesson this season as yet, but I've not seen a single bungee or ball. Not that I stalk ski schools or anything....
Is the bungee/ball a N. American thing? Or am I skiing with my eyes wide shut (highly likely).
Sounds like a fantastic idea tho. (I was taught to activate my knee lean by ditching poles and placing hand on inside knee and gently pressing it to open it out. Am now wondering whether it was a drill designed by dodgy instructors who wanted to watch girls pull their knees apart. Oo er )
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Poster: A snowHead
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Manda, I have. On my legs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh and on my roof rack, and motorbike to restrain luggage.
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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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Manda, I did that very same exercise with 2 ladies today. Both are very experienced skiers and have skied for years - it was an "updating" lesson. Worked as well as it always does. I call it the Manfred Pranger.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Manda, Simon Butler Skiing do the bungy thing. You must have been blasting around Megève too quickly to notice earlier in the season! 
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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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laundryman, re: blasting, very likely! Altho if people WERE winding bungees around their knees I would've slowed down for a gander (probably, tho, I would've felt more compelled to point out that they're normally tied around the ankles before one is hoisted off a bridge.... )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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easiski,
? That's too obscure for me, sorry. 
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Looks more like Wallace (of Grommit fame) to me 
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FAQ
Now I've mastered that, I'm being told to increase the gap. I'm sure this is being done to keep me taking lessons 
" unquote. 
