SKI DEFINITIONS

Words have power. Therefore let’s try to understand some basic vocabulary. First understand that as an instructor, when a student says “I can’t”, I hear,  “I won’t”.

SOME DEFINITIONS:

Anatomy of a ski:  The two metal corners, called EDGES, are on the bottom of the ski. The bindings are attached to the top of the ski. The front of the ski is the upward curved tip, called the TIP. There are double tipped skis on the market now for freestyle skiing. Opposite the tip is called the TAIL.

The bindings accept and hold the boot on to the ski.

Between the bindings is the spring-loaded brake. As the boot is mounted, the brake nestles flat on top of the ski, under the boot and remains out of the way while skiing. When you fall in such a manner as to release from the ski, the brake engages to (hopefully) stop the ski.

Angulation vs. Inclination:  As we become more proficient, the angles of the joints and curvature of the spine used to acquire the appropriate body architecture become more defined and dynamic. Inclination is describing the angle between the lower leg shaft and the snow surface. If this angle remains the same up the chain of body parts to the head, then one is inclining. Angulation describes a skier whose lower leg shaft, upper leg shaft and spine describe different angles to the snow surface. As well, there is a twist from the snow surface up to the top of the head. Thereby the feet are not necessarily facing the same direction as the torso.

Anticipation:  Being aware of what is in front of you. Looking down the hill instinctively while continually strategizing the path you might take. Seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, – fully sensing the environment. The need for Anticipation becomes apparent as your skills increase, acceptable challenges increase and functional speed increases. Being in the moment in skiing is being in the future. If you are focused on where you are at the moment, you will necessarily end up on your arse! Or worse. You have skied past what you are focusing on! This concept becomes instinctive with proper training.

Articulate, Articulation:  For our purposes in the ski world these words are used to reference the angles between the joints of the skeleton. If an instructor asks you to articulate more into the hill, for example, (s)he is asking you to bend your knees closer to the hill thereby engaging your uphill edges more.

Athletic Stance:  A common stance for all sports – assertive to the direction of the action. In skiing it is about effortlessly and efficiently going downhill: The lower body (from the soles of the feet up to the top of the femur) as if you are standing at the base line of a tennis court waiting for the serve – feet functionally athletically apart, ankles and knees bent, soft and springy. The upper body (from the pelvic girdle up to and inclusive of the torso, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and head) as if one were riding a bicycle – arms extended but soft elbows and shoulders (not stiff like a zombie) on the handlebars, spine slightly rounded as a boxer stands so that the shoulders are in front of the feet (like sitting on a bicycle seat!). Be aware to not bend at the waste, do not bow … despite that many instructors erroneously think they deserve this!!!! An awareness – the line across the shoulders wants to be parallel to the slope and the spine perpendicular to the slope. This will be more confronting on steeper and more challenging terrain.

Body Architecture :  I have coined this phrase to indicate the position of the body on the skis at any given moment in the turn. Necessarily your Body Architecture will vary consistently throughout the turn. Additionally the ballet, the flowing of body architectures, becomes more effortless as your body architecture becomes more fluid. (Looking ahead – anticipating – is key to your evolution.)

Center of Mass (COM) (see footnote 1):  The point in a system of bodies or an extended body at which the mass of the system may be considered to be concentrated and at which external forces may be considered to be applied. Also called barycenter, centroid.

Center of Gravity (COG) (see footnote 2):  1. (Abbr. CG) The point in or near a body at which the gravitational potential energy of the body is equal to that of a single particle of the same mass located at that point and through which the resultant of the gravitational forces on the component particles of the body acts. 2.  The point of greatest importance, interest, or activity: “The center of gravity for the English language is no longer Britain. American English is the greatest influence on English everywhere.” (Robert W. Burchfield).

COM & COG:  In skiing we do not use COG and think of it as mutually inclusive to COM. COM is different for each person. When the body is at rest the COM is between the navel and the groin, and inside. For our purposes, it is more or less centered. Adult males COM is a little higher than females. Children have a higher COM than Adult males because of their disproportionately large head.

The COM moves as we move and articulate. The COM may, under some circumstances be outside the body. Imagine a POLE VAULT jumper attempting a record-breaking jump. Because of the excessive arch of the back as he clears the bar with the arms below the bar coming up and legs below the bar going down, his COM will be below the bar and outside of his body.

Description of a turn. No turn in practice is perfect, however they are perfectly fun producing!

When I refer to times of day I am referring to one’s stance in the turn path and the mechanics necessary at that moment in time. Imagine skiing around an analogue clock face. If one were to look down upon the clock, the hands of the clock going clockwise would represent a right turn. From 12:00 to 6:00 going from 12:00 - 1:00 - 2:00 - 3:00 - 4:00 - 5:00 - 6:00. Then the transition to the left turn. When looking down, again, one would ski the path counter clockwise from 12:00 to 6:00 going through 9:00. In this description, the skis are tangent to the clock face rim so that if I were to talk to my student about the body architecture described at 3:00, their skis would be directed downhill in that moment in time, parallel to the gravity line. (As they would be at 9:00.)

There are several parts to the turn. The entry or beginning – arguably coming into 12:00, NOT AT 12:00 –  the entry includes the set up which begins during the previous turn (see ANTICIPATION). The middle of the turn, encompassing the part of the turn during which one goes with the gravity line or the moment in time when one‘s skis are parallel to the gravity line. The bottom of the turn or transition of the turn. Some coaches talk about the entry and the transition being the two parts of the turn, both sections being a function of ANTICIPATION. This can be discussed in further more advanced essays.

Dynamic Balance:  The ability to control the body during motion. In terms of skiing there is a constant battle between intrinsic intention and extrinsic forces. (see footnote 3) Emotional considerations might contribute to either.

Extrinsic (see footnote 1):  Not forming an essential or inherent part of a thing; extraneous. Originating from the outside; external.

Gravity Line:  This was formerly known as the fall line. It is an imaginary line that a basketball would describe if left to roll freely down a hill. On a paved driveway, it would, more than likely be straight. In a natural environment, it is variable. In terms of physics, it is the vector of the strongest component of gravity pulling one down the hill. (see footnote 5)

Inside/Outside:  If I were standing exactly in the middle of a hill and you were between me and the chair lift on skiers right, then I would be inside of the slope than you (and you would be more toward skiers right than I). (see footnote 6)

Intrinsic (see footnote 7):  Of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent. In Anatomy, situated within or belonging solely to the organ or body part on which it acts. Used of certain nerves and muscles.

Kinetic Chain - Imagine turning your hand around in space 360o with your arm outstretched. More than likely you would not be able to turn a few degrees without involving the wrist, then the arm, … up to the shoulder where you would be limited to about < 300o. To successfully finish the maneuver, you must turn the whole body in space. In ski terms it should be used to inspire the total use of the muscular/skeletal system for the efficient affecting of a specific result.

MECHANICS OF THE TURN:  Elementary turns, intermediate turns, advanced turns – the mechanics are the same. That being the intention of going downhill. That being the turn initiated as your core crosses over your feet, thereby releasing the edges from their previous hold (the previous finished turn), seeking the gravity line as you extend,  directing the efficient flow of energy downhill.

Let me simplify this further: The body architecture needed to affect a turn in a wedge christie for a beginner vs. that needed by an expert in a double diamond bump run are, for purposes of this essay, mutually inclusive. The difference being the dynamics and athleticism employed.

A wedge christie turn is simply a very slow parallel turn on very shallow terrain. Try doing a perfect parallel turn on a bunny hill at very low speed. The forces employed, both intrinsically and extrinsically, will create a sequential edge release instead of the usual simultaneous edge release that upper level skiers employ at speed on more challenging terrain.
So … there are various images you can use to begin to get used to the action of bringing your core over your feet to initiate the next turn. Dive into an imaginary pool 1,000 yards below you. Be aware to not rise (or extend up) as a tree rises vertically to the sun. You must not be more vertical than perpendicular to the slope. Imagine the moment in time just before your toes leave the edge of the pool you are diving into … knees and ankles still slightly flexed though. (This is empirical and probably not practical in the beginning. However, the earlier you initiate the new turn in your upper body – the core moving downhill – the quicker your learning curve will adopt the new positive movements into a larger more diverse bag of tricks to draw from.)

Right/Left :  I am standing at the bottom of a slope looking up. There is a chair lift on the left and a cliff on the right. I am now skiing down this same hill so the chair lift would be on the right and the cliff would be on the left. Noted as viewed by the skier in motion skiing down the hill. AKA – skier’s right and skier’s left. Therefore, when I am standing at the bottom looking up the chairlift remains at skier’s right.

Serpentine:  The path a snake makes slinking along a forest floor. In ski terms - Linking turns.

Turn Shape : Radius and arc of the turn. A function of all extrinsic and intrinsic values.

Uphill/Downhill:  If I were standing on a slope and you were standing on the flat at the bottom of the slope, I would be uphill of you. When referring to uphill or downhill in a turn we are referring to the ski that is higher up the hill or lower down the hill than its counterpart. (see footnote 8)

Upper Body, Lower Body:  The separation between the upper and lower body is at the hip girdle. The hips are part of the upper body. Twisting is handled at the upper part of the femur (the biggest bone in the body and the upper leg bone) where it joins to the hip socket. As you gain some proficiency you will realize the huge range of motion enabled at this ball and socket joint in combination with a bent knee.

Vector:  A directed force.

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