Ski Television:

Kick-Start Turns

Here's something you can try to a bit more snap in your short turns. Each time you turn try to feel like you're kick-starting a motorcycle with your outside leg. Of course, it helps if you've actually owned a motorcycle, and you've had to kick-start it, but if you can't relate to that maybe you can think about swimming. It sort of feels a little bit like the whip kick.

See, what I see a lot of people doing, when they want to shorten the turns up, is that they just make the same turn they're used to making when they make long turns, only they make less of it. Basically, with the whole body following along. But if you can get into the habit of kicking your leg down, it may help you to turn your lower body and not your upper body. And that's what you want for real snappy short turns.

Take a look again: each time I turn I start with my leg bent and then I straighten it out. It feels like kick-starting a motorcycle, or maybe doing the whip kick. And once more from the front: start with your leg bent and then kick it downwards. You feel like you're kick-starting a motorcycle or doing the whip kick. Put some snap into your short turns, and that'll help you to keep your body facing down the hill. And that's what you need for those steeper pitches... cruddy snow bumps... you know. Anyway, I hope that works for you: kick start your motorcycle!

And here's something else you can do is ski with a friend, in order to avoid the focus on the purely mechanical. When you follow a friend you have to focus just on the line and the movement, then just get adjusted according to the line. Now it's my turn to lead, so I'm looking ahead, I'm breathing  (I know I am because I'm talking), and I'm trying to just set a line for Andrew to follow so he doesn't have to worry about the mechanics so much. Look a head, breathe, think about the lines with your buddy, and I bet you'll ski better.