So, the summer holidays are over and the nights are drawing in. Ski aficionados are putting pen to paper as Sunday broadsheets start to fill with snowsport supplements. Ski magazines appear on the newsstands again and we enthusiasts start to think of the season ahead. With that comes the usual churn of health and fitness “Get Fit to Ski” articles professing to improve core strength and balance. To hell with that I say! Why get fit when you should just get good?!
My genes dictate that I am rather portly (it is nothing to do with the wine and cheese I so love!) but I still manage to ski all day with little or no leg burn. Good technique allows me to let the ski do the work rather than having to force the turns. People of all levels exhaust themselves primarily because they do not utilise the design features of the skis, through poor technique, which in turn results in fatigue.
The strange thing is that we have skis and snowboards which have been specifically designed to make our turns easier and more effective, yet very few people take advantage of these design features. Carving skis have now been around for almost 20 years and yet the vast majority of skiers do not utilise the design elements of the ski which can result in smooth, rounded, clean and easy turns. Stranger still, is that it is a relatively effortless thing to do and yet so few skiers manage it, let alone try it. This is how simple it is…….
Whilst moving down the hill, if you have your weight centred and tilt the ski over onto its edge, the ski, and therefore you, will turn!
It is at this point that we could go on to talk about turn radius, tilt, side cut and edge pressure but my gut feeling is that even if you read on you may become bored or will forget the details by the time you are on the slopes. So, I am politely going to refrain from boring you (and myself) and say that, whilst that statement may be an over simplification, if you do manage good posture and a basic understanding of carving turns and technique then you should be able to ski down most groomed runs relatively easily.
What really eases the pain is to make good turns. Getting fitter is undoubtedly a good thing but taking the “get fit” route rather than the “get good” route is without a doubt the worse option. Good turns enhance the experience, lead to less fatigue and mean you will enjoy the whole week of skiing far more than if you just get fit. Should you be taking your “ski fit” article down to the gym to replicate the poses and positioning, the reps and the curls? Or should you just book a ski lesson and improve your technique? Simple! A few lessons with Progression Ski will get you much further. So toss that mag in the bin…..
“Don’t Get Fit, Get Good!”
Progression Ski & Snowboard School
Ken Smith set up Progression Ski & Snowboard School in 2006 which has its base in Val d’Isere (but also operating in Tignes, Sainte Foy and the Portes de Soleil). Progression Ski & Snowboard School is now regarded as one of the best snow-sports schools in the Alps. They offer a full range of lesson types from private lessons to groups and clinics for adults and kids to off-piste adventures. Ski In Luxury clients have highly recommended Progression, when they have book with them in the past. For further details on how to“get good”, you can contact them through their website www.progressionski.com or you can send them an email.
Thank you very much for this blog to Ken from Progression Ski, a highly reputable ski school based in Val d’Isere, offering ski and snowboard tuition for both adults and children, beginners and experts!
If you are interested to ski with Ken and the team this year in Val d’Isere then take a browse through our luxury chalets in Val d’Isere. To find out what other amazing chalets we offer in Progression Ski resorts, please get in touch.
