Flow Like a River

by Karin Harjo

Winter 2003

Developing Counter vs. Countering Movements

When you’ve watched a great skier, have you ever wondered how they are able to keep constant rhythm and flow throughout the turn, unaffected by snow or terrain? I find that it is like watching water flowing down a river. Have you ever searched for that feeling of uninterrupted movement in your own skiing? I know I have! Along with a blend of edging, rotary, pressure control, and balancing movements there is another factor that plays a roll in flowing down the hill -anticipation through counter.

Now in the days of shaped skis and the promoting of staying relatively square to your skis, this concept might sound outdated. It is true that back in the days of straight skis a movement was made which brought the upper and lower body into a twisted relationship to help a skier anticipate the next turn. Countering and counter rotational movements were made to kick off the new turn. Although huge advances have  been made in equipment that have changed how we start a new turn, it hasn’t changed the fact that counter is still needed to help with directional movement of the body. The only real difference is this: instead of creating a countered position, think about allowing counter to develop. Allowing counter to develop vs. forcing it is the key to continuous movement down the hill.

Many of us find ourselves in one of two categories, those that create too much counter and those that don’t have enough. The least amount of counter and strongest angles of the body should occur in the fall line where the skis and body face the same direction. The most amount of counter is developed going into the transition and starts to decrease, when the lower body releases, realigns with the upper body and is directed into the new turn. Too much or not enough counter blocks the body from moving in the desired direction of travel, making it difficult to anticipate the next turn. Anticipation of the next turn is replaced instead, by a recovery move that is a result of the position the skier ends up in through the finishing phase of the turn.

When working with upper level skiers, it is very easy to make the mistake of coaching to the symptoms that not enough or too much counter may create throughout the finishing phase of the turn. Doing so may help some inconsistencies for the time being but will not create the permanent change the skier needs. Many times teaching counter poses a huge challenge because it is something that is very hard to set parameters on. Given that counter is something that evolves throughout the turn you can’t just move to a position and get it. Similar to everything in skiing, counter is movement in motion.

So what are some ways to address deficiencies in counter with a student? Since a countered stance is a form of anticipation and anticipation being a mental state of preparation as well as physical, I like to begin with how a student may perceive a turn.

To start, I prefer to look at a complete turn as from fall line to fall line, or apex to apex rather then from transition to transition. see figure 1) I have found that focusing on the transition as the beginning and end all of a turn interrupts rhythm and flow through that phase of the turn. In this case, it will make it easier to understand how counter develops, as well as resist the temptation of trying to create it arbitrarily. One of the main benefits to perceiving a turn in this way is that it helps with looking ahead while skiing. When in the apex of the present turn you should be looking towards the apex of the next turn. Besides helping you see what you are about to ski over, looking ahead helps keep movement of the body going in the desired direction of travel from one turn into the next.

Coaching where the upper and lower parts of the body are directed throughout the turn is a great way to address how counter is allowed to develop. The upper body acts as an anchor that the lower body turns against through out the turn. Both need to be directed in their separate paths. If the upper body is not directed in the right path it impedes  the versatility that the lower body has to work the skis. Keep in mind that you want to ski into and out of counter. In other words, as you ski out of the fall line you are developing counter and as you ski into the new fall line you are reducing counter.

Looking at a complete turn as fall line to fall line, here is how the two paths taken by the upper and lower body help to create counter. Starting in the fall line where the least amount of counter is present, your upper body starts to face towards the apex of the future turn and continues to do so through the transition. Much like your vision, it is taking a more direct path just to the inside of  your lower body and skis. Once back into the fall line, your upper body realigns with your lower body and is directed towards the next fall line. Counter is developed and reduced as a result of allowing the upper body to travel in a different path from the lower body (legs and skis). Any strong counter movement or lack there of in between fall lines will alter the direction of desired movement disrupting the rhythm and flow.

A simple exercise that will work on this movement pattern is to ski on moderate groomed terrain with your poles held horizontal to the slope on each hip. (see figure 2) Hold the poles so that ¾ of the pole is pointing out in front of you. As you make turns, where the poles are pointing will tell you where you are heading in a turn or the amount of counter you have at any given point. What you want to accomplish is to ski so that the poles are always pointing in the direction you are heading through out the turn. I also like to imagine the poles are a corridor that I want to be directing my hips and body through. Doing this drill sets up parameters to help gauge the amount of counter needed and to anticipate the next turn to help minimize the interruption of rhythm and flow. Note: start your turn by skiing down the fall line and turning out of it, instead of traversing across the hill.

Another great focus for developing counter is coaching to a strong inside half. When skiing, a countered stance is aided by the inside half of the body leading the outside half through the turn. (see figure 3) A strong inside half starts to develop by allowing the inside half of your body to move first, towards the direction you are going. The inside half leads the outside half throughout the turn and through the transition as the old outside half becomes the new inside half. The strength and functional tension of the inside half of the body facilitates the steering of the legs needed to flow from turn to turn. Counter and a strong inside half are in direct relationship to each other in the sense that you can’t have one without the other. If the inside half fails to develop or develops too soon it will alter the amount of counter needed to successfully flow from turn to turn and vice versa. For example, an inside half that fails to develop, allows the upper and lower parts of the body to head in the same direction through the completion phase of the turn (reducing counter) which inhibits proactive movement into the new turn. Like counter, the inside half is something you don’t want to over or under develop before its time.

A good way to gain a better understanding of what a strong inside half looks like is to identify how it divides up the body. Counter essentially divides the body on a horizontal plane (upper and lower body) and a strong inside half divides the body on a vertical plane. (see figure 4) How they affect each other can be demonstrated just by walking. For example if you were to turn right while walking, most of the time you would move the right leg and right side of your body in that direction first, followed by the left side of your body. This is much like how your right inside half would move forward through a turn to the right. Your other option is to step to the right by moving your left foot and side first. If you do this, you have a choice to keep from tripping; you can either twist the upper and lower body against each other or walk like a gorilla moving the entire left side of the body at once. Either way works and allows you to move in the direction you want to go. But what you will notice with stepping your left foot over your right, is an interruption to the rhythm and flow of your stride as your body has to either unwind, or catch up with itself before you can take the next step.

Oddly enough, your choices on skis aren’t that different. Stepping to the right, left foot first, is like having a weak inside half. To keep from falling over you have to either create counter (twist the upper and lower body against each other) or tip inside as your outside half drives over your inside half (skiing like a gorilla). Both of these options affect the amount of counter you are able to develop throughout a turn, thus affecting the rhythm and flow. Much like walking, you have to move the inside half of your body towards the direction you are going first to avoid excess movement. Having your students try this in their ski boots will help them gain a better understanding of how the body moves to create a strong inside half.

An exercise in which a strong inside half and the timing of how it develops can be practiced is: On moderate groomed terrain, ski without poles placing the outside hand on the outside hip and holding the inside arm and hand shoulder height. (see figure 5) Point the inside hand in the direction you are moving to at any given point in the turn, much like how the poles did in the previous exercise. At the transition switch the hand positions when the old outside half becomes the new inside half. Holding the inside hand and arm high and forward helps promote a strong inside half. The amount of counter you develop is aided by where you are pointing to through out the turn. Switching the hands in the transition helps with the timing of when the old outside half develops into the new inside half. Note: When doing this exercise it is vital that your shoulders are leveling through out the turn so that tipping to the inside will not be an issue.

These are just a couple of the many exercises you can use to address how counter is developed throughout the turn.

Developing a keen awareness of how you allow counter to develop enables you to anticipate the future turn with proactive movements. In other words, you are setting yourself up to move in a new direction all the time. These proactive movements allow you to anticipate ski reaction and adjust balance, minimizing the interruption of rhythm and flow. Growing awareness of how counter develops can be accomplished by truly understanding how the upper and lower body is directed throughout the turn. With these fundamentals in mind along with some practice and mileage, you and/or your student will be able to move down the hill like water flowing down a river.