Teaching Tips for All Age Guests
Senior Moment #2
by Ed Kane

This is the second in a series of short articles devoted to providing information that may be useful to you in your classes, regardless of their age. It is my intention to make this column open to contributions from our membership. If you have some valued tip that you have found to be very effective, please send it to me at the PSIA-NW office so that it can be included in future publications of this series.

Lateral Weighting – A key element for efficient turns. A key ingredient to efficient turns is to move a majority of weight to the outside turning ski during the performance of the turn. This lateral movement facilitates and compliments engagement of the inside edge of the ski which helps it to scribe an arc in the snow. (More on efficient edging in the next article.) Movement of the weight in a lateral direction is accomplished through very small movements of the hip in the direction of the weight application. Thus if the right ski is to be weighted then the hip must move slightly in that direction. We do this every day when walking while we are balancing over the right foot as the left one moves forward for the next step. As the turn develops, the hip will move back toward the left side to help control the amount of pressure applied to the ski. Efficient lateral weight control is thus the result of carefully controlling the location of the hips relative to the skis throughout the turn. We accomplish this quite habitually when walking but have to develop a new awareness and set of movements when skiing.

Following are some exercises that can help your students accomplish efficient lateral weight shifts from turn to turn. Regardless of the skill level these should be practiced on  relatively gentle terrain the first time. As these are mastered and confidence is acquired, they can be done on more demanding terrain and conditions to continue to provide a challenge and build on the previously developed skill sets. In addition, they should be practiced in areas where the conditions are reasonably consistent so that the student can make multiple attempts and learn through trial and error through the feedback that they gain with each attempt. Of course your guidance in terms of verbal input is also very helpful especially if given while they are in the process of trying. (It might be noted that some of these are very similar to those recommended to improve balance in the previous installment.)

• Straight run on one ski, stepping to the other and back after about a two ski length glide on each ski.
• Straight run on one ski for about two ski lengths and turn on the inside edge of that ski to a stop with the inside ski parallel to the slope.
• Linked turns lifting the inside ski at the initiation, keeping it elevated and parallel to the snow through the turn.
• Linked turns initiated by moving the weight to the new outside ski prior to the initiation of the new turn.
• Finish the turn on the inside ski with the outside ski elevated and parallel to the snow and initiate the next turn on that ski keeping the elevated ski off the snow.
• Linked turns incorporating early movement to the new turning ski prior to turn initiation.