One of the major issues that occur with people who have learned how to ski on straight skis and switched over to the shaped is the A-frame. Shape skis have changed the style of skiing around completely. It's no longer about how close together your skis and legs are to each other. It's about keeping your legs shoulder width apart and putting both skis on edge.
So what's an A-frame? The A-frame is when the uphill ski (inside ski) lays mostly flat and the downhill ski (outside ski) is on edge but has too much weight and pressure on it. This causes the knee of the downhill hill leg to buckle in and touch the uphill leg which causes the shape of an "A" between the legs. The problem with the A-frame is that it only allows the skier to turn to a certain point. This is caused by the knee buckling and touching the other leg which basically stops the skier from being able to put anymore pressure on the downhill ski.
So how can the A-frame be fixed? One of the best ways to fix the A-frame requires one simple move. Lift the toes of the uphill ski to the top of the boot and towards the direction of the turn. This will help initiate the uphill ski to move on edge and bring the uphill leg away from the downhill leg. It doesn't sound like much but the result is huge.
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| A-frame (me) |
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| No A-frame, legs are apart (me) |
Using the Pole Plant
It's amazing how many skiers misuse their poles. Lots of times people either just hold them and don't even attempt to plant them, holding them in the air with their arms spread out like they're trying to fly away or they have no idea when to plant which pole. The pole plant is a very simple thing and if used correctly it really can really help initiate the turn better.
The pole plant should not be by your waist, it should be out in front of you towards the tip of the ski. Planting your poles does not only help initiate the turn but it also helps keep the body forward and over the top of the skis.Think of the pole as if it were a gate your trying to ski around. The pole plant is what initiates the turn. If your finishing up a turn to the right that's when you want to plant the pole in your left hand. This will help bring the weight back across your body which makes it easier to initiate the turn. Once that pole is planted, try to wrap your skis around the pole as tight as possible as if it were a gate you are trying to ski around.
The pole plant is not a full up and down thrust into the ground it's just a simple flick of the wrist in the opposite direction at the end of the current turn you are in. Just think "I'm at the end of my turn to the right, so now I must flick my left wrist toward the top of my ski, plant it, and then wrap my skis around it."
(photo: Google image)
Keep the Upper Body Square
A common problem that happens with many skiers is the movement of the upper body. The movement of the upper body from side to side does not help you turn any easier, all it does is throw you off balance even more. The only thing that is suppose to move on the upper body is the arms/wrist for the pole plant and that is all.
The turning of the skis happens from the waist down. Keeping your shoulders square down the hill helps you stay centered with pressure on top of the ski. It also allows you to throw your legs out from underneath you in order to get the skis on edge. Skiing is all about a calm upper body with movement from the waist down. You can see the skier keeps their shoulders and head square down the mountain.
(photo: Google image)
The Perfect Fit
The ski boot is the most important piece of equipment. If you have great skis and a boot that doesn't fit right then the kind of skis you have doesn't matter. All of your control comes from the fit of the boot. If your boot is too big and your foot is moving around inside you are making it that much harder for yourself because you are trying to control both your feet in the boot and the skis at the same time. Lets be honest, ski boots are also not the most comfortable thing in the world. People are always complaining that their feet hurt in the boot. Sometimes it can be because the boot is too small, too big, or your foot shape doesn't quite match the boot and there needs some shell work to be done.
When choosing a ski boot the first thing you want to do is base the stiffness of the boot on the type of skier you are. The stiffer the boot the more aggressive the boot is. Stiff or not when you try the boot on you want the boot to fit your foot like a glove. If it's a good fit without the boot buckled that means that you won't have to buckle up your boot that tight. A lot of times people tighten their boots too much and that's what causes the pain in the foot. The ski boot should also be a size down from the shoe size you are. Some racers and experts prefer their boots 2 shoe sizes down.
Once the boot is on your foot it's best if you walk around and flex it while you're in the skiing position. Do this for 5-10 minutes, this allows you to get a feel of the boot and it allows you to feel if your foot is cramping or if there are any pressure points in the boot. This will allow the person fitting you to get an idea of other boots to try and the spots of the shell that can be ground down if you decide to buy that boot.
Skiing in pain is not any fun. The best thing to do with your your ski boots is to get a custom footbed made for it. There's no point in spending all that money and still have pain in your feet. The custom footbeds are specifically designed and molded to your foot. The process is really interesting, they first take you through a series of balance tests. These balance tests allow you to see any buckling of the knees in a certain direction and it also shows your weight distribution. They then take all the results and try to design each footbed to the imperfections on both feet so in the end your overall balance is correct. The footbed is then molded to your foot and heated to keep the shape. These footbeds fix everything from collapsing arches to high arches. It's just like having a Dr. Scholls in your ski boot. Two of the top boot fitters in New England are right here in NH: Bob Skinners in Sunapee NH and Rodgers in Lincoln NH. Skiing is a lot more fun when your feet aren't screaming at you, custom footbeds are definitely the way to go.
Alignment/balance test
(photo: Google image)
Molding the footbed
(photo: Google image)
Grinding down/ shaping the footbed
(photo: Google image)
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