Jan 5, 2007 – Babes on Bumps – Day 1

Yippie for snow. We were greeted with what the mountain called 6″. That was probably accurate at 5am. But by 9, there was much more. Jenn Loesch and I took a run before lineup and were greeted with billowing powder. We dove into Mayday, then High Anxiety. Very fun. At 10am, the Babes in the Bumps day began.

There sure were lots of people taking lessons. It really is great to see, because lessons can be so valuable.
We began the lesson simply assessing where we where skill and desire-wise. Some ideas were shared, then we began to lay the foundation for the 8 week series which comprises Babes in the Bumps 2007. Understanding the underlying understandings (philosophies), and attitudes toward skiing. Inherently those attitudes show up in the actions the skier makes, and the results the skier gets.
Some simple ideas of flexing and extending of the ankle, knee, hip, and spine where shared. So often skiers are proficient in one or two of the joints but grossly neglect the others. We skied with awareness of light shin contact. It comes from toes coming up, rather than driving the knees forward. It is a simple, yet important distinction.
We went out in search of Powder. Fortunately, we did not have to look far. 6-chair held the goods. Comfortable pitch with plenty of snow. There were a variety of tactics employed. We spoke of the difference between skiing with your edges, and skiing with the bases (of the skis). In Powder, compression of the snow forces the ski to bend. This in turn causes the ski to make a turn. Rhythm is important. The waltz rhythm was used 1-2-3, 1-2-3.

We also made the distinction between the pedaling movements of the legs (long leg/short leg), and pogo stick movement. Both legs working simultaneously, up and down, up and down. The “Pogo” movement loads the skis together, rather than letting one ski float and the second ski sink. This was also a movement we played with later in the bumps.

We then spoke about the need to hold a functional tension in the core, rather than in the legs or arms. The focus should be relaxed but activated muscles in the legs and arms. We can also use the core tension when skiing powder or bumps. Also, there is a need to have a focus ahead of us. One thought of where do I want to go, rather than where have I been. We likened it to golf. A professional has one thought, “where to I want this ball to go”. The amateur, “how are my hands, is my spine straight, am I standing too just right, etc, etc.” There is time for practice, and there is time for performance. It is important to know which one you are doing.

We certainly have more to learn. I am looking forward to working with my babes this year. We are certainly in store for a good time.
to your sliding success,
Jon
This is a fun movie from The Independent Woman. Enjoy