Versatility Point of no return in K2 Ski Boots hip replacement Pressure vs Force Pressure Only 1 Page 2 Peak Performance, October 2015 Photo on the Summit Photo courtesy of Scott Marland, a National Ski Patrol Board Member. From the Top Contents By Witold Kosmala The Publisher and the Editor of Peak Performance Gazette PSIA-E Alpine, Level III Page 5 Versatility (of the third Ski Instructor, Coach and Trainer mostly in NC K2 Ambassador kind) October – what a glorious month it is. Fall colors Gordon Carr mean that slopes will open up soon. Are you ready? Are you ready physically as well as mentally? Do you have a car that will safely take you to the slopes? (See the September issue of Peak Performance Page 8 Point of no return (in hip Gazette.) Do you have appropriate skiing equipment including clothing? Do you have knowledge of replacement) technique so that you can focus on it from the Witold Kosmala moment you put skis on? How about your physical conditioning? Is your cardiovascular system efficient? Are your muscles strong and balanced? Are you flexible? Are you consistently doing your dry-land? Page 10 K2 Ski Boots Did you follow activities taking place at Interski 2015, Jackson Hogen the world’s largest gathering of ski and snowboard instructors that took place for the first time in the southern hemisphere, Ushuaia, Argentina? What did you learn? Page 13 Pressure, Force and Wow, so many questions. I am overwhelming myself Sports on Ice and Snow just thinking about all this. All this will take time, so now is the Richard Gray time to start. Don’t delay. First, of Page 14 Pressure Only course, you need to Witold Kosmala read this gazette. It has some information that you cannot do without. In fact, previous issues of the Peak Performance Gazette also contain information that perhaps you have missed. Just because something was published last month or some months ago, it does not mean it is old and should be dismissed or ignored. This is our 60th publication and I hope you had a chance to view all these publications. Perhaps you might like to look at the ARTICLE INDEX prepared by Gordon Carr of Sugar Mtn. Resort in NC. All the great articles are listed there. I hope that this gazette proves to be helpful to you under every respect. Often I find myself rereading previously published articles in Peak Performance. Every time they speak to me differently. But, there is one common theme to all those feelings – I wish there was a resource like this when I was preparing for my Cabin at Linville Falls, NC, just a certification journey. There was nothing wrong with what was available at that bike ride away from my house. time, but the flavor of this publication is different. There are different voices and You can view more beautiful they say different things different ways. And best of all, it’s all for FREE. autumn photos at www.blueridgecountry.com. 2 Peak Performance, October 2015 Page 3 I hope you will consider writing an article for this gazette. You might want to share your knowledge and love for skiing with our readers. Maybe there is something funny that took place, a new or different experience which you like to tell others about. Maybe you would like to write something that you would like to see printed in a particular month. Write it now, so you won’t have to write later when you will be busy on the slopes. If you are a ski instructor, don’t you enjoy teaching? You can do teaching on or off the snow. You can write about it. Some students will not remember what you said. So, if you tell them about this publication, then they can read about skiing, and reread, and review, and remember that much better. If you are a trainer at your ski school or a director, then you are also an instructor or a coach. You can write about your training scenarios. You can also share this publication with your members to promote versatility and increase enthusiasm. You might want to encourage instructors to write an article because you know that they will have to give it some serious thought before they can put things on paper. If you are a race coach – you can write about issues that come up in racing. For all the certification exams you will need to read. Well, someone needs to actually write things that you can read. There is plenty out there, but nothing like Peak Performance Gazette. It is covered with good information and with very few advertisements to sift through. Therefore, take a minute and write me at [email protected] and tell me what you think about this gazette and how you would like to get involved. I hope you choose to help. Spread the word, LIKE us on Facebook, send a photo, send a donation. Do SOMETHING. Wouldn’t you like to see your name and maybe a photo in a national publication? Show your buddies and your supervisors that you care about promoting skiing and you took this step to write about issues pertained to skiing? Maybe your other profession is something different then skiing. Then you can write how your professions are linked. EVERYTHING is linked to skiing. My surface address is given on the last page. Look me up on Facebook. Show me that you care about our great sport of skiing. I also encourage you to write a note to our authors. They care about you and our great sport of skiing. They took time to share. Tell them that you appreciate their time, effort and passion for the sport. It is easy to find Peak Performance Gazette on line. There are many ways to do that. Below is what you can do. Choose your favorite method. • Use the dropbox www.dropbox.com/sh/wjrz16pzrpho63i/PQr004dmUj • Go to the website www.peakperformancegazette.com • Look up the Facebook www.facebook.com/peakperformancegazette • Google search “Peak Performance Gazette” and see the first item. • Go to the bottom of my Appalachian State University (ASU) webpage www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~wak/. This one is easy for reading on line. • Go to the ASU Library's webpage at www.library.appstate.edu. My hopes are that these gazettes will serve you as an outstanding reading material no matter what your calling is. Hopefully these publications will make your skiing passion grow even more, bring you awareness, improve your technique, and take you on the hill more often. If you like what you are reading in this and other issues of Peak Performance, would you be kind enough to tell others about it? Share it with your employees, friends and family. LIKE us on Facebook. Spread a good word. For legality issues: The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed in Peak Performance are, as always, intended to be used in good taste for educational purposes only. The opinions expressed or implied in these publications are not official positions of the Gazette, unless explicitly noted. Authors and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application or interpretation of the materials in these gazettes. Skiing is a dangerous sport. Do it at your own risk. In addition, an advertisement in Peak Performance does not constitute endorsement by Peak Performance. 3 Page 4 Peak Performance, October 2015 4 Peak Performance, October 2015 Page 5 Main Course VERSATILITY (Of The Third Kind) By Gordon Carr PSIA-E Alpine, Level II Ski Instructor at Sugar Mtn. Resort in NC My contributions to the Peak Performance have been absent for quite some time. And have you noticed that the Peak Performance has risen to a higher level of excellence? I wonder if the two previous sentences are somehow related. Can’t be! The increase in excellence has to be a direct consequence of Witold’s editorial and publishing guidance! Kudos, Witold! We appreciate your efforts more than you know. The inspiration and technical information contained in Peak Performance over these last 7 years are truly unique for instructors interested in improving our teaching and personal skiing/riding performance! The more I read (and re-read) this gazette the more I realize how special a publication it is. With that said, “Versatility (Of The Third Kind)”…”Whaaa..? I’ve previously written several Peak Performance articles about the need for versatility in our ability “to have a positive selective effect on any skill on either foot at any point in the turn” (quote attributed to Sean Smith). I will take it a step further and add that this type of versatility should be reflected in our performance in any snow condition and on any type of terrain. “Vim, Vigor and Versatility”, March, 2014, “A Paradox of Skiing”, January, 2012, and “The Paradox of Skiing (Continued), February, 2012 speak to this skill type of versatility. The articles also provide specific exercise progressions to help us hone our on-snow versatility performance. During this article whenever I can, I want to say “skiing/riding” for inclusiveness when speaking of versatility but must state a qualifier: I am not a rider and I don’t know much about snowboarding. But to show I’m not totally clueless about riding, I do know one fact about learning to snowboard. A bullet-proof-ice day at -10 is not the day for your first effort to learn about the wide plank. A toe side fall onto your wrists and knees is only exceeded in pleasure by a heel side fall onto your butt and head! But I have to believe that skill application versatility is a mark of riding experts’ performance just like in skiing but in ways I can’t articulate.