Giant Slalom By Georg Capaul When ski technology evolves, skiing technique must follow suit. For that reason all skiers (not only racers) must be willing to alter their own skiing tactics to maximize the performance characteristics of the new gear. Racers get their cues from their coaches, but ski school client look to their instructors to inform them about the latest trends in equipment and how to get the best use from the new ski technology. If you'd like to use modern giant slalom technique as a springboard for improved all-around skiing ability, you need to focus on technical changes, basic movement patterns, phases of the turn, balance stance and weight distribution. Keeping your skis parallel, edge pressure, timing, and rhythm also warrant attention. Basics Most ski instructors and coaches share a basic philosophy about skiing. A solid understanding of the fundamentals is imperative. The main objective, whether the skier is trying to amass World Cup points or a typical day of free skiing they try to use the center of the skis in order to take full advantage of ski characteristics. For some people this translates into carving a perfect turn under all conditions in any terrain and at any speed. Others may be content to simply get more efficient use out of their skis design. Before the advent of shaped skis the technical focus of giant slalom skiers was to create angulation through significant separation of the lower and upper body (hip angulation) and to ski with pronounced counter- rotation. Another emphasis was to up-unweight the skis to initiate the turn. Recent changes in giant slalom technique have dramatically improved performance on the race course. Today competitors maintain a slightly wider stance, keep their legs and skis parallel, use less hip angulation through increased inclination, carve more, scribe a shorter arc and maintain constant snow contact. Stance In giant slalom as in free skiing the trend is to adopt a wider stance, i.e, one in which the skiers feet are nearly hip-width apart. However the stance is of personal preference. This provides a more stable platform and allows the feet to work more independently, which improves the skiers ability to adapt to changes in terrain. In addition the wider stance permits quicker edge set, which is imperative in today's modern technique. Parallel Legs and Skis By keeping the legs and skis parallel the skier is able to move effectively engaging the inside ski in the turning phase if needed. To ski fast it is essential to maintain parallel skis because this means that both skis are moving in the same direction rather than converging upon or diverging away from each other. This in turn permits very efficient skiing in which both skis contribute more evenly in the turning process. However it is important to note that in terms of pressure being applied to the edges the inside ski is the "assistant" of the outside ski and more pressure is applied to the outside ski. Today's giant slalom skiers apply a combination of hip angulation and inclination. This is because the design of new carving skis allows the skier to create far greater edge angles- best accomplished by using increased inclination. Racers move their entire body forward and toward the new turn. At the apex of the turn the skier uses angulation by separation of lower and upper body) Carving Skills The power and efficiency of the modern giant slalom turn relies, in part on the skier's ability to carve. This, in turn, is aided by the sidecut design of shaped skis. New shaped skis are design to carve and thus increase ski-to snow contact. However to take advantage of the sidecut the skier has to increase the edge angle. Shorter Arc Again owing to increased turning capability of shaped skis, modern giant slalom skiers are able to move in and out of turns more quickly witch allows them to negotiate course gates with a shorter arc. A shorter arc creates more pressure on the skis therefore allowing the skier to stay in the fall line longer. This results in higher speed. Phases of the Turn In giant slalom as in a free-skiing the skier must combine speed and finesse with power and efficiency. Success is determinate by the skier's ability to link the individual elements of each turn: Transition initiation, turning, completion-release. By decreasing edge angle during the completion phase the skis are allowed to run toward the fall-line preventing over turning. Starting to move body up and forward toward the direction of travel. The hips should be starting to square up and the arms are driven forward and tap the pole on a steep hill. In the transition phase of the turn the skier prepares for entry into the new turn by moving the center of mass forward and to the side to flatten the skis. With the arc-defining edges thus taken out of play, the skis begin to go straight followed by pressuring the front of the outside ski to engage the edge. At this point the skiers should be in a perfect athletic stance. In the Initiation phase the skier moves his or her center of mass over the skis into the turn and uses the knees, ankles and hips to tip the skis onto their new edges. The degree to which the ski must be tipped on edge depends on the speed, designed turn radius and snow conditions. In the initiation part of the turn it is crucial that the skier moves to the balls of his or her feet and pressure the tip of the ski to engage the edges. At this point the skier's body should be perpendicular to the hill and inclined a bit to forward the inside of the turn, allowing the skis to be tipped on the edges. In essence the skier should feel as if she or he is slightly ahead of the skis. To adapt to the forces developing within the turning phase the skier uses angulation and inclination to control the edging and pressure needed to stay in dynamic balance over the center of the ski in order to apply maximum pressure. This will also make it easier to ski with parallel skis. The upward and forward extension of both legs in the direction of the travel takes place gradually. Balance Whether the setting in an icy giant slalom course or a narrow corridor of power between trees it's absolutely essential that the skier remain in a very balanced position with the ankles knees and hips flexed and the arms held loose and relaxed in front of the body (see photo) That is because turning radius velocity and terrain steepness all conspire to continuously change forces exerted upon the skier. To adapt to new circumstances that develop throughout the turn maintain equilibrium and stay in dynamic balance skiers must move their center of mass over the skis "sweet spot" and keep it there by applying core movements consisting of fore/aft, lateral, rotational and flexion/extension movements. To move the center of mass to the centered position over the skis or sustain such a position the skier relies on fore/aft movements and a laterally balanced position. These movements take on more significance with the newer shorter carving skis because the sweet spot is paramount to perfect carving. The degree to which the skier can take advantage of the design characteristics of modern skis hinges largely on the amount of edge angle he or she can achieve through proper lateral movements. Flexion/Extension To maintain consistent pressure between the skis (both edge and base) and the snow, the skier can increase and decrease pressure with vertical movement (i.e., extension/flexion) It's also critical that the skier looks ahead rather than down at the terrain beneath the skis. Looking ahead increases the skier's state of readiness and allow the greater adaptation to terrain changes resulting in better balance. Stance and Weight Distribution Many skiers, especially in giant slalom, super G and downhill events favor in wide skiing stance over the narrow one. This is because a stance in which the feet are centered under the hips increases overall balance and provides a solid platform from which to make a variety of core movements. As a result the skier has greater freedom to manipulate the skis and apply varied pressure to the edges. Weight distribution from the inside ski to the outside ski changes throughout the turn but in general modern giant slalom skiers place more weight on the outside ski. While today's giant slalom racers tend to use a wide stance there is no universal measurements for distance between skis. The optimum width of any given skier's stance is the matter of personal preference and physical makeup. Also a skier's boots foot beds and canting can impact stance. Parallel Skis Skiers use both skis to turn and the ratio of when one ski is being used more then the other changes at various parts of the turn. Even when the skier weights one ski more than the other, he or she must turn the skis simultaneously keeping them parallel, so that each ski can contribute to the turning process Carving throughout the turn is not possible when the skis converge or diverge. Thus is one simultaneous tactic, the skier moves the outside leg inward while moving the inside leg outward from the center of the body. The wider the stance the more difficult and awkward this task becomes, but the result is more cleanly carved turn.