On the subject of High C or up-side-down at the top of the turn, the more energy you bring from the last turn, in transition, especially on steep, icy snow, the less counter balancing you need.
Watch the WC skiers, they often delay counter balancing until they are into the pressure building phase. They can get away with it at times as they produce and use so much thrust from the last turn to float through transition. Some use more counter-B and are formal with it, they counter immediately. Rocca is one of the more solid counter balancers, that is why his skiing has become so consistent and that is why Bode is so inconsistent. Bode leaves counter acting movements to the last second in many turns. It is for this reason I say, don't copy Bode, he plays with balance, rather than assuring himself of balance. Darren is very solid in almost every turn.
If you have little energy from the last turn you need tremendous counter balancing moves. It is for this reason that when learning the High C, you have to focus on the counter balance and counter acting movements to compliment the foot tipping.
You have to have strong foot tipping first, because some of the foot tipping action will be reduced when you begin focusing on the upper body. We always say, "first you have to ski with your feet, then you can refine with the upper body." The foundation of a layer cake is the base, the top is the icing.
The same applies to the High C turn entry. Many skiers are hesitant to release quickly and transition, (releasing quickly: means a deliberate flexing or bending movement giving up pressure on the stance ski) even when they develop ski bend and energy.
This takes confidence and mileage. In our all mountain camps and introduction to race camps we cover the tendencies needed to be aggressive in the release. You will see a section in the new book on this subject.
Releasing quickly does not mean shorten the end of the turn or beginning your flexing before the falline. It does mean you have to release while the stance ski are still loaded, don't be fooled and be drawn into the traverse, where all the energy is lost
As a footnote: many skiers complain to me that they are having difficulty achieving the early engagement without skidding the top of the turn. If you don?t release with a softening, flexing of the old stance leg when the ski is loaded, the energy doesn't create a float between turns.
Even if this doesn't happen you can save the turn by counter balancing, but if neither happens the body begins to fall or lean downhill, which means a tumble. At this point the only way out of a tumble is to push the skis to the side. There are varying degrees of this push, but you can check the size of your own push by climbing back up the slope a few feet and reviewing your tracks.
(said to be an old post in 2006 by HH) |