A significant part of my working life was spent teaching and coaching skiing: the general public, ski instructors and junior racers. I still find myself riding the chair or on the snow with my coach's goggles on.
Analysing the approach of the skier, their equipment, their biomechanics. Curious about their understanding and approach. What are their skiing goals? What understanding do they have about the technical requirements to achieve those goals? What could that individual do to make those goals materialise more easily?
It's accepted that most of us don't want to be an X Games athlete, a World Cup racer, or Freeride Tour Competitor. But most of us do want to make the process of skiing easier, less taxing , more refined .
You may not think of it in those terms . You may think more in terms of skiing that black mogul run top to bottom, of being comfortable on the same terrain as your partner or kids, of feeling more confident in trees or powder, of feeling less sore at the end of the day, of being able to take on your first blue run, your first black run, or just having more fun.
The process of improving your skiing can start before you even touch snow for your season or vacation.
Here are 3 things to consider and action before the first flakes fall to give your skiing a boost
1/ PREPARE YOUR MIND
Key to success in anything, your mindset is number one in your ski improvement. Being aware of and being able to respond to your state of mind , your real goals, your talents and your limitations help hone your focus and outcome.
You can ask yourself a few questions and be honest with the answers .
What truly matters to me about skiing? What do I really enjoy? What would I like to do better?
What is my ideal ski day?
What excites me about skiing?
What scares me about skiing?
What frustrates me about skiing?
What is my approach to skiing: is it aggressive and sporty? Is it timid ? Is it all about precision? Is it all about speed? Is it playful and expressive?
What am I willing to do to achieve my goals?
To achieve my skiing goals, what do I need to change first?
With some answers to these questions focus on a goal for your upcoming ski getaway. If you ski throughout the season it may be reasonable to have 3 goals but no more . Remember the SMART acronym here . Make them Specific, Measurable, Attainable , Relevant and Time Bound . Think of the WHAT, WHY, WHEN and HOW of your skiing improvement.
1. The questions above should help you arrive at a Relevant and Attainable goal.
2. Then make it as simple and as Specific as you can get .
3. Work out how you will know you have achieved that goal. That is - how it can be Measured?
4. Lastly where and when will this goal have been achieved? Make it time-bound.
Here you are developing a clear picture of the skier you are and the skier you want to be. You are prioritising exactly what you want to work on and why. Keep this goal in mind in everything you do in preparation for the upcoming season.
2/ PREPARE YOUR BODY
Start some pre season exercise with your specific ski improvement goal in mind.
Do some walking, surfing, jogging, rowing, whatever takes your fancy. Do this regularly. Every day, some sort of cardiovascular exercise with a maximum heart rate of 180- age. The more the better.
Add in some strength exercises. Look at doing 2-3 x 30-40 min sessions a week. Key muscle groups are your glutes, hamstrings, quads and core but don't forget the upper body . The strength work can be body weight, or utilise equipment such as resistance bands, kettle bells, dumbbells, barbells or gym machines .
The types of exercise could be squats, deadlifts, lunges, step ups, cossack squats , split squats , glut bridges, plank, pull ups, knees to chest, bird dogs, mountain climbers ....the list goes on.
Add in some balance and plyometric training. Plyometric training is an advanced form of training, with the risk of injury if not approached properly. Approach it cautiously and ensure you have done some strength and balance training before incorporating it into your program.
Balance: A bosu ball is a great tool- do some single leg standing on this, some body weight squats, some single leg squats! Try some single leg kettle or dumbbell deadlifts.
Plyometrics: here you can do broad jumps, skaters, box jumps, single leg dial hops... again so many options. I would limit the plyometrics to one to two times weekly.
3/ PREPARE YOUR EQUIPMENT
The correct equipment for the job is an essential part of success on snow. From beginners to advanced skiers , changes in equipment can be a vital part of improving your skiing.
When considering your equipment choices, you need to answer those questions asked in part 1 , develop a clear goal and then think about the following:
What terrain do you ski on predominantly ? Groomed runs, off piste, moguls , trees, powder. If it's a mix of all, what percentage time would you realistically spend in each?
What are the snow conditions like where you usually ski? Obviously in any ski season we can encounter a mix of everything, but often certain regions have a snow predominance. Soft , icy , slushy, powder, crud.
For example if you ski mostly the US East coast, Australia, or the lower altitudes of Europe you realistically are looking at mostly wet snow which can be frozen, clumpy or slushy most of the time. If you ski Hokkaido, Japan only in January, you may only ever see soft and powdery conditions. This is really important in considering your ski choice, as is the predominant terrain you venture into. Do you really need a 110 mm waisted powder ski if you are going to be 70 percent of the time on groomed runs, then ski only moguls or boot top soft snow? No. There are much better tools for the job.
Other key factors are; your true ability level , the speeds you usually ski and your weight.
These contribute to how stiff a boot and ski you require.
A boot too stiff for your ability, weight or speeds and you can find your weight pushed backward in various phases of a turn , making it difficult to maintain edge or pressure control. You might find you have trouble rounding out your turns with a less than smooth approach to steeper slopes, or get pushed further into the back seat in bump terrain with a loss of control.
If the boots are too soft , the movements you are making don't get transferred efficiently to the ski. There is a lack of progressive control through the whole turn with an all or none power transfer- this can lead to skidded turns which can be problematic on steeps, off piste or in moguls.
So before the season is upon you wherever you are consider these 3 things:
prepare your mind
prepare your body
prepare your equipment
and prepare yourself for the winter to come. Your skiing will improve as a result.
Keep your eye out for Primal Regeneration's sample preseason ski workout.
If you need any help achieving your health and fitness goals and want to keep skiing, surfing, hiking or snowboarding as you get older reach out to Primal Regeneration. I offer Health Coaching specialising in these areas . My background as doctor, Primal Health and Fitness Coach, ski coach and surfer all contribute to my ability to help you on your journey.
