First Day Of The Season
Written on December 7th, 2023 by Eliot Cochrane
First Day Of The Season
Here We Go Again...
Ski areas across Japan are starting to open regardless of the El Niño climate pattern projected for the season. With ski openings comes the annual first day back on the slopes. These first few days back on the slopes are the most dangerous for even the most seasoned skiers. It makes sense that even at the World Cup level, they too take their first days slow with basic drills to get their bodies ready for skiing. We should take a page out of their books.
These first few days are a chance to get our bodies feeling ready to take on the season and slowly increase the load on the body. After a long break, our body needs to re-adapt to the specific movements that skiing puts on our bodies as well as our muscles. An overexertion from the first day can be detrimental to the season and see skiing take a step back in terms of quality.
Let’s take a look at five ways that we can stop from getting injured and also prepare the body for the best days of skiing that are yet to come.
Stretch
No matter what sport, no matter what level of sport, stretching is the most important thing that can be done both before and after participating in sports. It’s no wonder that we instill into our children that stretching is important even during periods when they are their most flexible. Irrelevant of the sport, stretching has always been a large part of the warm-up for performance and safety.
Before stretching, be sure to get the blood flowing that way the stretches can be effective. After a light warm-up of jogging or walking, or even walking in ski gear to the lift (which can feel like a workout by itself sometimes), feel free to begin stretching.
On Hill Exercises
Figure Eight Skating
Skating promotes a lot of fundamental skills through edging skills, balance, feeling of ski to ski, and just general fitness because skating can be tiring! Try using the figure eight skating drill to get the body warmed up, loose, and return some feelings before getting on the lift.
Description On flat ground, the skier performs large figure eight designs, on a variety of terrains, using skating and poling action of legs and arms. The skier should perform movements forward and balanced over the outside ski.
Objectives
- Promotes coordination
- Enhances edging skills
- Promotes lateral movement
- Enhances movement off of a working ski
Variations
- With horizontal pole
- Without poles
- Arms overhead
Notes Encourage the skier to coordinate the movement of the arms and the legs.
Photo: Diagram of Figure Eight Skating drill.
Side Slip to Edge Set
Edge control through releasing and setting the edges is paramount to efficient skiing. Edge control is necessary for speed control as well as control over varied terrain and conditions.
Description The skier steers both skis perpendicular to the fall line, with the upper body facing down the hill. Arms are held forward, crossing the body to face down the hill also. The skier executes the task by releasing and setting the edges of the skis by rolling the ankles and knees into the hill (set) and down the hill (release). Edges are set with these smaller joints, NOT the hips.
Objectives
- Promotes edging skill
- Enhances balance and alignment
- Promotes upper/lower body separation
- Promotes lateral ankle/knee movement
Variations
- Diagonal side slip
- Without poles
- With pole plant (when edges are set)
Notes Ensure that the skier is utilizing ankles and knees to set the edges, NOT hips! Ensure the skier keeps hands and arms balanced in front and down the hill.
Photo: Diagram of Side Slip to Edge Set drill.
Norwegian Pole Plant
Pole planting is a great tool for timing and resetting weight in the transition of the turn. Using this to help steer or rotate the skis and control the skis, the Norwegian pole plant is a great drill to also feel the pinch at the waist to get over the outside ski.
Description In fall line turns, both poles are planted on the outside of the turn, utilizing both arms, shoulders, and hips facing down the fall line. Both poles should hit at the same time at a distance from the body that will help facilitate a “pinch” over the outside ski.
Objectives
- Enhances timing/coordination
- Promotes upper/lower body separation
- Develops pole planting skills
- Enhances edging skills
Variations
- Add hop between turns
Notes Ensure that the skier reaches with both arms to set the pole plant down the hill.
Photo: Diagram of Norwegian Pole Plant drill.
Outside Ski Only
Putting the majority of the pressure on the outside ski is fundamental to powerful, coordinated, and controlled turns. It may feel counter-intuitive at first, but the outside ski-only mentality can bring many skiers level of skiing to the next level with this simple drill.
Description The skier performs the task by lifting the inside ski off of the snow at the initiation of the turn and throughout the completion of the turn; performing the entire turn balanced on the outside ski.
Objectives
- Develops edging skill
- Promotes lateral balance
- Enhances alignment
- Promotes coordination and timing skills
Variations
- Without ski poles
- With horizontal pole
- With overhead pole
- Varied terrain and conditions
Notes Ensure the skier keeps the inside ski completely off the snow throughout the entire turn.
Photo: Diagram of Outside Ski Only drill.
More important than any of these exercises is SAFETY. If any of these exercises are too difficult, feel free to slow down and practice even more basic turns such as the stem turn. We all have different levels in skiing and all have different goals as well. There is no need to practice something too difficult. The progress to learning is taking it in small achievable goals.
In the same line as golf, the best course of action is also to get a coach or professional to help assess your skiing and pinpoint what is needed to improve. We all have different strengths and weaknesses that can be addressed by seeing a professional instructor or coach. Each country has its own instructor organizations. Check the certifications of instructors in your local area or the planned places to visit in the future.
Most importantly, have fun and stay safe. Proper stretching both before and after can be a key to a long season. So don’t let the time go to waste!
Get out there!
