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October 6, 2005 Vol.
6/ No. 8
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Brought
to you by: Find
The Time
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I'm an OK uphill skier, but I truly am pathetic on the downhills (both skating and classic techniques). No one I know gives me the same answer on good technique for negotiating steep downhills or hills with technical turns at the bottom. Can you guys break it down for me? I've got plenty of hills to practice on. THANKS. - Uphill All the Way
Skiing downhills is (in my opinion) the best part of xc skiing! The thrill of zipping down the trail and cutting corners and step turning at speed is such a rush. Lots of drills can help you gain more confidence on downhills. Agility on your skis and feeling "comfortable" on your skis is key to skiing downhills. Here are a few suggestions for drills to work on: 1. Remove your poles and set them into the snow about 10 feet apart. Ski figure 8's around your poles. 2. Set up half-dozen poles and ski through them like a downhill slalom skier. Focus on step turning, pushing off of your outside skis and stepping over to the other side. Stay "light" on your skis! 3. When skiing a downhill, remember to keep your knees bent and your hands forward. By keeping your hands forward, your body is forced in solid position, rather than in the "backseat." (Next time you watch an Olympic downhill speed race on TV or a Warren Miller ski flick, notice how the skiers hold their hands forward when they catch air. Same idea. 4. If you are gutsy and want more thrill, ski down the downhill section of a trail on one ski. Hold your other ski in the air. Go as far as you can on one ski. Alternate sides.
ROB WHITNEY |
| Hey Juniors! Take Care Of That Injury Before the Snow Falls! |
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We're all guilty. Listening, but not hearing: It's September, and a nagging injury forces us to go see a doctor….Our inclination is to just keep on training, not heeding the advice of the doc to rest the injury! C'mon, you know who you are. I used to be one of the worst. But then again rest is not always the final answer. For the past three years at the end of March I've had major surgery. The most recent two were for an arthritic big toe joint that kept me from classic skiing much. The first surgery sidelined me for 8 weeks, didn't solve the initial problem, but did manage to let me squeak out a few respectable ski races last season, and I just toughed it out with painkillers and willpower. This past spring, I had a more invasive surgery on the same toe - slicing a bone, inserting a rod and some screws. Ugly, but necessary, if I wanted to run and ski hard again. The aftermath was that I got to spend 12 weeks in a boot cast. How do you tell an active person to sit still for that duration, and THEN to do rehab for even longer? The same way you tell a junior athlete to take care of an injury: the junior will roll their eyes, and the coaches, doctors, and parents will pray they listened. Sprains, pulls, breaks and strains are all to common among junior skiers. I know, it's the pits, and we hate being sidelined. Everything that went through my head during these hard times was how someone was getting faster than I was, or logging 4 extra hours of training than me. OH NO! Relax, it's no big deal. Let your competition train. You are being smart. In the long run, you are ahead. Wisdom, I've heard, is what the senior crowd lives off. I think I might be starting to understand, just barely. We all have a ways to go. So, your hamstring is aching? Try to see a physician, not necessarily a coach, and have the doc evaluate your injury. Be honest and open with them if you want to heal. And, most importantly, if they say to rest for 10 days, listen! Don't play soccer or "closet train." Play that xBox, or whatever those modern games are. Hey, maybe even do some homework! For me, trying to stay in decent shape for more than a simple, short rest wasn't easy. I did all right, but I would have liked to have stayed in better shape. I lifted weights daily (you know, beach muscles), borrowed a sit-ski when I was at my parents' house briefly, and swam weekly (hating every second of it!) Best of all was road biking with my boot cast on platform pedals. At least I could enjoy moving more freely outdoors, even if I was gimpin' it. I survived…. Basically, I'm trying to stress is that listening to a doctor is oh-so-important. Two weeks out of your entire fall is nothing, compared to the long season that you have ahead. Take care of yourself now and be smart, and you'll be your own winner when it matters at the season championships! How did I become knowledgeable about this subject? I learned the hard way. |
| Andy Answers |
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Dear Andy, We know that the Subaru Factory Team has switched to Salomon skis this season. What makes the Equipe 10 Skate different from other skis? Will these skis work well for me even if I just get them off the shelf? Salomon engineered a ski with a stiff carbon powered bridge, which provides outstanding energy return and responsiveness on hard track or when applying fast and aggressive kicks. They mate this to a unique low riding camber for float and easy skiing stability. At the tip of the ski they use a narrow and flexible "javelin" skating tip which allows the skier to travel unimpeded as it floats over powder, ice and terrain variations. This low-weight tip is also feels very light when you are climbing hills. Altogether, the Equipe 10's unique "stiff but low riding camber" ideally suits the skiers in the real world of constant variation and flux (for the other 10% of the time when you need a ski for just one track or technical demand, altering the fit criteria of the Equipe 10 will accommodate those specific needs). Your skis are going to be from the same group of skis that the Subaru Factory Team races on. They came from the same warehouse as our race skis and are going to be as fast as what the Subaru Factory Team has. There are no secrets here. Salomon has designed skis for the athlete who can't buy 10 pair of different skis, and instead demands a fast ski for varying conditions. You are the skier that was kept in mind when these skis were being engineered. For more information e-mail equipe@enjoywinter.com |
| Events/Clinics/Announcements |
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BOISE STATE CROSS COUNTRY SKI TEAM If you have girls that may be interested in some information about Boise State please forward me their contact information. We have scholarship opportunities available depending on results and academic achievement. Aniya Deitz The Yellowstone Ski Festival
West Yellowstone, Montana is the only place to start your Nordic ski season. The Yellowstone Ski Festival includes: Fall Camp Clinics If you have any questions or if you would like more information
about the Yellowstone Ski Festival, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com
, email info@yellowstoneskifestival.com
or call Jamie Greene, Yellowstone Ski Festival Coordinator, at 406-646-9427. The Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club is seeking an assistant Nordic coach for its Challengers program. This is a three-day per week position (Mon/Wed/Fri afternoons) that runs from early November through mid March. Approximately four weekends of travel are required. Qualified applicants should bring good energy and excitement to the workouts and must relate well with middle and high school age athletes. Qualified applicants must also have a solid technical background and knowledge of training methods. A competitive background is desirable but not required. The Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club, founded in 1937, has a long history of producing champions in all ski disciplines. Last season members of the AVSC/Aspen High men's Nordic team won the High School National Championship - Roger Weston Award. Our clubhouse, which boasts a weight room, waxing facilities, ski storage, and locker rooms, is located directly adjacent to the public school campus. And, of course, over 70k of world class skiing are accessible right out our back door. Please visit www.teamavsc.com to learn more about the Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club. Salary range is $4,600 to $5,200 depending upon experience. Benefits include a ski pass good for unlimited skiing on all four of Aspen's mountains. Resumes should be received no later than October 20 and will be accepted via email or regular mail. Please contact jcallahan@teamavsc.com for further information. Send resumes to jcallahan@teamavsc.com
or: Craft Custom Orders Dear Ski Coaches and Clubs, Ski to the starting line knowing you are wearing one of the highest quality suits on the market, and that you aren't going to look like everyone else. Visit Craft's custom site below for details, and get started creating your Craft race gear today! |
| "EnjoyWinter" Rewards: www.enjoywinter.com/rewards.htm |
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Make sure to get rewarded! |
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For more information on Subaru's technically advanced all-wheel drive vehicles check out www.subaru.com "Think. Feel. Drive." |
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