A Burning Desire To Be The Best by

Tim LaVallee

It is November at Arapahoe Basin, Colorado. The time is 11:30 in the morning. The Canadian Team has been on the hill since 7:00 a.m. Gate training came to an end just before 9:00 a.m. in order to make way for the arrival of the general public. Now, some four and one half hours later, at 11:30 a.m., I stand on the hill watching the Canadian Team go through their paces: free skiing and executing free ski drill, after drill, after drill. I am frequently shocked when I see a competitive skier frown at the idea of going out to free ski. Even worse, is when a racer actually tells me he doesn't want to free ski; "I need to run gates," is the mantra! Yet, free skiing is how we all started. It is the method through which we began our technical development. If we stayed with skiing, it seems to me it should be the part

of the sport we enjoy over a lifetime. Our competitive career, in all likelihood, will be quite short. Free skiing is one of the most neglected elements of technique development. Unfortunately, success is too often seen in terms of the amount of gate training. Older competitors often see it that way, while current alpine racers frequently feel that the number of gates run will bring them closer to their dream of becoming a world class skier. This is understandable, since each alpine discipline requires a number of gates. It would follow that gate running would be the best way to improve the skill. The problem is that motorized or mechanical gate running does not develop an athletically complete skier or racer. The gate skills may be there but the skiing fundamentals are not properly developed. And, the lack of free skiing results in a very unstable level of basic skiing skills, known as the fundamentals. It is actually not hard to develop a young skier into a pretty good gate skier. Free skiing miles on the mountain develops technical skills, athletic spontaneity, and adaptability. This is like a baseball or softball player who comes to practice every day and does nothing more than scrimmage. He/she may know the game and be able to play it, but, the sound fundamentals are never developed. The player never reaches his potential. Skill development is why baseball players spend so much time in the batting cage, working on the fundamentals of hitting. It may not be as much fun as the game itself, but it sets the player up for greater success. In almost every sport, athletes spend more hours working on drills and fundamentals than they do scrimmaging and playing. In competitive skiing it is all too customary to go out day after day and run courses. This is, in my opinion, is a huge mistake. In ski racing technical skills must first be learned through free skiing and drills then transferred into the gates. Technique enhancement through free skiing must be an on-going process, and not something that is stressed early in the season and then abandoned for gate training, as the competition season approaches. Time must be set aside every day to free ski and develop good sound technical habits. In fact, during the competition season, technique can often begin to break down. Do not try to fix it in the gates! Get out of the gates and free ski, do some specific drills to address the technical problems, and get that good feeling back. Then hop back in the gates. I believe that young skiers need to spend about fifty (50%) percent of their time free skiing. It is interesting to learn that at the national team level at least fifty (50%) percent of the training time during the spring and early summer is free skiing and free skiing drills.

One thing I would like to stress here is an understanding of the difference between technique and style. Good sound technique is good sound technique, period. However, two athletes can both demonstrate good sound technique and yet look distinctly different in their personal application of good technique through their style. For example, the technique of a tall slender athlete may appear to look quite different to the untrained eye from that of a short stocky racer, demonstrating the same technique. Both display all the elements of effective and functional skiing skills, but their personal style in executing proper technique may look different due to their physical make-up. Therefore, be very careful when evaluating how someone looks on the hill. The evolution and innovations in equipment has had a profound impact on how we apply technique. However, skiers must continue to ski in balance, and use the tools on their feet to make good clean turns, utilizing the inside edge of the outside ski. It remains that turns begin with pressure on the fore body of the new turning ski. As the application of technique has evolved with modern equipment, we have learned how to use the inside ski more effectively and efficiently, to make cleaner arcs and to take the center of mass more down the fall line. As equipment has evolved, so have the conditioning methodologies utilized by athlete, developing greater strength, and better motor skills which result in better athletic abilities. It is through free skiing we learn to do it all with the tools and skills we have with the

exception of developing racing tactics (timing and line). Take advantage of the opportunity to develop skiing skills and technique through free skiing and free skiing drills. Learn to ski efficiently in all types of terrain. Become adaptable to changing terrain and conditions. Learn to become spontaneous as you learn to adapt. Observe how subtle changes in technique will help you ski better and faster. Please think about the following: There is no one right way to ski, but there are a lot of bad habits. There is one technique, but many styles of execution. Technique is the accumulation of sound skills that are built into your arsenal, so that at any moment, as needed, you can spontaneously adapt to a situation successfully.

By skiing on flat terrain, the racer learns to become a glider. This doesn't mean to tuck down the hill!. It means to learn to move from arc to arc with the least amount of deceleration and to carry maximum speed. In flat terrain the racer can learn to develop touch and feel between the snow and the skis, feet, and body. Steep terrain will increase the speed threshold and help to develop the precision of skiing arc to arc while resisting the extreme forces that build on the body throughout the arc of a turn. As the racer moves from flat terrain to steeper hills, he will learn to be fast and most efficient on flat

terrain skiing with a closer stance, and as well as to be more two footed to enhance glide. As the terrain gets steeper it is more efficient to widen the base and use more foot independence, because the forces acting on the skis and the body become greater. No matter what the terrain, ski with an emphasis on efficient turn entry, arcing, and turn completion. I can't say how often I stand on the hill and watch a racer free skiing at fifty mile per hour, making shallow arcs. I am sure of one thing: it feels fast and good. The problem is that most course setters take the skier across the hill in a manner that demands that turns are completed. In free skiing, look ahead, pick a slow line, and learn to ski it fast. Work on the ability to ski out of the fall line from arc to arc with touch, and glide that accentuates speed. Bumps are great training especially for slalom: Balance will be improved, quickness will be developed and visual acuity will sharpen (ability to look ahead). Jumping is great fun. Do it safely and learn to fly with skis on your feet. This is super for body control. Learn to execute good technique at slow speeds, (difficult) as well as at high speeds. Most training and racing opportunities today take place on meticulously prepared hills. This is great and is usually a super confidence builder. But, if you plan to be a champion you had better be able to ski and compete on, and in, the worst conditions. It is necessary to be able to ski rock hard ice, deep soft snow, crud, and bumpy terrain. The racer must be unmoved by skiing in flat light, fog, wind, driving snow, and yes, even rain. By the way, some of the best hero snow can be found during a rainstorm! Don't let the weather stop you. Get out there and ski it! Seek it out, and become excited about the challenge, because it will make you become a better skier. After lunch when all the good snow is skied off, find the worst trail on the mountain; learn to ski it fast with perfection. Although human nature makes it easy for us to pursue things that we are good at or comfortable doing, look for opportunities to train and practice with a bit of discomfort, where success is not so easily attained. As painful as it may be, work the hardest and longest to develop the skills that are your weakest. See it as a challenge to turn your weaknesses to into strengths. This is the difference between the champion and an also-ran. The next time the coach says, “Let’s go free skiing,” see it as an opportunity. Learn from it and take advantage of the opportunity! Your skis are the tools of the trade. Become highly skilled, and accomplish all your dreams on and off the slopes.