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LearnTechnique Tips For FreeRide Skiers

If you’re reading this it may be because you’re looking to improve your FreeRide ski technique – which, by the way, is all of us. Lore#07: Never Stop Learning. 

To get the debate started, we asked Chris, one of our regular contributors, for his top tips for those making the transition:

Stay Positive

The transition from piste to off-piste is seldom easy. Many of the skills you’ve come to rely on riding the groomers don’t directly transfer to the off. In the early days, your desire to ski the uncontrolled mountain is likely to exceed your ability. Progress won’t be linear – there will be good days and bad – but don’t be put off. The investment in blood, sweat and years will be worth it.

Be Less Radical

All skiing is a combination of pressure, edge and rotation (often referred to as the Fundamentals) applied to our skis to control our speed and direction of travel. 

There are infinite combinations and ratios of these three elements even at different points in the same turn let alone in different snow conditions.  As a general rule when skiing off-piste we need to dial back the extremes of these movements and be less radical in our transitions, especially with regards to edge and rotation. This results in a more consistently centred or stacked position over your skis. 

On groomed terrain, the going underfoot is consistent and predictable and this allows us to get over the front of the ski and apply downward pressure by flexing the ankle and pushing the shin into the front of the boot, but it’s totally counter-intuitive! Everything we learned as toddlers about standing on two legs instead of four and inherited from our bipedal ancestors 3 million years ago compels us to lean back when heading downhill. 

Overcoming this primal instinct is the first step in the transition from intermediate to advanced skier. Having mastered this skill it’s frustrating to see it work against us in FreeRide terrain. Without the snow consistency of on-piste terrain, we find it’s necessary to be a little less aggressive in our ski stance. Too much pressure on the front of the ski could risk burying the tip in the pow but sitting back could be just as disastrous. 

When skiing the piste we tend to focus on maintaining shin pressure on the front of the ski boot throughout the turn. When off-piste try to think more about the soles of your feet than your shins. Where is the weight? On your heels or the balls of your feet? Apply forward (downward) pressure progressively through the turn by increasing the weight over the ball of your foot compared to the heel. 

Another key difference between piste and FreeRide is the transition of weight (pressure) from one ski to the other as we go through the turn. This weight transfer enables us to power up the inside edge of the downhill ski but too much edge in ungroomed snow can cause the skis to separate resulting in a loss of balance, or even a tumble. Instead, ski with your legs a little closer together to create a single stable platform and reduce the amount of weight you transfer onto the downhill ski through your turns. If the ratio on piste is 80:20, think 60:40 and make your transition much more progressively than you would on piste.

Momentum is your friend

If you find yourself fighting the snow, forcing your tips into the turns, it’s probably because you’re not travelling fast enough. Try to allow your skis to gather sufficient forward momentum so that they do most of the work for you. It not only saves energy but also reduces the risk of a twisting injury.

Go with the flow

Flow is an important aspect of skiing wherever you are on the mountain but getting into a rhythm in the pow is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, a song in your heart and keep you coming back for more. This is where the pole plant can really come into its own and transform your skiing. Practice, practice, practice. 

But flow isn’t all about technique. It’s also a state of mind. The unpatrolled mountain is far less predictable and we have to factor this into the way we ski. We have to be able to go with the flow and adjust to the conditions as we find them. It’s a looser way of skiing that requires lightning sharp reactions and a take-it-as-it-comes attitude. If you’re a control freak you’re going to have to learn to let go a little – it’s worth it!

Shorten your poles

If you haven’t shortened your ski pole length since your first visit to the store, now is the time. It’s the easiest and fastest way to improve your ski technique regardless of whether you’re on or off-piste. Conventional wisdom has it that the correct ski pole length is determined by holding your ski pole upside down with the basket resting on your thumb and index finger. With your upper and forearm at 90 degrees and your elbow tucked into your body the top of the handle should be resting lightly on the ground. This is about right for novice skiers just starting out, but on steeper slopes, this will push you into the back seat. Try shortening your poles by another 5cm and see how you go. Better yet, purchase some length-adjustable telescopic poles (with powder baskets). This will not only set you up for touring when you’ll want longer poles but also for bumps and steeps where you may want to shorten them still further.

Look Up

When dialling in a new riding skill we all have a tendency to look down at our feet to see how we’re getting on. Try to resist this strong urge and instead keep the chin up and look ahead. With practice your brain will be able to process what’s going on under your feet and planning the route ahead, just as it does when you’re walking down the street. Keeping your chin up will also improve your balance over your skis and prevent falling into the back seat so, if you can master this skill, it’s a double win. Give it a go and see how you get on.

Get in Shape

FreeRiding is at the extreme end of the recreational skiing spectrum. Unless you’re already a snowsports athlete, you’re going to want to get into shape. Don’t assume you can carry over fitness from other activities into this one. Working on your overall strength, endurance and power is a great start, but you’re going to need to include ski-specific training into your routine to improve your flexibility and range of movement, balance and coordination. Reactions need to be sharper, legs and core need to be stronger, hips and ankles need to be more flexible.

There are no shortcuts in FreeRide. Nothing beats getting out there and having at it but keeping these tips in mind might just make a difference: 

  • Stay Positive
  • Be less Radical
  • Momentum is your friend
  • Go with the flow
  • Shorten your poles
  • Look up
  • Get in shape

If you have any tips of your own we’d love to hear them. Dream. Learn. Ride. Share. It’s what the Republic is all about.

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