Cure for the bad-day skiing blue

Last week I went skiing but I didn’t feel in top shape, I probably was a bit tired physically, especially when I found myself right in the middle of my “Ninety-Nine-90” playground, a rather steep hill peppered with narrow couloirs, tree and cliffs. 

I really felt that I was skiing poorly and in total truth I was. I had a tough time initiating my turns, finished them on the “back-seat”, hesitated too much and in one simple word, didn’t feel in top shape. I was too fearful to feel liberated enough to ski well. 

That’s when I remembered what I consider to be the pillar of modern alpine ski technique, which we call “Anticipation” in French. This particular aspect of skiing focuses on thrusting the pelvis down and into the turn, so it positively and powerfully motors the change in direction. 

This move that I prefer calling “Pelvic thrust” incorporates the idea of anticipation, but makes it more powerful and dynamic. In any tough and steep terrain it acts as a sure-footed trigger to execute secure and controlled turns. 

That said, it’s not intuitive at all. Even after one learns it, practices and masters it, it tend to “vaporize” after a short period of time. Like the “Fear of God” to religious believers, it has to be regularly re-awakened. 

So that’s what I did that day and it instantly worked magic to totally transform the rest of my day! So skiers, remember that when you feel lazy, tired, fearful or forgetful and revert to your early days ski moves, it’s time re-awaken these fundamental elements of technique that you thought you were too good to remember. 

Take if for me!