 |
| Ski Technique Julian Griffiths BASI ski trainer |
Your best bet would be to contact the British Associaiton of Snowpsorts Instructors (BASI) on www.basi.org.uk as they train ski and snowboard instructors in all disciplines and have courses for Nordic skiing.
phone: +44 (0)1479 861 717
Fax: +44 (0)1479 873 657
Email: basi@basi.org.uk
All the best and good luck.
Dear PlanetSKI, I have just read every blog that your race correspondent wrote from Saas Fee and thought they were all very interesting and made a good read. I have two children who would both love to get into ski racing of some form - they are 12 and 16. The 16 year old is a girl and the 12 a boy. Both having been skiing since a very young age and have passed through the ESF system. From the blog Ben seems to be quite an 'old hand' at the racing and training. I have spoken to both children about giving it a go and apart from needing to find a suitable team they were quite interested to know what exactly its like starting to race, joining the team, living away and of course the training? It would be very interesting to know from someone who has already done it. Kind regards, Andrew
Best to get Ben to answer it - he knows more than me even though I trained with the Kandahar Club many years ago and have since coached them as well..............
Dear Andrew,
Thanks for your email and glad you enjoyed reading the blog. It was great fun writing it too. I also passed through the ESF system and still train with their Club des Sports from time to time. Starting ‘proper’ racing is amazing fun and I don’t regret it one bit. Finding the right team is important, but to be honest they are all very similar in many ways. It’s like having a whole new ‘skiing family’ with 20 other brothers and sisters. It’s very similar to boarding school. Racing will really introduce them to a new type of skiing. We don’t go out partying in the evening, we get up early (often 5am during race weeks) and it most certainly is not a holiday. I race with the Kandahar Ski Team (www.kandaharracing.com), which is the UK’s oldest ski team and brilliant training. My advice is, give it a go and hopefully never look back!
Ben Clatworthy
Hi - Really hope you can advise. technical question on carver turns and skis. Please forgive the preramble: My understanding is: The natural carving radius (as stated on ski), is when, a particular edge angle to the snow is made (determined by slowly increasing edge angle), so that all points of the ski shape, (usually a parabolic curve in free shape), when deflected by skier weight alone, between the shovel, waist and tail are in contact with the snow. Ski edge shape deformed, now becomming a true radius curve and producing a perfect carved single track. All ski edge points in snow CONTACT, all points with same PRESSURE on the snow, all points of the ski shape going through the same point in the snow. Massive / most solid feeling underfoot possible. To repeat: Edging the skis and skier weight bending the ski, is all thats required to find the natural skiing radius curve of the ski. The least energy(most energy efficient)way to make a turn. My comment: Hired out a few carving skies and i can find the natural carve radius quite easily, BUT i find being LOCKED-IN to the curve a little uninteresting. I can constantly tighten / loosen arc radius with my own skis ( Atomic Beta ride 9.22 - 9 years old now) along with changing curve length at will - so i really enjoy myself mixing it all up! My question: (at last) I have heard it said that by increasing edging angles, the carved turn radius(as stated on skis) can be greatly reduced, down to about a half. 1) Is that true(?)and by what amount should/would you expect a 17m carver ski to be able to carve down to. I see some athletes with edge angle from snow of upto 75 degrees! 2) Is this tighter turn STRICTLY a 'carved' turn? i think it wont be a true radius turn and therefore a little scraping action somewhere along the ski edge will occur. is my understand correct? Very interested in question 1 answer. Thank you very much for taking the trouble in reading / answering this rather technical question. Tim Heeney
Unless I am mistaken your skis are Asymmetrical. Meaning you wear them left and right and the outside edges are slightly shorter radius. Therefore they will carve differently to other skis. In theory on “normal skis you’ll need a slightly higher edge angle on the inside ski, but so slight you could never coordinate it. Whilst with your skis you won’t have to do this.
Your assertion that radius is calculated at a certain edge angle is wrong I believe, and (I may indeed be wrong too) that it is calculated with the ski flat on the ground.
Also the skiers weight is not enough to turn the ski, you also have the pressure that develops as the skier moves forwards against the shape made in the snow by the edged skiing moving against the snow. Combination of three things. Also you can expect the pressure to increase you go through the turn.