EARLY SEASON ON-SNOW ACTIVITIES TO ACCELERATE YOUR SKILLS

We all know those first turns or glide/stride/skates are not quite the same as they were at the middle to end of last season. With all the "Ks" logged, and all the runs made, we get quite proficient at our sliding skills. Early season, though, we (I) tend to be less fluid, with lower stamina (even though we trained and worked out all summer), jerky, tense and not that efficient in movements and technique.

For Track/Skate (doesn't matter if it is classical or freestyle), try this exercise line:

• Ski very slow, technically correct, but not dynamic or fast, practicing all the different types of maneuvers while you just free ski. 15 min.
• Next, do this with very little pole usage. In the beginning, use them for balance, but once you seem better ditch the poles entirely. 15 min.
• Perform repeats going uphill as well as downhill. Remember, no poles and slow deliberate movements. 15 min.
• When gliding or going downhill, perform one-leg sliding. Do it so you are more or less in the proper position for the type of skiing you are doing. Try not to just lift the leg up like a heron and glide awkwardly, but be efficient. Start with the leg that you cannot glide on as long, and also finish on that leg. This will allow you to strengthen and to become more proficient with your weaker leg/side. 20 min.
• Safely and in an open area, close your eyes, place your hat over your head (be practical here) and run through scootering with each leg, diagonal stride no poles, diagonal stride w/ poles, double pole, kick double pole, marathon skate, and back to one-legged scootering. Perform at least 20-30 strides of each maneuver before moving on. Use your eyes if you need to reset yourself.
• Warm down and stretch.

This combination of slow movements, not depending on your poles for balance or propulsion, coupled with a lot of the one-legged balance and gliding will allow your senses to give you feedback on where your body position is and help you to become more fluid and balanced. By closing your eyes your mind will read the information your body is telling it, and help to correct it. The next time you go out you should notice you are less awkward in your movements. A Norwegian Demo Team member began and ended his training days like this. Try it!

For Nordic Downhill, my suggestion is to ski your first day in powder. As long as you continually shuffle your feet you cannot go wrong. But, alas, being here in the east I guess that is impossible. A few friends and I have done that the last few years and believe me you do not need to be as accurate compared to the "Elle firmo". Because of the snow the ski bends and you just follow the arc. Here is something for the machine-made areas

• Tele very slowly and make it very shapely, with constant shuffling through the turn (1000 shuffles through a GS turn activity). Easy flatter terrain.
• Parallel turn slowly, concentrating on being more pendulum like, so you move across your skis more. Go from one set of corresponding edges to the other.
• Monomark slowly once again, moving across the skis or moving the skis under you.
• Now, tele with a slow lead change, moving across instead of forward into the lead change. Be very soft, light and retractive with your legs.
• Repeat the process again.

In the beginning we tele and our lead change takes us straight down the fall line. We become defensive and stiff at the end of the turn. We have found that learning to let the edges grab hold and the ski to bend because of the grip allows the ski to make a better and more controllable arc compared to a fast athletic lead change. We also feel that practicing the above Track/Skate maneuvers first allows you to be more comfortable when sliding down the hill.

Enjoy the above tips and have a great season. We are here to serve you and show you a good time. Good luck from the entire Nordic Staff, and many happy turns, strides, climbs and lessons.