Here's the second edition for this weekend.
GDHL Results
I've attached the results in case you didn't get them. (Race 3 Individual and Team and Race 4 Individual and Team) There are a couple of unexplained DNS's (my wife and my teammate) so there are changes to come. Big moves were hard to come by in the Super G. Craig Shibley was the top finisher among class participants with a fine 8th place. Ray Murakami finished 23rd from 56th ranking. Other good moves came from Mark Reidl (up 20), Jerry Patten, Ron Statler, Margaret Isberg, Byron Darlison, Craig Harrison (up 25), Anne Haldimand-Tait, Becky Timmins (up 20) and Katie Worndl. Randy Dalton was the big winner in Sunday's super-sized slalom, finishing 4th, followed closely by Peter Rockandel, Trent Winstone, Chris Fregren and Jeff Craig (up 27) in 6th, 7th, 10th and 12th. Others among the upwardly mobile were Rob Burnes, Mark Reidl (again), Kevin Hillock, Chris Clark, Ian Struthers, Steve Gailits, Marg Isberg (up 26), Ron Statler, Byron (up 29), Ray M (not up quite as much as Saturday), Katie (again, despite being bib 95), Murray Sarafinchin (up 31), Ann Clarke, Elspeth Gaukrodger (up 30), Craig Harrison, Anne H-T, Becky Timmins and Alex von Schroeter.
World Cup
Lindsey Vonn won the women's DH last Saturday by 1.42 seconds. In the men's shortened DH, 1.42 behind put you in 34th place. Today, the first five men were all within 0.1 second on a full downhill. Who says men can't get close (although there was a four way tie for 19th in the women's race)? Sunday's GDHL course was closed by Craigleith's own World Cup neophyte, Phil Brown, who recorded a time in the 62 second range without the benefit of a skin suit or course inspection, beating the official winner by about 8 seconds. It seems like a big spread, but proportionately not that much if you recognize that people who finish in the top 2% of the Sporting Life 10K take 50% longer than the winners.
Technique
Many of us are working on some variation of the theme of getting our feet out from under us, getting more edge angle or getting more weight on the downhill ski. Chris Fregren apparently spent his entire southern vacation visualizing his slalom skiing, resulting in his breakthrough result on Sunday. Shortly before his holiday, he apparently had the biggest revelation since the guy on the road to Damascus (long before the shaped ski era), when Allan suggested that he try turning his skis by rolling them on their sidewalls. (I can direct you to special sidewall wax if you're ready.) This was reinforced by watching Carrie instruct JF in the Schlopy / boot touch drill. (JF, that's why football teams practice in secret before the big games.)
There are many things that may help you get your revelation. Carrie suggests (a) thinking about squishing a bug under the ball of your foot on the downhill ski, (b) thinking about strong lateral movement like in a couple of the videos below, or (c) thinking about re-creating the feeling you have when you are resisting someone pulling you downhill.
Here are some videos that may help:
1. Demonstration of rollerblade turns – this is a drill to be done on a gentle slope. It doesn't involve getting a big edge angle, but demonstrates the "roll on, roll off" skill with the legs working together and both feet on the snow at all times.
2. Demonstration by Lindsey Vonn of strong lateral movement between two trampolines (short clip at about the 53 second mark)
3. Another demonstration by Lindsey Vonn of lateral movement (again just a short clip at about the 25 second mark). Remember that your legs must work in parallel when you're skiing, unlike the rather one-legged form in this demonstration.
4. A single hip to the ground turn in super slow motion by Harald Harb.
5. Some technical free skiing by Sebastian Michel of the CSIA
6. Marcel Hirscher skiing slalom like we all wish we could this weekend.
7. Marcel Hirscher skiing a World Cup GS run in slow motion. Note that not every turn is perfectly carved, but see the energy in every turn.
8. Bode Miller skiing GS – lots of not very perfect turns, but the man gets results.
9. Eric Rousseau, the captain of the CSIA Interski team in 2011, who was killed in the forestry accident a few months later. Apparently Eric liked to tell people that they had been skiing pretty fast when he passed them back there. I skied briefly with Eric at a camp. He never told me that.
How to Start a Fight (No. 4)
My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, "What's on TV?" I said, "Dust." And then the fight started...
Happy visualizing!
JWM
Subject: Craigleith Adult Gates Program Week 5 (First Edition)
All,
I understand that the GDHL results may be available this evening, so I will try to get a second edition out later, including a collection of instructional videos. In the meantime, here is a reminder of our schedule.
Friday
Mike Kristy is coaching slalom on Venture.
Weekend
We have another busy weekend ahead of us. We are training slalom both days. The Club e-mail announcement concerning the timing and location is incorrect. We are training at 9:30 AM both days. We are on Venture on Saturday and Big John on Sunday. Saturday afternoon on Big John is the interclub race, which will be a slalom for the first time. Sunday afternoon on Venture is the GDHL slalom. So, bring your armour if you have it and watch out for cross-blocker's elbow, which I contracted once after four consecutive sessions of slalom training with Greg Lee.
Also this weekend is the Snow School adult apres-ski event. It will be held in the loft of the South Lodge beginning at 3 PM Saturday, not in the Base Lodge as previously announced. Cindy has promised high-end snacks and beverages!
Fashion News
Carrie demonstrated last weekend that not only can she get to the hill and coach on crutches, but she can maintain the high standards of haberdashery to which we have become accustomed (Jesst in Time jacket in sharp lime colour with fur collar on Saturday and Vail jacket in white with multicolored trim on Sunday). Careful observers will realize that, as one must not wear a brace over one's trousers, Carrie needs full zip pants. Your ordinary fashion princess would go all high maintenance when faced with these constraints (even ignoring the brace and crutches), but I'm sure you share my confidence in Carrie's ability as a fashion businessperson to overcome these obstacles!
How to Start a Fight (No. 3)
When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the shed, the boat, making beer.. Always something more important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.
When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway." The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
See you on the weekend,
JWM