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RistoTake a look at today's top slalom skiers. See how certain guys get deep into turns and pull out of trouble about the time you'd be sitting in the water waiting for a pickup? Ever notice how some fellas can stroke a pass under so much control you'd swear they were riding on rails? * Styles range from the raw aggression and strength exemplified by Mike Kjellander's slam-dunk turns to the fluidity and grace of Chris Parrish's technique. Most experts agree, however, that if you were to create the perfect slalom skier for the next millennium, that skier would incorporate strength and technique instead of one or the other. On what do today's top pros focus their efforts? To answer this question, we asked five of them to share their thoughts on the subject.
Are You A Strength Skier?
Heading to four ball at your hardest line length, you encounter rollers and break at the waist. Kissing the tip of your ski isn't your idea of fun. But you know the weapon of choice when this situation occurs: raw power. By forcing your hip up to the handle and getting the ski out in front, you are able to recover your body position and drive the ski through the wakes like a trucker experiencing road rage. You slash through the wakes in great shape for five ball.
Mike Champion
“Living in northern California and having a shorter ski season because of the weather, I usually start off the season relying more on strength and natural instinct to put up a big score in a tour event. Then, as the season
progresses, I can focus more on technique and put the two together.
“I think strength and technique are equally important, but if I had to choose who would run a full pass after a bad bobble at one ball, I would put my money on the strength skier.”
Mike Kjellander
“I believe that my slam-dunk, go-and-get-it style has helped me win more than once. Ten to 12 years ago, you could always make a final on the tour by sacrificing your body, but today it's different. I've found I can get the job done by holding my edge longer into one, three, five, which prevents an out-of-control slam. I'm currently running 35 off in practice as smooth as silk without slamming. However, tournaments are a little different, and a 25-year-old habit is hard to break.”
Carl Roberge
“Strength and technique are equally important elements of my style. I've always made strength gains in slalom by spending a lot of time on the water. A strength area and power source that a lot of slalom skiers neglect is the stomach. Slalom skiing obviously strengthens the lower back, but it does little for the stomach muscles. By spending time in the gym working the abdominal muscles, you'll have good balance and you'll be less susceptible to injury when you take hits from the boat.”
Are You A Technique Skier?
Perfectly leveraged and slicing through the wakes like butter, your approach to four ball is textbook. Balanced and skiing upright, you cast the ski out wide, carving a fluid turn that is the epitome of grace and beauty. As the ski finishes its rotation, you're perfectly balanced and ready to generate angle from the boat. With effortless transition, you once again leverage yourself perfectly against the boat and stroke the rest of the pass.
“I think I'm more of a technique-oriented skier than a
strength skier, but I'm still looking for a good balance of both.There have been times in tournaments when I focus too
much energy on skiing technically perfect. Instead of
increasing my intensity level and using some muscle to get
an extra buoy I become tentative, and at times it has
cost me making the finals. I don't think it's necessarily
getting in the gym and working out any harder than I
already do. It's just using the strength that I already have
during crucial situations.”
“Although I feel the most important element of slalom is technique, strength is also a key factor. I always try to think of technique and style before strength and aggression. Slalom is all about leverage, and this stems from good body position, not brute strength.
“I like to maintain a level of cross training while in season, but I think the majority of my strength comes from skiing. The more I ski, the stronger I am. Strength and mental aggression are a great benefit when skiing in adverse conditions on the pro tour.”
