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Kristin
7. Find Your Rhythm
Many skiers are afraid they are going to be too fast or too narrow in the course. For example, if a skier is going too fast into a buoy, they are afraid to make a good turn because they won’t be able to handle the speed. To fix it, I try to get them in a rhythm, like a child on a swing set. When they get to the buoy, they are reaching their highest point, widthwise, and they are also reducing their speed. Everybody I teach, I try to get them to feel wide and slow and balanced at the buoy, because that’s really the only thing that works well in slalom. By researching the apex of your turn at the buoy, you can eliminate much of the fear associated with speed or width in the course. – Chet Raley
8. Be Body Aware
As a skier, if you want to see big improvements, you have to do two things. You have to understand the movement, and you have to develop the sensors to see if your body is actually doing it. I’ll give you an example, I asked somebody recently, “Do you know where you are in the middle of your 360?” and they said no. Well, why would I teach them a movement there? If they don’t know where they are, they can’t change it. If you know where your hands, hips or feet are at any given time, then you can make changes in order to improve. For example, if a coach tells you to put your arms at shoulder level and you already know your arms are at your hips, it’s easy to make the adjustment. – Mike Ferraro
9. Keep Teaching
Kids can get set in their ways very quickly. If kids get too comfortable in one spot, they won’t try anything new. When kids are solid on two skis, can cross the wake and can lift one foot then the other to show balance, then I like to let them try to get up on one ski on the boom. I recommend teaching your kids to get up on one ski versus dropping a ski. If you continue to introduce new things, kids can learn quickly. We have 5-year-olds running the slalom course, and parents sometimes don’t think that’s possible, but it is. It’s because that’s what the kid has been exposed to, and that’s what they know they can do, so they go do it. – April Coble Eller
