You Can Ski Plain or You Can Ski Fancy
but the most important thing is to ski with flexibility. by Sue Haywood
Well the snow is finally flying and it is a crystal clear cold night here in Canaan Valley. The long wait for the cold weather has really got me thinking about skiing. They say that you learn the most about skiing during the summer. Sounds weird, huh? This probably applies more to people who have some skiing experience than the total novice. Well I had a major revelation about ski technique this summer while riding my mountainbike on our tough West Virginia terrain. I then recently applied this discovery to a four-hour hike on some of our best skiing terrain high up on Bald Knob. This revelation will help both the first-time skier as well as that season telehead that still seeks a refined technique. Before I tell what that revelation was, let me ask you: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE YOU CAN USE WHEN CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING? Go ahead and think about it a minute...
Now understand this is my lowly, unscientific opinion based on my experiences on our rather hilly terrain. You can ski plain or you can ski fancy, but the most important thing is to ski with flexibility. That does not mean that you have to be a Zen yogi master with double-jointed joints. It does not mean that you have to be a young rubber band of a person. That always seemed like the greatest thing about cross-country skiing was the fact that anyone could do it; young or old, big or small, men or women.
Skiing with flexibility means the ability bend the ankles, knees, waist and even the elbows, not necessarily all at the same time, but sometimes it might be called for. Relaxed, flexed bodies move easier through space. Think about walking across a patch of ice. If you are rigid with locked knees and ankles as well as straight elbows and your brainwaves are in gridlock, then getting across that patch of ice can be tough. Put skis on your feet in with that body position and your asking for a trip to the pain factory. Now walk across that ice with some flex in your ankles. Slightly bend your knees and relax your neck. Keep your head level, which helps with balance. Don't panic. See you made it across the ice patch safe and sound.
Next, stand up, lock your knees and ankles and try to jump. It doesn't work so well. Now bend your ankles, which seems to automatically put a little bend in your knees. This can also be called preloading your human powered suspension system. Now jump...wow what a difference a little flex can make.
I (re) discovered this riding a particularly gnarly trail that was wet and muddy. The more I relaxed and flexed my arms, shoulders and neck, the better I could handle the rough terrain. Riding in mud seemed a lot like skiing...fluidity and flex count for a lot. Of course I think mountainbiking and cross-country skiing are very similar in many aspects except with mtbing you have a mechanical suspension, but with skiing you only have your own biomechanical suspension. Hiking on uneven terrain is infinitely easier with flex in the ankles. Sure, a good pair of boots help, but you can't buy flex...its free!
Often times teaching, we say adopt a good athletic position. This means a "ready" position similar to fielding a fly ball or getting ready to kick a soccer ball, riding a horse or bike, or even sliding across your kitchen floor in socks.
The most difficult aspect (arguably the most fun, however) in cross-country skiing is the downhill. Since there is barely a perfectly flat place in the entire state of West Virginia becoming more comfortable on the downhills is important. The biggest mistake people make is becoming stiff as a board. With a tense, rigid body the skis tend to accelerate because all the weight got shifted towards the back of the skis. The effect is similar to slipping on a banana peel while going 20mph. Nothing will help you work with the forces of gravity as much as employing a flexed body position and finding your own person balance point over the skis.
So whether it is your first time "strapping on boards" or you are a full-blown shred master, think about flexing your ankles and relaxing your stance to improve your skiing. White Grass offers lessons to first timers, second timers and even 100th timers. There is a talented and friendly ski school that will help you learn to ski plain or ski fancy.
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Happy Jack Frost! by Mike Sayre
Always sounds like the real beginning of the year to me. Now here it is Christmas, and still no snow. Why, the skiing, by this time last year… anyway, we have all been here in the mid-Atlantic mountains long enough to know that one month does not a winter make. The thing is, we have to buy ski gear in the early spring, and usually we are still skiing when Chip heads out west to shop. It's no wonder that some years we end up with more great skis and boots than we have skiers. This year we thought we would pull that extra "new" old stuff down from the infamous attic. Most of the skis are old school ' long and wax-able', but hey , Chip learned to ski on these, and his sons, and probably his grandsons and daughters will too. There is nothing wrong with skiing on long skis; in fact, in some instances their length is beneficial in smoothing out and packing new trails after fresh snowfall. To some of our friends who collect skis, here's a chance to replace an old favorite. If you ask, we will even throw in a two-wax set to get you going. To figure your size, measure the distance (in centimeters) from your feet to outstretched overhead wrist while standing. Mike Sayre (there's lots more to this thing, we will set Mike loose on the Shop page with his specials and packages.)
TONY BARNES Announces all….
Finally, Chipper... On the eve of Jack Frost an odd warmth belies the weeks
of snowy winter to come! Ah the Jack Frost party. Just the thing to serve
as final enticement to Ulle...We're looking forward to seeing the festivesss
throng of friends old and new. These folks bring the snow every year,
eventually!
No one spreads the snow seeds like Whitegrass. Jack's bonfire for the
drifting, powdery nymph of winter is a milestone along our Autumn
re-creation of drifts, dry-trail drainage, smooth marked trailbeds, a
temporary building, snug efficient lodge, marvellous restaurant...A
transformation, by which a sleepy summer farm becomes a fantastically fun
ski area.
Working at Whitegrass I've learned that cruising down a Nordic trail or
mountain slope is as much fun as climbing firm rock toward a summit.
FUN! That's why we work here and we hope you feel it in your experience
at Whitegrass. The sports that draw us here for this way of life owe their
success to the weekenders and vacationers who love them as well--all you
other mountain dreamers out there.
I've really grown to appreciate the level of dedication and skill
demonstrated year after year by Whitegrass regulars. The enthusiasm of new
skiers always fuels the mix, and I'm pysched to see you all out on the
trails in 2001-2002. TONY BARNES
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HC 66 Box 27
Dry Fork, Wv 26263
(304) 866-4753
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