When you are going to practice adventure sportsthe first thing you have to be clear about is that in some cases you will need to take classes, Well, there are techniques that cannot be acquired except through a brief initiation course. In this case, if you are going to ski, do not hesitate and ask the companies in your province.
Once you start with the initiation in skiing and you have already mastered the operation and control of the material, what you need is to gain confidence and progress gradually. After a few classes you will be ready to advance further.
Now is the time to acquire a little more speed and start to feel like we are really skiing. To do this, it is necessary to look for a steeper slope by going up a piece of hillside, which will avoid the annoying effort of pushing poles and will allow us to acquire the speed to start sliding. There are two ways to climb the slope: ladder and scissors.
On stairs
We make parallel openings in a position perpendicular to the natural slope of the hillside; It's about opening and gathering. Starting from a position of parallel skis, we first separate the mountain ski (the one above) and then the valley ski joins it, trying not to lose parallelism.
To do this, it is very important not to open more of the tail than the tip, because otherwise we will end up going towards the valley, both backwards and forwards. We can use the canes, alternating and synchronizing support movements to acquire stability and balance.
When climbing a steep slope or hard snow, we must ensure the grip of our boards on the snow. To do this, it is essential to use the edge of the skis, digging them firmly into the snow. We just have to bend our knees a little towards the mountain and feel that the edge of our foot is strengthening our step. Otherwise, the skis will tend to slip and seek the slope, not finding the necessary grip.
Climbing the slope is a very useful exercise; With it we learn to use the edges of the skis and, therefore, to control our stability on the slope while standing.
Scissors
It consists of opening the front part of the boards with your back to the slope and closing the tails, trying not to step on them, while supporting the poles behind you. of us.
The image we obtain is that of a scissors - hence the name. It is important that the movements be carried out slowly, coordinating each limb. In this casethe edges must be nailed inwardsto ensure an effective grip. The opening of the skis will be as large as we need.
We ourselves, taking into account the force of attraction of the slope, will open a greater or lesser "scissor", depending on what the terrain requires. This is a slightly more technical way but it is faster than the previous one.
It is advisable to learn to separate the trunk from the legs, to coordinate the movements of the legs and feet. It will not be the body that takes you from one place to another but the movements of the extremities.
The direct descent and the exercises that will improve our balance
The following exercises require a slightly steeper slope, which will increase the speed of the slide.
The natural position of the skier will be the same as described above; Again, it is important not to lean back and try to separate the arms from the body, with a semi-flexion of the elbow that allows us to carry the poles behind as well. It is as if our body were traveling on our legs, which would move simultaneously as a block towards the desired direction.
And it is essential that the weight of the body is distributed evenly over both feet, avoiding the tendency to rest it more on one foot than the other.
The optimal terrain to perform the exercise is a slope with a flat end or even a slight counterslope that slows us down naturally, without the need for additional maneuvers. We will learn to brake, now do not worry about this, if you respect the chosen terrain you will not need to know how to brake.
To start the first descent it is necessary to face the valley.
The first step consists of sticking the poles in front of our skis, tilting the handles towards us to avoid falling off. And we will begin to open and bring together the tails of the skis, like the hands of a clock but always maintaining the distance between the tips.
It's like turning around them, relying on the canes to do so. In this way, we move in a circle looking for the skis and our position to face the slope but preventing them from leaving prematurely.
Once this is done, calmly and Remembering the position we must adopt, we stop using force on the poles and begin the descent. You will probably feel an inertia that pulls you back but it is advisable to stay firm and not give in to panic. Let the slide stop when the speed runs out.
It is useful to repeat these exercises successively to adapt to the new sensation. It is also good to practice now, with a little more speed, the exercises we saw while standing.
We leave, and during the slide:
- We lift one ski, and then the other.
- We take a little jump, then another.
- We turn the body to one side and then to the other.
- We do flexions and extensions.
It is very important, once again, to try to distribute our weight equally over the legs. We must feel the same pressure on both feet and check that both the tip and tail of the skis do not shake. They should not move uncontrollably but rather remain firm on the snow. Little by little we will learn to adopt the appropriate postures that allow us to maintain balance and stability on the boards, so that we achieve greater control over our movements.
