One Ski Skiing

Why Do You Keep Both Skis On When Doing One Ski Drills?

 

Hello Rick

 

You have several exercises which require skiing on one foot, both inside and outside, and then the same foot for inside and outside turns.  Why don’t you include skiing on one ski? 

 

John

California

Hi John,

 

There is a reason you don't see one ski drills in the DVDs.  For a while early on in my coaching I used one ski drills, but over the years I abandoned it.  The reason is because it completely changes the balance dynamics associated with real skiing.  The lack of the weight attached to the empty foot changes the body position required to balance while on edge.  This is why at first these drills seems so much more difficult.  It requires a movement approach outside that already embedded in the muscle memory for one foot skiing.  Eventually the mind/body connections adapt to this new dynamic, but this new connection doesn't really serve the skier when the second ski is brought back into the picture.  I find keeping both skis on, and devoting training time to expanding the edging and fore/aft balance variations that can executed while skiing on one foot, provides the most valuable skill base building.  Once the full spectrum of those skills are developed, there's no harm in shedding a ski and repeating the process, but I've found it's best done as a supplemental learning experience, withheld until after the primary skills with two skis on have been fully developed.


Sincerely,

Rick Schnellmann

Your Ski Coach