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Reprints From The Professional Skier

Fall 1999 - "Centrally Located: Stance Is Where It's At" by Megan Harvey

This article is reprinted from The Professional Skier. All copyrights apply. Please see our copyright and disclaimer notice page.

Every four years, top instructors from each of the world's skiing countries get together at Interski to exchange educational ideas and technical advances in skiing. This year, the 16th Interski was held in Beitostolen, Norway. Although each nation uses different teaching strategies and people the world over have different learning styles, the observers lining the demonstration hill this spring may have surmised that all great skiing is very similar. Similar, perhaps, but not the same. Closer inspection reveals subtle differences that serve as a springboard for discussing various approaches to that most fundamental of considerations--where to stand on the ski.

So what makes Canada's National Demonstration Team look different from its French counterpart when they both ski the same small hill? And how can you tell the Swiss skiers from the Germans? Well, besides having different colored uniforms, each nation's ski professionals demonstrate and teach slightly different stances. Instructors in some countries favor a stance produced by an "open" or straighter ankle, which puts the skier's alignment slightly back of center. Instructors in other countries opt for a stance in which the ankle is more "closed'' or flexed, which aligns the skier slightly forward of center. Still others use a stance that relies on very evenly flexed joints, giving the appearance of being "smack dab" in the center of the foot. These differences in stance are minute, but they do have a bearing on the "zone of possibilities" available with regard to turn shape and pressure.

Skiing, as we all know, is a dynamic sport. To get down the hill we need to keep moving our body in the direction we want to go and guide our skis forward through each turn. In the world of skiing, stance describes how we stand and carry ourselves on our skis. When we stand correctly on our skis, we can move within an appropriate range of balance.

A correct stance is one that allows all our joints to flex evenly and appropriately so we feel in balance and can use our body efficiently. To be balanced in motion while skiing, the forces that act on our center of mass (CM) must also act through our base of support, the feet. This means that a stance cannot be static; it must move with the turn and the forces created throughout the turn. Our balancing movements eventually affect all of the other fundamental skills (rotary, edging, and pressure-control movements) inherent in good skiing.

Centered Stance

Skiing, and indeed many other sports, requires the participant to start from a balanced and centered position, but being centered and being balanced takes place within a dynamic range. This means that we don't always have to be in the center of our stance to be balanced. We can be center-center, we can be center-forward, and we can be center-back, yet we are still balanced within a dynamic range.

The difference between the three stances lies in minor adjustments of the ankle joint. Although instructors in some countries favor one stance over the others, you'll often see all three types of stances in the span of one turn, especially in varying terrain and conditions.

Center-Center Stance

A center-center stance, which was favored by the skiers from Switzerland and France at Interski '99, describes an alignment in which the hips are directly over the feet (photo 1 below). Here, all of the joints are evenly flexed and nicely stacked underneath the body. The weight of the skier sits on the arch of the foot.

PSIA places a strong emphasis on helping students comprehend this stance, because it is a neutral and effective place to be. Skiers can create any size and shape of turn from this stance, and because muscles start out relaxed, energy expenditures are more efficient. Most important, all of the fundamental skills can be accessed and used with equal ease.

Although the center-center stance is an effective image to learn and to teach, it's not always a sufficient stance to use through the whole turn. You're more likely to see a good skier in this stance for only part of a turn. For instance, in a high-speed carving turn or racing GS turn, the body is lined up over the middle of the foot in the middle of the turn but not at the start or finish of the turn. This because the whole ski must be used at higher speeds to maintain a carve. On easier terrain, when the skier is "comfortably cruising," you may see the center-center position throughout more of the turn.

When a skier is on steeper, more challenging terrain, the skier may spend the majority of the turn in the center-center position, because anyplace else could be dangerous or risky. If the skier gets slightly "back" of center or too far "forward" of center on steep terrain, the skis will run away from their owner or the skier will end up pivoting off the tip of the ski to create the turn. In figure 1 above, the crosses indicate where, in the course of a given turn, the skier is best served by a center-center stance.

Center-Forward

In the center-forward stance, which was favored by the skiers from Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic at Interski '99, it may appear that the hips are in the same position as in the center-center stance (photo 2 below). However, because the ankle joint is slightly more flexed, the weight of the skier is concentrated a bit more toward the front of the foot and the front of the boot cuff.

The center-forward stance is usually visible at the beginning or top of a turn. It's in this portion skier wants to get an early and high edge angle, so he or she flexes the ankle while pulling the skis into the turn. An exception to the rule may be turns on very steep terrain, where the skier exhibits a very flexed ankle at the end of the turn because he or she must absorb a lot of pressure all at once.

If the skier chooses to use this stance throughout the majority of the turn (like the Germans and Hungarians), then the turn shape is likely to have more of a hook shape at the top, and the average skier will lose the tail of the ski at the bottom of the turn. (Imagine an upside-down "J-turn" in which the end of the turn washes out.) This is why it benefits the skier to maintain the center-forward stance for part of the turn rather than the whole turn. In figure 2 above, the crosses indicate where, in the course of a given turn, the skier is best served by a center-forward stance.

Center-Back

In the center-back stance, which was favored by the skiers from Japan and Canada at Interski '99, the hips again look to be in the same position as in the center-center stance, but because the ankle joint is slightly more "open," the weight of the skier is concentrated a bit more toward the back of the arch of the foot (photo 3 below).

We usually see the center-back stance at the end or bottom of the turn. This is because, as the skier finishes the turn, he or she needs to extend the ankle slightly to keep the tail of the ski engaged and carving. One place we are unlikely to see an open ankle is in the steeps, where speed control is crucial to survival.

If the skier chooses to use this stance throughout the majority of his or her turns (like the Canadian pros on groomed terrain), then we find a turn shape that differs slightly from the other stances. The turn shape may become more open and longer at the top of the turn and carry more hook into the bottom of the turn. High-level skiers will still be able to engage the tip of the ski at the top of the turn by pressing on the ball of the foot (the way you would press on an accelerator pedal of a car). In figure 3 above, the crosses indicate where, in the course of a given turn, the skier is best served by a center-back stance.

Conclusion

The challenge for a good skier is to try to play with all three stances. For instance, if you are a skier who prefers to be in the "center-center"' position all of the time, get onto some groomed terrain and play with your ankle position. Pull your toes up toward your shin, into the top of the boot, and feel your ankle become stronger in a flexed position. Press your toes down and forward, as if you are "giving your car more gas" to feel your ankle open up slightly.

It's critical to remember that these stance differences occur at the high end of skiing proficiency and come from subtle adjustments of the ankle. Each stance allows the skier to remain in balance, yet each stance may increase or decrease the range of movement options available within any given turn on any given type of terrain.

In the end, optimum performance is all about blend. One of the wonderful things about skiing is that every time we head out onto the hill we're greeted by a different set of circumstances and challenges. The great skiers and teachers are not the ones who are looking to create a certain picture or teach a specific method; they're the ones who go out and do what is necessary for the task at hand.

Got a big mogul field to tackle? Icy steeps? Deep powder? You will find that if you move through a range of ankle positions, the terrain will become more "user friendly" and you'll use your skis to their full potential.

Author's note: This article is based on my Perceptions of international stance variations as seen on video tape of ski demonstrations at the 16th Interski, held in Beitostlen, Norway. PSIA Teams Coach Dave Merriam and fellow Demo Team member Katie Fry provided valuable input in this assessment.

Megan Harvey is a member of the PSIA Alpine Demonstration Team and is a trainer/pro for the Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen.