Integrated
Basic Parallel
Level 1
ALPINE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Integrated Activities: Integrate two or more of the Technical Fundamentals through all turn phases to achieve prescribed ski performance.
Description:
Linked medium radius skidded turns with parallel skis on corresponding edges. A pole touch is used to enhance rhythm, flow, and timing. The pole touch corresponds with the edge change. Turn shape is used to control speed while promoting glide and generating sufficient forces for the skier to initiate turns with parallel skis.
Terrain:
Steeper groomed green or easy groomed blue runs
Ski Performance:
- Skis are steered to create controlled skidded turns.
- Each ski leaves a track in the snow.
- Skis are in a parallel relationship all of the time.
- Skis have matching edge angles through all phases of the turn.
- The skis are not displaced to create steering angles, edging angles, or skidding.
Body Performance:
- The Center of Mass crosses from one side of the skis to the other in the transition.
- Lines across the shoulders, hips, knees, and feet are parallel with each other through shaping and finish phases.
Speed:
Faster than a wedge christie, but not as fast as a dynamic parallel turn. Fast enough to support parallel edge change and turn entries. But not so fast as to promote carving.
Related Activities
Level 1 – Integrated
Level 2
ALPINE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Integrated Activities: Integrate three or more of the Technical Fundamentals through all turn phases to achieve prescribed ski performance.
Description:
Linked medium radius skidded turns with parallel skis on corresponding edges. A pole touch is used to enhance rhythm, flow, and timing. The pole touch corresponds with the edge change. Turn shape is used to control speed while promoting glide and generating sufficient forces for the skier to initiate turns with parallel skis.
Terrain:
Steeper groomed green or easy groomed blue runs
Ski Performance:
- Skis are steered to create controlled skidded turns.
- Each ski leaves a track in the snow.
- Skis are in a parallel relationship all of the time.
- Skis have matching edge angles through all phases of the turn.
- The skis are not displaced to create steering angles, edging angles, or skidding.
Body Performance:
- The Center of Mass crosses from one side of the skis to the other in the transition.
- Axes across the shoulders, hips, knees, and feet are parallel with each other through shaping and finish phases.
Speed:
Faster than a wedge christie, but not as fast as a dynamic parallel turn. Fast enough to support parallel edge change and turn entries. But not so fast as to promote carving.
Related Activities
Level 2 – Integrated
Level 3
ALPINE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Integrated Activities: Integrate the Technical Fundamentals through all turn phases to achieve prescribed ski performance.
Description:
Linked medium radius skidded turns with parallel skis on corresponding edges. A pole touch is used to enhance rhythm, flow, and timing. The pole touch corresponds with the edge change. Turn shape is used to control speed while promoting glide and generating sufficient forces for the skier to initiate turns with parallel skis.
Terrain:
Steeper groomed green or easy groomed blue runs
Ski Performance:
- Skis are steered to create controlled skidded turns.
- Each ski leaves a track in the snow.
- Skis are in a parallel relationship all of the time.
- Skis have matching edge angles through all phases of the turn.
- The skis are not displaced to create steering angles, edging angles, or skidding
Body Performance:
The Center of Mass crosses from one side of the skis to the other in the transition.
Axes across the shoulders, hips, knees, and feet are parallel with each other through shaping and finish phases.
Related Activities
Level 3 – Integrated
Why is this useful?
The ability to ski Parallel turns is a major milestone for skiers. This basic blend of skills is a foundation for higher levels of skiing.
Teaching / Learning Cues
- Ski uphill skidded arcs managing tension of foot/ankle tipping (on a low edge angle). Blend tipping and turning movements to create controlled skidding of the skis. Consider using a fan progression to build to skiing whole turns in both directions.
- Create awareness of employing efficient and effective edging movements: Both skis release and engage at the similar time. This practice builds movement patterns that lead to simultaneous edge change and parallel skiing.
- Progressively fan partial arcs into and through the fall line to develop complete skidded turns.
- Practice prolonging the duration of time spent on 4 edges (the bases) from transitions to fall line to learn to manage rotary and not rapidly pivot skis to start turns.
- Explore range of legs turning separate from the upper body to use appropriate degrees of separation without excessive wind-up of legs thru finish that would over rotate the skis into a skidded, tail out initiation.