http://www.ntg.no/no/page2.html, http://www.schigymnasium-stams.at/, http://www.burkemtnacademy.org/

So, what is this? More appropriately we should ask what is ALPINE SKI RACING! Without a doubt this sport is one of the most exciting, dangerous and challenging, expensive, complicated and fun & interesting of all sports, especially winter sports! However, it isn't easy to describe the sport with one sentence alone, can you for instance imagine explaning this sport in one sentence to someone in Africa who doesn't own a TV and has never seen snow? 

This website, be it completely new has a commitment to more broadily categorize Ski Racing and define it to the point where our image as well with the athletics department of our sport is recognized as one of the few sports in the whole world collective of athletes from all places around the world, rich and poor, and what we can do as a team will in the near future, (next few years) create a safer, cooler, more fair sport which in turn favors more popularity and growth, and even can contribute to more older and inexperienced people willing to give it a try!

(6-7 parapraph ski article, then more on TECHNIQUE (BELOW) from youcanski 
This has been the best skiing year ever for me. Usually I attribute great skiing to great conditions, like when it snows non-stop for an entire month. But what makes this year "The Best" is the way I’ve been skiing. My skiing has been simply phenomenal!

My personal ski revolution started as I made my rounds at the Toronto ski show. After checking out a pair of skis and looking into some vacation packages I came across something really incredible – the Skier’s Edge demo booth. The Skier’s Edge is an exercise machine designed for skiers. It operates in a side-to-side motion and works the legs and body just like skiing. I was intrigued to say the least, and I quickly asked if I could try one. After a few short minutes on the machine I was feeling the burn! I was getting a great workout and it felt just like skiing. The motion was so much fun that I didn’t want to get off the machine. When I saw the rep walking over to me I was sure that he would ask me to step off for the next person to have a chance. Instead of kicking me off he gave me a quick lesson on technique, what an awesome practice tool! I was so impressed by the workout and training benefits of the Skier’s Edge that I ordered one on the spot.

That purchase is the reason my skiing has been so phenomenal this year. My workouts on the Skier’s Edge got me in great skiing shape prior to the first snowfall, and I was in mid-season form right from the start. Continued workouts throughout the season have given me loads of energy and excellent form… and it just keeps getting better and better! My turns are powerful and well executed, I’m skiing the difficult areas of the mountain with a new found confidence. My balance is razor sharp, able to anticipate and react to anything the mountain has to throw at me. I’ve been skiing the entire day without getting exhausted and I leave the resort with a smile on my face.

One surprising benefit was the improvement in my driving distance on the golf course. The weight transfer in my swing became powerful and consistent. The Skier’s Edge has proven to be an exceptional cross-trainer. In simple terms it’s given me confidence, power and control, making my skiing and my golf game "The Best" it’s ever been.


Modern Alpine Racing Techniqueby Greg GurshmanModern alpine ski racing technique has been a subject of many misinterpretations and controversies. I have decided to clarify this matter by carefully studying the technique of ski racers who are currently the best in the world. Although Austrians come to mind first, there are a number of racers from other countries who could be considered among the leaders in developing and using the modern GS and Slalom techniques.

In other words, there isn't just an "Austrian technique" that should be duplicated and used by the rest of the world, instead -- there is International Modern Technique. All of the top GS and Slalom racers have similar trends in their skiing. These general trends of modern technique go far beyond racer's body type and his individual skiing style. They could be used uniformly by all racers from developing junior racers to members of the national teams. The efficiency in the following techniques and biomechanics are reflected through the entire group of top World Cup racers.

Common Trends of Modern Technique

• Parallel Skis
• Parallel Legs and Shins
• Loaded Inside Ski
• Level Ski Tips
• Crossover and Crossunder Work in Concert
• Down-Unweighting
• Early Edge Engagement
• Pressure in the Fall-Line

Parallel SkisTurns on parallel skis are used in both Slalom and GS. There is no noticeable convergence or divergence of the skis at any stage of the turn throughout the entire run in the racecourse or while free skiing. It is not easily achieved on a consistent basis. During any type of a turn legs move in the opposite directions -- outside one turns inward while the inside leg turns outward. Therefore keeping the skis parallel is a technical skill that requires mastering. Skis are kept parallel even in the turns with the pivoted entry.

Although Modern Technique is geared towards clean arc to arc skiing the turns with some pivoting in the initial stage are still needed on the steep turny sections of the course. All of the top racers are very good not only at carving but at pivoting with parallel skis as well.

There is an obvious speed advantage of parallel skis. It allows applying more pressure on the inside ski in the second part of the turn, which eliminates excessive locking of the edge of the outside ski. Now both skis are loaded and involved in carving smooth, faster arcs. If the skis were in scissored (diverging) position, loading the inside ski would result in either sliding of the outside ski or simply falling to the inside of the turn. In other words, diverging inside ski would not effectively contribute to carving.

Parallel Legs and ShinsThe edge angle is created primarily by inclination with extended outside leg. There is almost no knee angulation used in GS and it is kept to a minimum in Slalom. Straighter (more extended) outside leg creates a much stronger, biomechanically sound position that helps to withstand huge forces produced in modern turns. This position allows the skeleton, rather than the muscles and joints, to take the load, which greatly reduces the chances of injuries to a knee joint. The top group of athletes has on average much less injuries then the racers at lower level, mostly due to more biomechanically sound technique.

Inclination with parallel legs allows for the Center of Mass to travel by much shorter, more direct path through the gates. Combination of parallel legs/shins and parallel skis allows for both skis to carve. All of that result in significant time gains.

Loaded Inside SkiThe top racers have on average 80:20 ratio of outside to inside ski pressure in Slalom and 70:30 in GS. This ratio is constantly changing throughout the turn. Normally the turn is started above the fall line with 90% of pressure on the outside ski. Upon entering the fall line inside ski is starting to carry more load while it is not only assisting in maintaining lateral balance but is actively contributing to carving. It is normal to see a ratio of 60:40 in the second part of a turn. It could even be 50:50 throughout the most of a turn, but only on the flat less turny sections of a course. Loading of inside ski works and produces speed advantage only if skis are kept parallel throughout the entire turn.

Level Ski TipsAlthough there is a significant lateral split between the skis in Slalom and GS the split in sagittal (fore and aft) plane has been reduced. Having ski tips almost level, especially in the first half of a turn, assists in keeping them parallel and carving early. Sagittal split produces unnecessary counter-rotation and could also cause premature loading of the inside ski. It could alter lateral balance and affect carving of both skis. Keeping minimal sagittal split maintains square relationship between upper and lower body through the first of a turn. This is the most natural and biomechanically strong position similar to the downhill tuck, the most efficient position in skiing.

Crossover and Crossunder Work in ConcertBoth types of cross movements are used in Modern skiing. Crossover (CM of mass crosses over the skis) is prevalent in complete GS turns on steep parts of the course. Crossunder (skis cross under the CM) comes into play in slightly more shallow GS turns on the flatter sections. Crossunder is extensively used in modern Slalom. It is usually combined with down-unweigthing. Regardless of type of cross movement the modern GS and SL turns use the entire ski. The turn is usually finished with the pressure on the tail and started with some pressure on the front of the ski. Both types of cross movements not only place the skis on the other side of the body for the next turn but also assist in recentering - shifting the pressure from the tails to the front of the skis. In reality, crossover and crossunder work in concert, providing for simultaneous lateral and forward movement of CM. Combination of skis carving tip-to-tail and quick efficient cross-over and cross-under movements into the new turn produce an early edge set.

Down-UnweigthingDown-unweigthing is used in SL and GS as the way of unloading the skis to allow them to cross-under the body for the new turn. It creates a so-called "virtual bump" between the turns. Skier retracts his legs just as if he was going over the bump in the transition phase and extends them into the turn as it was the galley in between the bumps. Combination of down-unweigthing and cross-under movement works well in shallow turns on moderate terrain. It provides for an early edge set and carving with both skis which makes for much faster skiing through the moderately flat sections of the course.

Early Edge EngagementModern GS and Slalom turns are not perfectly round. Instead, their shape resembles a long comma. Most of the direction change is done above the fall-line. Therefore carving should start above the fall line as well.

That allows racers to accelerate out of the fall-line having about 70% of a turn completed before the gate.

In order for that to happen, ski needs to be tipped on its edge very early in the turn. Well timed cross movement in combination with extension and inclination positions the body inside the turn before the pressure is really built on the outside ski. Occasionally, it could result in initiation of the turn on the inside ski, which is a technical error, often mistakenly considered to be a part of Modern Technique. There is a fine line between an early edge set and leaning in on top of the turn. Top racers can sense it most of the time.

Pressure in the Fall-LineIn order to maintain speed and even accelerate out of the turn skis need to be loaded above and into the fall-line. It has more impact in GS but produces time gains in Slalom as well. Top racers release the pressure coming out of the fall-line. It is very important as forces (gravity and centrifugal) match upon exiting the fall-line, creating stronger reaction force from the snow, resulting in deceleration. Combination of a cross movement, early edge set and pressure in the fall-line with early release are used to produce acceleration in Slalom and GS turns.

While analyzing the ski technique it is important to separate the elements of individual style or some technical inefficiency from the trends of Modern Technique. Studying ski technique of the top racers produces very objective results as the fastest racers exhibit the best technique, which is not affected by style or need to create a certain impression. If and when a particular technique produces fast times it is adopted and used by the others. There are a number of technical progressions and drills the top racers use in their training in order to become more efficient. The eight characteristics of Modern Technique listed above are tightly intertwined with each other. Most of them could only be effectively used if the other ones are present in skier's technical arsenal. Only the combination of all eight performed in the right sequence creates this powerful yet graceful Modern Ski Technique.

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