skating technique - slow motion
 

I've compiled a slow motion video for the purpose of technique study.
I've focused on sideways views to check how far one lands on the ski
and how backward one pushes.

These are abstracts of the Vancouver Winter Olympics pursuit 30 km,
skating part.
Featuring Bauer Legkov Hellner Olson Soedergren Vittoz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDhz69-sU8A

skating technique - slow motion
 

On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:23:27 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

I've compiled a slow motion video for the purpose of technique study.
I've focused on sideways views to check how far one lands on the ski
and how backward one pushes.

These are abstracts of the Vancouver Winter Olympics pursuit 30 km,
skating part.
Featuring Bauer Legkov Hellner Olson Soedergren Vittoz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDhz69-sU8A

Thanks (tho Mozart might have worked better ;-). What especially
strikes me was how many of those guys's posture is the same as if they
were running, and how little distance is covered by most of their hip
cycles. I can understand wanting to know "how far one lands" (not
very, basically underneath them), but for the life of me I can't
understand why be concerned with "how backward one pushes." I don't
think they push backward at all, but rather off the inside of the foot,
which seen in motion from the side gives the impression of a ski going
back. This is a push-and-glide sport; how far back one goes with legs
or hands is a function of what goes into the push, supplemented by
balance. What goes on behind is only a matter of concern if it is being
unnecessarily curtailed.

Gene

skating technique - slow motion
 

Thanks for you comments.

Part of the concern is how athletes are making best usage of their
calf muscles, which are quite powerful muscles, as experienced in
running.

Calf muscle usage is obvious during "jump" skate, but what about other
technique ?

At the end of the side push, their is a little time for best using
them, I think.
But at the end of the push, the legs is rather backward. The more you
step forward, the more backward is the pushing leg.
I noticed that Northug (unfortunately not in my video) does
"something" at the end of his pushes with his foot/calf, as seen when
how the tip of his ski returns. I'll try to compile or find another
video depicting that.

skating technique - slow motion
 

On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:29:40 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

Thanks for you comments.

Part of the concern is how athletes are making best usage of their
calf muscles, which are quite powerful muscles, as experienced in
running.

Calf muscle usage is obvious during "jump" skate, but what about other
technique ?

At the end of the side push, their is a little time for best using
them, I think.
But at the end of the push, the legs is rather backward. The more you
step forward, the more backward is the pushing leg.
I noticed that Northug (unfortunately not in my video) does
"something" at the end of his pushes with his foot/calf, as seen when
how the tip of his ski returns. I'll try to compile or find another
video depicting that.


I think you're overanalyzing, and are expressing a very basic
misunderstanding of ski technique, which can easily be straightened out
on your home floor.

First, good skiers don't normally actively step forward, unless missed
timing or snow conditions require it. Rather, they push off and the
power of that carries their frame to the other ski, their foot falling
underneath. In fact, sometimes skiers - classical and skate - actively
shorten the distance to where the foot lands, to make sure it lands
underneath and the gliding ski doesn't get away from them (people with
long legs are probably more prone to this, especially on hills).
Stepping forward/side in skate or classic beyond what the push gives
typically causes the hips to move back. This means the skier's center
of gravity ends up behind the camber of their ski, right when it needs
to be on top of it for maximum glide and to set up the next push off.
Not good, except for keep us instructors fed. If you want to see this,
take out your skis and look at how they are shaped.

You worry about the leg moving to the rear. Don't thing you're
listening. It's simple physics: the degree of movement to the side/rear
is directly proportional to the force or power employed in pushing off
to go foward/side; i.e., as in an equal and opposite reaction. Try it
on your living room floor.

What does "best usage" of calf muscles mean? You planning to isolate
your calf muscles?

Don't confuse individual idiosyncracies with basic technique. Each
of the top skiers has some element(s) of the former, but they all share
the basic elements of the latter.

Gene

Thanks for sharing!

Also to be recommended:
http://www.youtube.com/user/intrepid1traveler

skating technique - slow motion
 

OK, "stepping" forward was probably not the best expression to
describe the entire body forward move.

So to narrow my question as much as possible : How much do you push
with your foot toes ?

I felt myself that pushing too much with them compromises momentum and
wanted to check how the best athletes are optimizing their pushing and
muscles usage, including calf, while keeping momentum.

skating technique - slow motion
 

On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:25:03 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

OK, "stepping" forward was probably not the best expression to
describe the entire body forward move.

So to narrow my question as much as possible : How much do you push
with your foot toes ?

I felt myself that pushing too much with them compromises momentum and
wanted to check how the best athletes are optimizing their pushing and
muscles usage, including calf, while keeping momentum.

I can't say if anything new is happening at the highest levels, but
from appearances and what I see in journals and videos and skier
and teacher clinics, pushing with the whole inside of the foot remains
the way. Of course, the *ball of the foot will be the last to go, but
doing anything special with it will throw off your rhythm, and may cause
muscle strain. Can't imagine anything with the toes. A jump skate is
basically a different rhythm, not some special toeing off.

Gene