Home Position and Magic Turns
 

When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?

By far the majority answer balance, or body position. Without
this, a skier can't do anything. Of course, balance comes from
body position when a person is skiing. If a skier is in position,
he or she is automatically in balance.

It might be called the athletic position, ready position, or other
names, but in the Magic Turns system, it's called Home Position.
The biggest reason it's called that is the Home Position Rule.

The Home Position Rule:

When you get in trouble, go home. Above all else, hands
forward, for a beginner, almost to the tips of the skis. Slightly
rounded shoulders, slight bend at the waist, knees *always*
bent a little or a lot, ankles flexed forward, and head up,
looking ahead, where you're going, not at the skis or at the
ground right in front of you. You should be able to pick
up the tail of either ski, and leave the tip of that ski on
the snow.

People don't fall because of mysterious reasons, they
fall because they get out of position. So, when you find
yourself out of control, perhaps about to fall, you must simply
recover home position, and you'll be all good. Use your abs to
pull yourself forward again, and stretch your arms back out in
front of you. Once you have home position back, you'll have
control back, and you can do as you wish to deal with the
situation you're in.

If you are in home position, *you will not fall*. If you lose it,
get it back.

When you get in trouble, go home.

"foot2foot" wrote in news:10qc9c15le8ur07
@corp.supernews.com:

When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

Albatross! ****ing albatross for sale!

foot2foot wrote:

When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?

Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from the
crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as fast as
I can.

--
// Walt
//
// There is no Volkl Conspiracy

Walt wrote:

foot2foot wrote:

When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?


Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from the
crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as fast as I
can.

I'd have said oxygen.

Three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks...


--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

Mary Malmros wrote:
Walt wrote:

foot2foot wrote:

When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?


Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from the
crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as fast
as I can.

I'd have said oxygen.

Three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks...

I would agree, but it's 1 week, 1 Day for me :)


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

MoonMan wrote:

Mary Malmros wrote:

Walt wrote:


foot2foot wrote:


When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?


Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from the
crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as fast
as I can.

I'd have said oxygen.

Three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks...


I would agree, but it's 1 week, 1 Day for me :)

That wasn't time until skiing, Walt! ;-)

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

Mary Malmros wrote:
MoonMan wrote:

Mary Malmros wrote:

Walt wrote:


foot2foot wrote:


When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do
is to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?


Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from
the crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as
fast as I can.

I'd have said oxygen.

Three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks...


I would agree, but it's 1 week, 1 Day for me :)

That wasn't time until skiing, Walt! ;-)

I won't ask what it was, but mine wasn't time until skiing it was time until
snow, I'll be skiing tommorow morning. on plastic :(


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

MoonMan wrote:

Mary Malmros wrote:

MoonMan wrote:


Mary Malmros wrote:


Walt wrote:



foot2foot wrote:



When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do
is to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?


Thanks for the warning. I've got my response ready:

I'll say "The most essential skill is being able to get away from
the crazy MF's you encounter on the hill" - then I'll ski away as
fast as I can.

I'd have said oxygen.

Three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks...


I would agree, but it's 1 week, 1 Day for me :)

That wasn't time until skiing, Walt! ;-)


I won't ask what it was, but mine wasn't time until skiing it was time until
snow, I'll be skiing tommorow morning. on plastic :(

It's nothing risque. It's a survival rule-of-thumb mnemonic: a person
can survive three minutes without oxygen, three hours without shelter in
adverse conditions, three days without water, and three weeks without
food. When in a survival situation, it helps you to prioritize what
needs you must take care of first.

(Sorry I called you Walt, BTW;-))


--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

"foot2foot" wrote in message ...
When I visit different ski areas, one of the things I like to do is
to corner an instructor, or maybe just any skier, expert or
novice, who's attention I can hold just long enough to get an
answer to the following question:

What is *the* most essential thing a skier of any level must
have, must do, be able to do, or some such as this? What is
number one for anyone who skis?

By far the majority answer balance, or body position. Without
this, a skier can't do anything. Of course, balance comes from
body position when a person is skiing. If a skier is in position,
he or she is automatically in balance.

It might be called the athletic position, ready position, or other
names, but in the Magic Turns system, it's called Home Position.
The biggest reason it's called that is the Home Position Rule.

The Home Position Rule:

When you get in trouble, go home. Above all else, hands
forward, for a beginner, almost to the tips of the skis. Slightly
rounded shoulders, slight bend at the waist, knees *always*
bent a little or a lot, ankles flexed forward, and head up,
looking ahead, where you're going, not at the skis or at the
ground right in front of you. You should be able to pick
up the tail of either ski, and leave the tip of that ski on
the snow.

People don't fall because of mysterious reasons, they
fall because they get out of position. So, when you find
yourself out of control, perhaps about to fall, you must simply
recover home position, and you'll be all good. Use your abs to
pull yourself forward again, and stretch your arms back out in
front of you. Once you have home position back, you'll have
control back, and you can do as you wish to deal with the
situation you're in.

If you are in home position, *you will not fall*. If you lose it,
get it back.

When you get in trouble, go home.

Sounds like the perfect position for proctological examinations.

In message , foot2foot
writes

If I could be excused an on-topic post, I'm not sure whether I agree
with you or not!

Above all else, hands
forward, for a beginner, almost to the tips of the skis.
snip bits I do agree with

People don't fall because of mysterious reasons, they
fall because they get out of position. So, when you find
yourself out of control, perhaps about to fall, you must simply
recover home position, and you'll be all good. Use your abs to
pull yourself forward again, and stretch your arms back out in
front of you. Once you have home position back, you'll have
control back, and you can do as you wish to deal with the
situation you're in.


It's not clear whether you're suggesting the beginners should ski in
that position all the time. I considered this point very carefully in a
whiteout last year, and concluded that we shouldn't.

Stretching our arms out in front of us doesn't cure a backward-seat
position; people have their weight too far back because they aren't
confident, and if you insist we stick their arms out we instinctively
shirt our rump further back to compensate.

Then, when we find ourselves in free fall, there's nothing we can do
about it. If I have my arms already stretched out and contract just my
abs, I'll be in a diving position, looking at the tips of my skis rather
than forwards, unable to ski in that position.

Whereas, if my elbows are by my sides, hands in front of them, and I
suddenly find myself in free fall, I can quickly reach my arms forward
and improve my chances on landing. I can ski like that if necessary, so
I can sort myself out at leisure.

It still wouldn't look very good, but in a whiteout nobody can see it.

--
Sue ]:(:)