Ken Roberts wrote:

[ ] Which takes us to the amusing admission in a
more recent New Skate article: that the World Cup winners still do show
lots of shoulder rotation and swinging in their V1 offset climbing up hills,
but they would all be faster if they would just start following the New
Skate principle of Quiet Upper Body. (though the one video clip I've seen
of Carl Swenson makes it seem like Vordenberg has had trouble even getting
all his own U.S. skaters to follow that rule.)

Well, we know they are working on some changes. They admit it's a risk. It
could be a winning risk WITHOUT having all other countries imitate it. It might
work even in terms of training for US in OUR situation. We don't have the
heritage and the depth: maybe a technique/training adaption is needed,
something we can EFFECTIVELY key off of. It doesn't have to make sense. It has
to WORK. It doesn't have to be slavishly followed in races either. When the
racer is on the course he then does what he thinks best. His training and
coaching and technique are then his background. The final presentation is a
unique elixir! Slavishly follow anything at your risk. I don't think Pete has
ever said that in a winning race we will see Kris do this or that, or that for
others to then beat him in turn they will have to do this or that. It is
something we're trying. If it works, we will WIN. In the winning race we might
see our skier even do marathon skate or herringbone up a hill! Will this refute
his training if he wins? No! It will vindicate it! Will he likely change his
training if he wins? No! Same reason. If it works, who cares how it plays out.
Do we really know any of these things? Each skier will take his
training/coaching/tech/skis/wax/mood and do something special and custom with
it to suit him best: let the best skier win!

--

Jeff Potter
****
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