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quiet Head in V1 skate?



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 21st 04, 10:34 PM
Ken Roberts
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Default quiet Head in V1 skate?

I just started working on making the movement of my head much quieter in my
V1 skate technique ("offset", "paddle-dance"). It's a big change for me,
and it's giving me a strong feeling of stability that I like a lot. But I
suddenly have lots of little sore muscles everywhere on my neck.

What do other people do with their head moving? (or not do?)

By "quiet head", I mostly mean minimizing sideways tilting and turning --
still allowing the up-and-down motions. I guess eliminating those "extra"
motions is not a big concern for skaters following the Quiet Upper Body
approach -- since their shoulders are already pretty quiet regarding
twisting and turning, so then a quiet head follows naturally.

But for most of us who use substantial rotation of chest and shoulders in
our V1 skate (especially to help us climb up hills), there are several
options:

(a) head motions follow all the tilts and twists of the shoulders. This is
the obvious way: The torso turns or twists from side to side, and the head
turns with it. Lots of people do it -- I sure did. (I even went beyond
that to having my head "lead" my shoulders -- all too visible in my
videos -- I was flopping my head around so much I was getting _dizzy_ on
some of my hill climbs.)
[Closest example in JanneG's World Cup technique videos: Vladimir Vilisov.]

(b) head faces straight forward, despite big rotation of the shoulders.
That's what I'm trying out now. For the first day it did not seem natural
at all. I had to be completely conscious of "counter-rotating" my head --
deliberately turning it in the opposite direction from each rotational swing
of my chest and shoulders.
[Purest example I've seen of this "quiet head" style: Bjorn Daehlie. Also
in the NEI XC Skating Technique from the mid-1990s, the solo demonstrator
woman in the red vest (Leslie Thompson?). In JanneG's V1 technique videos,
perhaps Elofsson comes closest].

(c) definite head turn toward the V1 poling-side, but avoid permitting head
to follow the torso to the pole-recovery "off" side.
[Examples: Markus Hasler and J Muhlegg in JanneG's videos. In the Nordic
Ski Federation 1997 Trondeim video, all the leading Soviet skaters: Elena
Vaelbe, Nina Gavriljuk, V Smirmov, Alexei Prokourorov.]

(d) some turning of the head toward both sides, but not full.
[Example: Thomas Alsgaard].

I'm not seeing any big payoff in the biomechanical physics -- but I love the
new _feeling_ of stability. On my third day, it got to the point where I
sometimes caught myself doing the quiet head counter-rotation moves "by
accident". But I'm still making big sideways torso swings to help me climb
up hills (better than ever). So it looks like I can still enjoy the
quietness that I loved from the old "quiet upper body" style -- but now it's
only in my head.

Ken


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  #2  
Old January 22nd 04, 02:22 PM
J999w
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Default quiet Head in V1 skate?

Wouldn't it make more of a difference in race speed by spending an hour or two
more per week in the weight room and dropping a kg or two of body fat than
worrying about minute technique details? (unless you're Bjorn Dahlie class of
course).

Just wondering.

jw
milwaukee
  #3  
Old January 23rd 04, 02:08 AM
Ken Roberts
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Default quiet Head in V1 skate?

I didn't change my head motion to improve my race speed. I did it to make
my skiing _feel_ better.

Fast race times are not my main goal in skiing. Most of my skiing time is
focused on exploring the snow-covered environment, enjoying beautiful
rhythms and gliding, and playing with new powers and feelings through my
skis.

Racing is a helpful way to focus my energy on learning some kinds of new
rhythms and powers -- and an interesting competitive game to get into. But
I'm planning to do lots more non-racing skiing -- so I want that skiing to
feel enjoyable.

jw wrote
Wouldn't it make more of a difference in race speed by
spending an hour or two more per week in the weight room
and dropping a kg or two of body fat than worrying about
minute technique details?


But trying out new motions is _fun_.

Actually I did get serious about losing weight back in the Fall season, and
it worked. But now most of it's back on me again -- so I need some speed
tricks that are more lasting.

Ken



  #4  
Old January 23rd 04, 08:03 AM
Janne G
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Default quiet Head in V1 skate?

Ken Roberts wrote:

I didn't change my head motion to improve my race speed. I did it to make
my skiing _feel_ better.

Fast race times are not my main goal in skiing. Most of my skiing time is
focused on exploring the snow-covered environment, enjoying beautiful
rhythms and gliding, and playing with new powers and feelings through my
skis.

Racing is a helpful way to focus my energy on learning some kinds of new
rhythms and powers -- and an interesting competitive game to get into. But
I'm planning to do lots more non-racing skiing -- so I want that skiing to
feel enjoyable.


Ken, go out skiing with a skiier that is good on doing what he does is
wery help full for the skiier that are learning not for the skilled one.
To ski behind a really good skier for an hour is gold worth.

--

Forward in all directions

Janne G
  #5  
Old January 23rd 04, 09:24 PM
J999w
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Default quiet Head in V1 skate?

I didn't change my head motion to improve my race speed. I did it to make
my skiing _feel_ better.


Sorry, should have kept my comments to myself, they were out of line and
belonged in different thread.

jw
milwaukee
(sleep deprived)
 




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