Ski Notes Spring 2014
1
About the course and manual Welcome to the Introduction to Instructing course at Aberdeen Snowsports Centre. This course manual and the workbook have been produced with reference to a number of sources including the BASI manual which is freely available in the centre library alongside other manuals where a wealth of information is available on subjects such as teaching children, psychology and drills for higher level instructing.
With further training through Nationally recognized associations such as BASI and
Snowsports Scotland you can build on your knowledge to enable you to gain qualifications to allow you to instruct at home and abroad. The course is a full programme made up of personal performance, classroom lectures and discussions. The course will also include shadowing of lessons to watch teaching and learning in action and a certain amount of study time. This can be demanding mentally and physically so it is important that you prepare for the work involved. The manual is designed to follow alongside the course syllabus, lectures and workbook, We will reference some of the manual during discussions, at other times you will be expected to read and study in your own time. Make sure you have the manual with you at all training sessions for reference. This will be a valuable resource for you during the course training, your early stages of instructing and for when you go on to do further training. Assessment on the course will be on-going and over the final day during which each participant will plan and deliver a short 30 minute lesson to other group members. Your trainer will monitor your participation and performance and give continual feedback.
The manual contains important information to enhance
your learning as a trainee with information further to that covered in the course lectures.
2
The Central Theme The central theme is an evolving series of maneuvers that is designed to help people learn to ski in a natural, progressive and simple way. It is not a complete lesson-plan, but rather a simple technical model for students around which lessons can be designed.
The Central Theme is only one of many possible routes from first steps up to parallel skiing. Its whole purpose is to give less experienced teachers a clear and effective framework from which to work. As teachers gain knowledge and experience, they can move outside the boundaries of the Central Theme to cope with a wider variety of client needs and teaching environments.
Ultimately, every route that is taken from plough to parallel should give skiers a sound and enjoyable foundation to their skiing. It should provide them with a full repertoire of movements along with the awareness and understanding to apply them skillfully.
The purpose of the Central Theme is:
To help teach clients, from their first steps on skis to parallel skiing To develop the fundamental elements of skiing in a versatile way To progressively build skills, where each new movement builds on those previously learned To prepare the client to “ s ki the whole mountain”
Initially, the Central Theme is presented simply as an outline framework for taking learners up to parallel turning. It does not describe the exercises ad activities that might be used en route, nor does it deal with the ways in which the framework might be changed to accommodate specific available conditions or terrain.
In what follows, the descriptions of the maneuvers can be thought of as a series of ‘ snap shots ’ of points throughout the skier ’ s development. The learning process itself has a much more gradual, evolving character. Rather than the crude set of steps described below, the learning process is best thought of as a continuum; the Central Theme Progression simply selects some of the major stages along that continuum, and identifies the key technical points that are involved at these stages.
3
The Central Theme Progression The overall route mapped out by the central theme is as follows:
4
Introductory Activities Here, the objective is for learners to become familiar with the equipment and to develop coordinated movements on skis. They learn activities such as walking and turning on the flat, and climbing on gentle gradients. Fundamentals - Movements, Balance How to:
Create a safe, supportive environment to put the learners at ease. Choose terrain with a safe run out. Establish expectations of the learners. Be aware that new learners may have very limited knowledge and may need help with everything at this stage.
5
Sliding In learning to slide downhill, the main objectives are the development of good postures and balance. The skier needs to be:
Standing with feet comfortably apart Using all joints when moving in the vertical plane balancing over the feet Holding the hands slightly forward and away from the body, at around hip level Looking ahead with a horizontal eye-line Fundamentals - Posture, Balance
NB It should be noted that at this time, control of speed comes from the instructor ’ s careful choice of terrain.
Adopt a ready, responsive position over the middle of the skis.
6
Ploughing Fundamentals - Rotation, Edge Having developed good posture and balance, the next objective is for skiers to learn to control their speed with a gliding plough. To start ploughing, both legs are stretched and opened a little whilst turning inwards to produce a gliding plough. Edging occurs automatically as the feet are displaced wider than the hips. As the size of the plough is varied the hips will rise and fall as a result of the movement of the legs. 
Rotate both skis inwards to produce a gliding plough. The ski tips should almost touch.

Find a pivot point underneath the toe piece of the binding displacing the feet a little wider than the hips.

Allow edging to occur automatically at this stage it is very subtle. To begin ploughing learn to rotate the feet and ski inwards NB: it should be noted that control of speed now comes from a combination of careful choice of terrain and a comfortable narrow gliding plough that promotes sound balance and posture.
7
Plough Turning Fundamentals - Rotation, Edge From the existing plough, the feet are gently turned towards the desired direction of travel. This simple movement is enough to cause both skis, and therefore the whole plough to change direction.
To begin plough turning, learn to rotate the feet to steer the skis As this is done, the skier will begin to feel a gradual build-up of pressure against the ski. This is a natural consequence of the skier ’ s momentum trying to continue in a straight line as the ski begins to turn. Feel for this pressure build up, and allow the outer leg to bend and settle in order to control and manage the pressure against the outer ski as the turn progresses. When bending, the ankle, knee and hip must all flex evenly. The legs are then stretched to recover back to home base / neutral stance and allow steering into the next turn. Control of speed is now achieved by changing direction and the plough should remain the same size throughout with a stance ( distance between the feet ) similar to parallel Feel for the pressure building up towards the end of the turn and allow the outer leg to bend and settle, then recover by stretching the legs and steer into the next turn.
8
Developing Plough Turning Aim - To control speed and line on steeper terrain or when travelling faster ( blue level skier ) . Fundamentals - Rotation, Edge, Pressure Control To begin to steer the skis more positively while ploughing, the legs are stretched more actively at the beginning of the turn. This stretching of the legs presses the skis more strongly against the snow, creating a more positive initiation of the turn. To control the pressure build-up later in the turn, allow the outer leg to bend and settle as before. The skier should feel the leg muscles pointing the skis around the curve. To steer the skis more positively, develop active stretching of the legs to press the skis more firmly against the snow.
9
Plough Parallel Fundamentals - Rotation, Edge, Pressure Control Once skiers are able to steer by using a snowplough, the next objective is to develop control at higher speeds and on steeper terrain. As speed begins to increase, the skier can gain greater support against the outer ski. At this stage, the inner ski can be steered to match it parallel to the outer one towards the end of the turn. This is achieved by changing the edge of the inner ski and turning the inner leg and foot. The ski is pivoted under the foot, causing the ski tips to move apart. To match the inner ski parallel, learn to rotate the inner leg and foot To begin the new turn, this leg and foot is then rotated back to re-establish the plough shape as the legs are stretched to press the skis against the snow. To re-establish the plough, rotate the new outer leg and foot
When plough turning, the outer ski is on its inside edge while the inner one is slightly edged or even flat throughout the turn. As the skier progresses he/she learns to change the edges. This is a sequential action: first, the outer ski changes edge as it is pivoted into the new turn; then as it is steered and matched parallel, the inside ski also changes edge. To help learners cope with steeper terrain and increased speeds include traversing and side-slipping ( edging skills )
10
Mountain Skills – traversing and side slipping While traversing and side slipping should be considered as developmental activities that are used at various stages during the Central Theme progression, it is worth giving them a special mention at this point. For safety reasons it is considered necessary to include these skills around this stage so that the learners can cope with steeper terrain and increased speeds.
Traversing Aim – To move around and travel across the slope in balance. Fundamentals - Edge How to:
Stand facing across the fall-line with the natural edge tilt to avoid sliding.
To start traversing, either reduce the edge tilt equally on both skis or start to point both skis more downhill until you start moving forwards.
Balance on the edges of both skis, look forward and control the amount of edge tilt equally on both skis to continue traversing
Side Slipping Aim – To loose height without traversing across the slope Fundamentals - Edge How to:
Starting in the same position as the traverse simultaneously release both edges and flatten both skis off by moving the centre of mass down the hill.
To slow the slide re-engage the edges and generate grip by increasing the pressure and moving the centre of mass back up the hill.
11
Plough Parallel Turning to Parallel Turning As speed continues to increases, the skier can gain support against the outer ski earlier in the turn. This allows the inner ski to be steered and matched sooner, reducing the duration of the plough. To reduce the duration of the plough, learn to steer and match the inner ski earlier The earlier the outer ski supports the skier, the earlier the inner ski can be turned. To aid this process, the stretching movement of the legs develops. By stretching the legs more positively to press the skis more strongly against the snow, greater grip and support are obtained at the start of the turn. This allows the outer leg to be turned less and pressed more against the snow. To increase grip at the start of the turn, learn to stretch the legs more positively. As the skier progresses from plough-turning to parallel turning and evolution gradually takes place in how the edges of the skis are changed. Up until now, the edges have been changed by moving and tilting the feet underneath the body. Now, with the increase in speed combined with more active stretching of the legs, the body and hips begin to cross over above the feet. This is called the Crossover and allows the hips to follow a line inside that of the feet. To move towards parallel skiing, develop the feeling of the path of the hips flowing across the path of the feet.
12
Parallel Turning Fundamentals - Rotation, Edge, Pressure Control With a gradual increase in confidence and speed, the skier can continue to change the blend of the steering elements. By pressing positively with the feet at the start of the turn, the skier gains early support from the new outer ski; by allowing the hips to flow across the feet, both skis can change edge simultaneously; by rotating both legs smoothly and in unison, the skis are steered parallel around the arc. As the turn progresses, the legs are once more allowed to bend, controlling the build up of pressure and maintaining balance to the completion of the turn.
This is a useful stage at which to introduce the pole plant. Using a smooth, co-ordinated arm movement, the pole is planted towards the inside of the turn. By planting it just as the legs begin to stretch and the hips begin to flow across the feet, it provides an aid to balancing as the pressure and edging of skis is changed. To ski parallel, learn to press first, let the hips cross the path of the feet to assist with changing the edges, and rotate both skis simultaneously
13
The Principles of snowsports teaching On the surface, it seems fairly obvious that a teacher ’ s prime goal is to insure that their pupils learn to improve. In a recreational snowsports environment however, two other factors have an even higher priority: safety and enjoyment. The principle is summarized by the acronym SEL: Safety, Enjoyment, and Learning. In other words, even if it means reducing enjoyment or slowing down the learning process, the teacher ’ s first priority must always be to ensure the safety of their pupils. Then, provided that everyone ’ s safety has been assured, it is preferable that the class has lots of fun and learns a little, rather than that they learn a lot and have a miserable time.
The key areas of knowledge, which underpin SEL, are:
14
Introduction to teaching In order to be a skilful instructor there are several key attributes that need to be in place. Teachers need to understand their subject, they need to be in full command of safety considerations and they need to be able to deliver what they understand in an effective way.
Understanding Performance Performance Analysis is one of the most important skills we can have as an instructor. It is the essential link between our understanding of all aspects of performance and the content delivered in our teaching sessions. If we are not able to analyse performance accurately then our knowledge is useless and our delivery misses the chance to improve performance. Performance analysis is not just about finding out what is wrong with a performance, but also finding an effective way to improve it. This section sets out a model for performance analysis which gives instructors a framework to operate. The goal is to have a system which makes our teaching as effective as it can be. The model shown here is a simple format for less experienced instructors who need to get the basics in place. A more expanded version is explained in the BASI manual if you wish further reading. A simple model for performance analysis - TIED
Task - Setting and Performing the task
Information - Gathering Information
Evaluate - Evaluate Performance
Develop - Making Decisions and interventions to allow the performer to develop
Task - The task must be clear to the performer as it is to the instructor. The task may be part of a larger goal but the only thing the instructor should be focussing on is the current task in the current context. Information - As long as the task is clear then the instructor and/or learner can gather information on the performance. This part of the learning process the emphasis is on noticing things and becoming aware of what is happening; not about making judgements on quality or effectiveness. Evaluation - We compare the performance to a template of how we would like the performance to be and thus establish if there is anything missing or if there is anything wrong with the performance compared to the expected or desired performance. We can ask ourselves; What would I change in the performance if I could? And Why is the performance not as we would like it? Develop - The develop stage is where the instructor and learner agree on how they are going to achieve the desired performance of the same task or if it is necessary to try a different task.
15
TIED model and learning Several learning activities are vital to enable effective learning.
The performance analysis model
( T IED ) used in the Teaching section highlights four sets of activities necessary to develop performance:
A task is set and attempted
The instructor and perhaps also the learner collect information about the performance.
This information is then evaluated and analysed.
From this, further developmental steps are decided, and the next task may be suggested.
This same concept can be applied to the learning process itself. For example:
Imagine having a go at a skiing task
Whilst skiing you collect information about your performance.
At some point you reflect on this information and evaluate what happened.
To develop further, you decide to do a few runs on easier terrain so you can really focus.
16
Learning It is important to establish a basic understanding that learners `learn` in different ways. Substantial research over the past fifty years has led to some very complex categorization of learners. The philosophy and background to these can be very interesting if you are so inclined. Life would be simple if everyone learned the same way. However the differences in learning styles make instructing very interesting. Learners tend to fall into 6 categories, those who learn best as; Watchers
who work best with demonstrations, pictures and visual imagery
Thinkers
those who need technical explanation and descriptions
Feelers
who work best with information on what it should feel like
Listeners
who use sound and rhythm to aid learning
Doers
who just want to get on with it
Martians
the `space cadet` who appears not to fit any of the above but is clearly learning
Joking aside, the task we have as instructors is to present our lessons in such a way that there is something for everyone. On top of this, it is accepted that, on average, the maximum serious attention span for any particular approach to teaching is about 20 minutes. Are you ready to become a `more effective` instructor? To be a `more effective` instructor all you have to do is accept the two facts outline above and be prepared to do something about it. By varying our approach to instructing we are likely to accommodate the majority of learner types and keep the learners attention. Thinking this way, we can start to view our lesson as a series of `episodes` within one lesson. Each episode might have a particular approach or style of presentation. Like many things in many sports `teaching styles` are as complex as we make them. This course is also about simplifying complex `teaching styles` Research has shown that people learn………………………… 5% From a Lecture 10% From Reading 20% From Visual Aids 30% From Demonstration 50% By Discussion 75% By Experience 90% By teaching 17
Delivery To deliver sound teaching sessions that are enjoyable and where progress is made quickly and safely, ski teachers require a blend of knowledge and understanding, as well as the practical skills of planning and delivering. At the same time attention must also be given to all the other factors that affect the potential for learning. Delivery is about what happens during our teaching sessions.
The Learning Environment Many factors affect the learning environment. Some of them we can influence and shape on purpose such as the activities and the terrain we choose. Others are outside our control such as the weather or the make-up of the characters within a group, although we may be able to limit negative factors to some extent. Here are some, try to think of more and which our within our control.
The weather conditions
Learners familiarity with the dryslope environment
The group dynamics
Level of challenge in the sessions
How engaged and cared for the clients feel
Our communication skills
How we deliver feedback
Our choice of teaching styles and delivery
How able we are to read our clients 18
Preview sheet: conducting a teaching session Getting the learners ready Welcome and introductions Have a friendly and cheerful disposition Learn names and help learners to feel comfortable Check clothing and equipment Highlight safety points Prepare physically and mentally Clarify the needs of the learners Clarify aims and outcomes of the session Refer to FIS Code of Conduct
Improving performance Give clear and accurate directions, explanations and demonstrations Ensure maximum useful learner activity Provide opportunities for learners to ask questions Maintain a safe and enjoyable learning environment Check the learners understanding Observe and analyse the learners ’ performance Identify strengths and areas for change Provide useful and accurate feedback Refer to FIS Code of Conduct
Bringing the session to a close Round off the activity at an appropriate point Provide a summary of what was done and achieved Give learners the chance to provide you with feedback on what they achieved Enquire into the learners’ future needs Advise learners of preparation required before their next session Supervise learners ’ departure from the learning environment Clear up and put away any equipment and clothing Leave the environment as found Refer to FIS Code of Conduct
19
Performance Indicators for the Central Theme Central theme
Straight Running
Ploughing
Early Plough Turning
Some Key Elements Posture;
Balance;
Feet hip width apart
-Rounded back
-Horizontal eye-line
Pelvic tilt
-Even flex at joints
-Hand and arm carriage
Stretching
Turning Legs
Rotation – rotate both
Right speed
feet in desired direction
Bending ( recovery )
-correct terrain
Awareness of stance
Bend and settle to
Stretch and settle
control pressure
( r ecover )
Rotation – rotate outer
Active stretch to
Bend to control
foot in desired direction
introduce early turning
pressure
of travel
pressure
of travel Rotation – rotate both Developing Plough Turning
Later Plough Turning
Early Plough- Parallel
feet in desired direction of travel
Stretch at start of turn
Rotation of inner foot
Maintain posture and
( t o match skis )
awareness of line of
nearing end of turn
travel
Developing Plough-
Active stretch at start of
Earlier matching ( turn
Bending and stretching
Parallel
turn
inner foot earlier )
movements
around fall line
Later Plough- Parallel
Early Parallel Turning
Active stretch at start of
Even earlier matching
the turn to provide early
– b efore the fall line-
support and balance
Towards simultaneous
against outer ski
leg movements
Active stretching and
Simultaneous rotation of
Allow body to cross
simultaneous leg
both skis
over – simultaneous
movements
Awareness of hip crossover
leg change
Developing parallel
Active stretching
Pole plant as you press
Legs bending to control
Turning
developing early turning
and crossover
pressure throughout
pressure and grip
And Beyond……..
turn
Variations in line of
Adaptive dynamic
Rhythm and co-
travel
movements
ordination
20
Performance Rating Scales/Learning Phases descriptors BASI ’ s Rating Scales and Learning Phases descriptions of performance and learning relate directly to the Fitts and Posner model of skill acquisition
LEARNING PHASE
RATING SCALES
0 I Don ’ t know
Early awareness
1
You need to become more aware of
I think I understand but….
this element. Late awareness
2
This element is beginning to appear in
AHA! I get it….
your performance but still requires some awareness development
Early Practice/Development
3
Are beginning t use this element but
I can ’ t feel it, is this Ok?
the movements are not properly organ-
Late Practice Development
4
The element is used in your perform-
It works OK as long as I think about it
ance but not with consistency and versatility, you are still in the practice
Early Acquired
5
The element is used in your perform-
I don ’ t have to think about it
ance with consistency and versatility Late Acquired
6
The element is autonomous and used
I can trust it even when the going gets tough
with creativity
21
The FIS Code of Conduct for Skiers and Snowboarders 1.
Respect for Others
A skier must behave in such a way that he does not endanger or prejudice others. 2.
Control of Speed and Skiing
A skier must ski in control. He must adapt his speed and manner of skiing to his personal ability and to the prevailing conditions of terrain, snow and weather, as well as to the density of traffic. 3.
Choice of Route
A skier coming from behind must choose his route in such a way that he does not endanger skiers ahead. 4.
Overtaking
A skier may overtake another skier above or below and to the right or to the left provided that he leaves enough space for the overtaken skier to make any voluntary or involuntary movement. 5.
Entering and Starting
A skier entering a marked run or starting again after stopping must look up and down the run to make sure that he can do so without endangering himself or others. 6.
Stopping on the Piste
Unless absolutely necessary, a skier must avoid stopping on the piste in narrow places or where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a place, a skier must move clear of the piste as soon as possible. 7.
Climbing and descending on foot
Both a skier climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the piste. 8.
Respects for Signs and Markings
A skier must respect all signs and markings. 9.
Assistance
At accidents, every skier is duty-bound to assist. 10.
Identification
Every skier and witness, whether a responsible ( guilty ) party or not, must exchange names and addresses following an accident.
22