Alpine Assessment Activities

Short Radius Turns: These are speed-controlling, short turns that are performed in a corridor about ½ a groomer width on advanced terrain.

Application of Fundamentals

• Skis are parallel with similar edge angles, releasing and engaging simultaneously.
• Skis are guided through an arc with leg rotation to maintain consistent shape at a high speed.
• Upper body is stable and not involved in directing the skis.
• Rhythmical round turns are performed for the entire run where speed is consistent and maintained OR able to be changed as directed.
• Skis edges are engaged at or slightly above the fall line. Progressive flexion of the joints helps to regulate the magnitude of pressure created through ski/snow interaction.

Medium Radius Turns: Linked high performance turns that are on groomed intermediate terrain about 3 groomer widths wide. Predominantly carved turns where the speed should be moderate to high.

Application of Fundamentals

• Progressive tipping movements with high edge angles in the fall-line and little to no skidding.
• Turn shape is consistent and is done primarily from skis being tipped and bent.
• Path of the tail follows the tip of the skis which leave two well defined arcs in the snow.
• Directing pressure towards the outside ski happens early in the turn phase.
• Tipping of the skis originates from the legs with some inclination at the start of the turn and decreases towards the end of the turn.

Performance Short Radius Turns: – 1.5 groomer width corridor on groomed intermediate or easy advanced terrain. The skier performs round, short turns utilizing ski design. Ski design and speed should provide energy that allow the skier to reach the edges of the corridor. Performance Short Turns Video

Application of Fundamentals:

• Ski performance is as carved as possible in shaping phase, given terrain, conditions, and ski design.
• These are not fall line oriented, speed controlling short radius turns.
• The skis are tipped and engaged before they are turned.
• The skis are parallel with similar edge angles.
• Both skis are engaged and bent in shaping phase of the turn. Speed is controlled through turn shape.
• Fore/aft pressure control is managed through proportional flexion and extension of all joints.
• The torso remains stable and disciplined.
• The skis are steered back under the body through edge change.

Pivot-slips: On groomed, advanced terrain, the skis are turned from right to left and left to right with legs rotating primarily from the hip socket – Skier performs these pivots as the skis slip down the fall line. Pivot Slip Video

Application of Fundamentals:

• The skier changes and releases the edges of both skis, simultaneously.
• Stance width allows for the inside ski to be steered and remains relatively constant throughout the performance.
• The skier uses leg rotation to turn the skis smoothly, and continuously, versus abruptly, and/or with whole body rotation.
• The legs turn before the hips start to turn. The rotation of the hips occurs at the limits of leg rotation.
• The path of the feet is down the fall line, even though the skis may turn 180 degrees left or right.
• Skis should remain parallel at all times.
• The skier is able to maintain a roughly, 1 ski-length corridor.
• A change in direction of the skis should NOT begin with a hop, up-unweighting, stem, blocking pole touch or other influence other than a clean release and leg turning.

Skate – to shape – to short turns: On groomed, intermediate terrain, forward oriented skating blends over distance to skating that provides turn shape and then to performance short turns.

Application of Fundamentals:

• The skier shows propulsive skating, blending to shaping, and then to performance short turns using about one third of the allotted space for each, identifiable segment of the task.
• The lifted ski should be level with the surface, or slightly tip down, and remain closely directed towards the fall line.
• The skis should move primarily forward, leaving a clean slice at the end of the skating step.
• The skier should be in a balanced state and in control when moving from foot to foot through the entire task.

Skier controls the DIRT of pressure to the outside ski to move from skating to shaping.

Lane Changes: On intermediate or advanced terrain, using the width of approximately three groomers. Starting with a pre-assigned number of performance short turns in a one-groomer-width corridor, the last turn enters is a medium radius turn. This medium turn should bring the skier across the center groomer width to the next corridor where short turns are again started. This is frequently performed with 5 short turns – one medium lane change – back to 5 short turns. L3 Lane Change

Application of Fundamentals:

• Short radius turns should have consistent shape and radius.
• Lane change is distinct, and of obvious difference in radius to the short turns.
• Medium turn going across hill must have shape and not be a traverse.
• The medium turn should carry energy across the fall line.
• All turns should have grip and shape above the fall line.
• The timing and intensity of movements should be adjusted appropriately for the different turn shapes.
• The first turn in each lane should be short, not medium.

1000 Steps: Diverging, forward oriented, stepping off an edged and holding outside ski during dynamic medium radius turns. 1000 Steps

Application of Fundamentals:

• The skier maintains proper alignment of body segments without tipping in, or over rotating.
• The skis move primarily forward rather than sideways.
• Each step should move the skier inside of the existing arc. – This is not simply marching through a medium turn.
• The skier maintains speed control by using continuous, diverging steps to get to, through, and out of the fall line.

Simultaneous, parallel hop turns: Roughly one ski width corridor on advanced, groomed terrain.  The skier hops in the air and the skis are pivoted in alternating directions while skis are off the ground. The skier leaps and pivots the skis in one direction while airborne and lands in a way that allows another leap and pivot. This process is continued for 10 – 15 hop turns. Hop turns Video

Application of Fundamentals:

• Both skis leave, and land on, the snow at the same time using primarily leg extension rather than retraction.
• The pivot point is under the feet with the legs turning under a stable upper body with equal turning of the tips and tails vs. the tails moving farther or quicker.
• With the COM over the BOS, the skis are generally level with the snow surface – not tip or tail high.
• The skis are pivoted across the fall line enough to maintain speed control.
• Each hop immediately follows the landing, with no time taken to regain balance or prepare to leap.

Railroad Tracks: Performed on intermediate terrain using a corridor approximately the width of one to two groomers. Skier uses the sidecut of skis and appropriate movements to perform pure carved turns, with no skidding. The skis should be managed to provide a radius inside that provided by their equipment. Railroad Track Turns

Application of Fundamentals:

• Tipping movements start in the boots with small movements that originate from the feet. As speed and turning forces increase, the skier’s body moves to the inside of the turn. As these forces are released, the body moves out of the turn and into the next.
• Balance and correct alignment of the body segments is maintained to allow the skier to direct pressure to the outside ski.
• Skis are tipped simultaneously and sidecut engages as skis travel forward along their length.
• Turning comes from sidecut and bending of the ski leaving two clean arcs in the snow.

Pain in the S: Short radius turns are made on a long radius turn path on advanced, groomed terrain. Work to keep the same level of ski design involvement no matter where the turns are in relation to the fall line. Pain in the S Video

Application of Fundamentals:

• All turns along the path are round, not pushed, regardless of relationship to the fall line.
• The bottom of the turns should not be edge sets or jammed.
• It should take several turns to get to, through, and out of the fall line portion of the long radius turn path.
• Appropriate blend of fundamentals should be used to maintain ski performance throughout all short turns.

Skiing on One Ski: This task may be varied based upon terrain, conditions and other factors. The skier may be asked to keep one ski off the snow through a series of turns or may be asked to repeatedly lift a ski in the same portion of a turn. Skiing on One Ski Video

Application of Fundamentals:

• The skier can lift one ski off the snow through a series of turns, or repeatedly lift a ski at the same place in a turn while maintaining fore / aft and lateral balance.
• The lifted ski should be level or slightly tip down.
• Shape of the turns should be round.  These are indicators of an accurate center of mass to base of support management (fore-aft and lateral balancing skills).
• A light dragging of the pole is acceptable; however, the pole usage should not be used to significantly impact balance.
• Turning should be accomplished by a turning of the legs, separate from the upper body.
• The ski should not be pushed into a turn.
• Tipping movements should begin in the feet and legs.

Hop to Short: Skier performs this activity on advanced terrain, in a one groomer width corridor, in a variety of potential conditions. This activity starts with a hop, landing with the skis in or near the fall line and ends with a shaping of a short radius turn. Hop to Short video

Application of Fundamentals:

• Direct hop at start of turn, through leg extension, towards apex of new turn.
• Skis are guided in the air towards the apex of the new turn.
• Skis land on the snow close to the fall line.
• Joints flex to absorb energy, allowing the skier to land in balance so they can immediately begin shaping the turn.
• Skis continue to shape the turn and control speed through leg rotation.
• Energy from shaping the bottom of the turn is used to initiate the next hop.

Outside Ski Turns: On intermediate or easy advanced terrain, the skier performs medium to long radius, dynamic turns, balancing against the outside ski from initiation through the shaping/control phase of the turn. The skier switches skis just prior to edge change, and glides on the uphill edge of the new outside ski for 1 ski length before changing edges. The turn shape is relatively round, and speed is consistent throughout the task. Outside Ski Turns video

Application of Fundamentals:

• The inside ski is off the snow through the initiation and shaping/control phase of the turn.
• During the completion phase of the turn, the skier transfers pressure to the uphill edge of the inside ski and is able to glide on this edge for approximately 1 ski length and through transition.
• In the turn transition, the skier shows control of ski to ski pressure by gliding onto the uphill edge of the uphill ski and lifting the downhill ski off the snow.
• The skier shows appropriate edging and pressure control movements as they flatten and change edges.
• The ski is guided to maintain speed control. This is not a carved turn.

Tuck Turns: In a corridor the width of one to two groomers, on intermediate terrain, Short to medium radius turns done from a medium or high tuck, reaching the skis to the edges of the pre-defined corridor.

Application of Fundamentals:

• The legs should extend as they reach for the edges of the corridor and retract as they come back towards the middle. The skier can stretch and bend the legs in tuck turns without vertical movement of the torso.
• The skier is able to maintain the relationship of the COM to the BOS to actively direct pressure along the length of the skis while in a tuck.
• The skier is able to use tipping movements in the feet and legs to provide edge angle while in a tuck.
• The skier is able to utilize turning of the legs, separate from the upper body while in a tuck.