To Extend or Not to Extend– That is the Question
To Extend or Not to Extend: That is the Question
By, Chino Martinez
Up and down, down under, cross over, retraction turn, bend your knees… etc., etc., etc. – what happened with these “old skool words”?
Why could we ski like this for years and years, but now we don’t do it anymore…
I know most of you are going to answer like a ski instructor or a coach:
“The equipment has changed”!
I understand that but the mountains and the snow DON’T. They didn’t change.
-So why don’t we talk any more about extension and flexion?
Has it become too complicated and confusing to teach our clients, student, and racers?
This is simple physics: the mountains (as we are skiing down) are falling down, duh!
So if you want to stay in touch with the snow you have to extend and flex? Otherwise you……..? – jump, yes!.
Ski-snow contact is coming from your extension and flexion: period.
As you start a new turn, your legs are getting longer and as you finish the turn, your legs are getting shorter! How can we call this anything but flexion and extension?