Pivot

[oldschoolskier]

Here is the thing that you need learn regarding gates.

HIGH and EARLY.

Whether you achieve this or not is something else but you strive for this. The simple reason is as you get low and late you are starting to play catch up to the point where you can’t tighten a turn any more to make the next gate. It is easier to open a turn.

If you watch the best, when on their best and passing the gate they are already starting the turn for the next gate. If they are off they are jamming the turn to get back early. If they are really having an off run, they just get later and later and later, losing time at each turn or crashing because the forces required increase.

While there is a lot more technical stuff to this (coaches and instructors chime in here) this little basic concept will make a huge difference.

In terms of Pivot or Stivot, it is a way of changing the skis direction to the new line before setting the edge (IMHO a Hail Mary type move) that allows you to be late and still pull off the turn.

 

[jimtransition]

What triggered the question was somewhat a steeper course. I watched a bunch of U19s doing it and most stivoted to some degree. I'd try to arc and either just barely make it, or blow out. Granted, real skiers were going a lot faster and on straighter skis. For now, cleanly arc'ing that slope is beyond my ability.

Yes, I think the hard part is to be forward enough to cleanly transition to an arc. I was curious about training for this, since most of the online instruction is focused on something else.

Just because you see kids on fis reg GS skis stivoting, doesn't mean you need to on your shorter skis, like I said, focus on what you need to do to ski the course as cleanly as possible and you'll get there. From what I remember from your video, just getting onto the outside ski better will do wonders.