How to learn to skate ski? Skiing. Techniques and rules of alpine skiing
Looking at the successes of the national cross-country skiing team, everyone wants to join this sport, if not at a professional level, then at least have amateur skills. You can do this yourself using a few simple recommendations. If there are schoolchildren in the family whose educational program includes skiing lessons, then you can take the child with you and try to repeat his movements on the ski track, and if this is not possible, then a short instruction will tell you how to learn to ski.
Preparation of inventory and equipment
The first tip to follow is careful selection of clothing and equipment. The necessary goods can always be seen in a sports store, where cross-country skiing are selected depending on the purpose and physical parameters of the future owner. The same criteria are used to adjust the poles, the height of which depends on the height of the skier.
A tracksuit and boots must be strictly in size; clothing that is too narrow or, conversely, wide will interfere with freedom of movement and cause some discomfort. During your first training sessions, you need to be prepared for multiple falls, so it is advisable to purchase a suit made of waterproof fabric and a thin lining that has sufficient thermal insulation.
Trail for a beginner
When you get to the ski range, you should not run headlong to the training areas of professional athletes, since such a ski track is replete with difficult descents and ascents. You definitely won’t be able to overcome such an obstacle on your own.
You need to choose small flat areas where ski tracks are marked using snowmobile equipment. Ready-made parallel grooves will allow you to keep your legs in the desired position until the body gets used to it and straight planting of the feet becomes an automatic reflex.
A sufficient depth of the ski track protects a beginner from the most common mistake, which is one ski overlapping another, which leads to an inevitable fall. To begin with, you can stand on your skis without moving to feel a little more confident.
Typical warm-up and balance exercises
A skier's training always begins with mastering the classic move, where the principle of parallelism of the legs is observed. You can learn to maintain balance with exercises performed on the spot. The first is rearranging the legs relative to each other, that is, alternately throwing the right and left legs forward. These “scissors” will allow you to get used to the ski track and feel the sliding.
The second exercise involves twisting and bending the body while keeping the legs motionless. This will allow you to correctly navigate the weight distribution and warm up the muscles of your back, shoulders and hips.
Now you can pick up the sticks, placing emphasis, and try to transfer some of the weight to them. Simultaneous pushing off will allow you to move along the ski track without using your legs. A gentle descent, where body movement continues by inertia, will help make the task easier.
Learning to overcome the climb
When broadcasting a cross-country skiing event, the daring with which athletes climb a steep slope is admirable. This method is called “herringbone”, but for a beginner it will not be easy. Expert advice on initial stage learning – a slower but safer “ladder”.
To perform a lift, you need to place your skis perpendicular to the height and move in a lateral step. You can first practice without skis so that the optimal step distance is mastered. The main thing is to observe the parameters between the inclined surface and the skis, this will prevent arbitrary sliding down. You can learn this method very quickly; it will always help on a steep and dangerous climb.
How to behave on the descent
The speed is exciting, but without sufficient skills, you need to be very careful going down the steep slope. If a beginner skier does not feel sufficient confidence in himself, then he should stop and use the “ladder” method in the opposite direction, that is, go down with a side step and continue the usual movement.
For students who want to try themselves as a racer, they should take an inclined position of the body, bend their elbows and move the poles back, holding them in the area armpits. This position will help concentrate your body weight relative to the movement of the skis and allow you to maintain your balance at a decent speed. Difficult descents with turns can be overcome by using frequent and small steps.
It is best to time the start of classes to coincide with clear weather, when a slight frost makes the snow quite hard. Starting to learn in warm weather with loose and wet snow will not be fun; there is a risk of snow mass sticking to the outer surface of the skis. Too low a temperature can also cause inconvenience.
You have everything you need: skis, poles, boots. Now you can try your hand at the snow. Everyone is interested in the question of how long it takes to learn to ski. You can learn to ski in four to five lessons, or you can spend the whole winter. It all depends on how successfully the beginner skier masters the basic techniques of skiing. It will take much more time to ski well, to become a real skier who can do everything and knows everything. But even here, the one who will not spare time and attention at the beginning of training and will conscientiously study all the techniques that a skier needs to know will always have an advantage.
Anyone who is attentive from the very beginning gradually becomes a competent skier. It's worse with impatient students. They immediately take on everything and, without mastering one, jump to another. Such would-be skiers will still be beginners in three years.
The skier's movements are simple. They are in many ways reminiscent of what a pedestrian or skater does on ice. You also need to walk on skis, pushing off alternately with your right and then with your left foot. The arms, as when walking, move in time with the legs.
In order not only to step, but also to glide - and skis are used for this purpose - you need to learn to transfer the weight of the body first to one leg and then to the other, as ice skaters do. During the first lessons, it is recommended to learn gliding without poles. In this way, you can quickly feel and grasp the correct rhythm of movements. It is more convenient to start classes on level ground, where there is already a paved trail, or, as it is called, a ski track.
If you look at a skier in motion from the outside, you will notice the following sequence: first he pushes off with his left foot, transferring the weight of his body to the right ski, and, sliding on it, continues to move. Then he pushes off with his right foot and slides on his left ski. If you do everything on command, counting, it will turn out like this: “one” - repulsion, “two-a-a” - sliding. "Once! Two-ah... One! Two-ah..
This is how the legs move, and at the same time, in time, the arms should move. When the right leg is pushed forward, at the same time the body is turned slightly to the right and brought forward left hand; pushing your left leg forward, bring your right hand forward.
To master these simple skiing techniques, three or four lessons will be enough. After that, you can take sticks with you.
The main thing a beginner skier needs to remember is calm. You should not rush and make sudden, impetuous movements: they knock you out of the desired rhythm and force you to spend much more energy.
From the very first steps, you must try to ensure that the kick with your foot is strong enough and noticeable. This is achieved by the fact that the skier rests on the support pad of the ski first with his entire foot, and then, lifting his heel, completes the push-off, as if putting all the force into the tips of his toes. It is useful to repeat all these movements without skis at home or while walking outside in order to properly push off on the snow.
Watching an experienced athlete run, it is easy to notice that he is in no hurry to tear away from the snow either the ski with which he pushes off, or the stick with which he leans on the snow. Compliance with these conditions allows him to ski rhythmically, with long steps, with the least expenditure of effort.
It's good to do alone or in a small group. Your comrades can always look at how you walk and correct you if you make mistakes. And it’s useful for you to watch others and learn the best from more experienced athletes.
If a novice skier is alone, then he should not be upset about this - he can practice alone without success. The correctness of the techniques must always be checked by how they turn out. With erroneous, incorrect movements, balance is lost and the straightness of the slide is disrupted. You need to carefully analyze all your movements, and then the error will be found.
For the first lessons, flat snowy areas are usually chosen. First, a ski track is laid in one direction (if there was none). Depending on the size of the clearing, wasteland, the ski track can be of different lengths. The most convenient length of such a training track is 100-150 - 200 meters.
But then you started the lesson and, walking along the ski track, you reached its end or the point that you had outlined for yourself in advance. Now we have to go back. To do this, you need to use one of the rotation methods. For beginner skiers, we recommend turning by stepping. If you need to turn right, then the movement begins at right side from the right foot, and if to the left, then from the left foot. At the same time, they do this. The athlete lifts the toe part of the ski and moves it 10-20-30 centimeters in the direction of the turn and lowers it onto the snow. With the next movement, he performs the same operation with the other ski. Putting his feet next to each other, he again moves the ski to the side. In this way, several steps are made until the skis are in the starting position for moving along the track in the opposite direction.
When making a turn by stepping, you do not need to raise the toes of your skis high; in this case, the heel part of the skis should not come off the snow, but be at one point. The mark from a correctly executed turn looks like an unfolded fan. With some skill, you can turn by stepping very quickly, not only in place, but also in motion.
But now you have learned to walk smoothly, sliding on skis on the snow. You realized that sticks serve not only for pushing, but also for maintaining balance. You know that you can change the direction of movement by stepping to the right or left. Now it's time to move on to the slides. For a beginner, sometimes even a small hillock seems huge, and descending from it seems an impossible task. But this is only the first impression - you can learn how to descend not only from a hillock, but also from a high mountain. But for this you need to gradually increase the difficulty of the lesson. The one who, having mastered one thing, will move on to studying another, more complex one, will do the right thing. It is best to slide down long and gentle slopes. On such slopes it is easier to feel what role the ability to maintain balance plays during descents.
You can go down in different ways. They say there are as many ways as there are skiers. Some, having slightly pushed one of the skis forward, slide off without even sitting down. Others, on the contrary, almost sit on their skis and stay in this position until the skis stop. Still others, bending slightly and crouching on half-bent legs, freely slide down, without fear of bumping into a skier who hesitates below or falls on the slope. But, despite the numerous ways, it is best to adhere to the basic provisions adopted for skiing.
Even during the first lessons, the skier was advised to ensure that the body was slightly tilted forward and the legs were bent at the knees. You must remember to comply with these basic conditions when riding downhill. If you follow them, you will fall less often, and you will sooner learn how to go down the slopes correctly.
Pay attention to how more experienced comrades begin the descent. Here one of them went to the edge of the slope and pushed off with sticks. As soon as the skis began to slide, he squatted slightly and leaned forward. In such a stance you can even slide down a steep mountain. The steeper the mountain and the longer the descent, the lower you need to squat. This position of the body reduces the resistance of the oncoming air flow and allows you to better maintain balance. At the very end of the descent, you need to squat even lower and move your body a little forward. They do this in order not to fall, because when moving from an inclined plane to a straight line, the skis end up slightly ahead of the skier’s body, as if overtaking him. At first, inexperienced skiers often fall at the end of the descent. With a certain skill, you can accurately determine when to sit down, when to slightly move your body forward and when to stand up.
You shouldn't be afraid of falling. As a rule, they do not leave any traces other than snow on the suit. However, you need to fall skillfully, trying to fall on your side, throwing your poles to the sides: if you fall back or forward, your skis and poles may break, and you may get hurt yourself.
At the same time as going down, you need to get used to going up without taking off your skis. It seems complicated at first, but there are several simple ways lifts that need to be used. Small slopes are climbed directly, leaning on poles and walking rather than sliding. On a steeper slope, they climb along an oblique line, and in order to climb faster, they use the ladder or herringbone climbing methods.
As the names already speak for themselves, the last two methods of ascent are so named because the skier’s tracks resemble a herringbone and a ladder in design. Climbing with a ladder is performed by turning your right or left side towards the slope. In the first case, the step begins with the right foot. Then, leaning on it and the stick, they pull up the left leg and place it next to the right. So, step by step, the climb is overcome using the “ladder” method.
Climbing up the mountain using the herringbone method, the skier, alternately leaning on poles, keeps the tips of the skis turned to the sides and takes long steps.
Experienced skiers quickly run up the mountain using these two methods. They are well aware of the situation and it happens that as they overcome the slope, they switch from the “ladder” to the “herringbone” and vice versa, and in some cases they sharply change the direction of movement and finish the climb along an oblique line to the side or avoid it by moving straight. When climbing with a ladder, you need to ensure that the rear ends of the skis are always slightly higher than the toes.
All these subtleties of ascent and descent are mastered and acquired through practice. By observing your comrades, it is easier to understand the reason for your own failures.
When descending in a straight line does not present any difficulties, they begin to learn how to turn right and left while moving and braking. There are several techniques for performing these movements. Let's focus on the simplest ones. The easiest way to turn to the side is to step in the same way as when turning on level ground. In order not to get tangled in the skis and fall, they make a turn, transferring the weight of the body to one or the other ski and slightly pushing the other one forward. It takes small steps that make up a turn.
They turn it like that. Transfer the weight of the body to one of the skis, and push the other ski forward. If you turn to the right, transfer your body weight to the right ski, and push the left ski forward. If you need to turn to left side, then they do the opposite.
When you ski downhill, you often need to slow down or stop. With some skill you can easily do both. The simplest method of braking is “plow” - this is the name of the position when the toes of the skis are brought together and the ends are spread apart. In order to place your skis this way, you should bring your knees together and your feet apart. The degree of braking and subsequent stopping of the skis depends on how sharply the skis are spread. You can stop by sharply turning your skis so that they stand sideways in relation to the slope. To make such a turn, you should jump slightly and shift your body weight back so that the toes of the skis can more freely take the desired position, that is, turn to the right or left at an angle of 90 degrees.
When braking, as during descents and turns, the skier must balance his body all the time, this will help him change direction faster and better or stop completely.
Mastering the descents, ascents and braking on skis is much more interesting than the first lessons. New sensations, the ever-growing independence of a beginning skier instill in him faith in himself, in his strength. Every success, and there are more of them the further you go, not only pleases the young skier, but also shows that he studies the techniques correctly and performs them accurately.
They say that a skier's skill is judged not only by his performance in competition, but also by the condition of his suit during training. There is a deep meaning hidden in this assessment: appearance The athlete shows his skill, his culture. An experienced and cultured skier is always careful. You look at him and think that this skier is preparing for a pleasure ride, and not for a difficult competition with strong rivals.
The best Soviet and foreign skiers are distinguished not only by their impeccable ability to use a rich arsenal of technical techniques, but also by the accuracy of their calculations and quick orientation in the environment. How many times have you seen how on steep slopes, somewhere on a winding forest road, racers participating in competitions have to maneuver among slower and less experienced competitors. And they do it very confidently, quickly, without wasting valuable time.
High sportsmanship is primarily achieved by experience, repeated repetition of the same thing. Not everything always works out equally well for everyone. One finds it easier to move on level ground, another feels great on descents, and the third does not care about any climb. A good skier combines all this, and you need to strive to be the same, sparing neither time nor labor.
Many of us love skiing, but often we don't ski as much as we walk, losing strength and balance. They will help you master the classic style and improve your skating technique. simple exercises. Read our tips, watch videos and improve!
Training will improve coordination and balance, teach you to feel better about your body, not only while skiing, but during any movement. In addition, exercise will allow you to burn more and get fit." problem areas" Quite quickly you will learn not to walk, but to roll, that is, you will be able to get even more pleasure from skiing.
Preparatory exercise
It can be done without skis at home, in the gym, in general, anywhere. It is very simple: stand on one leg, lift the other one from behind, stretch your arms forward and smoothly move them back, as if you were pushing with sticks. Try to stand on one leg for as long as possible.
Do not straighten the knee completely; the main weight of the body should fall on the heel, but do not completely unload the rest of the foot. This is necessary for stable gliding. This exercise itself tightens the buttocks and the area.
Classic alternating stroke
Loads the thighs, buttocks, calves, shoulders, triceps. For exercise, find 200-400 meters of ski track on a flat alley without potholes or slopes. It can be on the plain, or it can be with a slight slope, but without steep climbs.
1. Get into a ski stance : legs slightly bent at the knees, body slightly tilted forward. Don't use sticks yet, you can put them near a tree. Slide one foot forward and ride it as far as possible. To do this, you need to rely mainly on your heel and not tilt the ski, but keep it flat on the snow. Do several of these slides.
2. Now help yourself with your other foot : At the beginning of the slide, push off with the leg that remains behind. To do this, squat down with force on the leg with which you will push off, and also push off with the toe of the boot. Please note: it is with the force to press the ski down into the snow - then it will not slip back, which is often found among amateurs. If you do everything correctly, the heel of the boot will rise high above the ski. The push-off goes down, not back. Do a few push-off slides.
3. Now take the sticks and add the hand push to the foot push , alternating between right arm/left leg and left arm/right leg. Remember to squat before pushing off with your foot! If that doesn’t work, take shorter poles (they should be 20-25 cm below your height). And always place the stick “under you”: if you look from the side, the handle of the stick is brought forward a little further than the paw that rests on the snow. Otherwise you won't be able to push.
Stepless and one-step moves
They also belong to the classic style. They especially work the triceps, shoulders, back muscles, abdominals and buttocks. This is how they usually drive on the plain or on small slopes.
1. Stepless move . Start again at the ski stance. Extend both hands with sticks forward, but still place them “under you,” that is, the handles will be furthest from the body, not the paws. Bring your whole body behind your hands, straightening your knees, you can even lift your heels off your skis. You seem to “jump” forward, leaning your whole body on the poles, and then push back with them, at the same time squatting and strongly tilting your body forward. The latter is necessary in order to include not only hands in the work, but also larger and larger ones. strong muscles back, abs and buttocks.
2. One-step move very similar to the one described above, but at the same time with the sticks you also need to push off with the toe of one foot down, as in alternating. Here the muscles of the buttocks and thighs are more actively involved in the work, so physically this move is easier than the stepless one. However, do not forget to squat and tilt your body - this is quite enough to remove your belly without any abdominal exercises.
3. It is convenient to first accelerate a little with the already mastered alternating , and then stepless or single-step to maintain the speed. Please note that, when viewed from the front, the poles are placed parallel, and not “housed”. And yet, this will not work on a ski track in deep snow: there must be a fairly hard surface under the poles.
Try to devote some time to exercise 15-30 minutes in the middle and end of each ride . Within a month you will notice that you have begun to drive much more smoothly and faster, and you feel the muscles of your body working better. And you can even lose weight if you don’t compensate for everything you burned on the ski track at dinner.
Text: Tatyana Minina
Cross-country skiing is not only one of the most popular sports, but also an excellent recovery activity aimed at healing and rejuvenating the body, as well as strengthening the immune system. Cross-country skiing differs from alpine skiing in both technique and equipment, since it allows you to cover long distances on snow or small slopes.
Let's consider the classic method. It starts with selecting a route. It is better to choose paved ones, where the snow is smooth and the ski paths are clearly visible. In the wilderness or simply away from people, getting on cross-country skis for the first time will be much more difficult. When you get on your skis, you need to make sure that they are parallel and slightly bend your knees. The torso should be in a vertical position, the legs should not be bent at the hips. This will help to correctly, and most importantly evenly, distribute the weight on both legs. After the first stage is completed and you feel comfortable standing on your skis, slide on them a little. You just need to sharply move your legs forward, first one, then the other, to understand how much force is required to do this.
Cross-country skiing contributes to the development of muscles not only in the legs, but also in the whole body. They provide positive impact on the heart, lungs, circulation and mood of the skier.
How to ski?
Cross-country skiing has been and remains one of the most popular winter sports in our country. The climate in most regions of Russia allows skiing in winter not only on specialized slopes, but also simply in the nearest park or forest. In this article we will tell you how to ski, what you will have to learn at first, and what equipment you will need.
Ski equipment
Let's start, perhaps, with last question, namely: what you need to have for skiing. Previously, everyone used ordinary wooden skis, which were heavy and did not glide well on the snow. As production technology developed, first skis with a special plastic coating appeared, and then skis made entirely of plastic. Included with the skis are special ski poles, also made of plastic.
The skis have special bindings that help attach the skis to the shoes. At the moment, most skis are designed to be attached to special ski boots, so you'll probably have to get a new pair of shoes as well.
In addition, you will need to choose clothes that are comfortable for skiing. You must be wearing warm winter pants, socks, underwear, and on top - a T-shirt or T-shirt, a sweater and a warm jacket. Don't forget your hat and gloves. If possible, you should give preference to clothing made from light, natural materials. In addition, such clothing should allow the skin to breathe, since due to significant physical activity your skin will sweat. If you are afraid of getting sick, purchase special thermal underwear, which is designed for those who spend a lot of time outside in winter. You can buy it both in a sports store and in some lingerie stores.
You've also probably heard about special ski waxes that make gliding easier. There are many varieties of lubricants and ways to apply them depending on the external conditions and the style you ride. The most popular are:
- Imported - Swix, Rex, Briko;
- Domestic - Luch, MVIS, Visti.
Before purchasing ski wax, it is best to consult with the salesperson in the store.
Skiing technique
There are two main types of skiing: alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. Each of them has its own characteristics and techniques. In this article we will go into detail about how to cross-country ski.
There are two styles of skiing: classic (traditional) and skating (free).
Classic style
With the classic style of skating, all muscle groups are involved, both lower (hips and buttocks) and upper (especially the muscles of the shoulders, back and arms).
First, let's look at how to ski properly in the classic style:
- Stepless skiing is used on a gentle slope or on a flat surface. You will need to slightly bend your knees, make a synchronized swing with both arms and, pushing off the ground with poles, move forward. In this case, you do not need to stop and wait until you stop moving - having barely pushed off, repeat the movement with the sticks again and continue moving with acceleration. Each time you travel more and more distance.
- Another technique involves a single-step simultaneous move. In this case, you will need to again take the starting position with your knees bent, rest your ski poles on the ground, but try to push off with one foot from the ground in the same way as you push off when running, placing it on your toes. During the push with the sticks, one leg goes forward, and after it you continue to slide both legs along the surface. To avoid getting tired, change your legs while sliding: push with your right or left foot.
- Alternating stroke is used for climbing slopes. With this move, you will need to alternately put forward and push with your left arm and leg, then with your right. After pushing off, try to move forward on one leg as far as possible, and only then push off again.
Skating move
Now let's look at how to skate on skis. This style of riding to a greater extent strengthens the muscles of the inner thigh and side.
The skating move can be under one leg, or maybe under both legs. In both cases, you will need to make a Christmas tree with your feet, alternately pushing with one leg or with both legs alternately. Starting position: Knees slightly bent, body tilted forward towards the supporting ski. During the push, the sticks must be placed as far forward as possible and pushed off energetically. Skating with one leg allows you to develop greater speed and is used on climbs, but it is more tiring.