The Role of "Force" in Skiing

At the time of the turn, it is what forces the skiers to lean, as if they were in a room where the wall was inclined. There are three main forces: gravity, centrifugal force and centripetal force. The role of gravity is obvious, it will push you down the hill. The effect of centrifugal force is a bit subtle. This apparent power feels like you are going straight out of the arc of rotation, but in reality it does not. Imagine the car turning on the ice. If it slips and leaves the arc of the turn, it does not rush out straight but rushes out along the tangent line.

In order to make more efficient use of centrifugal force, you have to tilt at a larger angle in the back section of the turn, not in the middle of the turn. If the letter C is used to denote a revolution, the turning force at the bottom of the C is the greatest, then the body must be maximally strained against centrifugal force at this point. Simply put, in the final corner of a C-shaped turn, the body must be in the lowest and one flexed position.

The opposite effect of centripetal force and centrifugal force is to pull you inward, which will keep you in balance. In fact, if there is no centrifugal force, the centripetal force will pull you toward the center of the arc of revolution. This centripetal force is a real force, because you have to turn your feet to produce it, otherwise you will take a straight line. You must find your balance between these two forces. The centrifugal force will increase with the speed and shape of the revolution, and the applied centripetal force must also increase accordingly. You can increase the centripetal force by moving the chins more toward the inner side of the turn and the control foot through the roll-off line at a greater angle.

The best skiers can still maintain a strong sense of balance when all kinds of forces are great. In such cases, the range of balance points will become very small. Only experience can tell you how to move the hips and Control the direction of the foot. One way to demonstrate how to deal with these forces is to find a friend who plays a drag game, using a ski pole as a rope, and trying to pull the skier on the other side toward you. As you pull, you will find yourself in a lower and more bent position. This pulling force is like the centrifugal force at the time of turning. It is the most effective method to deal with centrifugal force while keeping the body down while maintaining the direction of the upper body facing the pulling force.

The technique of controlling the direction is necessary because you have to know that if you want to turn the first step is to turn your feet in the direction of rotation. All rotations start with the feet. Turning your feet and coping with the forces generated by the turn are all key to skiing. Skiers are often said to have a pair of hot feet or educated feet. You must learn to control your feet. They are the secret to high-level skiing. The slight changes in the position of the foot determine how much the skis turn, and the depth and speed of the edge cut into the snow.

The foot is a tool that controls the snowboard through the snow lane. The twisting and movement of the foot controls the direction of the snowboard. The coaches will use snow shoes to draw an arc on the snow to demonstrate how to use the foot to control the direction. This action simulates the foot-to-direction control needed at all levels of skiing. Another trick is to put a pole in the ground and try to twist your feet around the poles. The power you use to twist your feet is to start a turning power.