Alpine Movement Analysis - Okemo Tech Talks

By popular request, an alpine movement analysis session focused on gaining experience with observing and evaluating higher-end skiers and relating observations from those skiers to a level 2 candidate. Brandon also shares some tips on how he’s developed his own movement analysis skills over his career as well as some insights on how our evaluation and prescription processes relate to the Learning Connection model and finding success in our assessments. Featuring Brandon Bock

[@karlo407]

Re the fore-aft along length of ski (20:00), yes, he moves the hip forward. I think what stands out most, with respect how he does that, is the old outside leg. It shortens, then momentarily lengthens before shortening again. If he didn’t do that, his hips wouldn’t move forward, no matter what the new outside leg does. IMO

[@BrandonBock]

Just now saw this comment. Good observation and I think it's an interesting tactic I've seen a lot of high-end skiers use. Not sure of what your perspective is on that movement, but what I've seen is the quick shorten-lengthen-shorten movement right before turn transition can create a pressure spike much like standing on an old analog weight scale and suddenly pushing down. The weight scale shows you briefly getting heavier when you push before that old Newton's equal and opposite reaction kicks in and the scale shows you as getting lighter before it settles back down as you stand there. Two things I've observed that doing for skiers: 1) It helps you get light in transition, an outcome some skiers desire, and 2) since the amount we inclinate into a turn reflects the amount of force we're balancing against and we're decreasing inclination at the end of the turn, this sudden pressure spike can "launch" you into the new turn and, to your point, help move your body forward and into the new turn.