Well, now that summer is starting to set in in the northern hemisphere, and the World Cup Finals have come and gone (Hirscher won the Giant Slalom shortly after these training runs, and took home the crystal globes for a record-breaking sixth consecutive overall title, as well as the season's GS and Slalom titles.)
Here are some questions for discussion, based on PSIA's current "Five Fundamentals" (of which I am not necessarily a big fan):
1. How (with what movements) does Hirscher "control the relationship of the Center of Mass to the base of support to direct pressure along the length of the skis," and what is the outcome? (How is pressure distributed, fore-aft, in each turn phase? How much, and where in the turns, does he "bend his boots"? Why? How can you tell? How do external forces, inertia, and momentum apply?)
2. How does he "control pressure from ski to ski and direct pressure toward the outside ski," and what is the outcome? (How much pressure is on each ski in each part of the turn? When, and at what rate, does the pressure "transfer" from ski to ski? When, if ever, is the pressure "50:50"?
3. How does Hirscher use "a combination of inclination and angulation" to control edge angles throughout the turns? Where in the turns are his edge angles highest? Lowest? Are they the same for each ski? (Definitions: note that I use "inclination" to describe the leaning of the center of mass into a turn for balance, and "angulation" to describe the more-or-less lateral angles of the ankles, knees, hips, and spine that skiers can use to adjust the angle beyond that from inclination alone. Both movements also affect ski-to-ski pressure and balance, and both apply simultaneously--they are not "opposites" or "alternatives." Inclination with no angulation has traditionally been called "banking." The amount we tip our skis from horizontal--the "tipping angle"--is the degree of inclination + the degree of angulation. The edge angle on the snow incorporates tipping angle plus or minus the angle of the slope--in the top half of the turn, the slope angle reduces the edge angle; in the bottom half, slope angle increases edge angle.)
4. Does he, and if so, how does he "control the skis' rotation (turning, pivoting, steering) with leg rotation, separate from the upper body"? To what extent do these muscular movements apply during different parts of the turn? What is their effect? Does he use other mechanisms that DO involve the upper body as well? How can you tell?
5. How does he "regulate the magnitude of pressure created through ski/snow interaction"? What are the forces involved? When do they take place? What does he do (what movements) to manage these forces? (Note that in this case, "pressure" equates simply to total force--not to the distribution of the force--fore-aft, side-to-side, or over an area.) How does Hirscher use these forces to accomplish his desired purposes and intents?
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What else is going on? How does he use his poles? How does he "get forward"? How do the movements of the "five fundamentals" combine and blend in direction, time, and effect? How does what I've called "The Infinity Move" apply here? What are Hirscher's tactics and line choices? What are his "default movements," and what movements represent situational exceptions?
Here's the Infinity Move clip again, for reference:
Best regards,
Bob
