By Dan Balkin
Maybe. Why the ambivalence? Any instructor who is a devoted student of the sport, and has taught skiing for many years, will tell you there is no single “tip” that will magically transform someone into an advanced skier. Like learning to play an instrument, being a skilled craftsperson, throwing a football like Josh Allen (Go BILLS!), or anything else imaginable that takes patience, grit, and determination to master – advanced ski turns are an art. Most ski students, if they are not beginners, have taken lessons before. If an instructor asks, they usually can cite a ski tip that made an impression on them. Why? Because they picked up a tip that was easy to comprehend and execute, and they immediately felt it improved their skiing. Bravo!
This one is my favorite – it’s not the only great ski tip I have heard, but for me the most important. It’s simple – while skiing, keep your ankles flexed – forever. Forever? I’m no theologian, but think of it this way: If we find heaven on earth skiing with our friends, why would we not find heaven in heaven doing the same thing? But let’s descend from the celestial realm and get back to our earthly ankles. One thing an instructor learns is not to take “instructorspeak” for granted. For many students, saying “Flex your ankles” is as if the instructor is speaking Greek. So, what does “Flex your ankles” mean? Let’s assume you might be reading this article at home or while devouring a burrito at Bike and Bean. Try this – lift all ten toes simultaneously. The dolled-up instructor term for this is “Dorsiflexion.” Do you feel how the front of your ankles (where the top of your feet meets the bottom of your legs) immediately tightens – along with the muscles and tendons in your shins? That’s ankle flexion! To really grasp it, however, stand up and try it; you will notice that lifting all ten toes at once will cause your knees to move over your toes – Bingo! Please look at the photo: The skier has his knees over his toes and his shoulders over his knees – the toes, knees, and shoulders line up in a straight vertical line. That, amigos, is a solid ski stance, and it MUST begin with ankle flexion. In ski boots, this will also cause your shins to maintain contact with the tongues of your ski boots, which is necessary to steer your skis. Curiously, we can even spot advanced skiers while they are standing in a lift line or even a lunch line – they have their ankles flexed. Why? They are so accustomed to doing it while skiing, that it becomes their default stance position while wearing ski boots.
Having spoken of ski heaven, we can imagine ski hell would be continuously making turns with your ten toes uncomfortably plastered to the top of your ski boots. It’s better to think of lifting all ten toes as an exercise to feel “ankle flexion.” Notice that once you feel and grasp the sensation of “flexing” your ankles that your toes will naturally and comfortably rise slightly upward. Why is ankle flexion so important while skiing? Physics 101 question: Have you ever, while making a ski turn, felt your legs being tossed onto the back of your ski boots while your skis scoot out front and you struggle to regain your balance? Sure – it’s probably even happened to Mikaela Shiffrin! What happened? You lost your ankle flexion. Bottom line: One can stand in shoes in a grocery line with little or no ankle flexion and remain in balance. While skiing on a slope, however, ankle flexion is essential for balance. Why? Forces generated by moving forward and turning on an incline (sounds like skiing!) nudge us back. You can counteract being nudged back by keeping BOTH your ankles flexed. This will help you to move forward with your skis (so they don’t scoot ahead of you), and lead to better balance and control of your skis. Intrigued? YouTube “Ankle flexion for skiing, why and how” by U.S. Olympic gold medalist Deb Armstrong.” Your mission? Flex on – Forever!