Giant Slalom Technique

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Giant Slalom Technique

Giant slalom (GS) can be one of the most fun events in alpine skiing, but it can also be the most frustrating one. The main difference between slalom and giant slalom is that it is greater distance between the gates. The speed is thus greater and one of the greatest concerns a skier has when performing this event is the timing as to when to nish or begin the turn.

Dominique St. Arnaud performing a GS turn with weight on her outer ski. As is the case with any alpine event, it is important that the skier is balanced well in reference to back and front weight. The position over the skies should be neutral, meaning that the weight is equally balanced forward and backward. This enables the skier to be more ready for the different terrain and obstacles that is present in the course, but it also enables the skier to get a faster grip on his way into the turn. The positioning of the hips is also important. Great exibility in the hips is required for being able to perform any qualied turn in alpine skiing, as most of the technique is performed from the hips down to the ankles. One should start a turn with slightly forward weight, enabling the tip of the outer ski to get an early grip. The shoulders need to be leveled horizontally so that the weight to the outer ski is maximal. At this point, depending on the slope, it is important to angle the knee into the slope, creating the desired angle against the surface. The shaped skies used today enables skiers to arc throughout the

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Giant Slalom Technique

http://www.plav.net/webmaster/giant_slalom_technique.htm

whole turn, so it's crucial that the skier "follow his skies through the turn. If the skier leans backwards at this point, which is easy and the most natural thing to do, the skier will have problem getting out of he turn in time and therefore be late into the next turn. The pressure should be at its maximum right before the skier passes the gate. If the pressure comes after the gate, the skier will create too much friction relative to the ground. Another thing that is important is that the skier needs to look forward at any time and look ahead for the next two gates. This is because the skier needs to plan the desired and most efcient path.

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