Direct descent means skiing down a slope with both skis parallel, facing the fall line vertically. Practicing direct descent can help you master fundamental skiing posture, experience speed and skiing sensation, adjust the center of gravity, and increase adaptability to the slope and ski control. The key to the direct descent technique is using leg flexion and extension to maintain the correct skiing posture.
Key Movements:
- Keep both skis parallel with a slight separation, evenly distribute weight on both legs, and engage the entire foot.
- Slightly lean the upper body forward, with hips, knees, and ankle joints slightly flexed, maintaining a stable slightly crouched position, ready for leg flexion and extension.
- Let both arms hang naturally at the sides of the body, elbows slightly bent to assist in maintaining balance, keeping the shoulders in a relaxed state.
- Maintain forward vision, observing the terrain and conditions ahead, avoiding looking down at the skis.
Practice Methods:
- Start on a small platform on a gentle slope without ski poles, maintaining the correct posture while skiing down.
- Practice shifting the center of gravity forward and backward during the descent while keeping the skiing direction unchanged.
- Perform squats during the descent, touching the left foot with the left hand and the right foot with the right hand while maintaining the skiing direction.
- Slide down on a gentle slope, changing between high, medium, and low positions while keeping the skis and skiing direction unchanged.
- Experience the sensation of speed on a moderate slope, progressing to practicing skiing in a straight line using the inner and outer edges of both skis.
- Maintain a parallel position of both skis while sliding down, sequentially shifting the center of gravity to the left and right feet while focusing on straight-line skiing.
- Lift one ski off the snow surface while sliding down, keeping the other ski in a straight line, alternating between skis.
- Practice high-speed skiing on different slopes (gentle, moderate, medium) to adapt to variations in slope, snow quality, and terrain irregularities.
- Incorporate simultaneous light jumping of both feet while sliding down. Upon landing, ensure the correct posture and practice maintaining the straight-line skiing.
Considerations:
- During practice, pay attention to the effects of shifting the center of gravity upward, downward, left, right, and backward on the skis and learn methods to control the skis. Avoid solely pursuing speed.
- Be cautious of sudden acceleration during the ascent on a moderate slope, which may lead to a backward shift in the center of gravity and result in a fall.
- Progress gradually in the choice of slope and snow quality, starting from easy to difficult.
- Maintain a constant focus on relaxation during skiing practice to prevent tense and rigid movements.
- Leg flexion and extension are crucial for maintaining the correct posture. Emphasize and strengthen training through leg flexion and extension movements.