Perhaps, in order to truly understand Mike’s incredible ability to teach skiing, it is best to start by analyzing the problems with the ways skiing is generally taught.
First off, skiing is intrinsically a complex ballet of motions, movements, shifts of balance, etc. However, if you are going to try and think your way through those steps, not unlike a student dancer counting out the beats, you will only be on step 3 when your circumstance demands step 12, which will lead to the inevitable tumble in the snow.
Most teachers reminded me of a cartoon of Goofy learning to play golf in which the narrator tells Goofy to lower his left shoulder, raise his right shoulder, lean his torso in, push his bottom out, bring in his left elbow, lower his right elbow, balance his weight evenly on his feet but bend his knees, lean into the ball, etc., etc., etc … OK, now swing. The result looked like a rubber band wound up tight in a toy airplane. When Goofy swings, he unwinds just like the rubber band.
The range of instruction for skiing included put your weight on the downhill ski, lean your hips into the hill, lean your torso down the hill, have the uphill ski about three inches ahead of the downhill ski, keep your shoulders even and pointed down the mountain, turn your hips, move your body up (what the hell does that mean anyway?), unweight the downhill ski, reweight the uphill ski, etc., etc., etc…and the result was not dissimilar to the Goofy golfing cartoon. Essentially, you can’t think your way through a ski turn at the expert level, you simply have to move with the rhythm.
Mike’s solution is to identify that ONE item in your technique which most interferes with the rhythmic motion, get you to understand that piece has to be changed, and then has you put on a great deal of mileage with that corrected movement. Once you have made that change a part of your muscle memory, Mike will identify what is now the item which most interferes with your rhythmic motion.
Eventually the correct motion simply becomes, as I mention above, muscle memory. Today, I don’t even notice the turn I’m currently making; I rely on muscle memory to make the turn. I’m thinking about a half mile down the mountain choosing my path to most effectively use the terrain, avoid people and obstacles, choose which path will be the most enjoyable, etc.
“Perhaps, in order to truly understand Mike’s incredible ability to teach skiing, it is best to start by analyzing the problems with the ways skiing is generally taught,” Ira Riklis continues.
“First off, skiing is intrinsically a complex ballet of motions, movements, shifts of balance, etc. However, if you are going to try and think your way through those steps, not unlike a student dancer counting out the beats, you will only be on step 3 when your circumstance demands step 12, which will lead to the inevitable tumble in the snow.
“Most teachers reminded me of a cartoon of Goofy learning to play golf in which the narrator tells Goofy to lower his left shoulder, raise his right shoulder, lean his torso in, push his bottom out, bring in his left elbow, lower his right elbow, balance his weight evenly on his feet but bend his knees, lean into the ball, etc., etc., etc … OK, now swing. The result looked like a rubber band wound up tight in a toy airplane. When Goofy swings, he unwinds just like the rubber band.
“The range of instruction for skiing included put your weight on the downhill ski, lean your hips into the hill, lean your torso down the hill, have the uphill ski about three inches ahead of the downhill ski, keep your shoulders even and pointed down the mountain, turn your hips, move your body up (what the hell does that mean anyway?), unweight the downhill ski, reweight the uphill ski, etc., etc., etc…and the result was not dissimilar to the Goofy golfing cartoon. Essentially, you can’t think your way through a ski turn at the expert level, you simply have to move with the rhythm.
[You are reading the notes of Ira Riklis of this thoughts on skiing.]
“Mike’s solution is to identify that ONE item in your technique which most interferes with the rhythmic motion, get you to understand that piece has to be changed, and then has you put on a great deal of mileage with that corrected movement. Once you have made that change a part of your muscle memory, Mike will identify what is now the item which most interferes with your rhythmic motion.
“Eventually the correct motion simply becomes, as I mention above, muscle memory. Today, I don’t even notice the turn I’m currently making; I rely on muscle memory to make the turn. I’m thinking about a half mile down the mountain choosing my path to most effectively use the terrain, avoid people and obstacles, choose which path will be the most enjoyable, etc.”