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Rising Star
I ski raced in college but was never very good. Couple things come to mind though:
- Do you have the right equipment?
- Are your skis sharpened for racing (and obviously waxed)?
- Are you taking lessons?
- Do you understand cross-blocking and turning “under” the gate?
What might prove very beneficial is:
- Watch YouTube videos of training instructors, of people below your level, at your level, above your level, and pros
- Do visualization exercises in your head once you’ve seen enough footage of what “good” looks like one level above where you’re currently at. I like to do this when lying in bed or in the shower.
- Make sure your stance is the correct width; should be about shoulder width apart. A lot of people think keeping your boots together shows they’re a “good skier” but you need a more stable base to be able to edge off your top and bottom edges.
Lastly, I can’t believe I remember this stuff...college ski racing was like 15 year ago, haha. ⛷
Ski raced at a competitive level from age 6-18, skied avidly since (realized I like bumps and trees much more than running gates). A few tips:
1)think about initiating your turns with the rise line of the gates in mind. This will likely be much earlier than anticipated and applies more to GS than slalom but is worth noting.
2) for slalom don’t neglect dry land. Too late for this season, but a good athletic base is key for the tighter turns. Focus on box jumping (forward and lateral), wall sits, and shuffles to build the juicy booty and explosiveness needed for tight turns.
3) slip the course actively prior to the race. Your goal is not simply to move snow of the track. plan ahead especially with more technically tricky sections (hair pins, under gates, etc.)
4) get craving as soon as possible. Staying on edge and transferring smoothly is the name of the game in ski racing and cannot be over emphasized.
5) don’t hit gates until you’re ready. While slapping on the shin and pole guards to smack some poles feels super satisfying, over leaning on your turns will significantly decrease your speed and increase your times.
These are wise words.
Can’t carve completely meaning starting and finishing a turn while on edges
Pro
There are some boot inserts that train you to carve better, called Carv. It's connected to your phone/headphones and gives you drills to practice.
I raced for about 10 years, unfortunately quit the sport because it contradicts with my busy season. I went to several camps that were really helpful back in high school. Otherwise practice and working with coaches.