Ski Racing
Foundation skills need to be built outside of the race course, then those skills are taken back into the gates – Rick Schnellmann.
Alpine Ski Racing is thrilling and exhilarating for skiers, coaches and spectators alike. As a ski racer and race coach I have used and seen a range of ski racing techniques and drills. One of the most important principles in building a good racer is that you first have to build a great skier. Foundation skills need to be built outside of the race course, then those skills are taken back into the gates – Rick Schnellmann.
What is Alpine Ski Racing?
Skiing is generally divided into 3 main disciplines.- Nordic Skiing (cross-country), Alpine Skiing (downhill) and Freestyle Skiing. Alpine Ski Racing is the pursuit of time, the time it takes to get from a starting point to a finishing point on a pair of skis. International competition has developed a series of events which vary the length of the course, the number of turns required to complete the course.
Styles of Racing Events
- Downhill
- Slalom
- Giant Slalom
- Super-G
What do you need for Ski Racing?
Skills – All aspects of Skiing are required. Ski Racing DVDs
Equipment – Skis, Wax, Boots, Bindings, Technical assistance, Gloves, Poles, Helmet, Goggles, Clothing
Physicality – Strength, Mobility, Agility, Motor Skills, Proprioception, and access to Sports Rehabilitation
Resilience – The distance between hero and zero is measured in one-hundredths of a second, one error and the race is over, all done in the winter in the snow, where it can be really really cold and you are often on your own. Exhilaration and frump are not far apart
Psyche – Motivation, ability to manage fear, focus, intention, and the Ski Racer X Factor
How do you become a Ski Racer?
First you need to become a great skier. The drills in our Instructional Series are actually composed of the exercises and progressions I used as a race coach for many years. There are no gate training drills presented in the series. What it does offer are all the general skiing skills that make success in a race course possible. The Building Blocks Instructional Series teaches those skills
How do the Professional Ski Racers do it?
View photos of World Cup and FIS ski racers
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