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RACE SEASON
Vincent Vittoz
Contributing Editor for the Master Skier
Vincent Vittoz is the current World Champion in the Pursuit. In recent years, Vittoz has won 12 World Cup medals, including five gold, four silver and three bronzes. He will be going after his first Olympic medals at Torino in 2006 and is a member of the French Ski Team. This article is taken from his Rossignol CD “Learn Fast with Vittoz.” This first article in a series teaches the basics of classical skiing. A FREE DVD is available at Rossignol Race Centers nationwide. Contact www.rossignol.com
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Vincent Vittoz showing good classic form in World Cup Race
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Fundamentals
There are three phases in proper classic striding.
In the first phase the feet are side by side and you lean slightly forward.
In the second phase you kick one of your feet. Your kick must be strong and powerful. This is the “power” part of the step.
Swing your hips forward to follow the kick to maximize your speed in the “glide” phase.
The current trend is to stand more upright during this phase.
Lower the shoulders to relax the neck by slightly lowering the arm and bending the legs.
The best way to progress in classic is to ski without poles. This develops balance by forcing you to concentrate on the kicks to make long strides and keep your feet in contact with the snow for as long as possible.
Another key to good classic technique is to bend the ankles to make the most of the power from your thigh muscles and increase your stride length.
Climbing
In classic climbing the steeper the hill, the quicker the steps.
While climbing you should stand straighter, bend your legs more and, if possible, widen the space between your feet.
You should also lengthen your stride to push the front foot further forward.
Herringbone
When the course rises too steeply you have to use the herringbone.
To herringbone well you must open the gap between your skis even more, shift from one leg to the other and push hard off the downhill leg.
Either you’ve waxed your skis for maximum grip or you turn your skis so the edges can bite the snow.
I’ve noticed that many skiers bend forward in this position. That’s an error.
You need to keep your upper body straight to maximize your kick power.
Double pole/kick
Double poling with kick is mainly used on flat terrain when the speed is too great to make alternating kicks.
In this situation, it is vital to make long, powerful kicks, and then shift into the simultaneous push stance in one flowing movement. Make sure you synchronize your foot and arm movements so as not to waste energy.
Remember, the stronger the push, the longer the glide.
Double pole
On flat sections some skiers use double poling with both poles and skis side by side. All the thrust in double poling is generated by the upper body muscles.
The arms give most of the thrust, but the upper body muscles and shoulders are the bedrock on which the arms push.
As the arms swing to the rear, you should feel the muscles in your buttocks stiffen. Stay streamlined and tense in double poling. Your feet should feel as if they’re part of the skis.
Accelerate your arm swing to match your rhythm at the moment of thrust, and take the time to glide while you are bringing your arms back to start another pole plant thrust.
Keeping the pole thrust fluid and smooth is vital.
Your pole thrust should not be a harshly powerful movement of the arms, but the whole upper body, which applies power to the poles.
Classic corners
In classic you must use a turning step to enter a corner.
This means placing the exterior ski outside the tracks and kicking strongly to maintain or increase speed.
Always remember that in turns your weight must be on the inside ski.
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