SKIER SYMMETRY WSSA

Ski Technique Lab - Skier Symmetry

from the Warren Smith Ski Academy

Mountain Air’s new partnership with the Warren Smith Ski Academy (WSSA) gives our community access to the Ski Technique Lab, their progressive bio-mechanical approach on and off the snow to achieve a balanced ski posture. Warren and the team can be found in the Mountain Air shop throughout the winter where they will be giving live demonstrations of each of the 6 stages of the Lab. But don’t worry if you are not able to make these in person! We will be talking to Warren each month and breaking each stage down for you right here. This month - Skier Symmetry. As Warren says: “A non-symmetrical posture causes inconsistency between turns which puts stress on your knees and muscles.” Let’s find out from Warren how we can avoid this …

Skier Symmetry

A common mistake in skiers is riding with an a-frame shape in their legs with their feet wider apart than their knees. This tends to cause an unequal distribution of pressure through the legs and quickly leads to tension throughout the body and proves problematic especially when tackling tougher terrains.

The three main reasons are:

- Ski boot set-up

- Lack of awareness of muscle activation

- Ski technique issues

The WSSA’s 5 Solutions

1 - Professional ski boot fitting with boot/leg alignment check - Having your ski boots fitted by a professional is a must. Your footbeds should support your for and the boot alignment should be checked and adjusted to work with your body. Mountain Air prides itself on its leading boot-fitting technology and sessions can be booked HERE.

2 - Leg adduction & abduction test - Activating muscle groups that control adduction and abduction in your legs is essential to skier symmetry. They don’t get used often so a tailored training routine is needed develop strength and skill. This test will make you aware of how to develop strength accurately so you can even do it at home. Watch how to perform the test and move towards skiing with performance and control HERE.

3 - Professional ski coaching - It might seem obvious but poor coaching leads to poor skiing. You need people who understand proper muscle activation, lateral precision and effective use of flex ion and extension to guide your skier symmetry development. Watch this video for an example of training symmetry with the WSSA HERE.

4 - Leg adduction & abduction exercised off skis - There are plenty of off-snow exercises you can be doing to develop your stability and strength ahead of the season. Watch Dougie Flockhart, personal trainer and our resident strength and conditioning guru, show you how to get started HERE.

5 - Refer to a physiotherapist - If you feel the steps above haven’t managed to completely correct your skier symmetry, you may want to seek further guidance and expert help from a physiotherapist as the issue may lie within your skeletal alignment or another physiological issue.

For full details and advice from the WSSA on skier symmetry, click HERE.

Both Mountain Air and the WSSA are incredibly excited by our new partnership and the benefits it will have for our growing community of clients here in Verbier. If you have any queries at all about the Ski Technique Lab, the WSSA or Mountain Air info in general, please do not hesitate to come and see us in the shop or contact us via phone +41 027 775 44 03 or email shop@mountainairverbier.com.