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Panda Ski Method

AuthorAlan BERTRAND American VersionJeff TOLBERT The English version of the manual can be downloaded at: www.skipanda.com (or ordered through the PSIA/AASI Merchandise Order Form library www.com ??? ?) The Chinese version of the manual can be ordered at : http://www.bookschina.com/publish/5009/ ISBN Suggested retail price US$ + shipping

Introduction by Jeff TOLBERT

At the base of the Chamonix great ski mountains lies a domain filled with strange creatures. When you start heading up the Lognan cable car at the Grands Montets in Argentire, or for those in the know who ride the Plan Joran chairlift, you see below you a surface lift surrounded by large animals to ski through and around, a series of Mongolian yurts bordered by chalets to the left and right of these yurts. This is Bertrand territory, the chalet to the left is The Panda Club, to the right is the Bertrand residence/office/breeding ground for a family of big furry dogs known as Eurasiers. There may be some horses as well, depending on the time of year, but there will always be smiles. There will always be a welcome, Come in, have something to eat, something to drink, be merry! I met Alain Bertrand in the fall of 1990. I was lucky enough to become the Technical Director for his ski school and could observe his magical ability to take adults who had a lifetime of Sliding means Falling ingrained in their minds and create skiers out of them in an incredibly short time. What Alain and his instructors who follow his method can do is nothing short of miraculous. There is nothing more satisfying professionally than to convey the joy of sliding on snow to a neophyte or, even better, someone who has been trying for years to get it without luck and suddenly gets it!

The authors autobiography

50 years before I landed on planet earth, I was steeped in skiing bliss through my folks genes. They already were addicted. Age three, sitting on my skis, I set off to subdue the ominous Alps. Age six, my mother attempted to teach me the telemark turn, her heels attached to the ski and unaware that Seelos had launched parallel turning. She tried in earnest and failed in earnest. I did learn to jump out of the way of trees in order to survive. Age ten, my mom passed a pair of thick Norwegian skis on to me, they were 7 feet long with an 8 inch shovel at the tip and she sternly advised me, These skis survived your father and grandfather, I want them to last you a lifetime. Actually I stopped skiing on them a while ago, but they will outlive me. As that good old Norwegian craftsmanship had not killed me by the age of 20, I went on to credit the French ENSA (National School of Climbing and Skiing) and our PSIA-WEST with my certification. Then, since I had to make a living, I started teaching skiing. As a young man, I went West to bring ski gospel truth to underdeveloped native skiers of California. These were the days, in the late fifties, when Oklahoma people were mistaking my skis on the rack for heavy duty fishing rods. By now, the victims of my ski lessons must number over 10.000 and they are spread all over America, France and China. When snow melted, I also went astray to some schools where they inflicted on me a Masters in Chinese and a diploma in film making. I didnt dig any gold out of any mountains in California, so I tried my luck at coalmining, trawler fishing, farming, plumbing, carpentry,
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bussing tables, shoveling roofs, film making, and a handyman of all trades. I just missed out on jail life, in spite of my first American wifes earnest efforts. I was too straight, I guess. Nobodys perfect! I also married nearly as many times as I divorced, which is part of the job of any healthy ski instructor with a tan. I never settled down anywhere for too long, but Chamonix has seen a little too much of me for the past fifty years, which must be the only topic locals all agree about! I never put aside any monies, therefore my retirement plan is to keep on teaching skiing with a pair of brand new titanium knees the doctor guaranteed would last me 3 thousand years rust free. Hoping to make a little extra dough, I offered to publicize his achievement by the year 5006, but he did not seize on the opportunity yet. Well, plenty of time.

TABLE of CONTENTS

Foreword Skiing basic knowledge Skiing vocabulary First lesson Second lesson Third lesson Fourth lesson Fifth lesson Sixth lesson Seventh lesson Conclusion Index to the documentary film

Page 04 Page 04 Page 07 Page 13 Page 25 Page 28 Page 32 Page 45 Page 53 Page 57 Page 65 Page 67

Foreword
The recreational skier is the person for whom ski resorts are designed, and thanks to whom racers can afford to compete. This Panda ski learning method addresses the layman, providing him with some tools he can use to teach himself and, by the same token, taking the burden of theoretical explanations off the shoulders of the instructor, allowing him to devote more time to skiing and adjusting his pedagogy to the personality of the student. The instructor is referred to as a Panda Instructor through this method, the accompanying DVD and some story books, as embodying the might and wisdom of a mountain Brer rabbit beast most students can feel comfortable relying upon. The Panda Method stresses a psychological approach to ski instruction, with rapid technical progression. The book does not go by a series of movements, but by the speed at which the students subconscious mind can adjust. A primitive documentary, screening 6 lessons of a young non-gifted Chinese lady, is a decent representation of the method. It provides the reader with a possibility to view demonstrations. An index gives the timing of the documentary sequences in relation to the methods theoretical explanations and illustrations. It can be downloaded for free from www.skipanda.com and burned to DVD.

Any correction and development my fellow instructors may have are most welcome.

Basic knowledge
A few simple facts will straighten out a few concepts.

The Mechanics of Skiing

The engine of skiing, its driving energy, is Gravity. It gracefully takes the apple off the branch and slides the skier from top to bottom of the mountain. Friction is the only means, to this day, the universe has devised to wear off energy.
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The means of friction: Wedging (= snowplowing) and Sideslipping. Pivoting a ski on snow: Whenever taken off the hook of its edge and set flat on the snow slope, its tip made heavy and its tail light, a ski pivots down by sheer virtue of gravity .
Footnote 1) Tip for the professional
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- When a ski is at rest across a slope and flat on the snow. The tip or the tail, when heavier, drops down. If the tip and tail are equally weighted, the ski sideslips down the fall-line. - When a ski is set across a slope and slightly tilted on its edge. When sideslipping, the ski applies friction on the snow, which produces results opposite to that of a flat ski: If the tip or the tail is made heavier, it will grope its way uphill. Equal weight on tip and tail, will make the ski sideslip slowly along the fall-line. - When a ski is strongly edged, friction is reduced, the ski hurtles straight along the line set by its edge. Racers train to do this, rebounding off the groove the edge cuts out of the icy snow, in order to land right on the curve of their next turn.

How to stop a ski from pivoting: Set the ski on its edge. The edge set stands as an obstacle in the way of the ski tip dropping downhill. Either standing still or sliding at normal speed, a ski will pivot if set more or less flat on the snow. Consequently, in order to set his skis flat on the slope, a skier has to stand perpendicular to the slope = lean downhill, as a prerequisite to turning. This, to any normal human being, feels like falling off the side of the mountain. To be more precise, it does not simply feel like it, it actually IS falling off the side of the mountain. (Illustration 1)

Illustration 01 The objective of skiing - Use friction in order to control the speed and direction of the fall. - Use sideslipping in order to control friction.
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- Use balance in order to control the sideslipping. This balance necessarily leads the skier to lean downhill until roughly perpendicular to the slope. Actually, his body will form a circular arc, with head (and possibly shoulders) overhanging downhill beyond his feet.

The Psychology of Skiing

Now lets face it, when we fall from our height on flat land, it hurts. From a 3,000 foot high mountain, it hurts a lot more. As a result, humans have evolved with a survival instinct that stubbornly forbids leaning over the edge of anything like a bottomless pit. Nevertheless, skiing is precisely just that: sliding and falling from the top to the bottom of a slick mountain. With Gods help, and this handbooks, it will be a controlled fall, nevertheless unabashed fall. By the same token the speed of sliding is exciting. So the job of a Panda ski teacher is to bank on the excitement, to get rid of the fear, to tame gravity, to yoke it and hitch it up to our skiing cart.

The recreational skier, like anyone learning to drive a car, is primarily concerned with finding the brake, the steering wheel and the gas pedal. Skiings peculiarity is that its engine is invisible, irresistible gravity, and the friction-brake gets activated when we expose ourselves to that same gravity by leaning toward the fall line. It sounds like a Catch 22 situation. The student clings desperately to the mountainside, while his teacher, whom he hired for lots of money, insists he should tip into the void, lean forward, downhill! (Illustration 2)

Illustration 2 The contradiction is only between the students habits and the real world of physics, between flat land static balance and snow slope dynamic balance. Resorting to theoretical explanations and on6

snow experiments, this manual leads the student to adjust to dynamic balance in accordance with a psychological progression that is based on the capacity of his subconscious mind to absorb noninstinctive materials. This progression goes by chapters, not by movements. During his lesson on the snow, the student experiments with leaning downhill off balance, and he discovers it does lead to safe and efficient turning and breaking. Still, his survival instinct screams bloody murder and wants no part of it. Until at night, during sleep, his subconscious mind reprograms his instinct so that it can cope with leaning downhill just as far as the daylight experiment has proved safe. Next morning, leaning out to that same angle feels natural. Degree by degree, the student evolves a new skiing instinct, leaning out. But if, perhaps through partying (or other gratifying activities), the student spends a sleepless night, then, too bad, he missed out on learning his lesson.

Lessons 1 and 2 resort to wedging to get the student used to sliding. Lessons 3, 4 and 5 use sideslipping to control speed and direction. Lessons 6 and 7 deal with tackling the steeps. Each lesson may take from 1 to 3 private lessons, two hours each. Group lessons will take a little longer. For a dynamic progression, the Panda method recommends not to stall on a lesson with repetition until the student reaches perfection then, and only then, going on to the next lesson. It is boring and stressing, which tends to slow down the learning process. Panda teachers keep up the students spirit of enthusiasm and conquest and, as they forge ahead together, new knowledge will correct old mistakes.

Skiing Technical Vocabulary

Slope Ratings Flat land Green Blue Black (New Yorker) (Beginner) (Intermediate) (Advanced) 00% 03% 04% 10% 11% 20% 21% 30% 31% - 40% 100%

Black Diamond (Expert) Cliff (Hang glider)

Illustration 3

Fall line:

The steepest way down The path

a rolling snowball will take. (Illustration 3)

Shin pressure: To apply forward pressure on the tongue (in the front) of the boot by kneeling heavily against it. It is a prerequisite to about every other movement on skis. In order to obtain approximate but instant action from the student, one can also try saying, Pray to God - Flex your ankle forward - Kneel forward. (Illustration 4)

Illustration 4 Crescent moon position: The basic position of the skier. Apply shin pressure, reverse shoulders, shoulders facing downhill (facing the pull of gravity) and overhang your head (and possibly your shoulders) beyond your feet. (Illustration 5)

Illustration 5

Kneel: Crumple up downward and forward.

Rise:

Stand up.

Down up down: Alternatively kneeling and standing high.

Illustration 6
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Illustration 6

Setting an edge:

Tilting a ski on its side sets an edge, which makes it slide along the snow

groove carved out of the snow by the blade-like edge of the ski. Illustration 7Friction is minimum, speed maximum. It belongs to racing techniques.

Illustration 7
Footnote 2) Tip for the professional

Basically a straight line groove. Actually, due to the slight curve of the edges side-cut, the groove is more or less curved. The groove a racer rides is the curve that his edge carves out of the ice. Since it seldom fits exactly the radius of the turn the course demands, he needs to rebound from one edge to the other with swiftness and accuracy, to keep up or increase his momentum. Since each turn requires him to land each edge set at a specific angle and a specific tilt, his balance is an exercise in equilibrium which by far outdoes the tight rope walkers feat. The racer leans downhill beyond vertical, then stretches head, arms, knees downhill and then sets an edge. Out of fear of the fall line, the recreational skier, who tries to emulate the racer, leans way uphill to set his edge. He is leaning on the wrong side, setting the wrong edge, which may prevent him from turning and slowing down. Once he has discovered that leaning downhill to sideslip is safe, then he might dare leaning beyond vertical to carve and race. Illustration 8

Illustration 8
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Sideslipping: Stand in a crescent moon position, skis across the slope and parallel, get them off the hook of their edges by laying them more flat on the slope. The sideslipper slides down sideways crablike. The sideslipping commands friction, hence slowing down and turning, which are the exact opposite of what a racer seeks with edge-setting. the basic movement of recreational skiing. By so, it is Illustration 9
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Illustration 9

Footnote 3) Tip for the professional

Skis flat on the snow is a simplification of reality. In fact, what is needed is taking the ski off the hook of its edge by reducing the angle at which it stands on the snow, so that it can drop sideways into a sideslipping. Faced with difficulties, racers also do resort a lot to sideslipping. i.e.: making a tight low banking turn on the steep and icy, their momentum explodes the groove of their tentative edging, and they end up sideslipping heartily through the curve.

Straight sideslipping:

Sideslipping along the fall line.

Illustration 10

Illustration 10

TraversingSliding across the slope. The student can be allowed to sideslip across, but the instructor had better ride a straight edge!

SchussingSliding more or less straight down the fall line, usually on flat skis.

Uphill turn: stopping.

Sideslipping from the fall-line toward the side, into the hill. The usual means of

Illustration 11

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Illustration 11

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Braquage:

The ice-hockey stop. An efficient emergency stop.

Illustration 12

Illustration 12

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Lesson One
Introduction to the world of skiing
1. On 1.1 Lets meet! 1.2 Checking clothes to keep warm: Pants fit over the boots to keep out the snow (Illustrations 13 & 14)

flat terrain:

Illustration 13 - Cover bare skin

Illustration 14 (Illustration 15)

Illustration 15

- Hat or helmet should cover the ears

(Illustration 16)

Illustration 16
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- Sunglasses against ultraviolet ray - Sunscreen (SPF 30+)

(Illustration 17) (Illustration 18)

Illustration 17 1.3 Skis, poles and boots: - Skis: In case of a hazardous fall, the bindings open automatically.

Illustration 18

(Illustration 19)

Illustration 19

Tilt skis to one side = set an edge = carve a groove.

(Illustration 20)

Illustration 20

Skis flat on the snow = skis can pivot.

(Illustration 21)

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Illustration 21

- Poles: can be used for propulsion

(Illustration 22)

Illustration 22

...can be used for turning.

(Illustration 23)

Illustration 23

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...should never be used for stopping.

(Illustration 24)

Illustration 24

- Boots: Must allow forward flex of the ankle.

(Illustration 25)

Illustration 25

Kneeling forward and down in order to apply shin pressure on the tongue of the boot is a prerequisite for slowing down. Leaning back in the boot leads to acceleration... straight down! (Illustration 26) (Illustration 27)

Illustration 26

Illustration 27

1.4 Carrying skis on the shoulder: Try not to behead people

(Illustration 28)

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Illustration 28

1.5 Stepping into the skis: Scrape the snow off the bottom of the boot. Illustration 29

(Illustration 29)

1.6 Stepping out of the skis, use the pole or the foot.

(Illustration 30)

Illustration 30

1.7

Sliding on the flat: (See Illustration 22) (Illustration 31)

- In a straight line

- Turning around in one spot

Maintain shin pressure. Poles should be planted by the foot and slanted forward. Then push Illustration 31

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forward. No need to lift the ski off the snow. On the contrary, put weight on the ski you slide forward.

2. On

a shallow slope with a flat at the bottom

Thought for the day: Skiing is ruled by the natural laws of physics, but it goes against some of our deepest instincts, i.e. if we step on a banana peel, we have a brutal reaction against the slide. But since skiing is sliding, we are bound to forget part of our survival instincts. Sliding is excitement and fear. Excitement is welcome, fear is to be overcome. This is the purpose of your Panda ski method.

2.1 Sidestepping up the slope:

(Illustration 32)

Skis are set across the slope, perpendicular to the fall line, knees tilted uphill; skis are like the flat steps of a staircase. Climb sideways one step a time, crablike.

Illustration 32

2.2 Climbing up in a herringbone

(Illustration 33)

Feet are pointed outward like a duck. Knees are tilted inside to set an edge from which you can step up. Set your poles outside your skis, behind your feet and push on them. Try not to set your poles in between your legs!

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Illustration 33 2.3 Skis parallel to each other, slide straight down. Maintain shin pressure. (Illustration 34)

Illustration 34

2.4 When falling, try to lie down on your back, on one side of the skis. If you lie down on top of your skis, you keep sliding non-stop. (Illustration 35)

Illustration 35
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2.5 How to get up: - Instinctively, as you know best (Illustration 36)

Illustration 36

- Using 2 poles

(Illustration 37)

Illustration 37

1- - Using 1 pole

(Illustration 38)

Illustration 38
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- Taking 1 ski off Illustration 39

(Illustration 39)

2.6 Open a wedge on the flat: Rise on your toes, push your tails out so your skis are shaped like a capital A in which you are the cross-stroke. Ask kids to make a piece of pie, a slice of pizza, a roof etc

2.7 On a short shallow slope: wedge as you slide. Illustration 40

(Illustration 40)

2.8 Wedge to a stop:

(Illustration 41)

Kneeling and pressing your heels further out slows you down; all out makes a stop.

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Illustration 41

3. On

a green run: (4 - 10%)

(Illustration 42)

3.1 Taking the chairlift:

Place your feet on the red bar that says, Load here. Hold both poles in your inside hand. Turn your head to the outside to watch the chair as it comes to you. Make sure you sit on the chair and not on someone elses lap!

Illustration 42

3.2 Ski down in a wedge, while pressing your heels out, and spread your tails to increase the friction and stop. (Illustration 43)

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Illustration 43

Stopping = friction = adjusting the edging: - Right ski too flat on the snow. (Illustration 44)

Illustration 44

- Skis tilted too far on their edges (Illustration 45)

Both lack the friction necessary to slow down. Illustration 45

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While both bent knees are tilted inside, move them gently in and out to find the right angle, for the right friction, for the right speed. (Illustration 46)

Illustration 46

3.3 Wedging to a turn:

(Illustration 47)

Increase the friction to the ski on the outside of the turn, by kneeling lower on that outside ski, spreading the ski tail further out towards the outside of the turn, eventually dropping your hand down to the outside ankle. Illustration 47

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Lesson Two
Wedging and Sideslipping
1.

On green runs, practice wedge turning for a few hours. In between wedge turns insert a straight run, with your skis
(Illustration 48)

2.

parallel to each other, traversing across the hill

Illustration 48

3. Sideslipping

with skis parallel to each other

(Illustration 49)

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Using the bottom nine feet of a slope with a good angle (20%), get your first taste of sideslipping. If setting the skis flatter on the snow proves difficult, the Panda instructor may pull your two hands, your two poles or your two boots down as he sideslips by your side. Practice left and right, both sides.

Illustration 49

Thought for the day: Why sideslip? As with wedging, sideslipping applies friction on the snow, which can be used for slowing down, turning and stopping. It does not require any strength; just balance (leaning downhill) to control the sideslipping. The resulting friction is a lot more efficient than a wedge. 4. On

a green run, two-thirds of the way through the wedge turn,

brings your upper foot abruptly down against the lower one to induce a sideslip.
(Illustration 50)
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(Marine sergeant drilling shout: TTENTION! has proved highly efficient!)

Illustration 50

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Lesson Three
Sideslip to a turn and a stop on a black run21% 30%
1.

Sideslip:

Illustration 51

Stand still in a crescent moon position with your skis across the slope and parallel. Tip over downhill until your head, shoulders and hands overhang beyond your feet. It lays the skis flatter on the slope, takes them off of the hook of their edges. Then simply let them drop sideways applying friction on the snow. Allow the uphill ski to lead ahead of the downhill ski, so as to keep their tips from crossing.

Illustration 51

Thought for the day: In another instance of relinquishing your survival instincts, more than simple sliding, skiing is falling. In fact, you drop from the top of the mountain to the bottom in a protracted fall that you control with the crescent moon, sideslipping and friction. Still, all along, the feeling of loss of flat land static balance is indicative of your dynamic skiing balance. Therefore, in the course of tipping over, do welcome the feeling of falling.
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2. Extensive sideslipping practice

Specific exercises - While skiing backwards in a wedge, make a turn and bring the upper ski down to initiate sideslipping. Illustration 52

Illustration 52

- Sideslip forward and backward as if on a swing (Illustration 53) (Illustration 53

Illustration 53

- Sideslip fast and slow

3. Keeping the feet tightly together makes slideslipping easier. As you sideslip:
3.1 Keep a consistent speed 3.2 Crouch feet together and drop your fists on your toes, to stop Illustration 54 Illustration 54

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Thought for the day: When you drop your fists down to your toes in the course of sideslipping, no matter the speed or the terrain, you will come to a halt. Being in command of this foolproof means of stopping boosts self-confidence.

3.3 Emergency stopWith a down unweighting and a twist of the ankles, the skier drives his skis brutally across his path and (eventually) stops, sideslipping for a short distance. It is similar to the ice-hockey stop. Also called Braquage. Do notice that, as in most ski turns, the skis pivot, while the shoulders keep facing squarely downhill. (Illustration 55)

Illustration 55

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3. The Panda instructor introduces the Long radius Turn

Stand still atop a small bump, in a crescent moon, feet close together, strong shin pressure and weight distributed evenly on both feet. The Panda instructor blocks your ski tail with his pole, then, with two fingers, he gently pulls on your collar, until, unable to keep your balance any longer, you swoop around him and end up sideslipping to a halt right below him. Make sure to do both left and right turns. Illustration 56 (Illustration 56

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Lesson Four
The Long radius Turn on black runs
21% 30%
1.

The Magic Knife:

Thought for the day 1.1 Set flat on a table, a knife swivels freely. Set on the edge of its blade, it gets stuck. (Illustration 57) 1.2 A ski on the snow, like the knife on the table, set it flat, it pivots on its edge, it gets stuck. (Illustration 58) Therefore, whoever wants to turn needs his skis flat on the snow .
Footnote 4) Tip for the professional See page 9, footnote 2, and page 10, footnote 3.
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(Illustration 59)

Illustration 59

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2.

Stand perpendicular to the slope

Thought for the day:

2.1 Skis flat on the snow, they can pivot.

(See Illustrations 59 & 21)

2.2 In order to set skis flat on its slanted surface, one has to stand at a square angle with the slope. 2.3 As a result, the center of gravity of the skier is overhanging downhill beyond his feet, which allows him to borrow gravity to turn his skis. (Illustration 60)

Illustration 60

3. Hitch

up gravity to the skiers flying carpet

3.1 Task Gravity Panda demonstrates the Long Turn at very slow speed and with no effort, to make it obvious that gravity is the acting force. (Illustration 61)

3.2 The student tests out the efficient working of gravity See page 5, footnote 1 and page 10, footnote 3 The main features of the Long radius Turn:
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(Illustration 62)

- stand still on a small bump, skis across the slope - crescent moon - shin pressure - feet together - same weight on both feet - progressively transfer your weight over to the pole planted 3 feet below your heels = tipping over until your center of gravity overhangs downhill beyond your feet - your skis are flat on the snow, you loose balance, but instead of falling flat on your nose, the heavier tips of the skis drift all the way to the fall line. Illustration 61

Illustration 62 - While on the fall line, kneel low (forward) to sideslip out of the fall line, around into the hill and to a stop.

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Please notice Every time the Panda Method teaches a new turn, it always proceeds from a standstill, in order to avoid the stress and distraction of speed and let the student focus on his inner kinesthetic perceptions. Moreover turns always start and end with the same crescent moon position.

Thought for the day: Since gravity overrides your muscle power by so much, resisting is foolish, helping useless. Just go with it, headlong. 3.3 Overcoming the fear of falling Its a matter of replacing the fear of falling with the joy of flying. Just consider that: 3.3.1 The 1st half (90) of the turn is drifting (Illustration 63)

Illustration 63

3.3.2 The 2nd half (90) of the turn is sideslipping into the hill

(Illustration 64

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Illustration 64

3.3.3 Eager to get out of the fall line in a hurry, the student instinctively sets his skis on a strong edge in an attempt to make a sharp angle turn to safety. Alas, the edging bogs him down in a straight fast run that defeats his purpose. Advise him to insert a short schuss between drifting and sideslipping. To make his point, Panda draws 2 lines on the ground: a sharpangled zigzag line (which is the path the student should NOT follow) and a curved line (which is the path he should follow). This is to show that between drifting and sideslipping, the middle third of the curve is practically a straight downhill schuss, 10 feet or so, in which the student rides on flat skis. (Illustration 65 Illustration 65

Illustration 65
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The components of the complete turn are A - drifting B - schussing C - sideslipping (Illustration 66) (Illustration 67) (Illustration 68)

Illustration 66

Illustration 67

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Illustration 68 3.4 Swap (flat land) static balance for (snow slope) dynamic balance. The new balance, the student experiments with during the lesson, gets processed by his subconscious mind during his sleep and blends into his system to evolve a new sense of balance compatible with the tipping over he needs for skiing. This is daytime experimenting, nighttime assimilating. Isnt sleep learning an old dream come true?

3.5 Exercises to help conquering gravity:

3.5.1 The student stretches out his fist to lay it into Pandas palm. As Panda treacherously pulls his hand back, the student reaches out so far that ultimately he tips over, twirls around helplessly and ends up sideslipping to a stop. (Illustration 69)

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Illustration 69

3.5.2 The student leans his shoulder against Pandas hand and pushes him back forcefully. As Panda treacherously gives in, the student tips head first into his turn and ends up sideslipping to a stop. (Illustration 70)

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Illustration 70

3.5.3 Panda sets the students pole one foot below, in line with his heels and requests him to put his weight on it. Then the student takes it out of the snow, plants it another foot lower and puts his weight on it again, and lower and lower. As the student is on the verge of losing balance, Panda treacherously grabs the pole and pulls down. The student dives helplessly into a turn and ends up slideslipping into the hill. (Illustration 71)

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Illustration 71

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3.5.4 Panda sets the students pole 3 feet below, and in line with, his heels. He requests him to put his weight on the pole heavily, until his head overhangs above the pole, and he tips effortlessly into the turn. He ends up slideslipping into the hill. Illustration 72

Illustration 72

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3.5.5 If the student still feels reluctant to reach down the hill, make him lean on his pole planted 3 feet below his heels and twist twist twist his hips downhill, until the skis go flat on the snow and he veers gently down. (Illustration 73) An efficient master word that brings him to turn his hips far enough is telling him: Make your belly button look behind your back.

Illustration 73

3.6 Applying the new sense of balance and hip twist to normal skiing Traversing a blue run (edging or sideslipping). Rise on your toes, then turn your belly button around downhill until it looks behind your back (see paragraph 3.5.5). Your skis drift gently into the fall line. As you do so, yell out: drifting schussing sideslipping. (Illustration 74)

Illustration 74

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3.7 Applying the new sense of balance and the magic eye to normal skiing. Traverse a blue run at medium speed (edging or sideslipping). Arch your back, look over your downhill shoulder to set your eyes on your ski tail. Your skis drift gently into the fall line. Practice on the left side and the right side. (Illustration 75)

Illustration 75 Thought for the day: Drifting is the steering wheel, sideslipping the brake. The force pivoting the skis is not ours. Gravity pulls their tips into the fall line. Now the student really enjoys gliding safely and effortlessly all over blue & black runs. He is hooked!

3.8 Before dismissing the class, Panda demonstrates the Medium Long Turn, Belly thrusting,
that he will teach the next day. The cherry on the cake: for a fun finish, treat the class to one last long schuss at medium speed.
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Lesson Five
The Medium Long Turn and pole planting
The simplest and most obvious way to drive the center of gravity beyond the feet is to tip the whole body in one block. This works fine on green and blue runs. But since it turns slowly, it keeps the skier on the fall line for long seconds, which, on steeper pitches, are enough to pick up a lot of unwanted momentum. On the steep, skiers want to pass the fall line more swiftly. They so resort to techniques that turn more sharply.

1. The

Medium long turn

(Illustration 76)

On an advanced intermediate run. Stand still on a small bump, skis across the slope, crescent moon, shin pressure, feet together, same weight on both feet, transfer progressively the weight over to the pole planted 3 feet below the heels. The skier thrusts his belly forward, belly button thriving toward his downhill pole. He thrusts his belly forward, arches his back, thrusts, arches, thrusts, until he can arch his back no further. Suddenly his feet slip from behind his body and take off downhill. Once he has reached the fall line, he lets go off the pole and sideslips around into the hill, to a stop. While on the fall line, the stronger the shin pressure, the tighter the turn.

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Illustration 76

The kinesthetic feeling the skier gets is that of leaving his feet up on the hill, way behind his back. (Illustration 77)

Illustration 77

Thought for the day: Turning is not in the feet, but in tipping downhill, until your center of gravity overhangs passed your feet. Body goes first, the feet follow behind.

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2. First

time exercising in pole planting

On his first day skiing, as the student was sliding on the flat, he was planting his poles behind his feet to propel himself forward. This was cross-country technique. In Alpine skiing, on the contrary, the skier plants the pole in an attempt to stop himself: Traversing a blue run at slow speed, kneel to plant your downhill pole, at first on the fall line, 1/2 yard below the feet, then pull it out, plant it again, pull it out and so forth. (Illustration 78)

Illustration 78

Train on both sides, left and right. Then plant further downhill and further ahead. Plant it slanted back towards you, so as to brace yourself against it, lose some speed, deflect yourself off course and start drifting down. When your feet pass the pole, as you are no more in a position to keep bracing yourself against it, you can let go off it. It can resume its position by your side. (Illustration 79)

47

Illustration 79

3. Exercises

in tipping downhill and turning on flat skis

3.1 On an advanced intermediate run. Stand still on a small bump, skis across the slope, crescent moon, shin pressure, feet together, same weight on both feet, the pole planted 3 feet below the heels. The student bends over so as to press his nose right on the handle of the pole. It makes him twirl around Panda. Notice: you want the nose to reach out to the pole handle; you do not want the pole to lean uphill to reach for the nose. Feet keep tightly together and have no action of any kind. (Illustration 80)
48

Illustration 80

3.2 On a black run. Stand still on a small bump, skis across the slope, crescent moon, shin pressure, feet together, same weight on both feet, the pole planted 1 foot below the heels. Slide your uphill hand down the shaft of the downhill pole. When your hand hits the snow, your skis suddenly twirl around the pole 180, right on the spot. Actually, dispense with any action of any part of the body, except for that of the hand. (Illustration 81)

Illustration 81
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3.3 If a student really cannot bring himself to tipping over downhill, Panda offers him this option: on a steep black run, skis across the slope, stand still in a crescent moon, same weight on both feet, feet stuck together, strong shin pressure, transfer a lot of weight to the pole set 1 yard below the heels. Stand high, lean on the pole, tip your ankles sideways, until the skis go flat on the snow and drift 90, right on the spot. (Illustration 82) Before youve picked up any speed, before you even moved one inch down, you have completed the first half of the turn. Finish the turn sideslip around into the hill, and come to a smooth halt.

Illustration 82

3.4 Traverse a blue or black run at good speed, keep your crescent moon position, then kneel down at once, strongly and deeply, right on the fall line. Drifting and sideslipping into the hill are contracted into one single downward motion. You turn around, evenly, smoothly and efficiently. Shoulders face downhill at all times as much as possible. (Illustration 83)

50

Illustration 83

Thought for the day: Why keep the feet so close together? A) Feet touching together, the skier pivots around a single axel. Easy swiveling. Feet apart, he is attempting to pivot around two conflicting axels. Their leverage stands as an obstacle in the way of the turn. (Illustration 84)

B) Skis apart, the flat land instinct commands that the skier take advantage of it to lean over onto his uphill foot, away from the valley side, toward which Panda is luring him
Footnote 5) Tip for the professional:
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5.

(Illustration 85)

When Panda deals with more advanced techniques, he teaches skiing feet apart. The point is that by that time the student has overcome his/her fear of the fall line and is standing spontaneously perpendicular to the slope.

Illustration 84

Illustration 85

4. Demonstrate

the Medium Short radius Turn

Before dismissing the class, Panda demonstrates next days Hip Kink turn slow motion.

52

Lesson Six
The Medium Short Turn and some more pole planting
Last lesson belly thrusting and this lesson hip kinking both apply to medium steep runs.

1. The

Medium Short Turn

First on the flat, the student tries sliding his hips laterally to one side, with a kink in the hollow of the hip. Panda touches the hollow of the hip, at the spot where it should feel tight and kinky. Then choose a little bump on a blue run. Stand still, skis across the slope, crescent moon, shin pressure, feet together, equal weight on both feet, transfer progressively the weight over to the pole planted 3 feet below the heels. Kink your hip on one side. It looks as if you were sitting down over the empty space where you want to turn. Hips neither twist around nor tip sideways, they move horizontally, and perpendicular to the fall line. All the while, stretch your uphill hand far downhill. (Illustration 86) Sitting down over that empty space means that your center of gravity is overhanging above the center of the turn to come, which makes gravity pull your tips down into a turn . Then, sideslip out of the fall line around into the hill, and to a halt. Standing on your toes through the turn, makes you turn more efficiently.
Footnote 6) Tip for the professional:
6

(Illustration 87)

Recreational skiers skip (kink) hips sideways, to initiate turns. Racers skip hips to resist the centrifugal force and reduce excessive sideslipping.

53

Illustration 86

Illustration 87

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2. Second

time exercising in pole planting

Traverse at slow speed either an intermediate or upper intermediate run, with the basic shin pressure, crescent moon position.

2.1 Keep your two hands in front of your nose. Plant the pole far ahead and attempt to stop yourself on it. Train on both sides. Illustration 88 (Illustration 88)

2.2 Kneeling on moguls Reaching a mogul, kneel on top of it to set your pole below. Stress shin pressure. Progressively plant the pole further down and add weight on it. As your feet pass the pole, your skis start drifting down. (Illustration 89)

55

Illustration 89

3.

Demonstrate the Short radius turn

Before dismissing the class, Panda demonstrates next days turn slow motion. On a black run (31% 40%), Panda stands still atop a big mogul, his students, on the downhill side, get a front view of the movement. His knees close together, Panda kneels down until his knees are bent 90. As he tips his knees and point them downhill ahead of his feet, the skis veer off the mogul.

56

Lesson seven
The Short radius Turn on a black run (31% 40%)
Pointing the knees downhill to turn, fits the steeper slopes. (Illustration 90)

1.

The Short radius Turn

Choose a big bump on an advanced run (black). Stand still skis across the slope, in the skiers basic position: crescent moon, maximal shin pressure, feet together, equal weight on both feet. Transfer the weight progressively over to the pole planted 3 feet below the heels. Kneel down until your knees are bent 90. Drop your uphill hand below your knees and stretch it far toward the downhill pole. Then your knees, reaching for your hand, point downhill. When they are about to reach your hand, the skis pivot on a tight turn. It is a deep kneeling turn. In order to kneel deeply enough, ask the student to lift his knees up to his chest and do so until his thighs actually hit his upper body. For some psychological reason, it makes the skier crouch more dynamically, deep and forward.

Thought for the day: On top of flat skis, wherever your knees lead to, skis and skier all follow flowingly

57

Illustration 90

58

Illustration 91

2. Turning

on moguls

(Illustration 91)

Get into the habit of kneeling as you pass a mogul. As you reach the top of the mogul with your crescent moon, just drop your uphill hand down to your uphill ankle, you get an efficient and effortless turn.

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2.

Free wheeling

By now our student can ski the whole mountain. - On green and blue runs, he twists his hips around toward the valley (Belly button looks around behind his back). - On black runs, he thrusts his belly down or kinks his hips. - On black diamond expert runs, kneeling deeply, his knees dart down the hill ahead of his feet. Keen on skiing efficiently and easy? You can mix the turns according to your inspiration. i.e.: you start off with a kink in the hip, then point your knees down and add a slight belly thrust.. Illustration 92 (Illustration 92)

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4180

Kick Turn

(Illustration 93)

Too scared to turn? You can come around this way: Stand still on the slope with your shoulders facing squarely down. Your two poles set pretty far behind your back. Lift up your lower ski, flip it around to bring it to the side of the other one head to tail. Then you are in a position to swing around this other ski and stand on two parallel skis, facing the new direction.

Illustration 93

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5. How

to control your speed on the steep and narrow: Wedelning

(Illustrations 94)

Resort to the emergency brake described in lesson 3, paragraph 3.2-, Braquage (Illustration 51). Make a series of this braking (wedeln), the more the slower. (Illustration 94A)

To further reduce the speed on each turn, crouch more deeply and make the ski tail sideslip further downhill for extra friction. (Illustration 94B)

Look forward for the future, when you can wedeln with an edge set, a rebound and an avalement. (Illustration 94C)

Illustration 94 A

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Illustration 94 B

63

Illustration 94 C

6. Keep

up a dynamic progression

A students curiosity, his delight at achieving, his kinesthetic memory that coordinates his new skills, are a warrant of success and mutual benefit.(Illustration 95)

Illustration 95

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Conclusions
1) Recreational skiers, having learned to go where they want at the speed they want, ski all the open trails in safety and have great fun (no off-piste skiing yet). The overwhelming majority of them will be happy with just this. Their objective is what our PANDA METHOD deals with: Mastering gravity.

2)

Quite a few of them, tempted by ski touring off-piste, will want to face the challenge of deep

snow, ice, long climbing treks and steep chutes. Their objective: Free skiing off-piste and overcoming natural obstacles.

3)

An infinitesimal number of skiers will make it to FIS racing and put up with years of self-

denying training. Their technique is the opposite of that the two first categories of skiers: they want to go faster, straighter, and turn as little as possible. Their objective: select a few gifted kids, with the hope that among them there might be tomorrows world champion.

If you allow a comparison: the recreational skier drives his/her family car to town to buy groceries. The off-piste free skier drives a four-wheel-drive over hill and dale in quest of adventure. These two categories of skiers rely mostly upon sideslipping to control speed and direction. The FIS racers quest is more evermore speed. He/she is driving a Formula 1 car, or using Rally techniques. Opposite goals, opposite techniques. However who could restrict skiing to technique, sport and recreation solely? Sliding through glittering powder is beauty. Trespassing the limits survival instinct has edicted, unleashes a tidal wave of elation and opens intellectual horizons. Nothing short of a whole book can account for it. Therefore, this manuals author lapsed into writing the tale of skiing happiness. English title: GLEE; French title: A CORPS PERDU. The tale is awaiting you as a book to order or as a free download at:

www.skipanda.com
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At the same web site you can also download for free the 40 documentary that is constitutive of this method, together with the index relating the books paragraphs to the corresponding sequences of the film. Burn it to DVD, run it back and forth, and

Skier, my brother and sister, At gravitys call, Like snow flakes we fall, Floating to the earth, with fervor And GLEE thence to a lightness
Friday, October 19, 2007 in Miao Feng Shan The Marvel Mountain

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Index of the DVD sequences

We recommend that the reader download the free documentary that accompanies this book. www.skipanda.com. This index will allow him to associate the

movement with the explanation. It gives the timing of the documentary

sequences in relation with the methods theoretical explanations and illustrations.

Skiing Basic Knowledge

Mechanics
Lean downhill ...................................... (Illustration 01)

Psychology
Fall line Shin pressure (Illustration 02) ...................................... (Illustration 03) ..................................... (Illustration 04) See Documentary 0500 See Documentary 0728 See Documentary 1216 See Documentary 1440 See Documentary 1457 See Documentary 1534 See Documentary 1600 See Documentary 1638 See Documentary 1704 See Documentary 0635 See Documentary 0644 See Documentary 0650 See Documentary 1440 See Documentary 1600 See Documentary 1408 See Documentary 1457 See Documentary 1534 See Documentary 1600
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Crescent moon position.........................

(Illustration 05)

Kneel, Rise, Down up down................... Setting an edge

(Illustration 06)

...................................... (Illustration 07)

Racer leans downhill ................................ (Illustration 08) Upper body leans downhill .................... (Illustrations 09, 10) Sideslipping ...................................... ......... (Illustration 09)

Straight sideslipping ....................................(Illustration 10) Uphill turn ..................................... ..............(Illustration 11) Emergency stop ..................................... .....(Illustration 12)

See Documentary 1638 See Documentary 1704 See Documentary 1408 See Documentary 1914 See Documentary 1840 See Documentary 1858

Lesson One
Introduction to the world of skiing 1. On flat terrain:
1.1 Lets meet 1.2 Checking clothes - Snow gets into the boots....................... (Illustration 13) - Pants over the boots.............. ............... . (Illustration 14) - Cover bare skin...................................... (Illustration 15) - Hat / helmet............................................... (Illustration 16) - Sunglasses ..................................................(Illustration 17) - Sunscreen ...................................... .............(Illustration 18) 1.3 Skis, poles and boots Ski bindings .............................................(Illustration 19) Setting an edge ................................ ....... (Illustration 20) Flat skis pivot ........................... .............(Illustration 21) Poles for propulsion ............. ...............(Illustration 22) Poles for turning .................................. (Illustration 23) Poles NOT for stopping ......................(Illustration 24) Boot forward flex ................................(Illustration 25) Shin pressure .......................................(Illustration 26) Leaning back in the boot ............... ............ (Illustration 27) 1.4 Carrying skis ...........................................(Illustration 28) 1.5 Scrape the boot clean ............................. (Illustration 29) 1.6 Step out of the skis .............................. (Illustration 30) 1.7 - Slide straight ..........................................(Illustration 22) - Slide around ............................................. (Illustration 31) Keep the skis on the ground ...................... (Illustration 22) See Documentary 0414 See Documentary 0540 See Documentary 0535 See Documentary 0556 See Documentary 0620 See Documentary 0610 See Documentary 0513 See Documentary 0635 See Documentary 1428 See Documentary 1804 See Documentary 0715 See Documentary 0719 See Documentary 0722 See Documentary 0725 See Documentary 0500 See Documentary 0728 See Documentary 1216 See Documentary 1750 See Documentary 0628 See Documentary 0706 See Documentary 0530 See Documentary 0715 See Documentary 0719 See Documentary 0741 See Documentary 0719

2. On a shallow slope with a flat at the bottom:

2.1 Sidestep up the slope ............................. (Illustration 32) 2.2 Climbing up in a herringbone ............. (Illustration 33) 2.3 First slide .................................................(Illustration 34) See Documentary 0746 See Documentary 0805 See Documentary 0820
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2.4 Falling .................................................. (Illustration 35) 2.5 Getting up - Instinctively .............................................(Illustration 36) - Using 2 poles .......................................... (Illustration 37) - Using 1 pole ....................................... (Illustration 38) - Take 1 ski off ......................................... (Illustration 39) 2.6 Open a wedge ........................................ 2.7 Wedge as you slide ............................... (Illustration 40) 2.8 Wedge to stop ....................................... (Illustration 41)

See Documentary 0831 See Documentary 0838 See Documentary 0900 See Documentary 0914 See Documentary 0906 See Documentary 0923 See Documentary 1025 See Documentary 1035 See Documentary 1025 See Documentary 1131

3. On a green run: 4% - 10%

3.1 Take the chairlift .................................... (Illustration 42) See Documentary 0935 3.2 Ski down in a wedge Increase the friction ...................................(Illustration 43) See Documentary 1124 Adjusting the edging - Ski too flat..............................................(Illustration 44) See Documentary 1108 - Too much edge .....................................(Illustration 45) See Documentary 1104 - Tilt the knees in & out to adjust the edging (Illustration 46) See Documentary 1115 3.3 Wedge turn ..............................................(Illustration 47) See Documentary 1136

Lesson Two
Wedging and Sideslipping 1. Practice wedge turning for a few hours. 2. In between 2 wedge turns insert a straight parallel run
..................................................................... (Illustration 48) See Documentary 1705 See Documentary 1809 See Documentary 1408 See Documentary 1500 See Documentary 1522 See Documentary 1615

3. Side slip skis parallel (Illustration 49)

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4. On a green run, 2/3 through the wedge turn, uphill foot hits

lower foot to induce a sideslip.

Marines drilling : tten...tion ! ............(Illustration 50) See Documentary 1722 See Documentary 1809

Lesson Three
Sideslip to a turn and a stop on an intermediate run: 21% 30% 1. Sideslipping
.................................................. (Illustration 51) See Documentary 1440 See Documentary 1500 See Documentary 1527 See Documentary 1537 See Documentary 1600

2. Extensive sideslipping practice

- Backward in a wedge ..................................(Illustration 52) - Sideslip on a swing .....................................(Illustration 53) See Documentary 1704 See Documentary 1638

3. Feet tight together make slideslipping easier

...................................................... 3.1 Sideslip at a consistent speed 3.2 Fists on toes to stop .................................(Illustration 54) 3.3 Emergency stop (Braquage) ....................(Illustration 55) See Documentary 1758 See Documentary 1809 See Documentary 1840 See Documentary 1858

4. Introduction to the Long Radius Turn

...................................................(Illustration 56) See Documentary 1923 See Documentary 1933

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Lesson Four
The Long radius Turn on intermediate runs : 21% 30%

Ski flat on the snow pivots

1. The Magic Knife

1.1 Knife flat swivels, on its edge gets stuck (Illustration 57) 1.2 Ski on its edge gets stuck ........................ (Illustration 58) Ski flat swivels ..........................................(Illustration 59) See Documentary 0444 See Documentary 0640 See Documentary 1804

2. Stand perpendicular to the slope

2.1 Ski flat on the snow pivot ....................... (Illustration 59 & 21)See Documentary 1534 See Documentary 1600 See Documentary 1804 2.2 Skier stands perpendicular to the slope................. ............... See Documentary 1535 2.3 The center of gravity overhangs downhill beyond the feet ................................. ............... ............... .....(Illustration 60) See Documentary 1555 See Documentary 1408

3. Hitch up gravity to the skiers flying carpet

3.1 Task Gravity The Long radius Turn ............... ....................(Illustration 61) 3.2 Testing out the efficient working of gravity ............... ............... ............... ............... ........(Illustration 62) 3.3 Overcoming the fear of falling 3.3.1 Drifting onto the fall line .................... (Illustration 63) 3.3.2 Sideslipping into the hill ..................... (Illustration 64) 3.3.3 Turning is a rounded zigzag ................ (Illustration 65) See Documentary 1923 See Documentary 1933 See Documentary 0722 See Documentary 1428 See Documentary 1914 See Documentary 1942 See Documentary 1958 See Documentary 2019

The complete turn : A - drifting ............... ............... ..........(Illustration 66) See Documentary 1428 B - schussing ............... ............... ........(Illustration 67) See Documentary 1914 C - sideslipping ............... ............... ....(Illustration 68) See Documentary 1414 3.4 Swap (flat land) static balance for (snow slope) dynamic balance 3.5 Exercises to help conquering gravity: 3.5.1 Stretch out the fist ............... ............... (Illustration 69) See Documentary 2032 3.5.2 Lean the shoulder ............... .................(Illustration 70) See Documentary 2043
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3.5.3 Grab the pole ............... ............... ....... (Illustration 71) 3.5.4 Weigh the pole ............... ............... ..... (Illustration 72)

3.5.5 Hips twist ............... ............... ..............(Illustration 73)

See Documentary 2053 See Documentary 2107 See Documentary 2116 See Documentary 2123 See Documentary 2243 See Documentary 2254 See Documentary 2300

3.6 Applying the new balance and hip twist to normal skiing Yell out: drifting, schussing, sideslipping (Illustration 74) See Documentary 2306 3.7 New balance and the magic eye Set your eyes on the ski tail ............... .......... (Illustration 75) See Documentary 21 28 See Documentary 22 28 3.8 Before dismissing the class, Panda demonstrates the Medium Long Turn , Belly thrusting,

Lesson Five
The Medium Long Turn and pole planting 1. The Medium Long Turn (Illustration 76)See Documentary 2449
See Documentary 2516 See Documentary 2615 See Documentary 2647 Leave your feet behind you ........................ (Illustration 77)

2. 1st time exercising in pole planting

(Illustration 78) Start drifting down ..................... ................. (Illustration 79) See Documentary 2654 See Documentary 2733

3. Exercises in tipping downhill and turning on flat skis

3.1 Nose on the pole handle ....................... (Illustration 80) 3.2 Hand slides down the pole ................... (Illustration 81) 3.3 Ankle tipping ......................................... (Illustration 82) 3.4 Dropping 2 hands to ankles ................. (Illustration 83) Thought for the day : 1. Feet close together .............. (Illustration 84) See Documentary 1740 See Documentary 1759 See Documentary 1804 See Documentary 1534
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See Documentary 2838 See Documentary 2919 See Documentary 2953 See Documentary 3012 See Documentary 2400

2.

Feet apart ................................. (Illustration 85)

See Documentary 1408 See Documentary 0722

Lesson Six
The Medium Short Turn and some more pole planting 1. The Medium Short Turn(Illustration 86 + 87) See Documentary 3028
See Documentary 3106

2. Second time exercising in pole planting

2.1 Two hands in front of the nose ............... (Illustration 88) 2.2 Kneeling on moguls ............... .................(Illustration 89) See Documentary 2754 See Documentary 2822

3. Demonstration of the Short Turn

Lesson seven
The Short Turn on a black diamond run : 31% 40%

1. The Short Turn

(Illustration 90)

See Documentary 3145

2. Turning on moguls ....(Illustration 91) 3. Free wheeling .............(Illustration 92) 4. 180 Kick Turn ...........(Illustration 93)
See Documentary 3418

See Documentary 3356

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5. Wedelning ......... ............(Illustration 94)

Low frequency wedeln ...................................(Illustration 94A) High frequency wedeln ..................................(Illustration 94B) Wedeln with a rebound (Avalement) .............(Illustration 94C) See Documentary 3820 See Documentary 3833 See Documentary 3840

6. Keep up a dynamic progression (Illustration 95)

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