Hey Racers!

Just letting you know the plan for this weekend’s training. Please be prepared to train GS Saturday on Lower Alley Cat and SL Sunday on Catamount. Please meet your coach at the bottom of the Quad at 8:30am sharp to warm up. The goal of this weekend’s training is to practice inspecting each course with a partner with minimal direction from the coach.

*****Parents we can really use your help in putting up fencing again!!! Due to safety issues, no one can practice on the GS training course until proper fencing is set. Please find and drag or carry a roll of B-netting located at the flat, skier’s left, above the pump house, to the top of Lower Alley Cat at 8:45am (you do not need poles) where you will be directed on how and where to help put up fencing. The quicker we get the fencing up, the quicker your racers can get on the practice course!*****

Thanks in advance for your amazing help!

Saturday – GS Full Course

1. Inspect the course with a partner – Do you know how many meters the course setter set the course at? Remember to look back and up the hill at every feature.

a. Look at the start – Is it flat? Pitched? Does it lead straight into the 1st gate or do you have to ski across the fall line to reach it?

b. Look at the pitch, are the gates set rhythmically with consistent offset? Are there any fall away gates that you need to set up early for? Where is the fall line? Are there any heavy left or right footers? Are there any compressions that you need to be prepared for?

c. When you inspect the delay, stand at the entrance to the through gate, look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. How are you going to take the delay? High, medium or low?

d. Look at the flats, where can you drop into a high/half tuck? Can you drop into a full tuck? Is there anywhere that you can generate speed?

e. Look at the finish, where can you drop into a high/half tuck? Where can you drop into a full tuck? On which side of the finish will you be?

Try not to memorize every nook and cranny of the course. Trust your careful inspection that you can let your reflexes take care of the easy parts of the course. However, concentrate and memorize the tough parts of the course. Maybe there’s a particular cranker, difficult exit from the delay gate, a fall away gate or compression.

2. Check your inspection with a coach at the bottom of the course.

3. Run the course as if it were a race. If you train casually, then you’ll race casually.

4. Ask for feedback. Your coaches will give you feedback, but it’s helpful if YOU know what you’re working on and share it with your coach.

Sunday – SL Full Course

1. Inspect the course with a partner – Do you know how many meters the course setter set the course at? Remember to look back and up the hill at every combination or feature.

a. Look at the start – Is it flat? Pitched? Do you need to skate to the 1st gate?

b. Look at each rhythm section. Are the offsets consistent? Are there any crankers? Are there any tight gates?

c. When you inspect the delay, stand at the entrance to the through gate, look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. How are you going to take the delay? ON/ON, ON/OFF or OFF/ON?

d. Look at the pitch, are the gates set rhythmically with consistent offset? Are there any fall away gates that you need to set up early for? Where is the fall line? Are there any heavy left or right footers? Are there any compressions that you need to be prepared for?

e. Look at each vertical combination. Is it a hairpin? Is it a flush? Stand at the entrance to the combination and look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. Is the entrance difficult? Is the exit difficult? Do you need to set up early?

f. Look at the finish. On which side of the finish will you be?

Try not to memorize every single little detail about the course, but do memorize the order of the combinations so you know what to expect. Trust your careful inspection that you can let your reflexes take care of the easy parts of the course. However, concentrate and memorize the tough parts of the course. Maybe there’s a difficult exit to the flush, or a particular cranker on the exit of the last hairpin, a really offset exit from the delay gate, a fall away gate or compression.

2. Check your inspection with a coach at the bottom of the course

3. Run the course as if it were a race.

4. Ask for feedback.

Coach Pat : )

“Ski fast…Take chances…”