Skipress - Index

Skipress - SkiPress Canada Vol.22 No.4 - Index

ALPINE TIP
BY JOHN GILLIES
CRUNCH Time
DEALING WITH FROZEN SPRING CONDITIONS
The spring sun brings us soft snow and great tans. But every night, that beautiful snow freezes, and next morning
… its crunch time! The frozen surface that greets skiers each spring morning can be challenging, but with the right
plan of attack, you can still enjoy those early turns.
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Setup… Getting a good grip on a hard, rough surface
takes strength and agility. You’ll need to be over your feet.
Look at the fi rst frame of the sequence — I’m standing tall,
relaxed and looking ahead. Although I’m not working hard,
I stay over my boots and guide them into the turn.
And release… Strong edging creates two reactions. The edge-set slows you
down a bit and creates a rebound that will help you into the next turn. In the fourth
and fi fth frames, the skis are light again, making it easy to change direction with my
skis and legs. This prepares another edge-set, as you see in the fi nal frame.
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Wanna be
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
If you think ski testing is a dream job… you’re right! SKI PRESS is looking for skiing couples for our
a sk i test er ?
next ski test. Your dream job will be to test skis before the 2008/09 winter season. We’re not looking
for racers or instructors… just plain skiers. If you and your true love are intermediate or advancedintermediate
skiers, are 25 or older and in good shape, you may get the chance to join us for this
dream job. We’ll be testing at Mont-Sainte-Anne from March 25th through March 28th, 2008.
Sen Send an email to skitest@skipressmag.com. Convey your enthusiasm for skiing, why you think ski
testing tes would be your dream job, and why we should select you as a tester. This is not a draw — our
10 lucky couples will be chosen according to what they tell us about themselves. If you’re chosen, you
have hav to get to Mont-Sainte-Anne on you own, but we’ll take care of the lodging, lifts and test skis.
The Th contest ends Sunday, March 07th, 2008. The names of the selected couples will be posted
Monday, Mo March 10th, in the Contest section of skipressworld.com. Winners will be advised by
phone ph or email.
Thank you and good luck!
Photos: Christian Tremblay
Photos: Yannic Laroche/Skier: John Gillies
03
Bite… While soft conditions call
for a gradual approach, crunchy snow demands a
powerful edge set. In the second and third frame,
I edge aggressively. Reach the pole-plant forward
and down the hill to stay over your edges.
Frozen slush is not snow for the
timid, and to master it, you need
attitude. Once you decide who’s
the boss, study these photos, and
go for it. It’s crunch time!
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