Birkie Class Dec.8 2009 Soft FOG

The start of the 2010 Birkie Season has begun. Our Birkie Class Soft Start went well with the seasoned veterans’ getting right back in the groove and all the newcomers doing well in their first session.

As you may have gleaned we have a bunch of Acronyms to deal with. The Ernst POOF Theory (Push Off Outside of Foot) is an advanced concept but goes hand and hand with the thought that you must lengthen your stride to ski faster/more efficiently. [Remember there are only two ways to increase speed; lengthen stride or turn over faster]. We have a basic knowledge of the “Big Three” ski strokes, V1, V2 Alternate (V2A) and V2 and what they look like. Dynamic Balance, the ability to balance and the strengthening it takes to achieve it are things we will spend a lot of time with. Next week we will ramp up efforts (yes already) but it will be in steps and as before we will work technique before power.

Erick Wickum taught me one thing last night, I suck at photography. His shots look great and you can see some of them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/incomp/ and he linked in a YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvqAoG5OFoI The only issue is his lens makes me look fat which he needs to address. As you look at the images be aware of the actual speed at which you ski. Slapping at the poles or sharp jerky motions is just not real world. Think big push, long stride. What we did are things you can do at home. Practice in front of a window or mirror. Practice perfect because practice makes permanent. DOMS [Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness] peaks 24-48 hours after a workout but don’t call me, as Board Chairman of FOG Racing (Fat Old Guys) I get it worse than anyone.

Couple more notes:
Birkie Class Starts at 5:57pm with a magic word not to be repeated after 6:00pm.
Snow reports are flooding in to http://www.skinnyski.com/ , be sure and add your own.
Expect trails to be soft the first few days. Ski easy and get your legs underneath you. Get those skis waxed for some colder snow. CH6 or Toko Red should be alright for now. The County Parks phone number is 448-4466 to give them a little prodding about the shelter and grooming. The soft start went well and I think it pays to step back and think about some concepts and targets. Now go ski and practice some as well. Good work and we’ll see you next week.
ME