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https://www.facebook.com/MatteoLuzzeri & https://twitter.com/LuzztwittLet’s face it. We are part of an extremely technical sport. Physical preparation and agility are important aspects, yet not one of the top athletes shares a definite combination of all these. To be specific, look at the different physiques of the top skiers in each event. Slalomers tend to be tall for there is a clear advantage in that, one that is beyond our control. However, this advantage is not stoping skiers such as Terry Winter or Breanne Dodd from being extremely competitive on the Pro Tour.
The differences in physical qualities might lead one to conclude that, ultimately, a solid technical similarity underlines all of the top skiers in the world. Unfortunately, this is not the case either. Every year there are about 30 to 40 male elite skiers running 39off in the world, and none of them run it the same way. Or look at the top two Men Pro Jumpers in the world right now, Freddy Krueger and Ryan Dodd: very different styles.
The key to improvement is understanding the advantages and disadvantages in someone's technique, and then try to apply such knowledge to your own skiing.
This being said, there is a certain skiing level that you have to reach before you can just feel free to apply the results of your understanding. To your disappointment, I am not going to say where to draw the line because I have no idea where the line is. Most likely, common sense dictates it.
However, not all of us are lucky enough to have a coach consistently following us. In this case, the search for your technique needs to be smart and well-pondered while fun at the same time. So a good start is to go to videos of the top level skiers and ask yourself "What advantage is that movement giving her on this trick?" or "Why is he twisting his head after grabbing the handle on the offside turn?" At the same time, look at your videos, analyze your movements, and do not just focus on the downsides of your technique. See what you like about the way you ski and make sure you understand why those movements work!
Some people complain about our sport not having a set technique that everyone should aspire to%E2%80%A6 I personally think this is one of the most exciting parts of what we do!