Stack Weight Distribution?

[lantley]

I have read the discussions titled "Stack" and "15 off Help/Questions." I learned a lot from those, but I wanted to ask a question that I didn't see addressed...

 

I recently watched Robert Marking's dry land training videos. He frequently mentioned that the weight should be mainly on the skier's back foot. However, everyone else I have talked with says that I should put more weight in my front foot in order to be farther forward on the ski. So, which way is correct? Or, if I keep my elbows pressed against my vest, will the weight distribution come naturally? I would also appreciate any other tips to learn the correct weight distribution/COM.

 

5'8" , 145 pounds , riding a mid/late-2000's Monza (double boot - should I move them forward?) , skiing 15 off while working on increasing speed (at 30 MPH now).

 

Thank you!

[Than_Bogan]

(Edited: Marking is NOT the guy I was thinking of who is totally clueless. In fact, he looks like he's doing all sorts of ideal movements but for some reason saying (but not doing) to put weight on the back foot.)

 

Personally, I don't believe that thinking about weight distribution can really get you anywhere anyhow. Since we don't walk around with strain gauges under our feet, we really have no idea what it feels like to distribute weight one way or another. And many people when they hear distributing toward the front (which is correct) end up mapping that to "lean head forward" which is 100% wrong and will actually result in more weight ending up on the back foot due the jack-knife position that is required to sustain that.

 

Just think about the fundamentals of the stack position and you'll end up in the right spot.

[Than_Bogan]

Better yet, listen to Marcus Brown, who commented right there on the youtube page of Marking's video:

 

"However, check the tape at, say, 5:09: Robert, you aren't on your back foot when you move from 1 side to the other. You move exactly as physics demands....falling in the direction you wish to travel. You walk from side to side...falling forward, feet catch you. That is efficiency. If you stay back, you go nowhere. Back foot=high drag/high load"

[Horton]

@lantley ideally you want your pelvis over your front foot. The best skiers in the world are farther forward that the rest of us.

[lantley]

Thank you @Than_Bogan and @Horton for clearing that up!

[Horton]

@lantley part of what is hard about skiing is getting centered. We talk a lot about being stacked on this site but it is really being centered. If you can get equal weight on your feet you will be a better skier then me. If you can get 60% on your front foot and be in control you might be a pro. Most skiers struggle to get more forward and that is a limiting factor on our score.

 

I do not suggest you move your bindings forward. I do suggest you use that ski as a paddle and get something new to ski on.

[Hockdog]

I concur.

[DmaxJC_ski]

I worked on applying the theory provided by @Horton and all the others on this post and the one I put up recently, this past weekend, although I was just free skiing, I noticed a huge difference in multiple parts of my skiing. Looking forward to getting back in the course and give it a rip.

[chris55]

I really like @Horton comment and reading it with simple words always help me, thank's.

 

[lantley]

Thanks again @Horton. I figured if Wade Cox could get into 41 off with it then it was plenty good enough for me. BUT, I wouldn't mind getting a newer ski...

 

Or I could use my family's 30 year old HO Esprit instead... :wink:

[crashman]

It's been a while since I've heard Robert Marking mentioned- he always had a way of getting the water stirred and at least got people talking/debating. I wonder what happened to @skiing2heaven

[gcam4]

@lantley I absolutely need to work on this as well. Maybe one day we can meet up and work on this together.