Bend knees coming into offside turn?

[cragginshred]

I have worked hard at not killing the gates and my stack as well, however, often times I am still really fast into 3 and 5 ball (RFF). A ski buddy suggested bending my knees a bit as I come into 1/3/5 and it really worked to keep me in a controlled speed, off the handle a little longer, and riders said I skied back to a stacked position nicely.

 

My default stack position is knees bent but from video I know I stand up going into the turns and often times end up on my back foot even if the tip does not rise up.

 

Side note 111* in Nor Cal tomorrow

[Horton]

Knees are just linage between your feet and your body. Bent could be good or bad.

 

If you are driving your front knee and hips forward that is very good.

 

If you are bending your knees and moving your hips back that is very bad.

 

If you are bending and not moving your mass forward (or backwards) what is the value?

[Ilivetoski]

I spent last weekend skiing with Zane Nicholson and he was saying keeping soft AND bent knees, said that straight and stiff knees force you to the back of the ski and makes it nearly impossible to slow down before the ball. I worked on it last set and skied very well

[Stevie Boy]

I just hate it when people talk about bending your knees, a lot of people end up with their hips back, forget knees, how about flex forward on your ankles, knees should be banned from the water ski dictionary.

[skihart]

@Stevie Boy i am with you on that. I always tell people to bend at the ankles and not even mention knees. One guy i have been helping said that it really clicked with him when i mentioned the ankles and thats what he focuses on now. Helps him set up for his pass.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Building on what @Horton and @skihart said, If we can focus on flexing our front ankle forward, if forces our hips to move forward, thus allowing us to move forward on our ski into and out of the turn.

[cragginshred]

@ColeGiacopuzzi that's a better way to describe it as it relates to the hips because in general from a biomechanical stand point in stance if you flex your ankles your knees will bend as a result, however as stated by Horton the hips can move posterior or anterior -one good the other not so much.

 

Good stuff!

 

 

[slow]

People come from different directions. For me, my front leg gets stiff, so I try relex my knee and my ski tip engages smoother.

[Web]

One of my ski buddies with a great eye told me... Big Toe! Pressure on your big toe at preturn and turn. Helped me.

[andjules]

+1 to what @ColeGiacopuzzi / @cragginshred / @Stevie Boy said - if you thinking about bending your front ankle, your knees will follow, but the right way: hips forward instead of back (note: this is also probably the single biggest secret to riding a trick skiing).

[Horton]

To restate what a number of folks have said. It is a common mistake to think about bending knees and ending up moving your mass back. As long as you move forward it is all good.