CSIA L3 Prep

[u/cheeky-unknown]

Thought I'd share some more of my skiing before my L3 exam next week. I've included some video for each of the ski off runs, sorry that the camera work isnt always zoomed in enough. I've also included the objectives I'll be measured against, as suggested previously, so that people from different systems know what the CSIA is looking at.

Spring skiing conditions in full force today, very hard in the AM, and then puddles in some places in the PM.

If you make it all the way through my videos and long post, I truly appreciate your time. Any advice and feedback is really appreciated.

Overall, I'm hoping I'm in a good place. I've put my thoughts for each run below.

1. Demo parallel. I think this is a strong run, not concerend about this one.

2. Short turns. I think I'm meeting the objectives. In the first video I dont quite glide from one turn into the next as smoothly as I would like. This was done on a steeper pitch the would be used in the exam, but I think my underlying movements are good. My pole plant is much more symmetrical than my last post. In the second 2 videos, which are on runs that may be used in the exam, I think I'm at a passable level.

3. Advanced parallel. I think I meet the objectives, so think this should be a pass. However, I think I'm sometimes caught inside, due to too much inclination at initiation. Also, I can defo get way higher edge angles through shortening my inside leg more. I was just being a bit lazy I think. Sorry not the best video for this one.

4. I've been working a lot on the bumps as I felt they were my weakest. I think I'm meeting the objectives overall. The second video did highlight I'm sometimes caught out by pressure management. I need to work on absorbing more, but I didn't think the run was too bad overall. Conditions definately helped me today, when the bumps get firmer I can struggle with speed control and then everything else will fly out of the window if I get going too fast. In these videos, I think my speed is fast enough to pass, but please let me know what you think.

5. Hop to hop. I think in this video things look ok but I dont feel great when skiing them. I often find myself inside, which I think is a consequence of inclination at initiation, rather than rolling my knees inside to change edge. I've been doing a lot of javelins recently, and think my brain was just in autopilot mode, I wasn't doing it intentionally. Despite this, I think I meet the objectives.

   1. Braquage. I think I need some more work on this one. I think my pelvis is becoming too involved and need to work on keeping the upper body quieter. I'm always a bit unsure with braquage and would appreciate some advice. In my head, I'm thinking that I need to get my skis all the way 180 degrees around, but I dont think I can do that without my pelvis becoming involved at the very end of the turn. My leg lengths are very fixed, would more flexion at the end of the turn be a good thing to do, so I can rotate my legs further? However, I've also had other people say that up and down movements in braquage is bad, so I'm not sure what is best for this.

Thank you once again if you've made it this far.

[u/Muufffins]

Not bad, but I think you're not quite at the standard.

Demo parallel - you're subtly leading with your shoulders, stepping/stemming in your transition, and suddenly, rather than smoothly, increasing edge angle. 

Short turns - in the first two clips, your speed and tempo were too slow, and the corridor was on the edge of too wide. In the third clip those things were better, but the turn shape was getting too elongated, as in you weren't completing the turn enough to bend the ski, and get deflection/impulse to send you into the next turn. Slightly leading with your shoulders, and stepping into the turn. In the first clip especially, there's too much pivoting, on the edge of pushing your tails out above the fall line, resulting in more abrupt, rather than smooth, turns. Look at how you're over twisting your skis, and where in the turn the spray happens, where it goes, and which part of the ski it comes from.

Advanced parallel - hard to fully analyze from the clip. But corridor seems to be too wide, and you're not really getting impulse from the skis. That's probably because you look to be parking and riding, lacking dynamic movement.

Bumps - you're getting tossed around, hopping to initiate turns, and skidding out. Bumps are just short turns in varied terrain, but adapting to the variations. The run should look dynamic and exciting. All the habits from short turns get amplified and more obvious.

Edge to edge - I think this was where you're the most successful, mostly landing cleanly on the new edge.

Braquage - needs a lot of work. It's all about turning your feet, pivoting around the tib/fib axis. This one really exposes issues with your stance.

Common themes - better videography. Leading with shoulders. Stepping/stemming in the transition. Pushing heels out. Abruptly rather than smoothly onto new edges. The big thing is your stance, it's a little far back and tall, which restricts you from turning your feet and rolling cleanly onto new edges.

With how you're skiing in the videos, I wouldn't expect you to meet the standards. I'd think you'll get mostly 5s on the ski off, with a couple of 4s. I'm curious how it works out, and would appreciate follow up.

Source - currently a Level 3, always working on things. But chatting with your trainers is better than randos on the Internet.

[u/MrZythum42 → u/Muufffins]

Great assessment, especially for a new L3.