NSW Nordic Ski Club
Falling on XC Skis - A New Art Form
Back to Archive index
James Miles is a cross-country skier from Michigan, U.S.A.
This humorous look at something we all do was originally published on www.xcskiworld.com and is reprinted with the author's kind permission.
With the growth in popularity of Cross Country Skiing, it is appropriate that the skills and abilities developed within the sport be explored and exploited. As any cross-country skier knows, falling is definitely an art form that screams out to be heard, seen, named, categorized, and scored. By doing so, true cross country skiers will achieve the recognition enjoyed by their brethren in the easier-to-fall-spectacularly alpine variety.
First, let me say a word about falling on alpine or downhill skies. In my estimation, and without first hand knowledge mind you, anyone who rides to the top of a hill on a ski lift with the goal of sliding down some treacherously steep slope does not require nearly the same amount of skill to make a spectacular fall as an individual on relatively flat ground going a fraction of the speed. Face it, nature does most of the work. If you put the average cross country skier, me for instance, on the same slope wearing cross country skis, I could, without any practice at all, take a spill that would rival the "agony of defeat" sequence on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
One might ask why this art form should be more fully developed. There are three basic reasons for artful falling in X-country skis:
Falling makes any arduous skiing expedition much more memorable. It is widely held that X-country skiing is one of the best methods of total body exercise. Some people may even participate in the sport for this very reason. Exercise, however, has a limited amount of value to the total person and can, in fact, be psychologically damaging if overdone. After sore and strained muscles feel better, say in a week or two, the experience is forgotten. If, on the other hand, several members of your X-country skiing party take spectacular spills, either singly or in combination, the expedition will long be remembered with warmth and good feelings.
Falling improves cardiovascular action. The sport of X-country skiing is no doubt good for the heart and lungs. This author contends that falling artfully will improve this activity even further. If, while on a trail, a skier observes either a member of his party or even some other party fall artfully, the observer will normally make the appropriate response.
This response, unlike most others in the sporting world, is not the clapping of hands but rather approval signaled by a warm heart felt laugh. The more spectacular or skillful the fall, the longer and heartier the laughter. There is no greater tribute to the artful faller than to see, at the termination of a fall, his or her entire party rolling on the ground in hysterics. (NOTE: If these collapses are observed, they are not to be considered or rated as falls.) It follows therefore, a good fall will push to the limit the heart and lungs of the applauding audience.
"There is no greater tribute to the artful faller than to see, at the termination of a fall, his or her entire party rolling on the ground in hysterics!"
Falling prevents over exertion. On a trail, engrossed in the quiet which often accompanies the uneventful ski trip, the skier can easily go beyond certain judicious physical limits without noticing until too late. This can cause extreme pain, perhaps not immediately, but in the days following. If, on the other hand, one or more members of a party are practicing various falls, the entire party will become aware of their own physical state. As they pause to appreciate a fall, they will notice how much more difficult it is to get up and get moving again. Thus the party will avoid sneak-up exhaustion, toe cramps, and, perhaps, frost-bite.
ELEMENTS OF FALLING
In executing a fall, particular attention should be paid to: 1.) the configuration of the skis, 2.) the angle between the skier and his or her skis, and 3.) the angle of decent. For a fall to be considered to be truly artful, the follow through is all important. It may be a roll, a tumble, or a slide but it's execution is critical to the over-all effect. Finally, the skier must signal to those observing that the fall has been completed. This is done by sitting up and shaking off snow or by the more familiar OOHH. (UGH in some parts of the country.) This term, believed to be of Scandinavian origin, means "That's it guys, what did you think?". Contrary to popular opinion, thrashing about in the snow after a short pause or standing up with skis crossed is not a proper signal for a completed fall.
TYPES OF FALLS
Now that we have defined the fall in general terms, lets look at some of the classic falls and see how they are executed.
The 180 Toe Twister: (Difficulty 1.3)
This fall usually requires a fair amount of momentum. Beginners are encouraged to try it only on a downhill incline. More experienced skiers should be able to achieve the necessary speed at a full gallop. To perform this fall, one must appear to loose his or her balance to the right or left. An appropriate but not required method is to purposely miss a pole stroke. Raising the opposite ski will add to the effect and also serve as the signal to the audience. The decent begins at this point, usually in the direction in which balance was lost. The skier meets the snow with shoulder and hip and then rolls 180 degrees so the body is now facing in the opposite direction to the initial direction of travel and hence in the direction opposite to that of one or both skies. A facial expression of pain or anguish is appropriate and points should be deducted if it is absent. Extra points may be awarded if the faller exceeds 180 degrees and can still stand unassisted.
The Cross Dive (or Snow Plow) Fall: (Difficulty 1.1)
This fall can, with some practice, be combined with a number of others to form the front portion of a combination fall. The skier (going at almost any speed) first directs one or both skis out of the track in the direction of the opposite ski. Done correctly, this will cause the skis to cross approximately one foot in front of the bindings. The skier then deftly lifts up on the bottom ski causing the skis to slow sharply or stop suddenly propelling the skier artfully to the snow in what might also be called a "belly whopper" or "half swan".
The May Pole: (Difficulty 1.0)
Here is one perfect for the beginning faller. It is done from a standing or slow moving position. The faller first plants one or both poles in the usual way then quickly slides one or both skis rapidly forward. (a Reverse May Pole is done by sliding the skies backward (1.2) and an Inward May Pole by sliding one ski forward and the other backward (1.4)) In the decent phase, the faller grasps one pole with both hands and wraps him or herself around the pole sliding slowly to the ground in a half spiral. This fall can be particularly effective as a finale to a combination fall. The audience rarely expects it.
The Back Fall: (Difficulty 1.2)
Difficult to do in combination, but a real crowd pleaser if done well. All the faller need do is get up a good head of steam, either on a downhill slope or a fast flat, appear to start to glide then fling one or both skis to the front and up. This causes a rapid decent, landing flat on the back. Artistic variations should be observed in the final placement of the skis (ie. both to one side, facing in opposite directions, embedded in a vertical position etc.).
The Vertical Ski Fall: (Difficulty 1.5)
Living proof that speed is not a prime requirement for a spectacular fall. The faller, moving a slow rate of speed, first over balances to the rear effectively stopping forward movement. In this process one and only one foot is flung forward and up in apparent compensation. The flung foot (or FF) must travel past the perpendicular allowing the back tip if the ski to come directly under the front tip to a vertical position. The FF is then dropped, embedding the rear tip of the ski in the snow while at the same time the unbalanced body position is maintained by the poles. Having done this correctly, the watching audience will note that there is no way under the sun that the faller can lift the FF high enough to get the vertically planted ski back under the faller's body. The subsequent fall may be either to the back or side.
MULTIPLE FALLER COMBINATIONS
"It is easy to spot a really good team. They are usually snow covered and moving in very close proximity to one another."
Any consideration of artful falling on X-country skies would be incomplete without mentioning multiple faller combinations or group falls. The beginning X-country skier will notice that the X-country ski trails generally have only one set of tracks. This is done to facilitate group falls and team falling combinations. When one goes to the trails to watch these competitions it is easy to spot a really good team. They are usually snow covered and moving in very close proximity to one another.
This closed up style allows almost any member of the party to initiate the combination fall. A team member can hook the next preceding team member with a pole, tread on the skis of the preceding team member, or just fall into the member to the front. This back to front team fall is called the reverse domino effect and effective it can be. Another common team fall approach is to initiate the fall from the lead skier (usually the best faller on the team). This method takes advantage of the fact that, once in a good set of tracks, there is no way to stop quickly.
The lead skier starts by performing a simple fall, usually a snow plow or back fall, that ends in such a way as to either partially or totally obstruct the set of tracks the team is moving in. The following skiers then perform their falls as they come in contact with the lead skier or the team member immediately preceding them. This gives the audience the added treat of anticipation as each successive team member attempts to outdo the preceding member. Artistic interpretation by each team member can be evaluated by the judges in addition to the overall effect of the pile-up after the final signal of the completed team fall. Variations of these team falling methods can also be seen in pairs falling.
IN CONCLUSION
It is hoped, with the increase in popularity of the sport of X-country skiing in the U.S., artful falling will become the "in thing" to do. In much the same way, hot-dogging (now called free-style skiing) has become popular with alpine skiers. With the validity given to free-style skiing in the Olympics recently, who knows, artful falling may be next.
So get out there and fall!
Back to Archive index