NSW Nordic Ski Club
Free Falls at a Price
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With all the instructionals, Intructional Co-ordinator Paul Campbell-Allen (PCA) gives a few pointers on an often overlooked but important subject.
After the humorous look at the art of falling back in May's edition, some technical input to the art is clearly needed. One of the few techniques I can safely say I have mastered, falling well is an essential technique in your kit of skiing tools. If you come out of a fall with only your pride hurt you have done well. In some circumstances, falling can be very dangerous and likely to lead to injury. I well remember a steep ski traverse in the NZ Alps when our mountain guide turned and said, 'You must not fall here'. Although covered in cloud at the time, the next day we discovered the reason - a 300m sheer cliff a mere 50m below us. For someone who has never worried about falling this really upped the stakes. All of a sudden life depended on not falling. First reaction - get out the crampons. Second reaction - stay calm, keep edging, weight the bottom ski, keep the body over the skis. In other words, use good technique to ski this well. I am here to say that the crampons were not necessary, though I did keep my poles ready for self-arrest. We will be practising this technique on the instructionals, so you won't need to bring crampons! (oh damn!-eds)
The causes of falls are numerous - a brief loss of concentration, skiing too fast, a sudden change in snow consistency, sudden terrain changes such as bumps and dips, over turning, balance shifts, 'catching' an outside edge, tiredness, stiffness and apprehension .
I find the most likely time to take a tumble is on the first few turns on previously untried snow, usually early in the season. It takes a few days to get your 'ski legs' back and slot back into what you were doing at the end of last season. Expect a few tumbles as you come back into things.
Tiredness is also a major cause of falls - the muscles simply don't have the flexibility left to respond quickly to changes. Falls from tiredness are more likely to lead to injury. As they often occur at the end of day, the conditions may also become more difficult. Snow that was soft and forgiving during the day can turn icy and crusty in the shade of the afternoon.
Falling well
Like death and taxes, accept that falling is inevitable. Here are a few tips to avoid injury when that inevitable fall happens:
If possible, fall to the side and back using the most padded part of your anatomy as the first point of impact.
Keep your hands high and avoid the automatic reaction of trying to break the fall with an outstretched arm. This can lead to a broken wrist (very common amongst snowboarders) or a dislocated shoulder. ?When finishing a turn on steep terrain, drive your hands forward to avoid catching your upper hand and thumb on the slope.
Avoid falling straight back - the resulting ski /coccyx impact is excruciating.
Avoid falling straight forward - a ski tip in the sternum can crack it. If you find yourself pitching forward, roll to the side and take the impact on your upper arm.
In deep snow, relax and roll. In deep snow the momentum of a roll can get you back on your feet , albeit with goggles full of snow. It's a lot easier than spending 5 minutes trying to get out of the deep.
On steep ice, instantly get your ski edges up off the surface. If they catch you can cartwheel over them with disastrous results. You need to know how to self-arrest to deal with this one.
Consider putting release bindings on your XC skis. In the days when boots were fairly flexible and skis light, the three pin binding was adequate to prevent leg breaks. Now that people are using heavy stiff boots and skis close to Alpine widths and weight, the chances of breaking something is much higher even with a free heel. Breaks above the cuff line have occurred and knee reconstructions are on the increase.
Avoiding Falls
Obviously it is preferable not to fall over. Here are a few suggestions to help in different situations:
Sudden changes in snow consistency - the headplant
This often occurs when skiing from hard pack into soft deep snow, as occurs under trees. The sudden resistance of the deep snow decelerates the skis and if you are not ready, propels you forward into the snow.
Solution : drop into a telemark position. The extra fore-aft stability of the tele position will keep you balanced. The same applies for sudden changes in terrain, bumps and dips.
Falling sideways into the hill
This fall almost always occurs when you turn too far, particularly when telemarking. The natural banking of the turn tends to tip you into the hill.
Solutions: 1. Change lead sooner and hence keep more in the fall line; 2. Drive your upper hand (hillside hand) forward and reach downhill with your lower hand (downhill side) - this keeps your body over your skis.
Falling back
A fall to the rear can usually be related to where your hands are. The body tends to follow the hands, so if your hands drop back out of sight, your centre of gravity will shift back. As your weight goes back onto your heels you speed up and presto, you are out of control.
Solutions: 1. Keep your hands driven forward like holding the handle bars on a bike, 2. Keep your weight evenly spread along your feet . 3, Keep your upper body upright and over your feet. Imagine a straight line from your head, through your hips and down to your feet.
Untried snow - first turn falls
Testing the snow with the first turns is a good idea if your technique is not bomb proof. This may seem conservative, but after starting a season trying Michael Hampton's technique of going full tilt to use 'speed as your friend', the results for me were not impressive. It worked better later in the season when the body had caught up with the mind. The problem with a conservative start, e.g. a few slow turns with a bit of wedge, is that you may stay in 'safe mode' and loose out on a great fall line ski with style. Overly defensive skiing can also be a lot more tiring. The price to pay for fast fall line skiing may be few more spills, though a quick change in lead (in teles) or a hop in parallels will often save the day.
Stiff Falls
Stiff falls are due to rigidity of the body not responding to the terrain. They are especially present when people are apprehensive and the body locks up. They are also likely to cause injury as there is no give in the system.
Solutions: 1. Think flexible (easier said then done in some situations). Watch how a cat lands when jumping from a high place 2. Bend your knees and ankles. Yes the old proverbial! These are your shock absorbers, and need to be flexible and bouncy to be of any use. A straight front knee as you shy away from the horribly steep slope is compounding the problem.
Falling is part of pushing out your personal boundaries- you only have to watch a world cup race to see that. And don't worry if you see good skiers fall - they all do it though would probably prefer you not to watch. Seeing one of NZs top skiers take a plunge half way down the Murchison glacier headwall certainly made me think twice about the slope despite the fact that he had just executed 30 brilliant parallels in chunky 35 degree snow carrying a fully laden pack. Obviously in places a long way from help, especially when carrying a big pack, you have to be more careful while striking the balance between being too tentative and too gung-ho. There is nothing wrong with taking the safe option in the back country, so traverses and kick turns are the go if things look too tricky. Close to home you might just want to pull out all stops and take the plunge and then, when all else fails, fall well.
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