Weekend Clinic

Yesterday I led an all-day clinic for Methow Valley Nordic, our locally-based ski club dedicated to establishing and maintaining the strong ski community here in the Methow Valley. MVN is a very generous sponsor of MOD so I was excited for the opportunity to give back to some of its members by imparting some of the technical knowledge Scott and I have worked through over the years.

I’ve come to believe that the best way to teach someone how to ski is to understand how the best skiers in the world are doing it, and then adapt those techniques for other levels of skiers. With that in mind, I started both the classic and skate portions of the clinic out with some video analysis of top skiers, highlighting the emphases on weight transfer, forward momentum, and complete motions. We then spent about two hours with each discipline outside on the trails in Mazama, working on hills, transitions, and flat ground.

All of the attendees left the clinic with a markedly-better understanding of technique and much improved form in their own skiing. After seven hours of instruction they were still raring to go, so I considered it a success.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of Methow Valley Nordic and participating in any number of the clinics and camps they offer throughout the season, go to www.mvnordic.com.