22/1/14

We arrived in Jegersberg at 9:30, the temperature was below freezing and the first thing we were to do was to adjust the wax used on our ski’s previously. It is important to use the correct wax for the temperature as this will affect the overall effort and skiing experience, and the wax should be applying at least a foot length between either side of the shoe area. We began by skiing up and down in the flat area, again to get used to the movements and the feeling of the ski’s.

Area used:

The area used to ski, Jegersberg, was chosen as there was a good amount of snow covering the ground as to avoid frozen ground. The area was clear  with plenty of space along the majority of the track, this was good for such a large group skiing together and we were able to work alongside each other when necessary. The terrain began mostly flat and this allowed us to practice our skiing technique before moving onto hills etc., further into the day we progressed into going up and down small hills as most of the group were beginners.

The role of the (vei)leader:

The leader showed an encouraging teaching style by having us move around on the ski’s firstly without any instruction, this was a good way for us to quickly gain confidence and figure out how the ski’s felt and how we reacted to them. After a period of time getting used to the ski’s, the leader gave basic instructions with demonstration and we were again given time to get used moving up and down on the ski’s before moving onto the next point. I also found it useful to watch the technique of other members of the group as different things were working for different people. The day was organised a day in advance which gave us chance to prepare for the activity. When the day was planned, the leader discussed with us what we do, how long we would be there and what we would need to bring. When planning an activity it is important to make a group decision as will allow for better organisation between everyone. Whilst we were skiing, the leader observed everyone by immersing himself within the group, by doing this he was able to see who was and wasn’t confident on the ski’s. I think it became quite difficult for the leader to observe everyones technique as the group was quite big and at most points during the trip the group was quite spread out. Following this, the leader took time to observe people individually at different point rather than the group as a whole, this was good as we were able to receive feedback on our technique individually and then we knew what we needed to improve upon ourselves. This was a good method as I found it effective to try and improve my technique alone and then receive feedback from the leader further on in the day as this gave me chance to learn from my own experiences.

Students:

Although we were given brief instructions on technique and direction, the structure of the day was free and laid back. This meant that we were able to take the time that we needed to improve and enjoy the skiing. We reached an open area in which we organised repetitive activities going down hill, each time trying to improve a skill e.g. moving to either side and bending the legs to go down etc. Following this we had time to freely move around the area, this was effective as i was able to practice the specific things which i was not so good at such as turning on a corner, and i was able to do this in my own time allowing me to repeat the skills over and over. I found it challenging to increase my skills when walking up hill but i was able to remain motivated by gradually seeing improvements in myself, and by comparing my progress to the beginning of the day when i could move up the hills at all. I also found it useful to notice others in the group’s progress, by seeing how people had improved in ashore period of time increased my motivation that i could achieve what i was aiming for.

I confidently believe that my motor skill quality improved massively during the course of the day, this was evident when i walking up steeper hills towards the end of the day and i wasn’t finding it as difficult and frustrating as the first hills. I think the reason this improved was because i took my time to focus on the basic movement principles before challenging myself to different skills. By focusing on beginner level movements I felt that the basics on the ski’s became easier throughout the trip and i found that i was much more confident going both up and down hill. I’m sure that i have achieved more than i wanted to today: use of body positioning to get the best grip on the ground, basic movements up hill, confidently go down hill and knowing how to maximise avoiding an injury if i was to fall and finally, turning corners/direction. As i am happy with todays progress, the next time i ski i would like to increase my speed when walking on flat ground and up hill and be able to maintain my balance more effectively.