Linking Turns - Part 1

Take a look at this YouTube video of Giorgio Rocca skiing slalom turns. It is immediately apparent that Giorgio links his turns with inspiring precision and fluidity.

What strategy helps link turns so expertly? While only Giorgio can truly know his own strategy, I am confident in saying that between turns his feet shift from one side of his body to the other with little if any effort.

In my view his feet move from side to side with so little effort because at the release from each turn, his skis point well across the direction that his upper body will travel to the next turn. See the video below which freeze frames just after release from each turn, and note the difference in direction of the skis versus the upper body at that point in the turn cycle.

While momentum carries his upper body towards the inside of the next turn (and slalom gate) his skis flow across and under the flight path of his upper body. There's no visible effort to shift the feet from one side to the other, rather, the feet are taken across under the upper body by the flow of the skis between turns. Furthermore, the skis take the feet sufficiently out to the side of the upper body that simply balancing, primarily on the outside ski, triggers grip and produces the next turn.

Notably, Giorgio doesn't interfere with the flow of his skis out of one turn and into the next. Between turns, he may fine tune the tilt of his skis to suit the objectives of the upcoming turn, but he doesn't override the direction they are tracking in. This adds smoothness and fluidity to his skiing.

CONCLUSION

A well-timed release from the turn with the skis turned, rather than square, relative to the upper body allows balancing in a skiing-purposed stance to create grip and the start of the new turn.

More regarding this topic is addressed in both Ski Well Simply and How I Ski.

Note the difference in the directions of skis and upper body at release and through the transition.

Next:  Linking Turns, Part 2.