BY Victor “The Inflictor” Roy
Three years ago I was introduced to the Skier’s Edge Plyometric S4 machine, on the sidewalk in front of the Huckleberry Inn at Mt. Hood, Oregon. It was after a slalom session at my Masters Summer Camp on Palmer glacier. After a few attempts at getting the thing going, I started to get the feeling of how it worked with helpful tips from my buddy and fellow Masters racer Franz Fuchsberger. “Victor, it’s just like slalom, you must keep a calm upper body, get lower by flexing the ankles, and extend to the sides and stay aligned to get more power to your feet.” Hmmm… pretty cool. Felt like what I was trying to do that morning up on the hill. After about 45 seconds on my first attempt, I ran out of breath, my legs were burning and I realized this machine really packed a punch. We fooled around on it for another half hour until I could no longer walk. But I did get the feeling of how to work it correctly. The next morning I clicked into my slalom’s at 7 AM and on my free run on lane 13 I thought Wow, when I ski correctly it’s the same feeling I had on that machine yesterday! OK worth more investigation.
For years I had been getting the mailings from Skier’s Edge with pictures of former World Cuppers on this ‘machine’. I thought it was just a gimmick until that day on the sidewalk in Govy (Government Camp, Mt. Hood, OR), followed by that free run the next morning. The feelings of that slalom run and the machine were the same. OK, now I’m a believer and I’ve got to have one.
I’ve been ski racing and coaching for over 30 years. I graduated with an engineering degree (and a minor in ski racing). I’ve never seen a ski simulation machine that really works (not to mention the workout) until now. Well, finally there’s a machine for our sport that really works. The only fault that I can find with this machine is that I didn’t invent it.
In coaching ski racers, the greatest challenge is getting the athlete to ‘feel’ when something is working correctly or incorrectly - and have them understand the difference, and consequences of each. Coaching is a challenge for different age levels. Youngsters are more visual learners. As the athlete gets older, you introduce ‘book learning’ and ‘theory’ (although sometimes I feel like I have better luck talking to a tree than to a 13 year old J3.) Then you have the Master’s racer who wants to ski like Bode. He’s spent money on the latest gear but is locked into old school technique because that’s what’s been comfortably ingrained in his brain all these years. The better you were at ‘old school’ technique, the harder it is to learn the ‘new school’ technique.
You must ‘train your brain’ to tell your muscles to break the old habits and assimilate the new. Now we have a machine to do this and you don’t need to go to the mountain to do it! Hello?
I hesitate to coach anyone on the hill until they become familiar with the Skier’s Edge machines. I feel I can more efficiently cover the principles of good technique: stance, quiet upper body and hands, level shoulders, skeletal alignment, and strength without wasting time on the hill. Trying to get the athlete to ‘feel’ these things in
a relatively uncontrolled environment is almost impossible. Are you listening out there coaches?
To ski correctly, maintain proper stance and balance and carve throughout the turn, you must first be strong enough to hold these forces correctly. Here is a machine that can help you do both! It can show you if you’re keeping yourself aligned correctly and help you build the necessary strength. It’s like having a pair of skis and a mountain in your living room. You can use them correctly or incorrectly - it’s your choice. This machine has no bad habits, only your habits. By orienting your machine in front of a mirror, patio door, or back lighting yourself and casting your shadow on a wall, you can turn bad habits into good habits. By staying aligned and training muscle memory you can get a great leg burn in less than 2 minutes!
I still train religiously every day on the Skier’s Edge. In the Masters National Championships two weeks ago at Big Sky, MT, I placed 1st in Slalom Class 7 and was the Masters National Champion Class 7. In the FIS Masters World Championships last week in Sun Valley, ID, I placed 1st in the GS Criterium Class 6; 1st in Slalom Class 6, and had the fastest Criterium GS time overall, and was the 2005 FIS Masters World Criterium Outstanding Competitor Combined Champion Classes 6-12.
Well, it’s 60° and nearing the middle of April. I can see from my porch that Mt. Hood is already brown and there are white caps on the Columbia River. Guess I’ll go down to Doug’s Beach and ‘train’ a bit on my sailboard, then I’ll come home and run a slalom in my living room.
