Four Words for Great Skiing

by John Clendenin

with Peter Keelty

F W



G S

Four Words

for

Great Skiing

Learn the Secrets to Speed Management and Unlock

the Door to Skiing Anywhere on the Mountain

The Clendenin Method

™

Dedication .................................................................. 1

Foreword ................................................................. 4

Introduction ......................................................... 5

How Great Skiers Ski .................................... 7

Dancing with Gravity

Style vs. Technique

The Simple Moves of All Great Skiers

Focus on Great Feet

The Ball and the Box

How the Clendenin Method

™

Works

for You

.......................................................... 15

Skills Inventory – A Self-Assessment

Explanation of Levels – Blue, Black 1, and

Black 2

Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light

Black Level 1 Backlash: Edie’s Story

Our Secret Weapon: The Simulator

Contents

The Skier’s Flu ............................................... 23

Why You Have the Flu and Why It's Not Your

Fault

Instinct Is Not Always Our Friend

The Pervasive Flaw

Anatomy of the Stem

The Birth of the Skier's Flu

Four Strains of Flu

Differences among the Four Strains of Stem

Stem Intervention

Cure the Stem; Free Your Potential

Four Words

in Depth

................................. 29

Why Four Words

? .............................................. 30

A Note on Words

Drift: Softly, Softly on the Epiphany Pad

............ 33

Hard Edge vs. Soft Edge

Drifting vs. Skidding

Drifting vs. Traversing

The Epiphany Pad

(EP)

Center: Beyond Balance ....................................... 35

Four-Edge Skiing - From The Center

Centering vs. Balancing

Center to Re-Center - the Most Important

Move

One Principal Technical Problem: Ab-stem

Case Study

Touch: The Light Touch ........................................ 38

Touch for Timing

Case Study: Plant vs. Touch

Tip: The Most Important Moment

in Skiing ......... 41

Tipping and Edge Angles

The Most Important Moment

Active with the Bottom Ski – Passive with the

Top Ski

Case Study: The Air-Stem Hop

Tip – Release – Engage

Balance Migration

The Love Spot

Brief History of Tipping

Visual Summary of the Four Words ..................... 45

Eva's Summary of the Four Words

Anatomy of a Turn ....................................... 49

John and Eva, Portillo, Chile

Four Words

for Great Skiing

Keys to the Kingdom

................................. 53

Stance and Balance Keys ................................... 54

1) Stand Up Right - Upright, That Is

2) Center-of-Mass - Waking up your Feet

3) Range of Balance - Barrel of Balance

4) Slide Beneath Center - Push/Pull for

Forward and Back

5) Slip Beneath Center - Slip It In from Side

to Side

Drift and Center Keys ........................................... 58

1) Killy, Angulation and the Kinetic Chain

2) Easy Slider

3) Braking on the Epiphany Pad

4) Epiphany Pad

– Where Have You

Been?

5) Whip the Stem - Wake Up Your Inside

6) "Ski with Your Feet" - Cal Cantrell

7) Traverse vs. Drift

8) A Fine Feathered Edge

9) Drifting Through Bumps

10) Paint a Ribbon

11) Ultimate Drifter

12) Center to Re-Center

13) Once More with Angulation

14) Squeegee Move

– The Most

Important Move

Touch and Tip Keys .............................................. 63

1) Four-Point Core

2) The Target

3) Isolate the Forearm Swing

4) A Flick of the Wrist

5) All Together Now: Drift – Center –

Touch – Tip

6) The Most Important Moment – Touch

to Flatten the Ski

7) The "Love Spot

8) Passive Entry – Let it Happen

9) Core on the Horse

Favorite All-Inclusive Key .................................... 66

1) Balance Migration from a "Stop"

2) Balance Migration in Slow Motion

3) Advanced Perspective – Migration with .

Momentum

Contents

Variations of Major Keys ...................................... 75

1) Touch to Squeegee

2) Tip and Tuck

3) Lift to the Love Spot

: Skiing with Intention

4) Look Ahead and Commit

Mastery & Tactics .......................................... 81

Black Level 2: Explained ..................................... 83

Black Level 2: The Words in Action ...................... 84

Chino Martinez – Core Concepts of the Four

Words

Craig McNeil – The Breakfast Tray

Steve Henley – Body is the Piston for Flexion

and Extension

Lisa Heininger – The Teeter-Totter Moment

Peggy "Piglet" Harris – The Most Important

Moment

Mike Farmer – Up the Bump

Scott Brooksbank – From the Feet – The

Kinetic Chain

Inclination with Angulation

Johnny C – Stacking Bones

Johnny C – Keys for Speed Management

in the Bumps

Black Level 3 ...................................................... 102

Up the Bump "...and all ye need to know"

Skills Inventory Revealed ........................ 103

Mogul Myths ................................................ 109

Mogul Myths Debunked

Skier Confessions ...................................... 117

Jonny Moseley

Weekend at Johnny’s – by Everett Potter

Interview with Johnny C – with Everett Potter

One More Word: Stubborn – by Peter Keelty

Testimonials ............................................................ 125

Acknowledgements ................................................ 129

Photo Credits .......................................................... 130

Biographies ............................................................ 131

Registration ............................................................ 135

Four Words

for Great Skiing

Word One: DRIFT

Great skiers like Kim Reichelm

shape their turns. She cre

ates turn shape by regulating

how she moves over her skis

as she nesses her edges.

Great skiers nesse their edg

es—progressive release or

engagement—as needed for

various tasks, either to maxi

mize speed, as in a race-course, or to control speed, as

in moguls and powder. We call this ability to shape turns:

Drifting.

Word Two: CENTER

In order to direct the drift,

great skiers like Jonny Mos

ley can balance on either

ski. This management of

balance allows him to pres

sure either ski at will, es-

pecially in moguls. We call

the skill of balance manage

ment: Centering.

How Great Skiers Ski

Let’s take a closer look at the four basic moves of all great skiers and the Four Words

that form the foundation of the

Clendenin Method

™

Word Four: TIP

The skis of great skiers

like Bode Miller always

tip on edge when enter

ing a turn, and remain

parallel like they’re on

rails. His skis appear to

be extensions of his feet,

allowing him to respond

freely in any terrain.

Moving the skis on or off edge is called: Tipping.

The Simple Moves of All Great Skiers

Word Three: TOUCH

The pole touch is the cue that sig-

nals the body to commit to a new

turn. The touch always precedes

the turn. The touch of a great ski

er like Glen Plake is a seamless

component of the turn. It never

appears as a separate move, but

rather as an integral part of his

turn. This seamless use of the

poles is called: Touching.

Jonny Mosley

Kim Reichelm

Together, these Four Words

—Drifting and Centering, Touching, and Tipping—embody the mechanics needed to link one

great turn after another. Great skiers are always drifting to shape their turns and always centered on their skis. To change

direction, a pole touch cues their feet to tip their skis. Their turns look seamless, balanced, and controlled. Their moves are

not forced, heavy, contrived, or abrupt. Like a falling leaf, great skiers move simply and effortlessly. All skiers can acquire

efcient technique through the Four Words

and the progressions called Keys to the Kingdom

Glen Plake

Bode Miller

Great skiers drift (shaping their turn) and center (balancing in their turn) all the time.

When they change direction, they simply touch and tip.

"Since gravity holds us here, we might as well learn to dance in it. The better we get, the more it's like ying."

– Johnny C.

The Clendenin Method

™

The Four Words

in Depth

◆ Tip: The Most Important Moment

in Skiing

"The transition between turns is really the centerpiece of what we all do as skiers."

Preface – Brilliant Skiing, Every Day, Weems Westfeldt

“The most beautiful moment in skiing is the moment we commit to gravity—

the moment the skis change edge angle, giving up their grip on the old to

embrace the new. This is the moment we fall with gravity and dance.”

– Johnny C

Tipping and Edge Angles

Tipping is the act of changing the angle of the skis’ contact with the snow. Changing edge angles

initiates change of direction. Edge angle changes are referred to as releasing and then engaging.

Our initial focus is on releasing edges. Releasing engaged edges initiates a turn of skis from across the fall line to

down the fall line, eliminating any need to stem or hop. As skills develop, focus shifts to engaging edges.

Engagement occurs as we maintain the tipping edge angle through the fall line. A skilled skier can

progressively manage edge angle to achieve the intended drift, either for maximum edges when

carving or managed edges for speed control.

Most skiers come to us with preconditioned edging skills dominated by the big-toe edge of the

outside/downhill ski. To improve, they must learn to let go of their security hold with this dominant big-toe edge.

The Clendenin Method

™

Keys to the Kingdom

1) Killy, Angulation and the Kinetic Chain

(Terrain – groomed blue)

Assume the Killy Stance with skis across the hill, perpendicular to the

fall line. Notice that you’ve engaged the uphill edges of both skis, more

specically the little-toe edge of the uphill ski and the big-toe edge of

the downhill ski. Stand on the edges so that both skis are level and

each would balance a full martini glass.

Now quickly empty both imaginary martini glasses up the hill by tipping

both feet to the uphill side. Tipping the skis uphill increases the strength

of the edge-set. Notice that you did not have to consciously adjust your

upper body for balance. Your hips moved automatically into the hill and

your head moved out over your skis.

Tipping skis up the hill created a naturally angulated posture. This is

the body’s response to movement initiated in the feet. This angulated

shape in the body is the effect caused by the Kinetic Chain. Any

action in the feet creates action in the ankles. Action then moves

to the knees, then to thighs, hips, torso, shoulders and head. The

Kinetic Chain proceeds naturally from the feet up (See Inclination with

Angulation, p. 85).

Drift and Center Keys

The Skill of Drifting (creating intended turn shape) is related directly to the most underrated

maneuver in skiing—sideslipping. Though neglected, the sideslip is one of the easiest moves to

learn. Mastery of the sideslip is mandatory for expert all-mountain skiing. Sideslipping develops

balance, centering and edge control.

The Killy Stance drills show us how easy we can focus attention on sensations detected by the broad

soles of the feet—the heels and the toes. During sideslipping, sensitivity develops on the sides of the

feet—the Big Toe Pad

(B-TP) and the Epiphany Pad

(EP). (See p. 33.)

The Skill of Centering derives from the two activities humans do the most, standing and walking.

When stopping on a street to greet a friend and chat for a few minutes, we often stand with our feet

pointed slightly out, balancing intuitively on the outside of one foot, then switching to the outside of

the other. We are always on one foot or the other, or both, with either foot available beneath center

for balance adjustment at any time. We do this without conscious thought.

The same is true of walking. Take a few steps. Notice that you land on the fatty tissue under the little

toes and then roll to the big toe side pushing off into the next step.

Little-toe side (EP) landing and big-toe side (B-TP) push-off is most obvious in the movements of

expert skaters. This is also exactly how great skiers make great turns.

Important: perform each of the following in both directions.

Fig. 1

The Clendenin Method

™

Favorite All-Inclusive Key

1) Balance Migration

from a "Stop"

(Terrain – groomed green)

Keys to the Kingdom

The primary purpose of the Balance Migration Key

is to develop awareness of the all-important relationship

between your center-of-mass and your feet at turn initiation. This relationship is paramount for great skiing and

especially for speed management in the bumps.

This key is like an onion with many layers. The descriptions along with the pictures address the most basic aspects

of the Key. We also touch on some of the more advanced technical aspects (deeper layers) for CM skiers who have

mastered the basics of this wonderful Key.

An axiom of the Clendenin Method is that the downhill/outside/bottom ski is the rst ski to release into the new turn.

There are three ways to release the downhill/outside/bottom ski – 1) pick it up; 2) tip it down slope; and 3) both pick

it up AND tip it down slope. (See how Killy releases in our Blog Video at clendeninmethod.com - Johnny C’s Blog).

In the Balance Migration Key

, we pick up the downhill ski a couple inches in order to simulate its release before

the Key begins.

Stage 1 – The Beginning Stance

1) From a Stop. On a green slope, stand with your skis across the hill at a

S-T-O-P. This exercise begins with no forward movement relative to the snow.

When executed properly the skis move downslope with not one inch of forward

movement.

2) Poles. From a standstill, place your downhill pole in the snow about a foot-

and-a-half down the hill from the heel of your bottom foot. It’s okay to put your

hand on top of this downhill pole and use the pole for support. The up-hill pole is

held out of the snow in a Killy Hand position (see page 55).

3) Feet. Using your pole for support, pick up your bottom/downhill ski about two

inches off the snow – with your ski level and even with your uphill (stance) ski.

Your top stance ski remains engaged on its little-toe edge in the snow.

Four Words

for Great Skiing

Variations of Major Keys

1) Touch to Squeegee

(Terrain – groomed green/blue)

Here's another look at the Most Important Move. Practicing this little magical Squeegee Move

trains the feet to re-center

us on the inside/uphill ski. When the Most Important Move is combined with the Most Important Moment (the touch-tip), it

guarantees a parallel entry into our next turn. The parallel entry (no stem) is the linchpin of the Clendenin Method.

Here's how you practice the Touch to Squeegee Key.

1. Find a gentle, groomed green/blue run.

2. Ski directly down the fall line at a moderate speed with your feet about six inches apart (Image 1).

3. Swing the pole into the pole target - beside and halfway between the toes and the tips of your skis (Image 1).

4. As you feel the sensation of the touch in your hand and pass the pole (Image 2), tip the foot (next to the touch) and scrape

it in. At rst, the tip and the scrape are soft and gentle. The Squeegee (scrape-it-in) should have a consistent pressure

and should be done so the boots and skis come together evenly and parallel.

5. Timing the scrape with the pole touch trains the feet to respond to the touch (not vice versa). This timing should become

universal in all your skiing.

6. As you scrape and squeeze one foot toward the other, turn shape begins effortlessly (Images 3 and 4).

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Touch to Squeegee

Keys to the Kingdom

Four Words

for Great Skiing

Johnny C – Keys for Speed Management in the Bumps

The following speed control techniques render mogul skiing

balanced and effortless.

Note: these speed control tactics cannot be executed with a

stem entry because the skier cannot stem or hop from this

cross-slope angle coming up the bump.

1) Scrape Speed: Practice on Groomers

On a groomed blue run, check speed before each turn with an

aggressive engagement of the uphill top ski. Make short radius

turns in the fall line, braking with the little-toe edge of the uphill

ski until you can maintain constant speed for multiple turns. With

each check, you should feel the sensation of balance and re-

peating pressure on the pad of the little-toe side of the uphill foot

(the Epiphany Pad

). Continue

the drill until you can maintain

a constant speed for multiple

turns on steep groomed terrain.

2) Control Speed: In the Bumps

On an easy bump run, use the

same technique to scrape speed

as you did on the groomers. Slide

into position for turn initiation at

the top of the bump.

Using the uphill ski as a gentle brake is the most efcient way to con-

trol speed in the bumps. As a bonus, this move also puts you in posi-

tion to initiate the new turn effortlessly from a balanced, top ski. Notice

how the snow covers my bottom boot. The spray is coming from my

top ski as I balance on it to break my speed on this steep bump run.

When you combine a series of turns by alternating pivot-turns, bump to

bump, sliding down the back of each bump, and scraping speed with

the uphill ski (like linked hockey stops), we call it cascading. These

turns typically have minimal shape. Cascading is a skill useful to tame

steep plateau bumps.

Mastery and Tactics

John Clendenin’s Ski Method helps everyone ski effortlessly. He has it down pat!

– Jonny Moseley, Olympic Gold Medalist

John has a way of explaining complex things in simple terms anyone can

understand... I endorse John and recommend his Ski Method.

– Stein Eriksen, Olympic Gold Medalist

Clendenin Method

(877) SKI-DOCS

(970) 544-0300

Fax: (970) 544-0324

http://www.clendeninmethod.com

Feedback from Readers of the First Edition:

We just got back from a week at Whistler where I referenced your book

and then practiced some of the corresponding exercises every day…

by the end of the week, the cumulative improvements added up to a

breakthrough of skiing profound enough that I now have your book placed

on my coffee table at the ofce so I can tell everyone about it!

Tara Prakriya

I have just nished reading ‘The Clendenin Method’ book for the rst

time, in preparation for the forthcoming ski season in Australia. Although

I have yet to put skis on this year I know I am already a better skier. Your

explanations have made explicit so many details (moves, sequences of

events, points of balance, use of feet, edging technique, pole technique,

summed up by Drift, Centering, Touch, Tip and the Keys of the Kingdom)

that are alluded to in other books but never fully explained. Thank you for

a highly readable book with wonderful, coherent, complete, and easy to

comprehend descriptions of skiing technique.

Myron van der Waerden