This year is my first year free skiing and I rarely can get on to down rails successfully, I always slip out or slid off right when I get on. Everyone says to lean downhill but I can't figure it out. All of my friends get on to down rails easily and they learned then in one day while I have been struggling with them all season? any help!?
Help With down rails and kinks?
- Thread starter CycleDTC
- Start date
wasatch_rat
Active member
go skateboarding in transition (miniramps and stuff). its about the closest thing balance-wise to sliding a rail at whatever angle. skating switch helped me with right foot forward slides so much that i barely even have a preference anymore
wasatch_rat
Active member
also, stop thinking about it so much. all the exact same principles apply as when you slide a flat rail. pop, land wide stance (think gorilla steeze) 55% on back foot 45% of weight on front foot and look at the end of the rail. i'm guessing your scared so you pop on with all your weight on your back foot and don't commit to actually sliding the rail all the way so you slip out. its 99% mental, so turn off your brain, commit, and look at the end of the rail and the rest should fall into place.
RubberSoul
Active member
yeah
jump on like normal with a wide stance, and gorilla stance a little bit with your weight downhill
make sure you turn your skis completely perpendicular to the rail and think about catching the rail right under the balls of your feet and keeping it there
jump as little as is necessary to get on the rail, otherwise youre gonna be coming down with more force than you need (and maybe more than you can handle at your level)
for kinks (assuming youre talking about a downkink, for instance a flat to down rail) do all of the above but right as you get to the kink, push your weight and feet down the way you would pumping a transition so you stay on the rail and don't fly off/over it
most importantly, like this dude said, look at the end of the rail. as with most active things, your body goes where youre looking
jump on like normal with a wide stance, and gorilla stance a little bit with your weight downhill
make sure you turn your skis completely perpendicular to the rail and think about catching the rail right under the balls of your feet and keeping it there
jump as little as is necessary to get on the rail, otherwise youre gonna be coming down with more force than you need (and maybe more than you can handle at your level)
for kinks (assuming youre talking about a downkink, for instance a flat to down rail) do all of the above but right as you get to the kink, push your weight and feet down the way you would pumping a transition so you stay on the rail and don't fly off/over it
most importantly, like this dude said, look at the end of the rail. as with most active things, your body goes where youre looking
Saga.
Active member
It can also help to think about getting on the rail as if you just had sneakers on. Pretend you have soap shoes on. You want to jump on top of the rail and fully commit to being on it. You may not notice it but if you're at all hesitant it will cause you to lean one way or another and slip off immediately.
buddychaps
Active member
this
RubberSoul
Active member
one of the top 3 moments of my skiing life was watching that dude fall off a rail i had just fallef off of...."so he is human. cool"
listen to this kid. hes pro.
as seen at :25 and 1:03
Season of Fun from Ethan Crispell on Vimeo.
/images/flash_video_placeholder.pngbut seriously hes right.
as seen at :25 and 1:03
Season of Fun from Ethan Crispell on Vimeo.
/images/flash_video_placeholder.pngbut seriously hes right.
PsychedelicMoose
Member
THis year was also my first. Just pop onto the rail 90 on, land with your boots on the rail, try to evenly distribute the weight. Then just kneel down, it makes you less likely to fall off.
magicalkitten
Member
That was actually my favorite edit I've seen in a while. Dead serious I have no idea why