What is Transition in Ski!

Transition is the phase when achieving the end of the turn and starting to prepare for the next turn.

It takes the skier from one side to the other, we should start considering that the actual momentum will be changed in the opposite way. In order to achieve this kind of movement, we will pass through a neutral phase where our body will be at a certain point without any significant effort from the skier side that we call it “Transition”.

What will happen at that specific moment:

• Your body starts to adjust to the neutral position by flexing and shortening the outside leg in order to release the ski as an effective method of releasing pressure.

• The inside and the outside ski will come together in a flattened position.

• The upper body position will align with both skis.

In technical words, we call that position the “Initiation”.

When your body reaches the “Initiation” you should prepare the following steps:

• Recentering
  • Recentering is when adjusting your body weight from to center.
• Early Edging
  • For details about Early edging read this..
• Weight Transfer
  • Is when you start to shift your weight against the COM towards the fell line. This movement could include a Toppling movement that we will discuss it in detail in this blog.

In order to accomplish a complete “Transition”, the skier must feel retraction, flatten, release, and more importantly the feeling of unbalanced before coming to “Initiation”. At this moment the skier will be able to adjust and easily shift his body weight to the next turn without any significant effort using the counter forces and energy preserved from the previous turn.