Team GIBBON
Nov 10, 2011
SKI PREPARATION WITH SLACKLINE!
How slacklinging can help you through the challenges of skiing
The correct weight shift and balance are crucial for making the right turns while skiing. Additionally, there's the alternating stress on each ski's inner edge. But that's not all – one also needs to be mindful of various snow conditions and other skiers or snowboarders. It's easy to lose control, fall, and, in the worst case, get injured. To counteract this as effectively as possible, training with a mix of stability, balance, focus, strength, and endurance is essential. Who hasn't had enough of home workouts and dumbbells? Ski preparation with the slackline brings an alternative, as variety and training fun are our motto! You can see how to achieve all this with a polyester band in the following.
INTERVIEW WITH SKI PRO, SLACKLINER, AND SKI INSTRUCTOR MORITZ HAMBERGER
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Sport has always been important in our family. While others went to the sea, we went to the mountains for mountain biking or skiing. At the age of 13, my mom infected me with her enthusiasm for telemarking. Initially, I was with friends and family, but soon I sniffed the scent of competition and started for the German Telemark National Team at the age of 16. From then on, it was training every weekend on the glaciers or at World Cups all over Europe and America.
How are slacklining and skiing connected?
When skiing, one must constantly adapt to the current situation (terrain, snow, track, speed, weather, equipment) through well-coordinated movements to maintain control of speed and direction. On the slackline, this constantly changing situation can be perfectly simulated. To avoid falling off the line, one must always optimally recognize and react to the new situation. The goal is for the skier to learn to subconsciously cope with the changing situation, allowing them to focus on the run and their skiing technique in a race situation and react to sudden unexpected changes.
Continue the sentence: The most important factors for me...
Especially for use in areas such as...
- Subconscious adaptation to changes in situation
- Training of coordinative abilities (especially balance)
- Training of stabilizing deep muscles
- Effective full-body training
- Prevention of injuries and a rehab tool for injuries like ACL
...training with the slackline is very effective.
The most crucial factor in training on the slackline is balancing and reaching the deep muscles responsible for joint stabilization. The body posture is very similar to skiing, with a lot of tension, slightly bent knees, and a straight back for the entire descent, just like walking on the line. Well, if you have enough muscular endurance! Maintaining tension and concentration to balance on the slackline for more than 3 minutes requires a considerable effort. Thus, ski preparation with the slackline is optimal.
Looking at the topic in a more differentiated way, there's another significant advantage to the slackline. The learning curve is very steep – quickly mastering anything and conquering every challenge is enjoyable. This brings new motivation, variety, and enthusiasm to the training!
To keep this enthusiasm burning and not just smoldering, we offer YouTube videos, our own app with tutorials, tips and tricks, various slack spots, and general knowledge about slacklining.
Over the last 40 years, children's coordination abilities have decreased by at least 10%, and in noticeable cases, up to 30%. For this reason, GIBBON recognizes the need to reintroduce the topics of balance and coordination, especially through slacklining. More information can be found on our website.
"Everyone nowadays takes care of strength and conditioning through fitness and training. However, coordination and balance are often neglected. Yet, these skills enable the meaningful application of trained strength and conditioning," commented Ringo Mosch from Sanogym and Trainingsinsel.