Question for Kaylin Richardson - Stivot Tactic

[SkierScott]

I am interested in your perspective on the stivot tactic.

a) How do you describe a stivot? Do you feel that the stivot is more of an unpressured float or a steered pressured feather move?

Here is are some photo sequences of the stivot from Ron LeMaster

Bode Miller - Park City GS, 2003, 1st run

http://ronlemaster.com/images/2003-2004/sl...de-pc-gs-1.html

Ted Ligety - Alta Badia GS, 2007 2nd run

http://www.ronlemaster.com/ligety-ab...-home-page.jpg

James Cochran - Beaver Creek SL, 2004, 1st run

http://ronlemaster.com/images/latest-image...-2004-sl-1.html

Videos of stivot

WCSN video of Francois Bourque's 2007 FIS World Cup GS run at Karnjska Gora, Slovenia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcvOYmK7cgA

Video of Ivica Kostelic (bib #5), Rainer Schoenfelder (bib #6) & Benjamin Raich (bib #3) 2004 FIS World Cup SL run at Wengen, Switzerland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQ9egMTW9s



I have seen various descriptions including:

"Pivot - Float/Feather - Hook up edge to carve bottom of turn while keeping skier center of mass pointed in the intended direction of travel."

"Combined steering and pivoting movement at the start of the turn. Pivot skis dramatically early in the turn. Once skis have bitten snow, redirected and even slowed a bit, pivot skis back outward to desired line to carve." Ron LeMaster - USST technical advisor
http://www.ronlemaster.com/articles/Aksel%...d%20Svindal.pdf

"Stivot-Feather-Butter The Toast" The key is to maintain the balance of the center of the foot to retain control of where the pressure is added instead of initiating a stivot with a windshield wiper turns (initiated from the ski tips). Pete Deisroth - ACA Ontario Ski Team Women's Head Coach
www.alpineontario.ca/site/content/files/Collingwood%20Presentation%202007-%20Pete%20Deisroth.pdf

"Rotating the ski tips in on approach to a gate, sliding to check speed, then rotating tips back out to direction of turn to lock skis in for the turn around the gate" Adam Chadbourne - USSA Development Program
www.njsra.org/images/VARA%20Coaches%20Ed%2015%20Sep%2007.pdf

"It's just when you slide your skis sideways and are redirecting into the turn. It's actively re-directing the skis, as opposed to letting them carve to redirect themselves. And you do it to get rid of speed that you don't want. And you do it to cut off line. You do it before you have the skis heavily weighted. It's much easier obviously. If you have them weighted and you chuck them sideways and displace a huge amount of snow and you slow down a lot." Bode Miller - USST
http://mysnowsports.com/main_cpg/For...opic/p=61.html



b) When should a stivot be used?

It seems that by cutting off the top of the turn the stivot allows for a lower, straighter, more direct line than a pure arc to arc turn. Is this only for cranker turns where pure arcs are virtually impossible, steep icy terrain, awkward sections of course where speed or direction control are required for or is it also used in other situations like recovering a lost line?

c) What is the stivot usage percentage range that you have used in a GS course (0-30%, 0-50%, etc)?

d) What is the stivot usage percentage range that you have used in a SL course (0-30%, 0-50%, etc)?

e) What free skiing & gate drills have you found helpful to learn the stivot tactic?


I am hoping that my questions may encourage other NASTAR forum members to participate in the online discussion with the U.S. Ski Team Ambassadors because of their interest in the topic mentioned in this thread or in new topics/questions (Course Inspection, Race Day Routine, Start Technique, Actual Race Tactics, Finish Technique, Free Skiing Drills, Gate Drills, Speed Suit Advantage, Line, Ski Pressure Management, Development System) prompted by this thread.

If you are interested in the topic mentioned in this thread, please post a response in this thread.

If you have new topic(s) &/or question(s), please feel free to create a new thread.


Congratulations on your 8th place in SL at Kranjska Gora, SLO in Jan 2007 (FIS Results for Kaylin http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sec...0&limit=100).

Richardson Video
USST Richardson season review www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9H62Wdt9Mc

What are your goals for this season?

[EvanMiller]

Might be a little while before we get to this: Kaylin's in the middle of Alberta w/o signal... please standby.

[bmorecopper]

Thats ok! I have 5 more steamed crabs to eat and at least two more Pabst's to wash them down with. Cant type with seasoning all over my fingers

[EvanMiller]

Thats ok! I have 5 more steamed crabs to eat and at least two more Pabst's to wash them down with. Cant type with seasoning all over my fingers[/b]

that is not fair. the rest of us are still polishing off Thursday's turkey! We'll try and locate Kaylin, and get a double header going for tomorrow.

[EvanMiller]

If you have new topic(s) &/or question(s), please feel free to create a new thread.[/b]

we'll get to this one tonight, and other questions at 7pm MST

[KaylinRichardson]

Well Scott, I will try to be as methodical as I can...

a) How do you describe a stivot? Do you feel that the stivot is more of an unpressured float or a steered pressured feather move?
I would define stivot as steering the skis at the top of the turn by sliding to get them in the right place to begin carving;

b) When should a stivot be used?
This move should only be used in a last resort/ survival situation- ie: when you are late and have no time to pressure the edge properly or on an extremely steep pitch. A sliding ski is never faster than a carving ski.

c) What is the stivot usage percentage range that you have used in a GS course (0-30%, 0-50%, etc)?
d) What is the stivot usage percentage range that you have used in a SL course (0-30%, 0-50%, etc)?
It depends on the course to be honest. Hopefully, I never use it unless it is part of my plan- for instance if there is a set with a turn that is impossible to carve and stay on line. But, as a survival move and mistake "fixer" I probably use it minimally. If it is a run that I am struggling in then I may, unfortunately be using it more often.

e) What free skiing & gate drills have you found helpful to learn the stivot tactic?
I think the stivot shouldn't really be taught- sliding drills should suffice when it comes to learning this move. It is more something that just naturally happens when it is appropriate and needed. Sliding the top of the turn is not a fundamental part of fast skiing, it is a move that is in your bag of tricks to get you out of trouble- a very helpful trick, but not one you want to use often!

Lastly, my main goal for the season is to make the world championships team and to have fun every day of course!!

Thank you so much for your questions and I hope that my answers were at the very least slightly beneficial!
Kaylin