tips on my form? (video)

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:33 am

can anyone please give me some advice on anything in this vid.

and sorry for the bad quality, my phone is all that i have. if it is too bad just let me know, ill try to get a hold of an actual video camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kvNQ1IUN-Q

Marty Schaub · Post by **Marty Schaub** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:52 am

Makes perfect. From the grainy vid your form seems fime. Work on bending your knees and getting more drive from your arms down through your hips to your board. Simple right? Oh and run a longer course too......

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:55 am

yeah but usable space can be a bit tricky if i dont want to have to pick up half of my course every other run. but i scoped out a nice place the other day and hopefully ill have a better vid up tomorrow. and ill be sure to take all of your advice

Rick Floyd · Post by **Rick Floyd** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:02 am

Brian Ellison wrote:yeah but usable space can be a bit tricky if i dont want to have to pick up half of my course every other run. but i scoped out a nice place the other day and hopefully ill have a better vid up tomorrow. and ill be sure to take all of your advice

Two words - Google Earth

Scope at will.

-R

Marty Schaub · Post by **Marty Schaub** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:03 am

What you really need to work on is your pump. I am sure there has to be some big flat parking lots with good pavement around. If you can learn to accelerate on flat through your pump then the battle is over when looking for speed in a course per se.

That's what I did when I got back into this sport. Skated flat for 4 weeks before I even went near a hill.

Chris Favero · Post by **Chris Favero** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:06 am

square your shoulders up to the nose of your board alittle more.stay low and bend those knees.C

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:19 am

hey cfav, by squaring up my shoulders, you mean facing them more forward correct? the cones were 6ft apart from one another and it just feels like when i bend my knees more i dont get the control nor the power i do then when i stand up a little more

Jonathan Harms · Post by **Jonathan Harms** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:14 am

I would agree with everything Marty, Rick and Cfav said. I especially like Marty's observation: You're basically doing quite well already. Your basic form/technique is not bad at all, especially for someone who (as far as I know) hasn't been doing slalom for all that long yet.

As far as bending your knees, you don't have to squat or anything like that--try just a little at a time and see how it feels and how it affects your balance and speed. If you keep skating, your style/technique will likely keep getting better, easier and more powerful.

Check out the Movies section of this site, if you haven't already, and compare what you do to what the really fast people do. See what you can adapt or adopt from them, within the "boundaries" of your own style. I particularly like the one called "Slow Motion Slalom."

P.S. Any chance you can make it to the Sun Prairie, WI race in June? You'd have a great time there, I think.

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:23 am

i will be at both sun prarie and st louis this year 100% sure hell or high water. im so excited you dont even know. and thanks for all of the advice. this is the only sport i know of where the lowest of skaters can openly talk to world champs and receive advice. and you are correct about me not doing slalom for very long. batavia was my first time ever on a slalom board.

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Tue May 12, 2009 3:38 am

so i got a couple of more videos with a better camera. before cones were at 7ft now they are at 6ft. it is a 25 cone course straight line (almost) and i am now on an axe1 however, i am still running bigzigs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaXBR7yfrJU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=414uIzojzfo

im still working some kinks out in the back end but i am gaining speed through my pumps now. and less than 2 weeks till st. louis. JBH, I'll be either staying at the drury inn near the train station or right by the arch. im not sure which one yet

Eric Brammer · Post by **Eric Brammer** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:33 am

Brian, having watched all of your vids, I want first say "nice job"! I usually have to commit a good two months out of a summer to convince a 'skater' to use their arm/torso/legs in such a neatly co-ordinated tempo + concerto. However, you are 'stiff' in your angulation moves (this being 'shoulders across' mid-turn), and it shows up lower down, when your knees/ankles should be a bit softer, you're still using a lot of muscle tension to get the board to turn. So, soften up, down low. How? Use offsetts in the cones by moving them OUT about 1/2" EVERYWHERE along the course, then go in using one less push. Increase the cone 'away from center' distance by another 1" or two as you relax, and let your FEET find the best route AROUND the cones, not 'thru' the cones. Sounds kinda flaky, I know, but, it'll push your sense of pressure to a point where you can adjust to the grip available, and hopefully miss cones that're widely offset.
ast note, be very careful of foot positioning ont your deck. You nipped some cones in you last vid due to Toe Overhang, wherein, if you'd placed your feet better, closer to the board's edges, you would likely have not hit plastic on the way thru.
Overall, you get an 8 outa 10 in my book (Schwippy's an 11, btw, CMC's is a 10.3, JG is at 10,'in the day', so you're in good company!).

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:46 pm

thanks eric. last night after i took those videos i made a small course with crasy offsets that i never thought i would make. they were about 8ft spacing with a foot of offset. i in no way flew through them but i did manage to get through it a few times after i got my rear end to settle down and stop sliding. I printed out a few of wesley's course diagrams so imm be setting those up today and am going to give those a try.

oh and somewhere earlier i stated i was having trouble with my back truck well i think i got it now. i have a green venom barrel bottom and a blue (i need red) small khiro cone top with -3* past flat dewedging. hopefully ill loosen up in time for st louis

Robert Gaisek · Post by **Robert Gaisek** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:08 pm

Looking good! Now....go put a helmet on, please.

It´s "skate or die" not "skate and die".

Marty Schaub · Post by **Marty Schaub** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:03 am

First of all.. GET ON A FREAKIN HELMET!!!!!

Now, it looks, especially in the side view video that your steering quite a bit with your back foot and your twisting your upper body to make that happen. Try staying centered on the board and like I said before, drive down using your arms into your torso which is connected to the hips and this makes you go zoom.

I may like to joke but not about helmets or going fast. Stop pushing in so much and use your body to accelerate and find speed IN the course, not before.

Your looking good and if I know JBH as I do, you are set for a weekend of tutorials. Enjoy STL.

Brian Ellison · Post by **Brian Ellison** » Wed May 13, 2009 2:49 am

ok well i took this vid before i got your advice but i do have a helmet on this time around. the spacing is at 6ft with 1/2 cone offset every cone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9b267orug

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tips on my form? (video)

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