Cross-blocking
Encyclopedia
Cross-blocking is the method that a slalom
ski-racer uses to draw his body's center of gravity closer to the skiing
and increase his speed. This is done by diverting gates with his outer hand or arm (normally protected from the impact by a pole guard). The racer's feet get sufficiently close to the pole that, due to inward lean, the racer's entire upper body would actually pass through the pole if it were not moved out of the way. Thus they hit the pole (modern ones are designed to easily bend) with their outside hand to move it out of the way. Usually, the skier's shin guard will then push the gate down further.
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
ski-racer uses to draw his body's center of gravity closer to the skiing
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
and increase his speed. This is done by diverting gates with his outer hand or arm (normally protected from the impact by a pole guard). The racer's feet get sufficiently close to the pole that, due to inward lean, the racer's entire upper body would actually pass through the pole if it were not moved out of the way. Thus they hit the pole (modern ones are designed to easily bend) with their outside hand to move it out of the way. Usually, the skier's shin guard will then push the gate down further.
See also
- Guardian article on ski racing
- To cross-block or not to cross-block? - a 1996 article published in Professional Skier magazine