Flying to the mountains

Since Tuesday I have been training at

Vinneys ski school in Toulouse. Since the first day the skiing had been going really well. I hadn’t been slaloming a lot at home because of the conditions, so I was a little anxious going back on the slalom ski. Still the first set was already good, and every set after was getting better and better. I have been working to fix my gates for quite a while now and every coach that I go to identifies it as a problem. Now finally all the tips that I have received to make it better are falling into place and I am improving. This gives me more time in the course, during which I can work on all the other tips as well. Because of this, I am able to ski with a much better technique than before; I feel more powerful behind the boat, more in control of my ski and all my passes feel much easier. This is my third summer skiing with Vinney, so he knows my skiing quite well, and he says that it is as if there is another skier behind the boat, since I improved on my turns so much. Now, I am sure a new PB is not far away. 

In tricks, we worked on putting all my new tricks in a run. Especially in toes, I have a lot of new tricks that should be ready for my run before the next competition.

This results in a toe run that is almost worth more than my previous hands and toe run together. In hands I am also working on some new tricks, these require a bit more work, but I am sure I will be able to put them in for my next competition. In total, my new run will be 4500, if I am able to do every trick credit and in time. This will most likely not be the case in the beginning of the season, but I hope to work towards that score before Europeans. 

In jump I have spent a lot of time on the water without a ramp, practising a ¾ cut. This time, I made the cut towards the ramp, but let go just before. This way, I was still not actually jumping, but I could get used to the feeling of cutting towards the ramp and also work on the timing. Today was the first time also going over the ramp whist doing a ¾ cut. After 2 single cuts, I went for my first ¾, and fell. The second time, I went too early, so I had to pass the ramp. However, the next 4 jumps, I was able to make and land safely. Each jump I dared to go later and cut harder into the ramp, and it was an awesome feeling. I felt like I had more time in the air and I’m really excited to work more on the cut, so I can work towards a new jump PB.

When I came, the temperature was more like I had become used to in Florida rather than the cold of the Netherlands. This was great to ski in again but I could see on the weather forecast that it wouldn’t last. There were a couple of days where I had to ski in the rain and everything was quite cold. However, I must be made for those conditions, because I actually tricked really well!