Product Review: The SkiA Sweetspot Trainer
by Daniel Clark and Georgiana Patru Let's be honest, as skiers most of us are fans of cool gadgets, gizmos and skiing tech that allow us to crank things up a notch. So when we recently stumbled across a gadget for fine tuning your skiing balance that you could use at home, we were intrigued. We reached out on twitter, strapped on our ski boots in the office and got to work.
The official blurb reads as follows... the revolutionary SkiA Sweetspot Trainer is a ‘dry land’ ski trainer specially designed to help the skier put pressure on the “sweet spot”, the place upon which the skiers should press in order to get perfect centred balance. The trainer can be used on any firm surface: wood, tiles, carpet, and even firm snow. All you have to do is to clip it onto your boots and attach to it one of the four rubber blocks: green, blue, red, or black, depending on your level of ability. In order to find out more about this product, we tested it out and talked to the inventor, Dr. Martin Breach.... So, Martin, how did you come up with this idea? The project started when I did a 'Ski Performance Breakthrough' clinic, run by Hugh Monney (Director of the British Alpine Ski School) in 2009. Until then, I had believed that it was necessary to stand ‘up’ and put pressure on the ball of the foot to make my skis turn. Hugh explained that this was simply the wrong place - the point to apply pressure is actually at the centre of the foot. There is actually an index mark (a capital ‘A’) on the underside of every ski boot that marks this point - that is the 'sweetspot'. Putting pressure on the sweetspot allows skis to flex and pivot perfectly. It is simply a safer, more stable, and much less tiring way to ski. How has your own skiing position evolved since using the SkiA? For me, it has made all the difference in world. My first step was knowing about centred balance, and discovering that I'd been skiing for 20 years pressing in the wrong place, on the ball of my foot to make skis turn. How often do you recommend using the ski trainer out of season? Fairly often, for a period of 2-3 weeks. That is what I'd recommend to get good and develop those balance skills, once you get good you will retain a lot of that ability and muscle memory. I'd say ten minutes a day for a couple of weeks. Racers and freestylers need to keep on top. Where do you want the SkiA to be in 10 years time? Established as the standard ski training aid. Affordable enough and effective enough. Everybody with skis can benefit from using it. Works for every standard of skier. We know it works. Universally, everybody that has tried it gives us that feedback. Magic starts on the snow when you start applying those skills. What do you personally think about the trainer? If you ski, the SkiA Trainer will change the way you ski forever. Thank you Martin. Testing this product provided hours of fun and flex. I'll be the first to admit that we did fall down once or thrice on the more advanced settings. After some practice it was clear that significant improvements to skiing position could be made just by routinely using this nifty gadget. In terms of improving skiing technique, the three noticeable benefits to using the SkiA Trainer are: Comfort Once you get used to pressing directly on the sweetspot, your feet can become more balanced and relaxed, reducing the need to over engage your leg muscles. Therefore, a more optimal skiing position can be maintained with less exertion. Flexibility There is no doubt that practising your skiing technique on the SkiA Trainer improves flexibility. Couple this with some relevant stretching (see 'A Guide to Pilates for Skiers') and you'll broaden the parameters of what is possible... on snow. Stability Once the sweetspot skiing position becomes more natural it is much easier to regain your balance after an uninvited ski wobble. Routine use of the SkiA Trainer evolves your balance, stability and return to recovery position on skis. Overall, if you're really looking to advance your skiing position or just want to get ahead of your mates before the elusive annual ski trip, then a SkiA Sweetspot Trainer would be a worthy investment. Its adaptable levels of difficulty makes it suitable for the broadest range of skiers, from clumsy beginners to experienced racers. Click here to see the SkiA Sweetspot Trainer in action. Visit the product page and use discount code MOGUL2013 to receive an extra 10% off the £45 price tag. Thanks SkiA! |