FINLAND FREESTYLE SKI TEAM TRAINING REGIMEN

By Mikko Ronkianen

Training:

  • At least 200 days a year on snow.
  • Training in the morning and afternoon, two hours each.
  • In the evening, a short game and stretching.

Training on the hill -- Successful Finnish technique:

Team Finland skis flats more than you can imagine, because it is easier to concentrate and learn to ski without bumps. The similarities in the technique of Finnish skiers comes pretty much from flat skiing.

  • Basic skiing body position
  • Turning smoothly by using knee angles the get skis on their edges, low basic skiing position
  • Upper body relaxed and still
  • Vision up
  • Pole plants by using wrists
  • Affter that, do the same things in moguls with absorption
  • For keeping snow contact we are pushing the whole ski straight down in the backsides of the bumps instead of pushing ski tips down
  • When learning something new, ski moguls in short sections and focus on one thing at a time
  • We are used to skiing icy moguls because of the northern weather conditions, after that a soft mogul course is fun and easy to ski

Training off the hill(summer training): Total 9 training times a week.

Aerobic training: long distance running, roller blades, interval training

Getting more power: circuit training, weight lifting in periods. Basic force period, max force period, quick force period.

Elasticity: jumping like a mad rabbit

Velocity: short track runs(10-100 metres)with reaction starts

Coordination: trampoline, roller skating(downhill with poles), skateboarding, gymnastics (good for strength too).

Flexibility: stretching every day!

Motivation to ski in the World Cup level:

Having a good time: hard times teach to practice and win

Success is a result of hard work: everyone of us has a tough head and belief in ourselves

Team spirit: cheering each other and competing at the same time, coaching each other,being happy for others' success even if you have failed.

Good Feeling: it feels good after you have done well either in training or competition

Enjoy skiing at all times!