Bucketing & Tethering a Bi-Ski
What, Who, How
What
Providing instructor assistance in the form of bucketing and/or tethering. They can both provide crucial assistance in controlling movement and speed, particularly for skiers with limited balance or physical challenges.
Who
Anyone in a bi-ski requiring some degree of instructor assistance.
How
Bucketing and tethering is designed to assist the student in making lateral movements and controlling their speed. It helps to limit falls, aids skill development, allows for correction of movements, and fosters comfort and confidence on the slopes.
Movements & Performance
Bucketing for Bi-Ski
This is generally best done on skis for safety reasons, although it can be done on a snowboard if the rider has a high skill level. Bucketing involves holding the handle of the bi-ski and taking close control. For teaching, allow the student to move out of balance but correct the movement if they are going to fall. If you are bucketing while moving around on the flats, through crowded spaces, or on steeper slopes, have the student hold their outriggers over their legs.
On skis, straddle the bi-ski and hold the handle close to your body. On a snowboard, position yourself to the side of the bi-ski and either stay on the same side or perform an “end around” move between turns. The quicker that you tip the bi-ski into the turn, the shorter the turn will be and the slower you will go. On very steep slopes, rotate the ski as much as possible through the flat ski phase to shorten the turn. Always keep a tether line attached to your wrist as a safety precaution when you are bucketing.
Loose bucketing is a concept we can use to give the student more independence while still having some control over the sit ski when required. We can use this to help catch the student if they start to fall or slow them down if required. When we are loose bucketing it is always important to let the student know when we are applying input into the bi-ski.
Tethering for Bi-Ski
Tethering involves assisting control of the bi-ski through the use of two tether lines attached onto the outside rear of the bi-ski seat and to your wrists. For developing skiers, the tethers assist the turning movements. For advanced skiers, the role is one of safety where you ensure the student skis at a safe speed and act as an emergency brake if needed. Always tether at a speed at which you can safely stop at any time. Maintain a power wedge or keep your board on edge, and keep your elbows close to your body when tethering.
Always keep the tether lines attached to your wrist and the bi-ski when you are bucketing. Emergency stop call should be established and practiced. This can be non-verbal if necessary. Communication is also essential when tethering, to coordinate movements. This can be done with either the instructor or the student calling the turns.
Terrain, Equipment & Safety
Terrain
Use bucketing and tethering on green and blue groomed terrain.
Key Equipment
- Bi-Ski
- Outriggers or fixed outriggers to assist with balance and lateral movement.
- Tethers may help in assisting the student when required.
Safety Issues
The predominant risk when tethering is that the skier will fall inside the turn. Position yourself marginally to the outside of the turn, hold tension on the inside tether with your hand close to your hip to prevent the ski from tipping over too far. Cross the outside tether over the inside tether to assist in tipping the ski into the turn if needed. At the completion of the turn, center yourself behind the ski, bring the new inside tether to your hip, and cross over the new outside tether to assist with the new turn.
As a skier picks up speed, the forces of the turn will help to keep them upright. Skiers may have difficulty holding enough edge angle to complete the turn and may tip too fast into the beginning of the turn. To assist this, the tetherer needs to adjust their line to be inside the line of the bi-ski through the second half of the turn. During this phase, you will maintain light tension on both tether lines with the outside tether holding the edge angle on the skis as much as needed to complete the turn. Through the initiation phase, ease off on the tension of the outside/new inside tether to allow the ski to tip into the new turn. At this stage, you will be slightly on the outside of the turn. Once in the fall line, you should be directly above the ski crossing towards the inside of the turn. For a competent rider, the goal is to maintain only enough tension on the tether lines to allow you to perform a corrective move or an emergency stop.
Corrective Teaching
Unable to control speed while bucketing:
Inside ski gets stuck under the bi-ski while turning: