This guy, Benni Walch has some really good technique ( IMO) that i'd like to share with you all.
Now with some interest ( for technique comparison), you may spot a familiar colour coordination of a popular ski instruction brand bobbing along free skiing and kinda video bombing in places. My own opinion
of course, comparison sayings like 'Chalk and Cheese' and 'Night and Day' spring to mind and in all honesty, i'm telling it as i see it. What do you say, do you care, does it really matter - prob not.
For me, i'd like to ski as well as Benni Walch - obviously - duh. I'd also like many other things in life that just ain't gonna happen...
Interesting what he does. What stands out for you...
Enjoy, dream and 'dream on' for most of us...
Hope you like.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 24-01-17 3:05; edited 6 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
Interesting what he does. What stands out for you...
well, for me it's his balance, especially his head stability, upper body nearly always perpendicular to slope, always some and often more angulation than most. Seemingly little inclination, pressure peaks after fall line appear to have no effect upon his stance as if they don't happen.
Small, but always some 'up' or 'forward push' ( very subtle and controlled) into the next turn.
His short turns are very very central. Only snow spray coming from under his boots...
What also obviously stands out surprisingly ( or not for some ), is his narrow stance, granted his hips are very narrow i.e he's slim, or, perhaps this stance has propagated from his excellence in moguls - think he's some sort of champion or a very strong competitor.
Chime in anyone...
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Mon 23-01-17 3:24; edited 1 time in total
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Can you post up a proper link your address quoted tries to download something on my tablet which instantly makes me suspicious
@Dave of the Marmottes, Just needed a space either side and inside of the quote characters...
Hope you like as i said earlier and interested in your view.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Very Harb like...
Is this from a mogul lesson? He looks like he's skiing moguls even on the flat [edit: as you note above]. Also, no speedy big turns in that Vid - it would be interesting to see what he looks like when doing those... I'm guessing less mincing would be in evidence.
Love it. 1980s mincing technique, compression deceleration in the turn to allow unweighting and then change of ski direction. Its who I was taught to ski.
Totally dated now by the ski with knees over edging/ carving brigade but this is so nice to watch.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Love it. 1980s mincing technique, compression deceleration in the turn to allow unweighting and then change of ski direction. Its who I was taught to ski.
Totally dated now by the ski with knees over edging/ carving brigade but this is so nice to watch.
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Well, of course, I'd love to be able to ski like that - which of us wouldn't? But to me it looks a little bit "uptight and regimented" - every turn the same. I prefer to watch someone skiing more freely, so on top of their technique that they have no need to think about it, "dancing down the piste", varying things a bit.
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I'm sure he is a superb skier but it all seems a bit 80's shwishy swishy side to side for me.....he must be knackered after 1 run.
Now the bloke in the green top....looks smooth, relaxed (cool . Bet he's not knackered after 1 run.
@DrLawn, very clean stuff... but does anybody else think Is he doing something funny with his upper body / arms or is that just a camera angle thing? (or am I just totally wrong...?)
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I don't actually believe Benni Walch's style is that 80's really but your opinion is yours... However we all ski, whenever we were taught, from whatever ski association in whatever country in whatever decade, it's all about playing with gravity, dancing with accelerations in a fluid manner, enjoying the slide and having fun. It's not deadly serious.
Every couple of months the top guys and gals are slightly mixing theirs and other techniques up and promoting/showing 'something new' on youtube. Try for yourself, adopt or not.
Happy and safe skiing to all of you and thanks for contributing to my original post.
Now just let me watch Benni one more time...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Tim Heeney - I watched just the Benni video above and my first thought was that not all competent and impressive skiing is carving - many people aspire to carve, but it seemed to me only a small part of that video was carving, yet it all looked impressive.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
DB wrote:
A better demonstration of all round technique would be something like this ...
Agree with the 80's swishy comments. He skis beautifully but seems to be working twice as hard as necessary. The one thing that really stood out for me was how on earth the cameraman managed to keep the shot so unbelieveably steady as he tracked Benni thrashing his way down the mountain.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Bennisboy, if you Youtube Reilly McGlashan today, you'll see he's posted what he calls ' hybridism 1' a couple of days ago. Go see what's he up to today...
' http://youtube.com/v/aB4PgqeouyA '
Within a few hours of training, these guys can ski anyhow they like. Umm, feet close enough for you now?
He skis beautifully but seems to be working twice as hard as necessary
in my mind he's making many more turns because skiing is about making turns - lots of turns - he's dancing to his own rhythm ! Without knowing his heart rate etc i have no idea how hard he's working. If you view his real time mogul skiing i hope you can see he doesn't easily get puffed out
What stands out is is very centered balance - watch where the snow comes up. Always under his feet...
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 20-02-17 16:21; edited 1 time in total
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@iSnowhead,
Quote:
I watched just the Benni video above and my first thought was that not all competent and impressive skiing is carving
and how right you are...IMO.
Good carving is very skillful but it is just another skill like so many others...for sure tipping your ski edges up and slicing through snow is lovely but take away my rotary and edge 'smearing' actions and i enjoy wouldn't myself half as much as i do mixing it all up
After all it is free
After all it is free
Tim Heeney wrote:
What stands out is is very centered balance - watch where the snow comes up. Always under his feet...
Very good mogul type skiing (e.g. dolphin turns) but there's a lot more snow spraying up from his tails than with McGlashan's skiing. The forwards and backwards movement of Walch's feet indicates to me that McGalsham is better centered. There's more than one way to ski, may be we are only seeing a part of what Walch is capable or just a suboptimal technique for the terrain he is skiing. McGlashan on the other hands adapts his technique very nicey to the terrain rather than using one technique for it all.
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My Amateurish take on it, is that McGlashan's skiing is properly tapping into what modern carving skis are truly capable of, whereas Benni could use his technique on both Shaped and Straight skis.
Both excellent demonstrations....but of very contrasting styles.
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Tim Heeney wrote:
@Bennisboy, if you Youtube Reilly McGlashan today, you'll see he's posted what he calls ' hybridism 1' a couple of days ago. Go see what's he up to today...
' http://youtube.com/v/aB4PgqeouyA '
Within a few hours of training, these guys can ski anyhow they like. Umm, feet close enough for you now?
He skis very similar to how I do... in my own mind, if not on the actual snow
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@Tim Heeney, I'm sure you are right, but I like skiing to LOOK effortless and elegant regardless of what is going on beneath the surface. As Old Fartbag points out Benni's style is almost retro and looks t certainly doesn't look effortless.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@Old Fartbag,
Quote:
My Amateurish take on it, is that McGlashan's skiing is properly tapping into what modern carving skis are truly capable of, whereas Benni could use his technique on both Shaped and Straight skis.
Both excellent demonstrations....but of very contrasting styles.
well, i'm not gonna argue with that...
What i chuckle at is often or not, is what some people hold up as 'radical' and 'amazing' is a lot of looking good on a blue run - yeah, that's nice looking skiing for sure !
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Tim Heeney wrote:
well, i'm not gonna argue with that...
What i chuckle at is often or not, is what some people hold up as 'radical' and 'amazing' is a lot of looking good on a blue run - yeah, that's nice looking skiing for sure !
Aside from certain movements that are totally counter-productive, I am very sceptical of any instructor who takes a dogmatic approach to technique....as in, "This is always right and that is always wrong".
Having skied over 4 decades, I've seen fads come and go, as well as marked differences in the approach between countries. IMO. There is no one "right" way to ski. Good skiing, is good skiing.
Having learned through both old-school and modern systems, I can see merits in both....depending on where you are skiing, what you are skiing on, the condition of the snow, the speed you are skiing and how crowded/narrow it is.
There is more than one way to skin a cat....though it is important to learn how to tap into the incredible power of modern carving skis (an art that I enjoy grappling with), even if you don't use it 100% of the time.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
On the Benni Walch video - I think you should cut him some slack as he is demonstrating something and he is demonstrating a particular skill at a very high level on terrain for which it would not be my first choice.
What I mean is that the short-swing with a bit of edge check and rebound is a highly effective appropriate technique when you want to ski a genuinely steep slope in a narrow corridor. It is much less the tool of choice on a beautifully smooth blue run! The slight edge check and pop is really handy when the slope is chopped up or cruddy in that it lifts the tails clear of the junk in the pivoted transition. I'd ski like that (well not as polished) on a steep (steep black or steeper) tracked out slope before it became a true mogul field - effective and fun.
Oh and if you find skiing like that knackering it says more about your fitness than the technique - in a nice rhythm it really isn't that tiring.
Does anyone seriously think he can't ski beautiful long and short carves when he wants to?
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 21-02-17 16:02; edited 1 time in total
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Tim Heeney wrote:
What i chuckle at is often or not, is what some people hold up as 'radical' and 'amazing' is a lot of looking good on a blue run - yeah, that's nice looking skiing for sure !
I'd ski like that (well not as polished) on a steep (steep black or steeper) tracked out slope before it became a true mogul field - effective and fun.
Come to think of it, I was also using that technique on the busy red cat track last run down to resort last week - keeping to one side of the piste in a narrow channel where the artificial snow was building up in uneven piles, albeit with a bit more "swish" and a little less "pop". Optimal for the conditions.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@DB, Yeah, Reilly can really ski a bit...I've other mates who rate him highly to, you are not alone in this matter...
I will be watching were this 'Hybridism' is going to take him though. It looks like a lower half mix of Harb and 'turning Japaneese' so far.
Just checking his youtube vids, he certainly is a prolific publisher - 21 vids within the last year alone - geez
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@jedster,
Quote:
What I mean is that the short-swing with a bit of edge check and rebound is a highly effective appropriate technique when you want to ski a genuinely steep slope in a narrow corridor. It is much less the tool of choice on a beautifully smooth blue run! The slight edge check and pop is really handy when the slope is chopped up or cruddy in that it lifts the tails clear of the junk in the pivoted transition. I'd ski like that (well not as polished) on a steep (steep black or steeper) tracked out slope before it became a true mogul field - effective and fun.
Oh and if you find skiing like that knackering it says more about your fitness than the technique - in a nice rhythm it really isn't that tiring
I'm with you 100% on this. I also find this real fun and a very necessary technique - tiring? - no, no, NO. Fun? - yes, yes, YES!
T Hee, thanks for posting this video as I have not seen it before and I enjoyed watching it.
You asked what stands out, well for me this is simply truly brilliant skiing. This would without question pass any top level ski instructor's exam in any country in the world. For those of you who say it is "old school" or "mincing", I am sorry but that is totally wrong, this is very up to date modern skiing almost certainly on GS skis, because that is the ski of choice for most top level instructors, certainly in Austria and probably most of the world.
For those of you who say he wasn't carving. Well he didn't make any medium to long radius carved turns, presumably because he didn't want to or wasn't asked to but without question he could if he wished. His very short turns were 'carved' in the sense it was a very quick edge set with minimal skidding.
Some people asked why he skis with is skis so close together. The answer is because he can. If he wanted to ski with them at hip width he could because to reach his level he would have had to have done quite a bit of GS work.
I looked up Benni Walch and here is what I found: -
Benni Walch: Full Cert Austria, Examiner Austria, Ski Guide Austria, Race Coach, Ski Academy St. Christoph, Skischule Arlberg, 2x European Synchro Ski Champion, 1x Austrian Synchro Ski Champion.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
waitrose wrote:
... For those of you who say it is "old school" or "mincing", I am sorry but that is totally wrong, this is very up to date modern skiing almost certainly on GS skis, because that is the ski of choice for most top level instructors, certainly in Austria and probably most of the world....
Yeah, it looks pretty old school and mincing to me. But that's ok, now you've told me it's not, I'll obviously have to use different words to describe old school mincing skiers. If I see any - they do seem to be dying out.
Instructors? Yeah, some of them can ski, but unless they took it up after a World Cup or Professional career they're mostly, well, people who teach novices how to ski.
I know they think it's really impressive, but in the real world no one's impressed by a few badges.
I can't believe he's a pro skier...I'm sooo much better than him!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Bennisboy wrote:
Tim Heeney wrote:
@Bennisboy, if you Youtube Reilly McGlashan today, you'll see he's posted what he calls ' hybridism 1' a couple of days ago. Go see what's he up to today... I’ll
' http://youtube.com/v/aB4PgqeouyA '
Within a few hours of training, these guys can ski anyhow they like. Umm, feet close enough for you now?
He skis very similar to how I do... in my own mind, if not on the actual snow
I’m watching this on a phone, so I can’t control the playback too well but I thought I noticed that he tends to lift his left ski after transition when turning to the left, whereas he doesn’t lift the right ski as much (it was most noticeable on the run 13s-32s into the video). The reason it caught my attention is because I was looking to see how even his turns were, and I was surprised because I’ve been working hard on NOT lifting my left ski too...
Heaven knows, I’d die happy to be able to ski like that so please don’t think I’m being critical - I’d just like to know if I can trust my eyes!
(edited because I quoted the wrong video clip )
After all it is free
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@waitrose, I come at all this 'professional skiing technique' solely with ' what's the outcome', what i'd like to do better to enjoy more my time with skiing. Last couple of years i'm on snow for 20 / 22 days and i know what i'm weak at but perhaps better to say, i know what i want to do better and that is for this and next season work on an Austrian short turn. The 'feeling' of short and long carves at speed / control i have well ( i think ), or i feel i have to a high standard sufficient for total enjoyment on my hols. Sure not up to racing standard but still to a thrill / speeding ticket level that if a mishap occurred, serious injury would probably be the result. I admire Benni's control immensely, what
@philwig, says about , 'real world, nobody's impressed with few badges', i'm in fair agreement with. However, in Benni's case it doesn't apply. I've met a few young Austrian instructors in their late teens at basic instructor levels who are phenomenal skier / athletes and can do anything and it's all just as simple as walking. National associations from the opposite end; non mountainous countries like Holland, Ireland produce educated instructors who ski well enough to teach the masses up to a high level and i feel their 'winning ticket' is in client comprehension of task ( language) , plus many of these are older instructors with perhaps more empathy / patience than the younger colleagues who may struggle to understand / adapt to older skiers bio-mechanical / psychological impediments.
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@T_Hee, The age of the instructor will make a difference in terms of whether they learned to ski before or after the introduction of shaped skis.
How old is the guy in the video ?
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@waitrose, Another thing. Benni's ski's on Master GS mid twenties Radius at long length (IIRC 1.82/84 m). So, he's in control of the turn ( let me explain), not the ski fighting or wanting to turn early which it would if tilted - the shovel / tail quickly engaging. A thinner, straighter ski allows very close feet.
His 'style' in the video i prefer to his latest postings with feet too close together even for me!
' http://youtube.com/v/1LWwNjK6-bs '
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I'd also like many other things in life that just ain't gonna happen...
), is his narrow stance, granted his hips are very narrow i.e he's slim, or, perhaps this stance has propagated from his excellence in moguls - think he's some sort of champion or a very strong competitor.
. Bet he's not knackered after 1 run. 
)