How not to ski with your skis together

A snowHead

I thought we might like to see how it should be done,

Here's a pic of my father taken in the 1950's demonstrating the old style skis tight together technique, practiced by holding a glove between the ankles.

Notice the complete lack of artificial pistes no piste bashers in those days Shocked

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I'm much more likely to look like picture one than picture two....it's a familiar skiing position for me! Laughing

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Even in the late 80's BASI still talked about 'refined' (feet together) and 'basic' (feet apart). It's not that long ago...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

ski, interesting point. When I was BASI-trained in the mid-1970s the focus was 'hip width apart'. The distinction between the two styles/approaches wasn't really talked about, or offered. It was (already at that time) emphasised that control and balance were optimised with an open stance.

I've noticed that competitive bump skiers have closed their stance a lot in the past couple of decades, so the trend hasn't been one way.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Is that first pic Masque after 3 turns?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

David Goldsmith,

After all it is free

The ST book came as plastic boots were just making their entry into the market. I think it's right to say that plastic boots intially opened skiers' eyes to the possibility of more independent and spaced ski control.

If you look at early 'hot dog' bump skiing footage (I recall a promotional 'super 8' cassette that Salomon sponsored called 'Go for it') the skiing style was pretty wild, and the skis were quite a bit wider than they would be today. Must admit I'm relying on memory, though, because I haven't seen that film for over 25 years!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Hmm well I reckon plastic boots started to appear in the early 70's in fact I think I can prove it I'm one of the children in the picture below which was taken in either 1973 or possibly 1974

The kids are roughly evenly split between lace up leather and clip up plastic boots but can anyone guess which one is me snowHead

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Are you the one with no gloves on?

snow reports

Knowing that you are now quite tall and well built, I'm going to guess this is a trick question and you are the littlest - 2nd from right

David Goldsmith, kuwait_ian, nope 2 down 6 left to choose from half are girls by the way wink

You know it makes sense.

I like the way it says "I wasn't there" at the bottom. He was in the mountain restaurant, having a hot chocolate.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Far right (the one who wants to go for a pee)

What did I win?

A snowHead

DB, nothing, you're wrong so that's five left Laughing

A snowHead

Rupert Bear trousers - or is that a girl?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

4th from bottom of the group.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Cathy Coins, that's a girl as are the other 4 on the left Frosty the Snowman, was right snowHead

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

D G Orf, we need an up to date one for comparison purposes. I remember one of you with a couple of attractive blondes but I can't find it ......

You'll need to Register first of course.

kuwait_ian, you could find a pic or two of me here

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

That's the one. And they weren't Swedish and only one was blonde. I'm losing it. Pity about the bloke in the middle. Laughing

After all it is free

I hate Geocities Sad

Does anyone know of a good cheap place for me to host my website Puzzled

I don't know. Hull?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

David Goldsmith, Could be, my hazy recollections of 70's films had their legs together but I could easily be completely wrong! I was very young and impressionable at the time.

Then again, maybe they were trying to keep their legs together and weren't quite there! as in here http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0393086909.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg?tag=amz07b-21

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

D G Orf, I don't think the instructor's me as I had a much tighter fitting jacket, but I was working for the Wengen Ski School 1973/74!!

I did Grade 3 in 1972 and we had to ski with our feet together as ski, said. When I finally got round to doing my 1 we still had to do "refined" parallels and that was 1990!!

I can distinctly remember having my first clip up boots when I was about 15 (but they were leather), and my first plastic boots when I worked in Wengen that year - I had ones with huge spoilers on the back - very Cool

at the time! Shocked

snow reports

easiski, The instructor was Ruth (can't remember her family name but she smoked like a chimney Laughing

) at that age I usually had her or Mathilde Fuchs as an instructor, it was probably class 3 of ski school although I can't be certain.

Funnily enough I've just realised that I may have the pair of skis my father is skiing on stuck in my garage

You know it makes sense.

D G Orf, 4th from the right... 5th from the left??

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Michelle, yes but Frosty the Snowman, worked it out 7 hours ago Laughing

A snowHead

From my memory, skiing with your legs further apart seemed to come in in the early to mid nineties.

I still think that skiing with your legs together looks more stylish, but it just isn't possible to carve properly without your legs apart.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Kramer, it is possible but it's much harder and you become more prone to falling because if one ski goes the other tends to follow it good fun though snowHead

You need to Login to know who's really who.

D G Orf, I'm not so sure, if your legs aren't apart then there's not enough room for your outside knee to come across to get your skis on edge.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Kramer, it's possible but you have to be seriously leaning over which is why its difficult, if one ski losses grip (as mine did when it hit a piste basher track earlier this year) then you end up sliding on your side across the piste, but if you can manage it it does look good Cool

You'll need to Register first of course.

Kramer, you can lead with your uphill ski, so your downhill knee tucks in, or lift your uphill ski and angulate more

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Here's a man who's always epitomised 'together skiing' for me:

The great Stein Eriksen, gold medallist at the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics, and still cooking snow in Utah.

After all it is free

D G Orf,
Was your dad racing as he appears to have a number 4 on his chest?

D G Orf, Your photos have disappeared!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

D G Orf, They're back again - must be me and/or my computer! rolling eyes

Help!!

How not to ski with your skis together

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste