 Poster: A snowHead
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@Gustavobs, IME. Whatever it is about skiing, the body seems to want to do the exact opposite of what it should be doing.....which is almost certainly being driven by fear and self preservation. We naturally want to pull away from the fall line and try to turn the skis by twisting the shoulders about.
This is why it is very difficult to teach yourself (not that you are)....and why lessons are needed to get you through this counter-intuitive phase....and it can be helpful to understand how the design/shape of the ski causes it to turn; as well as why the body goes through the positions it does, in an effort to offset the pull of gravity through the turn.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Old Fartbag wrote: |
@Gustavobs, IME. Whatever it is about skiing, the body seems to want to do the exact opposite of what it should be doing.....which is almost certainly being driven by fear and self preservation. We naturally want to pull away from the fall line and try to turn the skis by twisting the shoulders about.
This is why it is very difficult to teach yourself (not that you are)....and why lessons are needed to get you through this counter-intuitive phase....and it can be helpful to understand how the design/shape of the ski causes it to turn; as well as why the body goes through the positions it does, in an effort to offset the pull of gravity through the turn. |
Yes, it's quite non-intuitive. I think I mostly understand in theory how the sidecut, the wider tip and small tail affect the turning. But most of the movements are so subtle that it is hard to watch a "good turn" and be 100% of what should be done. I guess - especially for non-trained eyes but biomechanics of skiing is quite an interesting topic.
I just wish I could have skiing as a regular sport - maybe I get courage again to go back to dry slopes after seriously twisting my both thumbs last time...
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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?
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| Gustavobs wrote: |
| I think I mostly understand in theory how the sidecut, the wider tip and small tail affect the turning. But most of the movements are so subtle that it is hard to watch a "good turn" and be 100% of what should be done. I guess - especially for non-trained eyes but biomechanics of skiing is quite an interesting topic. |
My bible for skiing is Ron LeMaster's Ultimate Skiing. If you've not seen it I think you might find it interesting.
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I know about the impatience. Trying to bleed off the speed quick with a sharp twist of the hips instead of letting the ski work around the turn naturally, keeping the upper body still.
I got told by a friend and good skier when I was starting to think a turn as like a side step in rugby. I think that set me up on the wrong track. As that is more of a explosive action wheras C shape turning has a rhymic element to the action. I am in the process of correcting it now.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I would echo all the comments above. I initially became a devotee of the facing down the mountain at all times when I realised I could suddenly ski icy steep moguls with a lot more control. Then following a massive dump just before a ski lesson whereby all of the Grandvalira pistes became off piste style overnight I got taught taught about shaping turns more in powder and slush, taking advantage of the c shape and acceleration phase to plough through any loose snow and slush like a speedboat, maintaining a regular speed. Then I experimented a bit more with the acceleration phase helping me carve on hard packed snow as my skis got shorter and more carve orientated.
So a combination of all 3 techniques should get you down most runs. The first is more shoulders perpendicular to the slope and the other 2 follow more (though not exclusively) the direction of travel.
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| FastMan wrote: |
Squaring up eliminates the mid body torque that accounts for the auto pivot when keeping the shoulders facing downhill.
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And here's me thinking skiing is a simple sport! 
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