 Poster: A snowHead
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Wear The Fox Hat, Whoops. Doh!
My misread, quite right! Sorry Rusty!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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We're not the only ones to be confused about the good or bad points of A-framing.
This article by Ski Canada's Martin Olson also covers the same ground, and suggests we shouldn't get too uptight about it.
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Acacia, I couldn't get through to the article. It's not the A frame that's the problem, but the results if it's severe. An A frame because of the shape of your legs is not a major problem, but as I outllined above, it's sometimes caused by pushing the outside knee inwards, which is extremely bad for your knee, and if severe can result in rotation which has nasty knock-on effects.
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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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Acacia, I'm trying to work out what he's getting at on the second page. Is he saying the top pic is wrong and the middle one is right?
Cause to me, the middle one is wrong.
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easiski, I couldn't either, but try right clicking, and then saving it.
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No, not the rigid leg one, the one about tipping.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Wear The Fox Hat, I see the second one has had so much tipping he's now into banking. He is saying the top one is right 
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Alan Craggs, I hoped that's what he was saying, but it didn't seem particularly clear!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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He's not looking very happy in 1 or 2. He doesn't seem sure where to look. By 3 he's sucking his dummy. It's not a very convincing sequence at all.
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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.
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Wear The Fox Hat, Agree - not clear from the text at all - as I say old hat stuff though! I can remember being told that trick about the outside hand approx 15-20 years ago at least!!
Alan Craggs, Are you getting any nearer to being able to pop out for the PSB?
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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easiski, thanks all noted. Miles are no worry, 50000 is just a top up 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Rather than stressing lowering an outside hand I often talk to folks about keeping both hands equidistant from the snow throughout the course of a turn. I also would suggest a high outside hand is merely symptomatic of inactive elsewhere.
In the cases of the three "A-framers" I'm finding it tough to agree that all is well. I think they might do well to seek an alignment guru!
Lastly I've come to the conclusion one of the vestigial ills from ten years ago is the vast majority of skiers "hanging" or "levered" on the tongue of their boots. Simply stated it precipitates a whole host of ills. For that reason I also can't agree with the blanket "bend ze knees" prescription.
Any of these ideas may work or be relevant in particular situations. I simply hate to see such painting with a broad brush.
merely my $00.02
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Rusty Guy, You're more or less agreeing, but using slightly different terminology. It's true that many people do "hang" in their boots (marginally better than leaning on the back of them), but nowadays we talk about bending (flexing) the ankles, not the knees - this is a horrid hang-over from comic book Continental instructors of 20+ years ago! Dreadful idea it was too - but I think it was because back in the day they didn't speak enough English, and probably didn't know the word "ankle". Cheville, knockel etc. was used in their native tongues. 
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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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my canuck peer certainly seems to endorse "bending both knees". we often marvel at the "canadian crouch"! it is often easy to spot a canadian trained csia member by the pronounced "rounding" of their upper back. looking at the photo in the "bend ze knees" section i find it interesting how dark the crease is in "Good Wills" coat at his waist in the photo that is cited as preferred.
as an aside i would respectfully argue flexing the ankle is fairly meaningless. one can dorsi or plantar flex. i learned this the hard way from an orthopedic surgeon who corrected me in front of a class of students. i now have reverted to open or close the ankle.
on that topic.........in a well fitted ski boot i don't believe there is more than a degree or two range of motion in our ankles. the ssd at Winter Park is a former national demo team member and one of the best bump skiers that I have ever seen. at 47 he still mesmerizes the kids on the Mary Jane side of our resort. he utilizes a technique he ters "F.A.T." to create a foundation for balance in the bumps. the acronym stands for functional ankle tension. it is simply "cocking" or closing the ankles at all times in bumps. i have found it to be a magic potion for a lot of struggling bump skiers.
i also think a key to good skiing is to find a bootfitter who can measure one's range of motion in their ankle and set the foot at the midpoint in the ski boot. utilizing that as a starting point and then adjusting delta angles puts us in the middle of our platform.
for those who insist on opening or closing the ankles at varying points in a turn it simply serves to start an argument.
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Rusty Guy, Try Flexons - theoretically the flex is only limited by your strength! Many freestylers are using these, and they've stopped the boot being abandoned (thank goodness) - freeriders also use them a lot - quite narrow though! I find that if you get people to flex their ankles, then of course the knees flex too. The problem was the instruction to "bend ze nees" without also explaining that the ankle had to flex.
BTW most of the teachers here use relatively soft boots for teaching (and mostly very loose). The only ski teachers you see on the mountain in race boots are the "stagiares" who are still training and may have to do the speed test.
Rusty Guy, You may not be aware that the French have no stages of ski teaching. You're a stagiare (apprentice) until you've passed the National (final exam) which is more difficult that the full cert PSIA. All other countries in Europe do have either 2 or 3 levels of Ski Teacher though, and the level at which ISIA is awrded varies from country to country. I personally think the French system is too draconian, but you should see them ski! 
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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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Nordica is kind enough to provide me with boots and skis, hence Flexons are not an option. Even without the arrangement that I enjoy with Nordica, Flexons would be well down any list of choices. They do have a devoted following here in the USA, albeit a tiny group.
I'll often pop on Nordica's Beast on really cold days, however, I seem to do fine in a plug boot
PSIA used to have just two levels.....associate and full cert. We went to levels I,II, and III. In the USA a level III cert is awarded an ISIA passport.
Every country claims to be "tougher" than PSIA. I don't know how in the world anyone would begin to make a comparison. It even exists withen the divisions of PSIA in an east vs west mentality.
It's silly.
I don't think you'll find too many weak sisters among the level III (full) certs at major ski resorts anywhere in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe.
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Rusty Guy, The French system seems to be the most difficult because of the racing requirements which does mean that French qualified instructors tend to be good skiers, unfortunately just because a person is a good skier it does not make them a good instructor
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Rusty Guy,
But the full cert PSIA doesn't qualify you to teach all over the world, does it? What would you have to do if you wanted to teach in France?
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beanie1, The ISIA passport is supposed to mean you can teach anywhere in the world, but I believe the French are a law unto themselves.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Wear The Fox Hat, Rusty Guy, Sorry to disabuse you, but the ISIA does not entitle you to teach all over the world. It's awarded at Grade 2 level in BASI, Landesschilehrer in Austria, and also mid level in Switzerland I think. These levels are not entitled to teach in France, only the Nationales of agreed countries, where the exams have been examined and declared the same level. If Rusty Guy, wants to teach in France he would have to do his equivalence, and what that would entail would depend on the details of the PSIA Full cert. In all likelihood the US and the French have never got together to discuss it. I think Canadian level IV is OK.
D G Orf, The racing requirement is now the Eurotest, and is common (and at the same level) to France, Austria, Italy and UK. Germany want to join the cartel, but currently their exams are not deemed hard enough, neither are Holland, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and most of the new EU countries. I would say I've been very impressed with the Slovenians who often come here to train/do exams. They are very nice skiers and very correctly behaved on the piste etc.
Rusty Guy, I'm afraid (and not wanting to put you down), that the reason we tend to think that the Nationales of the 4 acrtel countries above are more difficult than PSIA full cert, is that many of us know quite a few people who, having failed National level in their native countries have gone to work in the US and gained their Full Cert without any problems. I have a good friend who failed his Grade 1 4 times before going to the States!
Wear The Fox Hat, Note - it's not just the French!
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easiski I don't feel disabused. I'm certain the european standards are very difficult. I don't really have any idea how the discussion about A-framing morphed into a relative comparison of national certification standards. You seem fairly intent on diss-ing PSIA. Our system of certification is not perfect, however, I am not one to do a whole heck of a lot of flag waving.
In addition, I too can cite instances of "demo team" members from other countries coming to the US and failing to pass our level III exam. What's the point? On any given day folks shine or flop. I don't think any such comparison is particularly scientific.
I will say one thing. We have a great many folks who come to WP and/or Colorado from the UK. I hear an awful lot of tales about awful ski lessons in France. Perhaps I'm hearing the choir sing, insofar as these are folks, who for one reason or another, have matriculated across the pond.
I'm sure european skiing and ski instruction is very, very good. I don't think our resorts in the western US or our ski schools are going to wither away any time soon.
Viva la France (sp?)
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FAQ
If you look at my early post in snowplough turns I said pretty much the same thing about the evolution of the modern turn - different turn of phrase but .......... 
, but the result of leaning and failing to flex/relax/soften the outer leg. In the second pic the skier has both legs flexed and his outer hand lower, more angluation and a more relaxed (normal) stance. I would say the 2nd pic is better. The first page pix are old hat stuff - lower the outside hand to produce more angulation rather than inclination and the skis grip better. This has been around for yonks and yonks! Nice pix but nothing new there. 
). To save me reading the whole thread can you remind me of the dates and if there is likely to be a problem booking accommodation at short notice? I'd probably fly/drive since BA have just given me an extra 50,000 miles as compensation for not turning up in Cyprus last Friday 