Sitting on chair lifts and watching other skiers, there seems to be a lot of folk (in Schaldming at least!) that slide one leg in front of the other to help initiate a 'cruising carved turn'. They seem to be doing this having completed a fully carved 180 with their skis are horizontal across the slope.
My logic says that you might slide the existing uphill/new downhill ski forward and the existing down hill ski backward. This would help face the upper body downhill, weight the uphill/new down hill ski and naturally help start a turn.
However, I'm convinced that when I have seen people do this they actually do the opposite, move the existing downhill ski forward! This would tend to move the body in the wrong direction, but would make sense from the point of view that the existing downhill ski would be the new uphill that would travel less arc distance.
Could anyone clarify (in time for next years trip!!)
Thanks
nick
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Nick, welcome to snowheads.
It was standard old school to initiate the turn by sliding the old downhill leg forward and tucking the old uphill knee in behind the other, thus completing the turn and forming a nice A frame. This was necessary as with ones legs close together you needed room for your boots.
New school in theory everything stays square, in practice there will be movement, and if you are a racer a lot of movement.
One tip for starting a carved turn, which I might add is quite rare, is lots of patience in the transition. If you find you have a habit of splitting your feet, a little shuffle of the feet might help.
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?
This is pretty good explanation of modern skis and modern technique...and some good drills. Start on GREEN runs (really!!)
If you look at a series of pictures of a modern racer you can see the following:
At the transition the skier has the skis square. As the turn progresses and the force in the turn increases the inner (uphill) ski tends to get a bit ahead. This is because the inside knee is bent whereas the outside leg is fairly straight. Because of the limited ankle flex achievable in a ski boot the inside foot gets ahead of the outside foot.
As the turn ends the skier gets back over the skis resulting in a square stance at the next transition. As that takes place the outside ski has to advance to catch up, which is what you were observing.
This should all happen fairly naturally without the skier "trying"to advance one ski or the other. What you are seeing is a result of the biomechanics of the skier.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@kitenski, nice video.
@nickthefarrow, one more thing to consider, when you do a fully carved turn you will go very fast, even if the ground is not that steep. The only control of your speed when carving will be the turn shape, ie flat S will be fast and big C shapes slower.
I think I'm about ready to start working on this. I anyone wants to team up with me at the EOSB for a morning on a green to practice let me know. : )
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If you have one ski in front of the other it blocks your hips/pelvis from getting good angulation seperation.
If you have your skis square it doesn't.
You can test this at home by positioning your feet, use a chair to brace yourself and start leaning....you will soon see what I mean.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
This would help face the upper body downhill, weight the uphill/new down hill ski and naturally help start a turn.
This is where you've gone down the wrong path.
The direction of the skis (or for that matter, hip) facing is often independent of where the body is facing.
You really don't want to be swinging your body all over the place as the skis going left to right to left to right... lots wasted energy
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.
Too many variables to give a clear answer. Depends on; what you want, snow conditions, bravery etc. Ski position can change for many reasons, so it's really a case of doing what's right for the circumstances.
Not something you will really learn here.
Next season find yourself a good instructor who will help you out.
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Poster: A snowHead
