Back in the day, you skied In the Powder, not On the Powder.
This.....
It used to psych me out, during my first attempts, that I couldn't see my skis. It took a while for me to get the skill and confidence, that with the right movements and weight distribution, the skis would turn under the snow. On one holiday a year, you were lucky if you got the right conditions......so it took a good few years to get half competent.
I still don't ski a lot of Off Piste, so am still only half competent.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Old Fartbag, “one holiday a year”? How many holidays did you get?
European mid level resorts I’m guessing it’s a question of 6-8 days a season you get 50cms of blower powder, if you get any at all!
@Old Fartbag, “one holiday a year”? How many holidays did you get?
European mid level resorts I’m guessing it’s a question of 6-8 days a season you get 50cms of blower powder, if you get any at all!
I worked in the Family business, so only ended up taking 2 or 3 weeks per year......two of which were skiing, until the kids were at school and then it was one week's skiing per year.
I have been skiing since 1972.....but it wasn't until the late 80s that I succeeded in making consistent turns Off Piste - finally getting to SCGB Silver standard on straight skis.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Old Fartbag, perhaps I should have been clearer; with only two weeks a year your chances of landing a proper powder day (fresh, fluffy, light, 50+cms) is, IME rather small.
I started skiing in 1970 (aged 4, in Scotland) and even after 3 seasons in Morzine skiing 5-6 full days a week (albeit with clients, who rarely wanted off piste adventures) it was only after a full week of BC heli powder in 2001 that I genuinely got a consistent hang to it - i.e. long descents, long turns, etc.
I could “ski” powder on long skinny skis in 1984, but it was often a little “unpredictable”.
And I really do mean proper powder. Off piste is, in and of itself, often no problem at all to anyone half competent. Crust of course being the notably unpleasant exception.
After all it is free
After all it is free
under a new name wrote:
@Old Fartbag, perhaps I should have been clearer; with only two weeks a year your chances of landing a proper powder day (fresh, fluffy, light, 50+cms) is, IME rather small.
All too true, unfortunately, which is why trips to BC or Japan are worthwhile (and even those destinations don't guarantee proper powder conditions). Having said that, the best day's powder skiing I've ever had was in Hintertux about three years ago, in the second week of December. It has been very cold for about 10 days (sometimes getting close to -30) and we'd had a couple of decent snowfalls of 20-30cm. We then had one overnight dump of 50cm+ of the most perfect snow. The definition of cold white smoke I was on a training week so skiing on piste performance skis but that was sort of irrelevant as the snow was so benignly perfect, and we abandoned the schedule for the day and lapped without stopping. No epically long descents, but every turn brought a smile as we lapped around a chairlift and a couple of T-bars. The kind of day you remember 20 years later.
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.
under a new name wrote:
@Old Fartbag, perhaps I should have been clearer; with only two weeks a year your chances of landing a proper powder day (fresh, fluffy, light, 50+cms) is, IME rather small.
Absolutely correct.
It wasn't until I went to Utah, that I came across it......but even in Europe - timing a good dump of snow, while you were there, didn't/doesn't happen that often (maybe once or twice every 10 years).
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Old Fartbag, ah. Utah. Oh, my, yes.
Although I had a trip there where it hadn’t snowed for 3 weeks before we arrived. But was still awesome. Then it dumped on the Wednesday
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
People always make the mistake of conflating off piste and powder.
People also talk about powder as if it's one thing when in my view it's not.
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.
Excellent.
When Cayman said, "you don't have to make such big a turns"...job done!!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
rr wrote:
which is why trips to BC or Japan are worthwhile (and even those destinations don't guarantee proper powder conditions).
A helicopter pretty much guarantees it, albeit not always over short periods, in my experience.
As pointed out, chopped up heavy snow isn't powder. As you can see in Greg's video, there's a skier-pisted base which the skier is supported by. I would ride that on a skinny race board, but I wouldn't pay big bucks to do it.
The Austrians and people taught by them definitely bounce in deep snow. However my guess is that they probably ski the piste like that too.
I reckon that if you can ski or board then you can ski or board deep powder, the technique's pretty much the same.
Jennifer Heil skis bottomless like she skis moguls. I've ridden with various racers off and on, and their technique is again noticeably different.
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Definitions of powder? ... unconsolidated snow, generally light and dry hence it behaves like "powder". You can't make snowballs out of it.
You'd not call 1cm "powder" - that's "dust". 10cm on a piste is powder, but it quickly becomes crud.
You'd not call "upside down snow" (snow which is heavier on top than underneath) powder, nor wind crust or consolidated snow ("packed powder" isn't powder).
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
philwig wrote:
The Austrians and people taught by them definitely bounce in deep snow. However my guess is that they probably ski the piste like that too.
I think DB's description (from first page of thread) is very good.
The tip that has most impact in my experience is "patience" - wait for the platform to build as you flex at the end of the turn before extending and steering the skis through the fall line. You need to wait that little bit longer than you expect. Excessive hip-wiggling is often a function of trying to drive the skis around too early.
The wider the skis and the faster you ski the less patience is needed.
On bouncing, I sometimes find it useful to get a rhythmic bounce going in a straight line at the start of a run as your speed is building. You are sort of getting a feel for the platform that builds and readying yourself for the first turn when you may have a bit less speed than is ideal. Once you are flowing, the up and down motion is an outcome rather than an input.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
under a new name wrote:
@Old Fartbag, perhaps I should have been clearer; with only two weeks a year your chances of landing a proper powder day (fresh, fluffy, light, 50+cms) is, IME rather small.
I can help you with that, if you like. If you want to pretty well guarantee a good powder day, you just need to know when my ski trips are. Heavy snow falls the day I leave the resort.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I was on a training week so skiing on piste performance skis but that was sort of irrelevant as the snow was so benignly perfect, and we abandoned the schedule for the day and lapped without stopping. No epically long descents, but every turn brought a smile as we lapped around a chairlift and a couple of T-bars. The kind of day you remember 20 years later.
