 Poster: A snowHead
|
A very easy and occasionally quite useful technique I've not heard of being taught (but perhaps it is).
If you have a drop-in (off a broken cornice or wall etc), for example into a narrow couloir where you want to control your speed: simply push off pointing towards the fall line, leaving one pole in the snow and immediately swivel around it, 90º in the air, landing across the slope with no forward or backward momentum. You can skid sideways a little and even collapse into the slope a bit if you want. You just need the confidence to do it, so do a quick practice or two on a very small edge with no consequences if you get it wrong and you are set.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Clearly this was too obvious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@snowball, perhaps a rather limited audience? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@snowball, aren’t you also having the added benefit of testing the stability of the snow, it’s be like a magnified av stamp?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| snowball wrote: |
| Clearly this was too obvious. |
If you launch with skis pointing down fall zone will be difficult not to carry forward momentum when swiveling non? I would have thought that a jump step with skis horizontal to fall line would be the best way to avoid carrying forward momentum?
It’s for sure an important topic. Always impressed how the pros can navigate a narrow couloir without smacking into the wall and toppling backwards!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I am also struggling to establish exactly where you fit in the inverted 1080?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@snowball, niche knowledge but very useful tip. I think I will use this if I don’t already (can’t remember how to ski, almost 2 years since I’ve last been,
.  )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 @under a new name.
@BobinCH, you have only the slight momentum of your push-off (plus the drop), but none in the direction your skis end up pointing. Yes, in many (probably most) circumstances you can do it all sideways. Just occasionally I find this useful off a flat start. I supposed it is distantly related to the jump-turn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@snowball:
^ Have you actually done this a fair bit then, I mean a lot?
Yes, I can imagine there would be some circumstances under which this would do what you say and be a very good and easy option, and some circumstances under which my landing if as you describe it could be more problematic than carrying some momentum through my landing? Do you have a suggestion as to what the choices might be?
This is all just theoretically in my case, of course, as I wouldn’t be much cop either way without practice. Lots.
If all else fails I intend to find out the hard way . . .
So I can’t wait to give it a try-and-see, but sadly the cornice is usually only 50mm at Hemel 
[edit: a misleading word]
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 18-04-21 16:04; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| under a new name wrote: |
| I am also struggling to establish exactly where you fit in the inverted 1080? |
Surely the minimum required entry is a super laid out backie? Though I note an increased tendency for da kidz to do tight little frontflips when launching off stuff.
Me I just do the standard chicken run angled drop with hip check/ sit down 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Not really sure what the pole adds to things. I'm a snowboarder, not a skier, but it's pretty standard to pop a 90 into something when you're scared trying to enter with maximum control.
I'm an expert at popping 90s. It's just that they were often intended to be 180s.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
You created the same post 10 years ago!
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1902899
You are basically just describing landing in a side slip. I'm not sure this is anything new, in fact I think most people naturally do this in the kind of situation you mention.
I'm not sure I'd like to be loading a slope with the kind of force you would generate with your technique. Also if the cornice breaks behind I'd like to be landing with a bit of speed to get out the way. A safer option would be to cut the cornice, which has the benefit of serving as a nice test of snow stability too.
That all said you have to be skiing some quite remote areas to find a cornice which hasn't already got some kind of skier made notch where people have sideslipped in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, I originally said "off a broken cornice". As you say, a cornice might break and land on you.
@boarder2020, yes I did bring it up 10 years ago and my memory was that people just said it was a version of the jump turn and obvious. And indeed it seems obvious once you do it, but the one time I was with others and it was needed it seemed to be new to people as an option. I can only remember 3 times when I did it, and it was really the only easy option: twice because the entry point was less than the ski length wide or more a V shape, but spread out wider just under. Or the third time was off a short wall at the edge of a summer road. Plus the time I was originally taught it by a guide.
Could you try it off a jump at Hemel, perhaps? Not sure if they are a suitable shape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
I thought the recommended approach was to try to land at about 45 degrees to the fall line and immediately finish the turn up the hill. The reason being that landing at 90 degrees to the fall line increases the risk that you go over your edges and superman down the couloir!
It's much the same with jump turns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@jedster, the whole point of this is it is one to use in a NARROW space. For example landing between two rock walls 3 metres apart, the second time I used it. If you have any forward or backward momentum you hit the rock. Yes, in the case where you have an open slope something like the 45º approach is the way to do it, because going forward and down you absorb some of the impact naturally, while reducing the drop and your speed on landing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@snowball:
^ - Thank you for the clarification: I think I get it now.
So I suppose if I ever get to decide whether to do it for real in situations like those you describe, what’ll matter then will be whether or not there’s a too risky run-out area from the landing . . .
Until then, I guess I can try to do it anywhere with a drop-in where there is a safe run-out - or a yard sale or slide for that matter - when I get it wrong!
Obvious really.
It’s not unknown to me that people who when asked, don’t think of something themselves, then say it was obvious after it’s been explained to them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
What size cornice have you tried it off? Off bigger cornices it seems like it would be quite a lot of impact to take standing sideways (particularly when a fall is going to see you tumble down a narrow chute). There are also the issues of not being able to see your landing. Cutting the cornice or rappel down seems like a much safer option.
I still don't see how it's any different in terms of technique to normal jump turns when skiing a tight chute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
A fairly small cornice. I agree it would be too much impact otherwise.
Yes, there are similarities, except there is no bounce required, you just push off, and it is important to take off at right angles to how you want to land across the slope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
