Hello! I'm brand new to this forum. I thank you in advance for any advice you may have.
I'm an intermediate skier who learned to ski on piste, but now spend most of my time off piste. My current skis are way easier to ski on everything EXCEPT hard pack.
Problem: On smooth, hard packed snow, my downhill ski turns inward abruptly. I feel like I'm going to kill myself! I think it's my skis because this never used to happen on previous pairs, but is there anything I can do to compensate?
@diachun, i'm no expert, only an interidiot myself, but it's very unlikely to be a equipment issue. Lessons are always A) a good idea and B) the answer to most problems.
welcome to SnowHeads btw
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My view - Is that as an Intermediate, you are still refining your On Piste carving.....and learning should ideally should have been on a dedicated Piste ski (68-72), as this makes getting the fundamentals much easier.
My remote assessment, is that you went onto a wider ski before you had become fully comfortable with the necessary movements. The Lines are softish, have Tip and Tail Rocker and are quite wide for On Piste Carving - all of which adds up to a ski that is not ideal for improving this element of your skiing.
To get the most out of them On Piste, you need to be already competent at carving. So, a) You need lessons and b) Ideally, you need to refine your Carving on Piste Skis, or some narrow Piste orientated AM skis (80-86).
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 14-02-22 13:01; edited 1 time in total
They look pretty similar to me. Certainly not particularly racey and not tight radius skis. It could be a tuning thing or a technique thing. If the edges of your old skis were blunt and the brand new ones are straight out of the packet sharp then this could account for a difference. Have you tried swapping left/right skis to see if the problem persists? Can you try and de-tune a section of the tip on one side? Can you feel any burrs on the edges? If none of these things make a difference, it's probably technique. This might not be bad technique, as such, but new equipment is sometimes quite different to what you are used to.
Try renting a few different pairs of skis and see if you get a similar problem? Skiing off piste hides a lot of technical 'issues' as it's more about getting down stuff rather than doing so properly. Once back on flat stuff, the light of truth comes on..... Good luck
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I suspect you're not weighting your down hill ski properly, and that's leaving the tip loose so that it can catch "lumps" of snow.
Probably a combination of being in the back seat, and not finishing your turns.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Kramer wrote:
I suspect you're not weighting your down hill ski properly, and that's leaving the tip loose so that it can catch "lumps" of snow.
Probably a combination of being in the back seat, and not finishing your turns.
I think you are most likely on the money.
The OP needs to have all the weight on the U/Hill ski before the turn, keep the weight on the D/Hill through the turn and hold onto the turn much longer, with the skis going back up the hill before initiating the next turn (like the shape of a Fish Hook). The next turn should not happen until you have control of the last one....or the lack of control magnifies as you go down the slope.
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.
@diachun, Welcome to SH.
The old hard-pack and fancy ski conundrum - it's a well known thing.
First of all, please take all the comments from the other posters along the lines of "Get some lessons buddy" as well intentioned but poorly informed banter.
Everybody, deep down knows the way to ski better is to have the best equipment - look at Beat Feuz, I bet he's not rocking a pair of Rossi Bandits.
Money invested in kit makes you feel good about yourself, money wasted on lessons makes you feel bad about yourself because you realise you're not doing it properly.
Feel good = Ski Good.
Feel Bad = Ski Bad.
Most of the people advocating lessons undoubtedly are charlatans, pro instructors, ski school owners or otherwise have some skin in the game.
You'll only have to read through the forum for posts about having Merino socks and soft shell pants to realise that fancy kit is what's needed to take your skiing to the next level.
Moreover, the colour of your ski is important, how can you hope to ski like a pro on black skis?
Black was the new black 5 years ago, and with today's modern snow being the way it is these days ( even you noticed that it's more hard packed) you need a top sheet thats a bright and vibrant colour that exudes positive energy.
This positive energy makes you smile and relax, removing pent-up tension from your posture and you become one with the mountain again.
@Klamm Franzer, is barking up the right tree - you definitely need new skis, preferably claret and blue, with white detailing - you'll be amazed at the difference.
btw I am a snowboarder so some of the above might not be 100% true for skiing
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Which ski is it that you feel turns abruptly? Is it the (new) downhill ski or both as much?
Good news is you are getting forward pressure early in the turn. Well done!
But I suspect as you have progressed off piste you are more equally weighting both skis at the start of the turn. Good for powder terrible for piste. And frankly if you want to make aggressive games style turns off piste you should concentrate on improving this aspect on piste. If you weight both skis on hard pack, and have forward pressure, the tips of both will bite quickly followed by the downhill ski washing out, you stepping on the inside ski to compensate and all sorts of ugliness will ensue.
Get all of your weight on the new downhill ski and keep it there through the turn. Keep forward pressure by flexing the ankles. Concentrate on those two things and you should improve.
And lessons are what you really need!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@zikomo It's the (new) downhill ski that that turns inward abruptly.
@WindOfChange That's hilarious!
Thank you all, very much!
I'm definitely due for some targeted lessons. For the last few I had, the instructor just had me follow him around the terrain. No on-piste assessment of my technique, no drills.
The idea that the newer skis expose flaws in my technique rings true. I know I tend to sit back a bit and have a habit of dropping my shoulder and not finishing my turns properly. The newer Line skis are much lighter, shorter, slightly wider and more shaped, and way more flexible than my previous pair. I bought them because the Head skis are miserable in powder, but the heavier Head skis feel like they help me "grip" through the turn on hard back.
I will also try swapping left and right skis.
The skis I first learned on around 1998 were skinny, straight, 195 cm K2 skis. It would be wild to take those for a lap.
Thank you, again!
Here's a snippet of me on piste with the Line skis. No problem with the skis on this day because it was looser snow, not hard pack, and this is not a steep pitch. (My husband and I made this ski day music video for one of my songs when we were bored in lockdown a year ago.) There's a bit of me skiing at around 1:12:
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.
@diachun, Great video!
I don't think it will take too much to get the control you are looking for....just a change in how soon you weight, how much you weight the D/Hill ski, how progressively you allow the skis to continually edge through the turn (don't rush and allow the skis to turn), how long you hold the turn for and avoiding foot twisting. A tune up with a good Instructor should make a dramatic difference.
If you learned "Old School", it is very easy for foot steering to sneak into your skiing. I should know. This is OK if it is very deliberate and using Short Swing Turns to control speed on Steep slopes. The problem comes when foot steering causes Z-Shaped turns, rather than progressive C-Shaped ones. I didn't see enough of you skiing to see if this is the case...I just know the issues I have had adapting from Straight Skis to Carving Skis.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Looking at the video, your skis are too close together so you’re likely A-framing as well.
All of these things will lead to the ski “skidding” sideways rather than moving forward in the snow when turning. This means that is is easier to knock it off line. In turn this feels less secure, and that makes us less likely to commit to the turns, which exacerbates the problems.
I suspect that the contribution of the equipment is limited to the fact that it encourages you to ski more difficult terrain/conditions which are more likely to unmask deficiencies in technique.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Great video!
I would like to see you on steeper terrain. Looks to me like you are a good skier. And can probably go all day. You are a leaner though! Good turn initiating. Bit backseat in the middle but good balance. BUT you need to match your shoulder angle to the angle of the slope. That one thing will transform your skiing!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
zikomo wrote:
Great video!
I would like to see you on steeper terrain. Looks to me like you are a good skier. And can probably go all day. You are a leaner though! Good turn initiation. Bit backseat in the middle but good balance. BUT you need to match your shoulder angle to the angle of the slope. That one thing will transform your skiing!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ooops apres ski and no glasses is not a good mix! My content is ok but posted in an odd way. Sorry!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
And you are not a learner. You are a leaner! You lean in to start the turn. Rather than angulate.
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?
zikomo wrote:
Looks to me like you are a good skier.
That's the impression I get...and like most of the Women I have skied with, underestimate how good they are.
Thank you for all the advice! Have fun out there, my friends.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@diachun, indeed a great video. Sorry for the thread-drift but if you ever fancy a trip to Europe to ski, you'd fit in nicely with the EoSB's other vocal talents - if you don't want to view the whole thing, watch from 9:01 on http://youtube.com/v/XrSjIFY7P_U
As for you're skiing, you probably do yourself a discredit, but as some others have mentioned, the front of the ski may be too sharp or has a burr which gives it too much grip and makes it more "hooky" and less "smeary". Maybe lightly run a gummy-stone down the 1st foot or so of the ski to slightly de-tune it?
That's a wonderful idea! Thank you, @jd_evans. And thanks for the gummy stone tip, too.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@diachun, have you got good lateral location with your toes in the front of the ski boot ? Much excess there and the skis will take their own direction as you try to load them through turning on critical surfaces. Effectively it swings the boot across until that meets resistance against your foot, making finely resolved turning control rather difficult.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@ski3: You are asking if my boot is too roomy in the toe area, correct? I’ll assess next time I’m out. Thank you!
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.
Update: I’ve booked a 2-hour private lesson and I’m having my edges cleaned up.
Thanks again everyone, for your help!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@diachun, good luck and keep us posted. Great to see a fellow old dude with such enthusiasm and interest in progressing.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
diachun wrote:
Update: I’ve booked a 2-hour private lesson and I’m having my edges cleaned up.
Thanks again everyone, for your help!
Please come back and tell us how you got on and what bit of advice made the most difference. Very often an inciteful instructor will be able to home in on a subtle fault or two, the correction of which will make a dramatic difference.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I feel like I'm going to kill myself! I think it's my skis because this never used to happen on previous pairs, but is there anything I can do to compensate?
