In praise of the stem christie

A snowHead

This may be slightly contentious, but I thought it was worth mentioning that the single most useful turn in the world ever (IMO) is the good old stem christie/stem step. You get a good stable platform, you put the turning ski on it's edge immediately, it's incredibly precise, you can do it from a standstill, and it's not much effort once you know how.

I should say that this is not the basic swing half and half type turn, but a proper step out, step in turn. In steep, narrow or difficult snow it will get you down anything. It may not be elegant or fashionable, but if you're a serious skier you absolutely have to have it in your toolbox!

A snowHead

easiski, well said, sadly today this useful technique seems largely to be ignored in preference to teaching people to carve, after which many people stop getting lessons

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I use it as a drill to set the initial steering angle, as well as a progression onto other things,

I use it in the steeps for that first turn to a stop when I need to turn around to face my clients.

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I'm sure that Whitegold will be along shortly to priviledge us with his wisdom about how the stem turn is for losers over 35 years of age. rolling eyes

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

No problem with a stem... best reserved for when you must get it round in difficult snow. And once you are positioned correctly then a half stem or such is one of the easiest banker turns availlable IMV. Same as for side-slipping......when you must, you must.

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Yes, it must be my age that I find it remarkable that anyone wouldn't find this a key option when the going gets tough. It's on Phil Smith's video (though he calls it something else). I have been reminded that it's useful to practice it though - thanks easiski. Good in crud, too. And much easier with modern skis!

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pam w, I don't know which turn is on Phil's video (not having seen it), but the stem christie should not be confused with the basic swing or virage de base which is for not quite parallel peeps. this is deffo an advanced turn for use in awkward places and sits. However because of it's name, I think many people eschew it as "too basic". Sad

After all it is free

Phil Smith does it as a way of dealing with steep awkward places, pretty well from a standing start, not rolling down a piste, and demonstrates by first of all showing how you make the same kind of step down, turning the foot first, without skis on. He puts it forward as a less advanced option to jumping in the air and putting both skis on their new edges at the same time; I prefer the one leg at a time option being over 35!.

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pam w, We are talking about the same thing for sure. I also don't like the jump option - much too energetic, and I may need that energy later. rolling eyes

rob@rar, Perhaps he's afraid that if he calls it stem anything, peeps will revolt! Shocked

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Yup - I love it too - I'm too lazy to jump wink

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But a jump turn is an option too... agreed, you have to be very fit to go flying down the hill like a banshee doing jump turns but as one turn get-out-of-jail card, you should have it in your locker. And you should practise them so you can perform them as economically as possible. If you commit and flick up the heels using the terrain, that is another useful variation to have as well.

In Canada, it's taught as a "Situational Stem", used for difficult snow or terrain. Good thing to have in the tool bag when required.

You know it makes sense.

Spyderman, I quite like that term - covers all bases!

JT, Agreed, but then you're younger and fitter than me! rolling eyes

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Yep - the stem is a great banker esp on steepish slopes. I'm too lazy to do lots of jump turns too Sad

A snowHead

Not only that, but if the snow is slightly crusty a jump might break through, but the stem might float. I'm too old to go jumping round the mountain. Shocked

A snowHead

easiski, unfortunately I always break through. might be something to do with me probably weighing twice as much as you! Laughing

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I'd say its my default first turn when I'm on difficult ground and facing the wrong way as I set off (if you know what I mean).

THat said, I think you NEED a jump turn for when it's really steep - you pick up more speed with the stem than with a jump (skis get through the fall line quicker). Of course jump turns are less energetic on really steep ground particularly if you just think of lifting your tails to your backside rather than jumping the whole ski.

If it get's really, really steep then the "windscreen wiper" turn makes a lot of sense but i've not actually practised them enough to be really confident...

J

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jedster, indeed and when it gets really steep, you can jump sideways rather than up
still think that you should try to keep your skis as close to the snow as poss especially if it's firm snow - more an unweight than a jump. there's some great footage in "Highlife" (a TGR movie) of Jeremy Nobis skiing a very long narrow, steep, couloir. unusually he's actually skiing it in a controlled manner rather than just straightlining it. anyway, he does these really nice controlled skiddy turns - not quite jumping but unweighting to get the turn started

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

There may be another reason to avoid jump turns, under certain circumstances a jump turn might send enough shock through the snow to cause an avalanche Shocked

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If it's just a matter of facing the wrong way in a steep/scary spot, I'd go for a kick turn every time!!

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I think the jump turns some of you might be refering to are the sauté-pedale (pedal hop turn) which was developed by skiers such as Vallençant and Baud as they pushed out onto hyper-extreme slopes in the mid-70s. With skis at 90 degrees to the fall line, edges set, you push down on the uphill foot to get some air then immediately bring the skis into the fall line and round. The uphill push lets you make the turn without picking up too much speed. Done well the turn doesn't require much energy and a series of such turns can be linked down a very steep fall-line. Windscreen wiper turns were a favourite of Sylvain Saudan who was one of the pioneers of steep skiing.

After all it is free

Very interesting stuff. Years ago we used to call jump turns "short swings". Perhaps not exactly the same thing as discussed here, but again very handy on narrow, steep descents

uktrailmonster, This sort of jump turn is really 180deg turn, whereas a short swing was never that far round.

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easiski,

No wonder it took me ages to get them that far round..missed a trick there Laughing

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The interpretation / definition of what exactly is a "short swing" has been the subject of many fascinating rolling eyes

bar discussions. I seem to recall Ali referring to the "dreaded BASI short swing" once Laughing

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surely short swings are weddeling (sp?) - that's how I've always used the term anyway. THat is completely different from a jump turn.

Damon,

You know it makes sense.

jedster, No, no - sorry to disabuse you. A short swing always has an "edge set rebound" element to it (ie: a bounce or jump). Wedeln is definitely feet on the ground. Actually I had to teach short turns in Grade 1 teaching and did the difference between short swing, short radius and wedeln ( bit of useless info there). However a short swing can be pivoted around lots of different points of the ski: tip, in front of toe bindings, feet, and in extreme cases of plastic slope boredom the tails. You can also do them uphill (well I can't but tomasz could) ........... well - you have to do something on the placcy! rolling eyes

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Ah yes, I used to have a party piece of short swinging uphill, but also facing up the hill and going backwards down the hill whilst short swinging in reverse. All in the name of agility and boredom.

Incidently we call short swings spiess in Canada land.

A snowHead

ahh ok then there is something of a progression:

wedeln >>> short swing >>> jump turn

as the degree of edge check and rebound increases?

I think I sometimes edge check AND keep my skis on the ground (i.e. absorb just enough energy to avoid the skis lifting while still unweighting enough to pivot into the next turn. I've tended to think of this as both a wedel and a short swing but perhaps it sits one side of the dividing line.

J

A snowHead

easiski, and don't forget doing them on the uphill ski as well Toofy Grin

ah the joys of 90m to play with....

brian

When I learned to ski at Hillend they were obsessed with short swings. Every one of their tests from basic swing level up included an ever increasing length of plastic bouncing.

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Short swings were always a plastic slope favourite Wink

If you edge checked enough you didn't actually move forward at all, even on pretty steep slopes.

One characteristic of the short swing was that you generally kept the tips of the skis on or very close to the ground. When I do jump turns now I tend to lift the whole ski well off the ground, usually to clear deeper snow etc. I often jump with a slight delay lifting the second ski to make it a bit less effort. Similar to the method Phil Smith demonstrates.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

jedster, Got it - but you can have edge check without rebound - which is what you're describing.

Yoda, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and charleston and rhumba and, and, and ....................................... Shocked

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In praise of the stem christie

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