 Poster: A snowHead
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A friend of mine, a fairly decent skier(gold in the ski club standard), who I ski with occasionally, has the odd habit of swinging his arm in towards his body to intiate a turn in the direction of the arm movement, particularly during linked short radius turns. It's more subtle than shoulder turn as it's restricted to the arm, and it doesn't seem to produce any uncontrolled over-rotation.
I can see that it would add addititional weight to turn, perhaps weighting the ski earlier. Or I am reading the action incorrectly? Any thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Most people do this for two reasons: firstly because it's just a bad habit they've go t into, and secondly because they've been ski-ing long enough that they learnt to do it in the 70's (I think). I can definitely remember learning this movement - I think it was the early 70's, anyway it followed on from the marching one, and was before the palm forward one!
From what you say I think your friend must fall into this category, If he skis well it probably won't affact him too much, but the quiet arms with minimal movement at the wrist that we now use does not disturb the balance so much.
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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?
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easiski, it could be. I never thought of it in terms of form rather than function! He was once described as having a 70's style racing action.
I know of the palms forward action, but not the marching one- sounds like an action that stiff telemarkers would use!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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easiski, I've never heard of the 'palm-forward' pole plant. What is it?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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easiski, thanks. I'm frequently amazed by the little ritual moves that seem to have been built into skiing over the years, making it more and more complex. It seems so much more straightforward now.
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easiski, I have a video clip (approx 2MB) of the incriminating style- the arm movements are much in evidence! Note: I believe a Java enabled web browser is required to view the clip.
If you can see the clip ok, there are a couple more of me, and falling over me, (each 2MB)......skiing in a different style? I hope so: he learnt to ski in the 60's, and me a relative newbie, in the late 90's! The clips were taken in St Anton almost 3 years ago. Video is a good media to spot flaws in your technique, and even more so in slow-mo!
Thanks to Alex for hosting on his site 
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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.
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Kit Wong, good clips. The arm swinger does it much more with his left arm. His right is almost still.
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Kit Wong, I agree with Kuwait Ian. The left arm is a problem, but the skier also appears to rotate his whole left side a bit which probably exacerbates the appearance of the movement. The right arm is a bit wild but not too aweful. I enojoyed the clips (looking at work).
Let me know if you want some more serious comment on the two clips by PM.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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easiski, kuwait_ian, yes, left arm swinger - he could open the bowling attack for England!
Alan Craggs, Maybe not on that showing, but he is seriously gold off-piste!
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You know it makes sense.
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Alan Craggs, absolutely nothing wrong with the technique - - - - - of the herring-boning at the end 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Alan Craggs, Hannah's comment was something along the lines of she'd be happy to ski with you, whereas I'm still relegated to the statutory minimum 25m gap in case anyone thought we were related 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Alan Craggs, Upper body seems a little stiff possibly but not hugely, nothing really wrong with that
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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Tignes ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yes, right resort. Which piste?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Carline.........ain't the internet wonderful ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Excellent - no prize though 
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bug - free lesson perhaps ?
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sorry, should have said 'bug - free lesson perhaps ?
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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.
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Third time, 'bug - free lesson perhaps ?'
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So that's a free lesson - fantastic !  Where ?
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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.
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Alan Craggs, nothing bad to say apart from: look at all that untracked snow off-piste that you could have been skiing instead!
BTW: what software did you use to produce the clip? Best render I can get from Moviestar, for a decent quality clip, is 2MB for 10 secs.
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| easiski wrote: |
| I can definitely remember learning this movement - I think it was the early 70's. |
Now hold on there easiski, I've seen pictures of you. You are definitely a young'un. In the early 70s you would have been about 5yrs old, so I think you are seriously wrong with your dates.
I too have noticed this common habit of quite good skiers waving their arms about, and have thought it just an affectation, rather in line with flamboyant movements when using a walking stick. But at least they are doing something positive with their poles. I'm sure if you videod me, I would look like I was gently poking the piste to check it was cooked properly.
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You know it makes sense.
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Kit Wong, indeed indeed, but I thought we would have all week for videoing. After that first day we had 4 days of blizzards and high winds which essentially closed the high Tarentaise 
I used Adobe Premiere 6.5 to create the clip from DV.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Jonpim, I don't know about being a good skier, but I do notice - especially when playing without sticks, that I DO wave my arms a bit before the first turn, which seems to help get a good rythm. I don't do it with stick, and I don't (I think), do it on snow......anyone else do similar ?
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FAQ
for instructors who stick with the "old school" methods - WHY? Everything is so much easier now. People can learn to ski pretty well (fun carving, off piste) in about 6 weeks now if they have regular lessons and apply themselves. In the old days "expert" took at least 20 weeks, and was really hard work too. 
) but I'm afraid I cannot believe that your friend is a gold standard Ski Club skier. Sorry, but there it is 
