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Kick Turns

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
GrahamN, interesting, as the guide who taught me was dead against that. He said that the minute the downhill ski was round all the weight should go on it and the other ski should be swung round. I can see your point in certain situations - ice or an potentially unstable bit of snow - but I prefer to get all my weight onto the ski and complete the turn quickly as I think the pliee position is very vulnerable and you don't have a great deal of balance if anything slips
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum, as you say, the slope is "behind" you - so your tails are sticking out into mid-air wink

This is the nearest I could get with a quick Google - notice that the poles are on the uphill side of the skier - he'd better watch he doesn't catch a pole as he brings the ski round, good job it's not steep Toofy Grin

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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?
Yoda, Linky no worky

Don't agree about the tails - its already been said that you should stand at 90 degrees to the slope - i.e. across it. At point 4 in the initial photos the chap clearly has to swing the ski around from behind him - if there was an obstacle behind him, i.e. the steep slope, he would need to tilt the ski point down and tail up in order to clear the slope as far as I can see.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
Megamum, On a steep slope take into account the effect of gravity. When you pivot round the uphill ski the tip will be pulled down thru gravity and the tail will move up (slightly). So there should be a natural protection against the tail hitting the slope.

Megamum, Come on get the ski boots on click into your Elan's and try the kick turn in the garden ~(Useful because you can get support here with the poles as they stick in teh soft ground) Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yoda,
Quote:

he'd better watch he doesn't catch a pole as he brings the ski round

I've been known to catch a pole with the second ski, even turning the more normal way! Embarassed
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Megamum, hmm that link seems to work sporadically Puzzled However, I took it that you were responding to pendodave's post, which was about uphill kick turns, whereas the initial photos are of the downhill version Toofy Grin In the latter there's no problem as it's easy to tip the forebody of the ski downwards and thus avoid catching the tail. I must say I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the concept of downhill kick turns on a steep slope Madeye-Smiley (but as they say, it all depends what you mean by steep Toofy Grin ) I think I'd rather chuck myself down on two skis than be wobbling around with the old stiff hips trying to avoid going head first Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yoda, I would think that the free heel in touring would help dramatically with uphill kick turns. It would give a more tighter pivot point which makes for easy rotation. Your pic looks difficult because in fixed heel on a steep slope I guess you would need to worry about how much you were leaning back whilst bringing the lower foot around. Too much and goodbye and goodnight!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Megamum, the tail don't "catch" in that sense because you're bringing the ski tip first to come around. So, even if the tail touches the slope, it would simply slide right along. Nothing like digging your tip into the snow as it came around.


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Wed 2-01-08 16:25; edited 1 time in total
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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.
IMO this is an important technique for anyone who skis or wants to ski off-piste. The most important application (again IMO) is for getting you out of a sticky spot (more that than doing a whole sequence down a steep couloir). Here's what I mean

"which way do you reckon, left or right over that lip?"

"don't fancy left much, I'll take a look over the lip"

(a moment later... peering over a rock outcrop/ sheet of blue ice/ avalanche debris - delete as appropriate)

"Ah. Like that is it. Think we'd better head left"

(cue CAREFUL kick turn)

Of course, often you can just jump round but there are times (e.g., you are standing just above an evil looking rock) when pulling out a well practised kick turn is the best solution...

They are more hazardous on ice but generally on ice you can sideslip backwards in order to get yourself to a position where a more orthodox turn will do the job.

Can't sideslip backwards? That's another skill worth practising for the rare occasion when it comes in (extremely) handy.

Look on the brightside, kick turns are quite tricky on 200cm skis but on anything head-height or shorter, anyone should be able to learn them.

Cheers,

J
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
jedster, great summary. Brilliant! Very Happy
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
plectrum, yes I think the free heel does help, although for the less adept (me rolling eyes ) with Fritschi bindings it also helps I feel to have the return springs fitted, which gives a little more control over what the tails are doing. Interestingly the Fritschi Freerides don't come with return springs as standard whereas the Explores do. Still, I guess that's another topic....
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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.
My legs don't work like that Sad But I can side slip backwards a treat Wink
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 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
on the free heel/up-hill kick turn thing I can assure you that up-hill kts are MUCH easier with a free heel. I know this because I once tried to do one with my fritschis locked down (not on purpose I hasten to add) - complete shambols.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Only done them a couple of times (under instruction) and found them 1) difficult because I'm not very flexible, and 2) worrying because I felt like I was about to end up in a tangled heap. Shocked Never used them 'for real' and prefer the side slide/jump round the pole technique personally.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I reckon I could do these very easily. It would be helped by both knees immediatley disclocating rolling eyes
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I find they're easier to do than they look, but more of a novelty than something particularly useful. I can't remember the last time I used this technique for turning while actually skiing, but I still use it occasionally to face the other way before setting off.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
As mentioned previously very handy off piste. I use them a lot, especially in glacial areas where you are skiing between crevasses. Very handy to change 180 degrees direct in a split second and then set off again. On very steep angles 50 degrees for example, they are not easy as the uphill ski is much harder to bring round and you have all the weight on the other ski. Had to do one in Pisteurs Couloir in Val D'isere once and it wasn't pleasant ! Could not do a jump turn as somoene below me was stuck as their ski had come off and I couldn't risk going into them. Shocked
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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?
Quote:

in a split second


You must be an expert with them!!
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