 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mf-racing - Reading through the thread, I see it has been diverted at times from what matters - your original request for help with learning to carve - and plead guilty to my contribution to that by getting involved in a discussion about A-framing (beyond what you need to think about at this stage) and nit-picking at Skidonald's terminology when, as I said, we are probably talking about the same things in terms of developing the lower ski. So here are those suggestions I made which are ideas I hope will help directly.
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There are good introductory drills to help develop positive edging with the lower ski - eg traversing and turning just on the lower ski, garlands; for developing a "feel" for changing the tilt of both skis together - eg sideslipping; and for getting the notion of being in charge of your edges - eg Chinese snowploughs |
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| f you are starting off down the flow-line, you need to go straight for a good few metres to get some speed up before starting to tilt your skis. A good exercise for you is to set up more across a slope and start a traverse, feet apart and your skis tilted. Keep the skis at the same angle, let them run and they will take you on a smooth curve till you stop partially uphill. Look back at your tracks: two neatly railed lines in the snow and you're getting it; blurry bits show if you have skidded. As you get the hang of it, gradually move your start towards the flow-line. |
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| a useful exercise (without poles) is to put your hands on your knees and push both knees over to effect a smooth and equal tilt. |
If you manage to meet up with Skidonald I am sure that will help a great deal: no number of words in a forum can match being shown and being helped by someone actually seeing what your are doing. Same goes for a lesson or two in the resort.
Good carving! Make that "Wey-hey" when you first get that feeling of being on rails loud enough to hear in Scotland. 
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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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AxsMan, So he was  subtle and fox like I suppose....
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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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I found the 'All mountain skier' by R Mark Elling to be a useful reference. The good thing is you can take it with you and keep referring back to 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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Matthew Way, Snap, I was given that book for Christmas, just started reading it and so far the guy talks a lot of sense (it seems to me).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Warren Smith "Go Ski" £9.99 book and DVD includes a section on carving - good to be able to actually watch it on the screen as well as read the techniques.
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Well, I went to the snowdome last night and moved a bit further forward on my pursuit for carving perfection!
I tried everything, inside ski, outside ski, using my hands, going fast, going slow but still kept nearly falling over due to the inside ski going off on its own accord!
Then I just forgot about it and started having fun again flying down the slope but thinking about edging using my ankles, and really concentrating on putting my skis on edge, and for a few turns it did feel like I was caving (and the tracks confirmed this)! I think because I forgot about what I meant to be doing, and just did it, it helped me to get both skis on the edge at the same time. Saying that 90% on the turn still felt like skid turns.
I think I just need some more practise and get a lesson next week in resort. If I go to New Generation and just say I was to learn to carve, will they just laugh at me or do me a lesion with this in mind?
The snowdowme last night was empty (5-7pm) and I was watching everyone else there and no one else was carving apart from 2 instructors that was just messing about, but they did look really good! (I want to look like them, it looks so effect less!)
Anyway, I’ve got an idea now of what it feels like, I just need to put it into practise!
Thanks for everyone help!
Matt
PS – I don’t know why but my legs was killing this morning! I never get sore legs from skiing even after 8 hours! Maybe that means I was doing something different/right!
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PS – I don’t know why but my legs was killing this morning! I never get sore legs from skiing even after 8 hours! Maybe that means I was doing something different/right!
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Tense perhaps?
If you're planning a private lesson then it shouldn't be a problem for them to focus on Carving and to be honest, based on my lesson, I would make sure it's a 1to1 lesson for maximum gain.
P.S. If you want to look like a ski instructor - get a Spyder Jacket 
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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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| mf-racing wrote: |
but still kept nearly falling over due to the inside ski going off on its own accord!
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I'd sent you another PM before I noticed this, must be psychic, the secret (keep it to yourself) is in there. Happy Carving
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mf-racing, went on the BZK forum to post exactly the same thing as you a couple days ago, and there was your post, asking about carving. Same thing, four weeks on the slopes, plus snowdome experience (about 5 visits).
Anyway, I'm snowdoming next week then Chamonix three weeks later, so fancy tring to get the feel for carving. Any really helpful stuff you have been PM'd would be appreciated!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mf-racing Not overly thinking about your technique is something that does assist you (in all sporting activities). If you engage your mind too much in thinking about what you are doing your movements become robotic and stiff. I am not saying ignore instruction just think about it at the start and end of your run.
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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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Like some others above I don't think you'll get very far learning to carve at the Snowdome. The best environment to experiment is a nice wide open, gentle piste with crisp, freshly groomed snow. The sort of slope where you would be comfortable straightlining, but steep enough to still reach a fairly high terminal speed. Once you can carve cleanly on these slopes, with little or no loss of speed in the turns, you can gradually try steeper slopes. But pure carving on steep slopes is very hard work and not something to be contemplating for quite sometime, if at all. As for the technique, I'll leave that to the pro instructors. I'm sure you've seen all the excellent DVDs from the likes of Warren Smith, Phil Smith etc.
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| krekeg wrote: |
| I think there are a multitude of ways to describe the same thing. Some ways click with some people and not with others. It was when I read phase 3 of this website http://www.techsupportforskiers.com/shapeshifter.htm, this website http://www.youcanski.com/en/coaching/parallel_shins.htm and after watching the Warren Smith DVD's that I started to place emphasis on the inside knee. The Warren Smith DVD's teach you to grab just the inside knee and pull it towards the corner. For me it was my urika moment. I don't end up over weighting the inside ski (I know how that feels) but it does help me to maintain parrallel shins and consistent edge angle. |
Hi Krekeg, after having read thru all the responses to your email (and getting confused!!) I decided to check out the two links above. www.techsupport for skiers makes it sound so absolutely simple. Am off skiing with the family in 2 weeks and cannot wait to get there to try this technique ( before i take a lesson of course )
Thanks again!!
carolwags
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You know it makes sense.
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uktrailmonster, this was the best bit of advice I gleaned from this thread - just got back from a weekend of trying to improve and was reminded of your point when watching the local ski club kids on Saturday morning - they were straight lining for 50m or so before smoothly starting to carve - I tried it and did indeed scare the bjays out of myself - so repositioning on an empty green (it was saturday) I finally got the feeling of being on rails at a speed I was comfortable with. A question for the experts though - what radius /stiffness should I be looking at to prevent terminal velocity being too catastrophic? I found I was running out of piste or nerve too soon but I think the skis I hired were long radius and stiffish. Looking at some other threads can I infer that I should be looking for more flexible shorter radius skis? ?How short is short? 10m? 15m? How do you measure flex? Do you just need to know the different makes and models? I'm 6'2' and 95kg and was using a 180cm ski I think.
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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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kewhoward, do you mean your overall speed going down the hill, or were you running out of room turning across the hill?
You may be better with a shorter length ski, and if the problem was that you were picking up too much speed, you could try holding on to each turn a bit longer - keep the skis on edge until you are starting to go uphill - then you'll slow down. Once you've slowed to a speed you're happy with, then go into the next turn.
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Poster: A snowHead
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kewhoward, until you get the feel of carving I would go for as short a radius as possible so 10m would be better. Or just start off with some snow blades.
My personal carving progression was Blizzard Carvelino snowblades -> 150cm/10m radius skis -> 178cm/16m skis
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wear The Fox Hat, nessy, Thanks chaps - speed down the hill was definitely the issue - I was getting speeds that I wasn't comfortable with since I know that I take a little while to stop!
Hadn't ever thought of going so short on the skis - am I guessing that a 150cm / 10m would be pretty challenging for anything other than carving? As a holiday skiier I suppose I'm looking for a compromise that errs on ease of carving but is OK for a bit steeper stuff (easier blacks, moguls if I have to). Maybe I'm asking too much and should commit a week to improving carving technique.
Snowblades? Can't quite picture myself on them...(I haven't disclosed my age yet!)
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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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| kewhoward wrote: |
| Hadn't ever thought of going so short on the skis - am I guessing that a 150cm / 10m would be pretty challenging for anything other than carving? |
Why would they be challenging? For anything other than powder they will be easier than a longer ski. Black runs and bumps included.
I wouldn't necessarily commit to buying very short skis unless you plan on having a quiver but just to hire some (or snowblades) on a day by day basis specifically to get the feel of carving.
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FAQ
