I'm a xc skier and occasionally goes touring. As part of the requirement (or peer pressure?) I practice kick turns every so often. I can do it with either x-c skis or alpine skis.
I've seen it mentioned here occasionally, for downhillers, as ONE of the moves to get out of tight quarters one found him/herself in. However, I had never recall actually having done that for such purpose in my own alpine skiing experience. Perhaps I've not been in the right situation when that's appropriate?
Last week I was faced with a situation that a kick turn would THEORECTICALLY be useful: I was skiing down a narrow passage defined by trees, until my progress was blocked by a sign that reads: "Caution, Cliff Area!"!!!
The first thought that came to my mind was I needed to do a stationary 180! Theorectically, a kick turn is exactly the move to achieve that.
However, I was very very uncomfortable with that idea. There I was, standing on the top of a mogul, only the middle of my skis were in contact with the snow (tip and tail hanging free on air). The thought of picking up the outside ski and twisting it 180 degree was just not the most appealing mental picture! More over, the hillside was rather steep, so there's the worry my uphill ski might hit the snow by mistake.
In the end, I elected to do a combination of side slip with a backward slide, and a jump turn later I was facing the "right" direction away from the cliff!
So my question, who here has used kick turn as a get-out-of-jail move in tight quarter? What do you see as the situation when a kick turn is valueable that can't be easily accomplished in other ways?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
abc, Yes, have used a downhill kick turn many times on steeper terrain when way forward was blocked (drop, rocks etc) and no room downhill to complete a turn. Kick turn basically used to reverve traverse direction to find space to turn properly.
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?
When off-piste a backwards side slip is often impractical. Downhill kick turns can be invaluable on steep ground or, if things are too dicey, a sit turn.
Great if you are someone who has traversed a bit too far up the gully walls or gone too far off the side of the piste..... I don't think they teach them any more though,...my kids didn't get taught them. Shame.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
meh wrote:
and can be comedy gold when watching your inflexible friends.
So you wouldn't advice your "inflexible friends" to execute that on top of a rock band, would you?
After all it is free
After all it is free
abc, there is a difference between inelegant and incompetent.
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.
meh wrote:
abc, there is a difference between inelegant and incompetent.
Really? In skiing?
I've always found the two to be the same, in most sports in general, especially beyond intermediate stage.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
meh wrote:
abc, there is a difference between inelegant and incompetent.
Nordic skiing may be the exception.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I think I've managed one successful kick turn ever. Quite painful. 2/10.
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.
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
http://youtube.com/v/HgJRdvUB-TA - 45 seconds in is a demo of how not to do it. The rest of the video is quite interesting too, how to charge the top but not how to cope with avi debris at the bottom
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Sideshow_Bob wrote:
The rest of the video is quite interesting too, how to charge the top but not how to cope with avi debris at the bottom
Heh, reminds me of myself (albeit on a much easier route). The beginning of his run looked very impressive.
As for the kick-turn downhill... I don't really like it above a steep rocky area. In those situations, rightly or wrongly I find a double pole plant and jump turn safer for me. But I'll do the kick-turn if it's the only option.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Sideshow_Bob wrote:
http://youtube.com/v/HgJRdvUB-TA - 45 seconds in is a demo of how not to do it.
Not sure I understand what you mean "how not to do it". He did it fine, didn't he?
Looks to me a great deal too tentative given the location, but he accomplished the goal...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
abc, inelegant but not incompetent.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
meh, I thought he was elegant enough, once he commited to doing it that is!
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?
Sometimes 'elegant' is irrelevant. I descended 300 metres of evil, unskiable (oh yeah, I expect there are a few snowheads ski gods who could have skied it blindfold on their fatties ), breaking crust over a bed of heavy powder a few weeks ago using only kick turns and traverses. The slope was very wide, obstacle free and only about 30 degrees gradient so not one you'd expect to need to have to use a kick turn on at all. Doing 30-40 kick turns and traverses took a long time and if anybody had been watching, I'm sure they'd have pointed and laughed but the alternative was a real risk of breaking my knees. The moral of the story is that kick turns aren't just for narrow slopes.
Downhill kick turns are something I haven't really got the hang of (normally jump around instead). Probably wouldn't do it any better that the guy in Sideshow_Bob's clip. After looking at both clips it looks like the less sucessful version in Bob's clip tries to do a ballerina type pose, taking the ldownhill line as 12 - the feet are facing towards 3 and 9 o clock (as shown below)
In the clip I posted it appears that the skier just lifts up the ski puts the tail on the snow, lays it over and then brings the other foot around. The feet don't appear to go beyond 10 and 2 o clock.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Like others have said, I use them when there isnt room for a jump turn (and I cant easily slide backwards to create enough room for a jump turn). I wouldnt say mine are elegant but they are safe.
In moffatross's situation I would have been jump turning rather than kick turning.
Downhill kick turns are something I haven't really got the hang of (normally jump around instead). Probably wouldn't do it any better that the guy in Sideshow_Bob's clip. After looking at both clips it looks like the less sucessful version in Bob's clip tries to do a ballerina type pose, taking the ldownhill line as 12 - the feet are facing towards 3 and 9 o clock (as shown below)
...
In the clip I posted it appears that the skier just lifts up the ski puts the tail on the snow, lays it over and then brings the other foot around. The feet don't appear to go beyond 10 and 2 o clock.
It depends on how big the platform is. If there's not enough room, a ballerina type pose might be neccessary.
I can do a proper kick turn with 2 skis parallel on the flat, or when the snow surface is soft. What I find difficult is adding edging to that!
On steeper slopes, leaving the ski flat is not an option. (actually both skis are naturally "on edge" just by nature of the slope angle, but the downhill ski doesn't have much pressure on it because it's typicaly a little lower than the uphill ski) Transitioning my weight onto the downhill ski and balancing on edge is what I found the most challenging part.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
