Control/speed

Could someone please expand on a something from an earlier thread
Pavelski said "never brake at a turn,before a turn or curve yes. In skiing you must use the hill to set your speed"
As an intermediate determined to progress I often find it hard to control my speed and end up using skidding turns to slow myself and regain more control.
Any ideas?
Thanks

I'll let Pavelski explain exactly what he meant, but can explain a little about carving steeper slopes.

First you must perfect your carving on easy slopes. As you increase the pitch of the slope, your turns must become fuller to control speed. That is, you must carve through up to 180 degrees of turn. You will become more comfortable at higher speeds, with your legs way out from underneath you. The turns must also become tighter. That requires more inclination of the skis and angulation of the body.

The hardest thing about carving steeper slopes is commiting to the down hill edges. This means your weight moves out from the hill as you roll onto those down hill edges. It feels very commiting and requires trust in your abilities. That is why it should be a gradual progression.

If you are uncomfortable with your speed and you have the room, you can even turn more than 180 degrees. Ending up going a little up hill, though only enough to kill some speed.

If you end up skidding the end of your turn, it is hard to roll onto your down hill edges. You must get locked into a solid, no slipping traverse. Then roll the edges down hill.

Good hero snow helps as well. No one carves everything. Every year I find I can carve on slopes a bit steeper, but it is always a work in progress.

I would always prefer to be on slopes that don't require me to skid for speed control. That can difficult when I'm out with people who don't carve. They need steeper slopes to challenge them as thier speed control comes from skidding turns.

Trencher

Thanks Trencher I'll take your advice and concentrate on technique on the easier slopes.
Cheers hopscotch.

Trencher is right on the mark and the advice he gave is excellent.

Yes stay on easy runs until you are at "ease" with speed.
There is a apparent contradiction while skiing fast. The faster you ski , the more subtle or delicate must your reactions by. Many but many skiers "over-react" due to mental stredd rather than poor technique.

Yes absolutely you must place weight on DOWNHILL ski edge. It is the conrnerstone of effective skiing. Try this! As you turn lift heel of up hill boot.Notice I say heel not ski! That is because 90% of skiers will pick up TIP of up hill ski because they lean back as they turn. This exercise does two things; 1. it makes you shift to downhill ski ( weight transference) and 2. it makes you stay up front. Try to lift heel while leaning back. You can not do it! You must be forward to lift heel.

The last suggestion by Trencher is another excellent point. It is a vital strategy in speed control. It is your "safety" valve in case......
Let the slope do all of the work by slowly you down.

I know what I will say next will seem incorrect, but when it happens to you will remember this. At one point in the speed descent, you actually "feel" like you are slowing down. If you are spectator you see skier blazing down a run, yet to the skier speed "seems" slower. Why?
The key word is anticipation. It goes back to what Trencher stated. Practice speed on easy run. The brain learns to deal with speed and anticipates, ie looks ahead so that the focus is no longer 2 meters ahead but 10 meters ahead.
Next time you drive analyze your thinking. In city driving at 30 km. you are looking 5 meters ahead but once you get on highway going at 140 km. you focus 30-50 meters ahead. If ever you go on car race track and do 250 km. and then drive at 140 km. on route, it seems "slow"! This analogy can be transfered to skiing.
You see how the mind must be conditioned for the speed!

Another contradiction is coming up!

The steeper the run, the easier to turn. Really!!!!
What causes problems is not the geometry ( ie slope) but the mind. Humans have an interesting survival unconscious mechanism. Watch children learning to walk. You can learn a great deal about skiing!

To a child walking is dangerous. There are all sorts of objects to hit head. The ground has varied texture from, slippery, to soft etc...The surface is also not always level! Plus you have these adults causing you stress. pushing you to do what you are afraid to do!!! Sound familiar!!!

What does a child do?

Stands up, then takes few steps, but if at any time the surface cause problems, there is a table near by, or if stress is to much ( mother, father, grandparents, etc.. watching) the child will return to crawl!

That is what skiers do!

They ski on easy runs but do not take time to learn basics! Then social pressures ( ha come on you can do it) forces them to raise the stress bar up and they "go to the top"!

The first sign of;steepness,ice, speed they revert to crawl......

Follow Trencher's advice. Take the time to learn basics on easy run. Learn to go faster and when you will be in Kitzbuhle on the World Cup downhill run and humming as you go 120 km. you will remember all the work you did to prepare you for this experience.

If you do not mind a little secret.

Expert skiers admire any skier that reaches the "effective skier" level because you can not buy this. You must work at it. You must do your time like the skater that practices for hours and hours one move! That is when you will discover the real joys of skiing and the respect of your peers.

Hope this has helped you. See you in Kitzbuhl!