5 hints that a skier is a pro!!!

james_gray wrote:

p.s what's this carving business about? can it be done on rental skis? or do they need to have special edges? this year i did an hours snowboarding lesson and can get down a hill (beginners, green), turning etc, can i utilize the turning, balancing and edging technique in skiing? 

Carving is making a turn without skidding. A well carved turn on skis will leave two pencil lines in the snow, and on a snowboard, one deeper pencil line. When a ski skids, energy is dissapated and wasted, ie. speed is lost. Carving eliminates the waste. The carved turn is made possible by the sidecut of the ski or board, that is the inward curved shape of the edge. This can be measured by the radius of that curve. A sharp turning ski might have a 11metre radius, a medium turning ski, a 15metre radius. Under the outward forces of the turn the inclined ski "decambers" or bends. The true radius of the turn is much less than the sidecut.

The forces generated by these turns are significant. As the ski or board recambers when the turn ends and the forces are released, it is like bouncing off a trampoline. These forces may be directed into the next turn or allowed to lift the skier/boarder into the air. On alpine snowboards it is common for a rider to change edges mid air between turns.

Carving can turn the most boring blue run into an adreneline rush as you push the limits of edge hold and harness the forces of physics.

Extreme carving on a snowboard can be seen here http://www.extremecarving.com/movies/movies.html
Download opus 3 or 4 , they are great to watch

Trencher

Also, there are several sites devoted to carving on snowboards, but only two for skiing..

SNOWBOARDS
http://www.bomberonline.com/
http://www.alpinecarving.com/
http://www.extremecarving.com/
http://www.freecarve.com/default.asp

SKIS
http://www.carving-ski.de/index1.html?http://www.carving-ski.de/carving-galerie.html~inhalt

http://www.carvingcup.com/INGLESE/fis_ita.html (racing)

My local hill staged a carving cup last year, which was great fun. They even purchased the bouy type gates. They opened it up to skis and boards and I entered on both. Ended up changing boots about twelve times in four hours. Got twice as many runs as anyone else, but with all the boot changes, it was quite tiring. Knew I might be pushing things when I found myself running for the lift with snowboard hard boots on and skis under my arm.

Trencher

Almost forgot

You can't talk about carving without mentioning the Skwal. It does nothing else but carve. I have an older LaCroix model which is great fun and wants to leap into the air on transitions.

http://www.skwalzone.org/

Trencher

Trencher wrote:

Almost forgot

You can't talk about carving without mentioning the Skwal. It does nothing else but carve. I have an older LaCroix model which is great fun and wants to leap into the air on transitions.

http://www.skwalzone.org/

Trencher 

It's like a ski-snowboard!!! Coool. I want one!!!! I want one!!!! Can you get instruction for this particular instrument?

Thankyou for the above advice Trencher and pavelski it's very helpful. Suffice to say i've read through pretty much all your posts and found them to be insightful, warm, accessible and usually very very funny!

When i go skiing on the 16th i'm definitely going to try carving, even if it is on dodgy rental skis, i'm going to practice until i get it... and even as a last resort...take lessons!!! yes, i know, i know, lessons are best.

Trencher wrote:

Also, there are several sites devoted to carving on snowboards, but only two for skiing..

SNOWBOARDS
http://www.bomberonline.com/
http://www.alpinecarving.com/
http://www.extremecarving.com/
http://www.freecarve.com/default.asp

SKIS
http://www.carving-ski.de/index1.html?http://www.carving-ski.de/carving-galerie.html~inhalt

http://www.carvingcup.com/INGLESE/fis_ita.html (racing)

 

Some observations about the pictures on these sites. Firstly, not many have poles. Secondly very short skis. Thirdly when turning their body is almost parallel to the slope, in fact in most cases is looks like they're actually lying on the slope, or have fallen over!!!

Is this the norm for carving? Leaning so steeply?

A few other indicators that 's/he is a local 'pro' skier'.

. They are skiing without poles buy carrying 20 orange poles on their shoulder as if nothing was there.

. A dog (usually Alsatian) is chasing them down

. They lean on their poles at the front of the lift queue chatting to the lift operator and then jump on the lift when it suits them

. On the lift they can spot a silver coin in the snow and then ski back down the slope to 'bag it'

. They can stand in their ski boots and swivvel on their heels whilst swinging their arms about wildly

. They can spot a goat on the mountain side that nobody else can

. Their gloves are the worst smelling part of them

. They have all the 'phone numbers of all the mountain restaurants on their mobile/cell phone and then ring and book a table for lunch using their first name

. They have a table reserved for them wherever they go anyway - but the 'phone call sounds good

. They do tricks with one ski whilst going up a drag lift and lean on their poles which are seated between binding and boot

. They always do a 'swirly finish' at the bottom of the run and look up the slope to see where their followers are. (import to let the ski poles hang down loosely - makes them look like they've just won a downhill race).

. When overtaking a person on a narrow path - they always choose the inside route that means having to go up a snow bank, behind 5 trees and a jump off a rock rather than taking the conservative easy outside route which is ten feet wide.

. They always enter the trendiest apres ski bar after it's turned dark and say 'We just finished a couple of minutes ago'.

. They take the first lift ride up in the morning.

(That's 14!!!)

Meercat,
You are good! No very good and very observant!

A lot of your observations reflect a common thread! This is her/his playground, you are but a transient allowed to "share" the sandbox!

Rating 9.5 /10

Meercat wrote:

. They are skiing without poles buy carrying 20 orange poles on their shoulder as if nothing was there.

. A dog (usually Alsatian) is chasing them down 

Excellent! Saw these two combined in Serre Che last season...

We'd been fascinated to watch a trio of alsatians being trained by pisteurs for rescues all morning - in deep snow off the top of a high run. But best was seeing them come back down - each pisteur carrying one (large) dog and skiing in perfect style down a steep, icy red. I'd have a hard time walking while carrying an alsatian (not that I've ever tried...), let alone ski with one...

...but, yes, you could tell they were pros (pisteurs and dogs).

Powderhound

james_gray wrote:

It's like a ski-snowboard!!! Coool. I want one!!!! I want one!!!! Can you get instruction for this particular instrument? 

It may not be the best vehicle to start out on. At only 130mm wide at the waist and with both feet strapped in, it takes some speed to become stable. I understand they are most common in France where they originated.

I may be biased, but imho if you are getting into snow sports for the long haul, snowboarding may impart concepts more quickly than skiing. However, the initial learning curve is steeper. If you have limited time on the slopes, you might feel more sense of accomplishment by learning to ski first. So much depends on your level of interest (how much you read, research etc) and also on the quality of instruction. I would concentrate on one discipline first. Latter, cross benching between skiing and boarding enriches your abilities in both.

Trencher

Oh - a couple of others I've realised should be included.....

. Everybody asks them what the weather forecast is

. They carry a Swiss army knife to effect minor repairs on the piste/run (but this is just a ploy to get chatting to a member of the opposite sex who will admire them for their knightly behaviour. This rule applies to men only).

. If they fall (Which is very unlikely) they convert the fall into a bit of trick skiing

. When waiting for followers to catch up they stop facing uphill with their skis in a V shape with the poles held dangling directly in front of them

. When they 'de-ski' (at a restaurant for example) they undo their ski bindings whilst still moving and jump out with a small trot and then plant their poles at their neatly aligned ski tips

. They ski at full speed in a white out

. They will gladly admonish any skier who skis dangerously

. They know the first names of all the ski teachers and will wave their ski pole at them and nod when they see them taking a beginners class and give a look of 'poor you having to go so slowly'

. They say which animals created the tracks in the deep snow

. When walking through the ski village with skis on their shoulder they slide along in their ski boots. ('I can't get enough skiing - look - I don't even need skis to ski')

. They rarely buy drinks for tourists as this helps the image of 'Look, I ski all season and it costs a fortune and I can't afford to buy people drinks as well!!'

. They gladly accept drinks from tourists and will wave to them in the future which does the tourist good in that they think that they're in with the 'in crowd', so propogating the futherance of free drinks, which helps cement the previous rule

That's enough for today. :o)