Skiing stance, do you agree with this?

Dave Mac wrote:.

Which, I guess, brings us back to Fats. Whatever they are.

Anything over 90mm waist is a fat ski to me. The dimensions seem to get wider overall as the new skis come out each year!

Skis should be hip width apart.If someone picked you up by your head, that is where your legs would hang & therefore the most natural position. This will make it as easy as possible to turn (rotate) the skis!
Terrain may dicate a slightly different stance as already metioned in a previous thread:

Powder - narrower , so as not to have more weight over one ski which will make it sink further = bail! (personally I love carving big GS turns in pow which again is slightly different)

Bumps: Narrower so when you turn your skis one is not on the peak of the bump & the other is in the trough.

Ice: Slightly wider to give a better base of support.

Crud: You need to be adaptable as you may be on ice one turn & then into pow the next.

Hope this helps to make it a bit clearer!

revolutionski

Skis should be hip width apart

That, I take it is an opinion?

Dave Mac wrote:revolutionski

Skis should be hip width apart

That, I take it is an opinion?

It is his viewpoint, the correct one too :wink:

Rossf wrote:

the correct one too

In your opinion.

Bio-mechanically that is the correct way!
If your feet are locked together you will block movements.

If they are too far apart you will be using muscles that you do not need to, and again not be able to move in certain ways.

As I said, terrain dictates changes in stance but for a good basic stance your feet should be hip width.

Hip width apart width apart is the start of a good basic stance. Even pressure on the sole of the foot. skightly flexed through the ankles knees & hips, with the shins resting on the toungs' of the boots. Arms & hands out in front (depends on who you talk to about where, but definatly in front) and looking ahead. That is a good stacked stance.

However, if you want to ski with your feet locked together or wider apart, feel free.

I am just giving the benifit of my instructional experience to brad1138.
Many people are very good at skiing with their feet together or far apart and I would not try and suggest that they need to change as long as they are having fun! Something that a lot of people forget!

Some good advice on this thread, but lets not get too complicated! Stance should suit speed , terrain and radius, and be a simple natural athletic position.

If standing on the side of a steep hill, would your feet be together? No!!
Alternatively if the gradient is less steep, we bring our feet closer together, and narrow our stance.

Good advice is to imagine a sport you think you are competent at eg Tennis, and the position you would take receiving serve. A generalisation, but this may help some beginners become less stiff and upright.

Oh, and revolutionski, you are absolutely correct, there is no right and wrong way to ski!!!