A New Approach In Ski Technique

Dave Mac wrote:I think that you will find that is a bit of spoof Ally. Having said that, we used to have to teach how to fall properly, and how to get up!

Thanks Dave,
Do you think you could please type up these instructions (fall and get up) for me, please (seriously, I mean, I'm not joking). In my lessons I fall over quite a bit and any advice to help reduce my injuries would be very gratefully received :D

Maybe you should start a new thread on it, I haven't seen one specifically for this.

Thanks,

Ally

I tried turning on the inside leg, at the first opportunity (two days ago). On a gentle slope not too fast it works, and it is possibly harder to cross the skis, the penalty seems to be it works the legs harder. On a red piste at slow to moderate speed I could not do it. Now that may because I am not a great skiier. OTH the technique is supposed to be good for relative beginners. It is just possible my problem was it goes against habit, but at any kind of speed and steepness it felt dangerous, in spite of the fact ski cross is maybe less likely.

Hey guys, take a look at this. This is the whitepass turns

http://vimeo.com/9093525

q

Interesting video. And no doubt a good exercise.

BUT I struggle to do this slowly on a gentle slope, as an advanced beginner (I can usually get down blacks without a fall, today, one large beer later, was an exception....). This guy looks to me like a good skier, I cannot really judge but he is significantly better than I am, and he is not going fast, and mostly it is not that steep.

So the video proves it can be done on a groomed piste, and it proves some good skiers would want to try it. It does not, however back up the claim in the linked article by the thread starter 'alpinski aka Nonproexpert', that the technique makes skiing easier for beginners who are nervous about crossing their skis.

It would be interesting if the thread starter comes back and comments on this, or puts up a defence, as I am open to giving it another go.

GF watched it and said 'this is the carving style, I do this when carving (??), not for wedeln, you should practice skiing on one ski, it is a good exercise.' Oh well, more work...

This video is certanly a drill and on a gentle slope it is easier to make than it seems - you just need to overcome your old habit. For the real skiing, you use both skis, so statements like "pressured inside (or outside) ski" should be read as "inside (or outside) ski pressured more than the other one". And when both skis are used, I cannot help but quoting from www.mamyrin.com: "...the more the pressure on the ski, the smaller the radius it moves with in reverse camber (the less the pressure, the larger the radius)."

Innsbrucker - when you said that the guy on video is not going fast, you hit the point - what should I do when I need to go slow for whatever reason (poor visibility, too steep for me, heavy snow)? I have never envied guys who can ski really fast down a very steep slope because I know I will never be able to do this. But I had envied guys who were skiing in style on a difficult slope by controling the speed and making tight turns. Recipe - unload both skis before the first turn, initiate the turn by applying more pressure to the inside ski (and don't bother about the outside ski - it will never "cross your way") and at the end of the turn, just before the fall line, unload both skis and initiate the next turn in the same way. Try this on the slope which is easy for you (where, in fact, you don't need it) and when you do it confidently you will be able to use it in difficult conditions.

Why so many ordinary skiers cannot ski in style on a simple slope? Because even this slope is too difficult for them, but they dutifully put pressure on the outside ski compensating lack of speed by supporting themselves with the inside leg.

Insbrucker - given your name, you must be based in Innsbruck (I would give up half of my life to live so close to skiing areas). I am coming to St.Anton this Saturday (20/03/10) for one week, join me there - we can discuss and try all this and it will be fun.

Right then I know I am posting a little late but after reading this I beleive I should try and settle this. First of all white pass turns are used to get away from the old school habbit of just using one ski and lifting the inside ski around. it helps to get the feeling of keeping the inside ski down, the result being you can start to ski using both skis better not just the inside (its an exersise only) the ability to start a turn on the inside is a useful skill, but I don't beleive it should be used until advanced to expert level. When starting out the most important thing is to learn how to balance over the new/outside ski. so to sum up learn better balance first on the new/outside ski then start to feel the inside ski, as you progress you can start to feel the inside ski more, but realisticaly you don't want to be using the inside more (for most skiers, experts can as Bode has proven, but Bode has also proven it dosn't work all the time)progressing to use TWO skis better with give you more grip better presure control and so giving you more control with less effort.

The thing about crossing ski's, this happens more due to rotation into the turn of the upper body and not really which ski you are using to initiate the turn.

I hope this has helped and welcome any feedback.