Skiing Powder

These days skiing powder is all about the McConkey turn. :mrgreen:

The dude made powder skiing what it is today.

It's great skiing, I've watched this many times.But ~ while it is hot to watch, and it does excite my skiing instincts However, I respectfully suggest it is a million miles away from the average J2skiers ability, and aspirations. (in terms of this thread anyway) I include myself in the description "average".

Great skiing, I watch loads of these videos. How about some videos that the J2guys can relate to? Some time ago, I watch a vid of some average guys jumping off through the trees, from the top of the Schatzberg down to InnerAlpbach. Lots of inexperience and falling. A daft thing to do, because you are then involved with at least 3 buses/train/taxi transfer.

To me, it was the heart of "having a go!"

Dave Mac wrote:It's great skiing, I've watched this many times.But ~ while it is hot to watch, and it does excite my skiing instincts However, I respectfully suggest it is a million miles away from the average J2skiers ability, and aspirations. (in terms of this thread anyway) I include myself in the description "average".

Great skiing, I watch loads of these videos. How about some videos that the J2guys can relate to? Some time ago, I watch a vid of some average guys jumping off through the trees, from the top of the Schatzberg down to InnerAlpbach. Lots of inexperience and falling. A daft thing to do, because you are then involved with at least 3 buses/train/taxi transfer.

To me, it was the heart of "having a go!"

I agree with you on this Dave,Im fed up skiing with a parachute strapped to my back because these videos show its the must have gear :D

Speak for yourself Dave ;)

To be honest I think people may be able to relate to it more then they think. The guy revolutionised skiing in a way that made powder more accessible to everyone.

Pablo Escobar wrote:Speak for yourself Dave ;)

Agreed :twisted:

ir12daveor wrote:To be honest I think people may be able to relate to it more then they think. The guy revolutionised skiing in a way that made powder more accessible to everyone.

Agreed. He was an innovator, and his influences have reached the mainstream because the big money manufacturers picked up his ideas. You can even buy skis influenced by his work in mainstream UK ski shops. I don't aspire to rip down big mountains at those sort of speeds, but I use mid fats, and I just sold some skis with a slight early rise tip. My skiing has changed a lot in the last 5 years.

http://homeboyski.com/2009/04/01/a-tribute-to-shane-mcconkey-the-story-of-rocker-skis/

bandit wrote:

Agreed. He was an innovator, and his influences have reached the mainstream because the big money manufacturers picked up his ideas.

Remember that manufacturers were actually slow to pick up on his ideas. In my opinion its as much about the technique as the equipment. He innovated on both sides, and showed that you can shred no matter what you ride... Even if its an old set of waterskis! The big ski companies may not like this, but what I take out of it is its not the skis that make the skier. Granted wide skis make powder easier, but a good skier will ski the whole mountain on anything. His innovation in technique and equipment have made the whole mountain more accessible to everyone. (This is a whole other debate as to whether that is a good or a bad thing.)

bandit wrote:You can even buy skis influenced by his work in mainstream UK ski shops. I don't aspire to rip down big mountains at those sort of speeds, but I use mid fats, and I just sold some skis with a slight early rise tip. My skiing has changed a lot in the last 5 years.

http://homeboyski.com/2009/04/01/a-tribute-to-shane-mcconkey-the-story-of-rocker-skis/

Its clear that unless you get to ride steep and deep powder on a regular basis a reverse sidecut rockered skis are not necessarily the thing to get. But big mountains are tangible for most riders these days. I know 1500m verticle backcountry lines that are a stones throw from the top of lifts. Maybe us mere mortals are not going to ride them at hero speed, but there is something really special about being away from the crowds and getting out there and doing it (at mere mortal pace).

It is being able to ride the mountain like that which made me change from boarding to skiing. I can have the best of both world. The surfy, floaty turning feeling of snowboarding and the freedom to move around the mountain that you get from being on skis.