parallel turn help/

Bit of an article. might help you out a bit

http://www.icesi.org/technique-riding-the-edge.asp

Sounds like you might benefit from the ski tapping drill...

Find a slope well within your ability and make medium radius turns tapping (or lightly stomping) the snow with your inside ski (the ski that is uphill during the end of your turn). Try to keep the tip of the ski on the snow as you turn.

This accentuates and helps you to connect with the pressure on your downhill ski and the role it plays in your turn.

A more tricky drill is to keep your inside ski off the snow altogether (apart from the tip) at the end of the turn. This is easier when skiing in a wedge.

Also, it is possible that you have asymmetric rotation of your upper body. Do you find that you drop on hand further back than the other when you try to turn to that side? Do you rotate to one side more than the other?

Try to remain as square on to the fall line (line a drop of water would take) as possible with your upper body, using your lower body - legs and pivoting with your ankles to make turns. You must separate your upper and lower body movement.

Try to exaggerate holding out your hands forward and move only your wrists to move your poles. This helps to stop you turning with your upper body.

There are some great instructional videos on the CSIA you tube channel :

http://www.youtube.com/user/CSIAAMSC

Probe, my advise would be to have more lessons. Most Brits assuming you are one give these up far too early. Reality is they are actually pretty decent value for money and good fun.

Sounds like you have cracked this one anyway. However one drill I like to practice and will help this is actively pulling back the downhole ski when initiating the next turn. This prevents the "to be" uphill ski from getting ahead of you. When this happens you end up with no weight, no edge on new downhill ski and hence has a mind of its own. Basically you removed edge and pivot hence ski does nothing.

Need convincing stand on a slope, have both feet shoulder width apart and have someone pull on arm as if trying to tip you over sideways. Repeat with far foot 12" forward, far less stable position.

Ranchero_1979 wrote:

Sounds like you have cracked this one anyway. However one drill I like to practice and will help this is actively pulling back the downhole ski when initiating the next turn. This prevents the "to be" uphill ski from getting ahead of you. When this happens you end up with no weight, no edge on new downhill ski and hence has a mind of its own. Basically you removed edge and pivot hence ski does nothing.

Really important point. With modern skis, this pulling back as the inside ski is actively tipped into the turn helps to engage the edge at the front of the ski. It also helps in moving your weight forward as well.

I think the concept of pulling the foot back was introduced by Harald Harb in the 90s.



Warren Smith has a very good take on it which doesn't involve pulling the foot back.



There's a nice before and after video here:

http://vimeo.com/13753870

Ranchero_1979 wrote: Probe, my advise would be to have more lessons. Most Brits assuming you are one give these up far too early. Reality is they are actually pretty decent value for money and good fun.

Couldn't agree more Ranchero, many Brits never progress beyond pivoting

Awesome skiing by that Harlad Harb on old skis.

I think some of the logic on pulling on pulling ski back relates to that for average person, is much easier to stand on two skis and slide one back and forward, than some of the dual leg exercises (just watch how lot of people warm up, quick shuffle of legs ? as if we're going racing) . This is a much more natural than moving two legs together. The control of downhill leg and driving through of uphill/outside/downhill ski is much easier for most people to consciously do. Anyway great videos, I think important part it to understand what you are trying to achieve and then formulate a plan. Basically you need an instructor, with a camera and to see what works for you. If you progress to skiing moguls fast then actively moving feet under you becomes much more important. Shuffle techinique will give most people a much smoother turn on piste and solid platform to develop from.