J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Nonproexpert

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.

Trencher wrote: "The part that always seems to be missing, from most discussion of inside/outside ski use, is that it is talked about as if the ratio between pressure of each ski is fixed throughout the turn."

I cannot agree more that it is "THE RATIO between pressure of each ski" is always in play, not that one ski is pressured and the other is not at all, though some text books say exactly that. In reality, most skiers use both skis, so rather than talking about "pressured ski", one needs to talk about "a ski which is pressured more than the other" (I call it a "driving ski" but it is not a commonly used term).

If you accept this, then the more the pressure on the ski, the smaller the radius it moves with (the less the pressure, the larger the radius). In tight turns the inside ski moves with significantly smaller radius then the outside ski, so it requires more pressure. Once you overcome fear or prejudice, it works beautifully. Then you can fine tune it by varying the pressure throughout the turn, etc.

Also, when the speed is high and the turns are less tight, then there is no much difference between the radii of both skis trajectories and higher speed allows more inclination, so the outside ski can take more pressure and become the "driving" ski. It is like going into high gear. However, in difficult conditions (everyone has their own limit) skiers don't have enough speed to incline inside the turn and create necessary edging for the outside ski, so most intermediaries compensate it by supporting themselves by flat inside ski, hence letter A, while better skiers intuitively go into "low gear" - increase pressure on the inside ski and create enough edging.

In fact, what I am suggesting is not "a new ski technique", it is "a new approach in ski technique" and the name of the article reflects this.

Sorry if I did something wrong here - I did not realise it is not a good idea to create another account. I am not very familiar with forums, actually it was the only time when I tried to discuss here 4 years ago but suddenly I was hit by many personal problems including death of both of my parents. After some time I was trying to remember the username but gave up and used another one. It seems that "Alpinski" was blocked, so I am using the username restored by Trencher and I apologise for the confusion.

Going back to inside ski, you can use it at relatively high speeds (not just above 5mph). As an extreme example Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway (Gold Medal in Men's Super-G 19 Feb 2010) used it a lot and in most difficult situations. But I am not talking about professionals - they are talented and intuitive. For intermediate skier it takes a bit of time to start using inside ski and get rid of the A stance, but after some time magic occurs. Very short and frequent turns along the fall line (wedeln) eluded me for many years - on inside ski this becomes easy and natural. Please have a look at the graph on my web site - this is pure theoretical mechanics but amazingly it works in practice. (I put my web site in my profile. It seems that the whole message disappeared when I used it here. Can I use web links in the chat text?)

Any new approach should be "tested" in real conditions; any theory in ski technique has a little value if it cannot be used in practice. However, even if it works, it does not automatically mean that it will be recognised. As Trencher said, instructors are "bound by the governing bodies progressions, models and outlines".

But the new approach described at www.mamyrin.net does work, it has been tried out by skiers of differing standards with intermediates ?leaping? up to an advanced level in next to no time.

If you are an intermediate skier, try the new method on a slope where you feel comfortable. Do all usual things if you know them (inclination, angulation, standing over the centre of your feet, etc.) but put most of your weight on the inside ski and don't plant the poles. Be patient, try for 30 min... and magic will occur.

Comments to what Pavelski said:
"Stay on easy run and try to make "perfect" turn with not sliding! How?" => Correct
"Slow down" => Correct
"Three stages in ski turns; EDGE PRESSURE STEER" => Correct but he does not say how to edge at slow speed? See the answer below
"No amount of talking will help here" => Talking helps - only children learn intuitively, most adults need to understand.
"See above instructor on slope" => you have probably done this many times before
"Learn what above mean not just in head but how to apply!" => True but you still need to have the WHAT_TO_DO in your head before applying. See www.mamyrin.net

Your problem is very common. You have tried the traditional approach and have been given a lot of tips but nothing worked. Try alternative approach. It is based on a "carving turn on the inside ski". This contradicts a fundamental principle of long standing in the skiing world, that of applying pressure to the outside ski. However it does work and has been tried out by skiers of differing standards, all of whom made exceptionally fast progress with some of them ?leaping? up to an advanced level in next to no time. Visit http://www.mamyrin.com