J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by billip1

OK, one thing I have not understood in my (admittedly limited) attempts at carving is that, yes, the skis have a "natural" turning radius, which they will follow if you carve nicely, but how do you make tighter carving turns? Eg, if the skis' natural turning radius is 13.5 m, how do you make a carving turn with a radius of, say, 10 m ? Hence, I've had a few goes at carving on nice wide empty slopes, but find I revert to sliding when on a narrower, or more crowded piste.

Well, it certainly is a great idea to keep on having lessons even after you have supposedly learned to ski.

Trencher wrote:Much of the problem is in how it is taught. A slight wedge with feet shoulder width apart, will quickly become parallel skis. The movements to start a turn are same as those for parallel turns. A wide snowplough, which is constantly used as a brake teaches very little of the movements needed for good skiing. In fact it encourages some bad habits to form. Even experienced racers can't maintain a good stance while snowploughing to smooth out a race course.

Trencher's point is, I think, a very relevant one. It reflects (although I didn't realise it at the time) the way I was taught in a very good Austrian ski-school. By day 3, most of the group were almost instincitvely transforming their snow ploughs into imperfect, but getting there, parallels. Good point Trencher.

nuttynutnut wrote:I'm there wc 7th January, so may well see you dancing on the bar in Ghunters. )

Me too; week commencing 7 Jan for a week. Hope to share a drink and a chinwag with some fellow J2 skiers while there.

I'm off to Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis on 7 December .. will check out if there's an 08.15 lift operating there, too !

When I say "I'm having a fit ..." hopefully you know what I mean :)

Hi freshpowder, I'm having a fit for my first pair of own boots later this week, so I'll let you know how it goes in case you find it helpful.

All the above is sound; I suppose those of us who have to save and book precious time off to go abroad to ski inevitably value the hours in the day a bit more than those who can just open their back door and see the Alps ! That said, I do enjoy a Jagertee at lunchtime :)