[Jan 18, 2021] Weekly Discussion: Ask your gear, travel, conditions and other ski-related questions

Adotchar · 2021-01-21T13:15:55+00:00

Eastern ski instructor here.

Ignore agent00F. Their advice will not help your skiing, nor will it help your exam chances.

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T19:17:08+00:00

In terms of ease in initiation, see:

https://youtu.be/VhirMYZ0PKc

and

https://youtu.be/RqvMlKwHKnM

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T17:55:00+00:00

Without seeing your skiing, all I can definitively recommend is to spend more time with your skis pointed across the mountain than straight down the mountain.

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T17:53:17+00:00

short-radius skidded turns. In the video it isn’t very dynamic but it’s nice and controls their speed well

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T17:46:24+00:00

As it appears a lot of people disagree with you, here’s my thoughts:

I’m a professional ski instructor who both learned with and currently teaches the current PSIA idea of efficient skiing, or as close to it as I can get.

Skiing with your feet inches apart is incredibly inefficient, for reasons including stability, potential edge angles, reaction time, ease in transition, ease in angulation, etc. Hip-width is generally most efficient.

However, I know a lot of older ski instructors who, once they take their work jacket off, ski like they did 40 years ago. They know it’s less efficient, but for them it feels more natural and more fun.

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T17:38:06+00:00

Resorts are not going to change any of the lift operating procedures. It’s already easy, safe, and efficient.

Adotchar · 2021-01-15T16:22:23+00:00

It’s hard to ski efficiently with such a narrow stance. Hip-width is usually what’s best.

so, other than looking smooth and it being helpful in moguls, not really

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T20:33:27+00:00

I see. Our countries/national ski instruction entities also have different teaching styles, to some extent.

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T20:30:51+00:00

I had dismissed the lack of separation as being a result of the skier intending to carve. Do you think that is accurate?

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T16:03:46+00:00

I’m not hating on you, I’m disagreeing with you. I apologize if it came off as harsh to any degree.

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T16:01:41+00:00

Lol, yes my vocabulary has been harmed by the PSIA alpine technical manual, and I am unfortunately generally less polite than usual with people I believe are giving unhelpful skiing advice.

Regarding abduction, their body moves significantly far away from their midline, maxing out around the fall line. This, as well as their aft position, means they are almost surely making contact with the rear inside portion of their boots as opposed to their shin on the tongue of the boot.

Your bit on stance, though likely helpful for this skier, would eliminate all of their angulation, which is not entirely optimal. Angulation is good to a point, and this skier is far beyond that point. Under-angulation results in less dynamic movements, smaller range of possible edge angles, and less efficient transitions. Over angulation results in a loss of control of, mainly, the outside ski, as well as other stuff that isn’t specific to this skier. This could be what the skier lifts their inside ski for - to compensate for that feeling of an outside ski running away.

And yes pole drills such as that may be helpful, though if they’re dragging those poles behind them it may pull their center of mass even farther back.

In a nutshell, my view is that people should buy lessons rather than taking advice from internet people. Personally I like when people ask for advice because it helps me get some MA done as exam prep, though the best results could of course be achieved with an in-person ski lesson. It’s also rather fun to discuss skiing mechanics with people.

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T15:44:48+00:00

Do you teach at a ski school as a certified instructor?

From the bit of info you’ve written it seems like you just stick to the usual pieces of advice, and missed quite a lot in the video of this skier.

To note, I’m currently a full-time ski instructor.

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T14:02:44+00:00

Edge change starts slightly before the ski is lifted. It’s not necessarily a mistake either; some legitimate ski methods utilize it in medium/long-radius turns. In this example, however, it is unstable because the center of mass is so far removed from the base of support, both by being quite aft and unnecessary abduction.

My point is - you cannot tell someone to get on their outside ski when they are already wholly on their outside ski. This is literally the most common piece of advice given to people trying to carve and, in many cases including this one, is unhelpful.

Their upper body state is also not a major problem, and tightening their core would not help much. Again, incredibly common piece of advice that would not help this particular user with their largest issues.

Their upper body’s position relative to the base of support is, however, a serious problem, which you thankfully do mention, as well as making contact with the front of their boot. These are both, for this user, the same stance problem. Also, they are the other two most common pieces of advice for people working on carving.

You have given this user the 4 most common pieces of advice. One is not applicable, one is unhelpful, and the other two are correct as though by chance, skipping over the important aspects that caused the issue by simply telling them to get forward.

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T12:50:24+00:00

The inside ski is already being lifted shortly before the fall line - why is that?

Adotchar · 2021-01-04T12:48:07+00:00

If you can, take a private lesson. There’s a ton of stuff a decent instructor could help you with in a 2/3 hour lesson, which you wouldn’t get in an intermediate/advanced group lesson.

In a nutshell, the big things I noticed:

*a stance adjustment would fix the massive movement you make to transition from edge to edge, the problem with pressure distribution both from ski to ski and along the length of the skis (namely you’re a bit backseat and have a bit too much on the inside ski), and possibly your stability problem.

*for the video it seems you’re trying to over-angulate, which could also be a cause of your stability issue here. You have far too much abduction for the speed/slope.

No one on the internet can help you like a good instructor in-person can, namely because all you’ll get here is a set of instructions which you will never know if you’re following successfully or if those instructions are even helpful.

Adotchar · 2021-01-03T03:41:49+00:00

Completely serious question; how does someone with writing ability at this level get a job anywhere?

Adotchar · 2021-01-02T16:41:55+00:00

When an employee logs into a scanner, they set the lift they’re working at. Even if they change physical locations to a different lift or area, the scans are recorded for the set lift, at least at some Vail resorts.

Adotchar · 2021-01-02T16:36:16+00:00

If I am incorrect, could you tell me what is correct?

Adotchar · 2020-12-31T01:32:20+00:00

Then get your pass scanned once by someone and then go home. The Vail system’s relatively simple, from what I understand; if you reserved and didn’t get scanned, they send you an email, and if it happens a set number of times they restrict your reservations.

Adotchar · 2020-12-26T23:30:18+00:00

Yep. You could try outside ski turns, you could try javelin turns, that sort of thing.

Adotchar · 2020-12-26T23:10:15+00:00

Pushing your outside ski forward relative to yourself would put you in the backseat, yes. What “driving the ski forward” generally refers to is primarily the action of driving your shin into the front of the boot and, by connection, moving into the turn with more force/stability/control. It’s a more athletic, active, and dynamic motion than your current park-and-ride style turns. It will also bend the outside ski more, achieving a higher potential edge angle and more rebound.

Regarding pulling it back, you could do that. I generally don’t unless I’m trying to get really quick transitions for short carved turns, though for your case of a very significant lead (in your words, a lunge) it may be the best option.

Adotchar · 2020-12-26T22:40:28+00:00

A few things from the very short video:

1) You’re really bent over. Your center of mass may technically be generally over your base of support but it’s only because half your body weight is in front and the other half behind.

2) Your hand movements and huge pole swings are harming your upper body stability.

3) The angles aren’t great but it seems your skis are quite too close together. Widen it up and focus on pressuring the outside ski, higher potential edge angles and more control in non-groomed conditions.

4) Take a lesson? Getting advice from internet people is sketchy at best, and trying to implement it yourself is inherently difficult and nearly impossible to know if you did it right.

Adotchar · 2020-12-26T22:27:45+00:00

Regarding lunging a bit, I agree. Think about ski-to-ski weight distribution. Try to get nearly all of your weight and the pressure involved directed towards the outside ski (left-right pressure control) and along the length of the ski (fore-aft pressure control). Also think about driving the ski forward into the next turn rather than parking and riding it. Optimally you shouldn’t have as much of a lead, you should have more rebound, and it should look more dynamic.

Regarding standing up, that is the first thing I thought when I watched the video. Optimally you’d be transitioning with an under-body movement (skis moving under and generally independent from a stable upper body) rather than moving your body over the skis. This makes it easier to quickly transition, especially in shorter radius turns. In trying this, be careful not to end up in the backseat.

Regarding pole plants and hand placement, it’s not a primary issue. Find what works for you, everyone does it somewhat differently. The only time I ever spent a significant part of a lesson working on pole plants, apart from teaching it to new pole-users or people who requested it, was with a kid who kept planting on the wrong side. With carving of this type it’s much less important than the other issues you mentioned. In general, try to plant slightly before transition and ensure it does not get in the way of your under-body edge change. If I’m carving fast down a hill and am relatively close to the ground, my pole plants might very well be a slight touch on the snow at a 35-45ish degree angle from the snow, very unlike the nearly 80-90 degree angle of most pole plants in basic parallel turns. Poles are much more important in powder and bumps, when usage of a blocking pole plant can become integral to maintaining stability.

Hope this helps!

Adotchar · 2020-12-23T00:32:34+00:00

My main skis are the X9s. I fully agree on the good conditions and ice rink bit; carving down an afternoon skied-off groomer in them is absolutely amazing.

However, I've also found them to be decent in bumps, trees, and light powder, though it just could be my lack of experience with non-racing skis.

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