for MA

[michael2019]

I would like you guys to do M.A. on this video, (yes i know the video isn't great)
I am the third skier, i start top left of the video a couple seconds in.

If you want a second one, here it is. I didn't know i was being filmed this time so this is what i ski like every time i hit the slope.

I don't know if any of this matters to you guys but,

Temperature: 38degs F
Conditions: sloppy, ice underneath
Terrain: Midwest Blue run (Manitou at Cascade Mountain WI )
Skis: Elan Race Six SLX, 160cm, 12.1m radius, 3deg edge .5deg base
Skier: Male 16yo, 180lbs, 5'11"-6'

What i see is i need to get my hands out front and to the side more, and pull my inside ski back more actively. Maybe more angulation?

Also based on this what level skier (PSIA standards) am i, i would guess a 7?

Tell me what you see!

 

[michael2019]

So any thoughts?

 

[Tony S]

I'm not an instructor. This is more of a tactical question, but I think it could lead to some good prompts from instructors.

Why are you skiing GS turns on your SL skis? More pointedly, I'd look for coaching that would help me with more dynamic movements where I was pressuring and releasing more actively and athletically. You're 16; I know you've got the muscles and flexibility!

 

[michael2019]

Good point, I'm not sure why my turns are as large as they are, never though about it much when I'm just skiing. Maybe it has to do with that its been drilled into my head to complete turns? It's something for me to think about for sure.
Thanks Tony

 

[Bad Bob]

What Tony said.

It is good skiing and would guess you are getting close to a breakthrough; but it is kind of 2 dimensional right now. How are bumps for you?

You are putting your skis on edge and letting them arc, but you are not shaping the turns in any way (aka 'park and ride'). Ski some shorter radius turns that your skis were designed to do and see what happens. More pressure on the outside ski, and move the pressure along the length of the skis, tip to tail to tip. experiment. You will end up getting a lot more use of a hill that size.

Do drills, lots of drills falling leaf flat spins, ski in a corridor, 1000 steps. There is a snow ridge under the chair, try skiing down that rige using it like an endless mogul, it will make you do many of the things mentioned.

As more of the active instructors start chiming in they will give you a lot more suggestions. If you were my son this is what we would be doing.

 

[KevinF]

Somebody will ask, so it might as well be me: Why do you turn?

One answer is here:

Another classic video is here:

 

[michael2019]

What Tony said.

It is good skiing and would guess you are getting close to a breakthrough; but it is kind of 2 dimensional right now. How are bumps for you?

You are putting your skis on edge and letting them arc, but you are not shaping the turns in any way (aka 'park and ride'). Ski some shorter radius turns that your skis were designed to do and see what happens. More pressure on the outside ski, and move the pressure along the length of the skis, tip to tail to tip. experiment. You will end up getting a lot more use of a hill that size.

Do drills, lots of drills falling leaf flat spins, ski in a corridor, 1000 steps. There is a snow ridge under the chair, try skiing down that rige using it like an endless mogul, it will make you do many of the things mentioned.

As more of the active instructors start chiming in they will give you a lot more suggestions. If you were my son this is what we would be doing.

I love bumps, i can ski them the blue and green way, and the zipper line when the troughs are not sheer ice.(one run to the left is a mogul run)
I will defiantly do a bunch of short radius this next week.
I don't think i get much more pressure to the outside ski, it is about 80-20 as it sits(that's approximate)

 

[michael2019]

Somebody will ask, so it might as well be me: Why do you turn?

One answer is here:

Another classic video is here:

I turn for a few reasons.
1. On larger hills you HAVE to turn or you are a hazard (this hill you could bomb top to bottom and never be out of control)
2. A pure carve is the height of control, you know precisely where your skis will take you.
3. Its fun
4. I would get in trouble if i didn't

 

[michael2019]

One other question for you Bob, which dimension am i more dead in? up-down, fore-aft, side-side?

Thanks

 

[Bad Bob]

One other question for you Bob, which dimension am i more dead in? up-down, fore-aft, side-side?

To my eye you are static, there is very little motion or physical change as you progress through your turns. You are riding the ski through the turn rather than participating. It is good skiing, just static. You initiate the turn, but you don't shape the turn after that.

There is an old concept in skiing that is not talked about a lot anymore called 'Total Motion'. Watch a top athlete in nearly any sport and you will see it. The body is continually moving. In skiing it might be a leg extending or shortening, visible separation between upper and lower body, an arm moving in preparation for a pole plant. To my eye this is missing in your videos. Look at the skiers in the Bob Barnes videos above, you can see the skiers bodies always in moving not riding. Figure skaters, golfers, tennis players, you will see the same thing.

 

[Mike King]

@michael2019, the primary issue in your skiing is a lack of movement. You dump into the new turn but stop building edge angle -- it's like you are trying to find a pose rather than dynamically using the ski.

Watch this video of medium radius turns:


See how progressive the movements are? Edge angle continues to be build by tipping the lower legs and shortening the inside leg from edge change to the apex of the turn. But the skier never really stops moving.

The upper levels of skiing are a lot more about terrain (steepness, variability) so I wouldn't assign a level based solely on seeing these video clips from a relatively flat run.

Mike

 

[michael2019]

Here is another video of me skiing if this helps.
Conditions are still very sloppy as it rained last night.

 

[PeteW]

One other question for you Bob, which dimension am i more dead in? up-down, fore-aft, side-side?

As you can see in first still you are definitely back. You are bent in your knees and waist and your ankles are nearly at 90°.
On the second still you put too much weight on your inside ski.

To get rid of these you can try some of the following drills

To improve my skiing It helped me a lot to SLOW DOWN. This will give you more time to focus on what you are doing and how it feels.

Side note: I'm not an instructor so I may be wrong with my assessment

P.S. PLEASE take videos in landscape.

 

[Chris V.]

I turn for a few reasons.
...
3. Its fun
...

This is the important one.

 

[Chris V.]

Good point, I'm not sure why my turns are as large as they are, never though about it much when I'm just skiing. Maybe it has to do with that its been drilled into my head to complete turns?

There's a difference between completing turns and just going straight across the hill. What I see in your skiing is a lot of sections where you're going almost straight, before transition, after, or both. IF you want to be dynamic, you should always be turning, if not left, then right. Get done turning one direction, whenever that is, then go quickly into the other. (But not by pivoting.)

 

[Ivan]

IF you want to be dynamic, you should always be turning, if not left, then right.

Let me add one thing here. I am not an instructor, but I believe it might be pretty difficult to learn to be dynamic on 160 cm slalom type skis. These skis require the skier to turn *a lot*, and it is a lot of work. It would probably be a lot easier to learn smooth dynamic turns on skis that are around 170 cm long with 15-16 m sidecut.

 

[Mike King]

Let me add one thing here. I am not an instructor, but I believe it might be pretty difficult to learn to be dynamic on 160 cm slalom type skis. These skis require the skier to turn *a lot*, and it is a lot of work. It would probably be a lot easier to learn smooth dynamic turns on skis that are around 170 cm long with 15-16 m sidecut.

Well, a slalom ski is capable of accumulating a lot of force in certain parts of the turn and transferring it to later parts of the turn. Dealing appropriately with that force requires quite a bit of dynamic skiing. In other words, a slalom ski can teach and reward (or punish) one for their movements. It can be a great teaching tool.

A longer ski with less sidecut may also teach one a lot; in particular, how to turn a ski inside its sidecut turning radius. But in any case, the issue here isn't equipment, it's movement patterns. And those are not going to be fixed by changing skis.

Mike