Graduating from Adv. Intermediate to Expert

[crgildart]

She does an ok job getting down that pitch. (It's slomo which tends to smooth things out.) But expert bump skiing it is not.

Technical points I see is collapsing at the waist and lack of leg mobility are affecting ability to manage pressure, lacks steering and has difficulty controlling line. Her stance is too wide for bumps and she occasionally stems. The coordination of her movement patterns still developing.

Part of the upper body chaos and ensuing lower body late turn initiation is that her poles are too long for good bump skiing technique. She's getting knocked backseat by the long poles and arms are getting bounced up higher than we'd prefer in the bumps.

 

[Ogg]

Part of the upper body chaos and ensuing lower body late turn initiation is that her poles are too long for good bump skiing technique. She's getting knocked backseat by the long poles and arms are getting bounced up higher than we'd prefer in the bumps.

That's definitely part of it. Her timing seems way late and you can see the poles aren't helping. It also looks like she's on the wrong skis for bumps.

 

[François Pugh]

You peeps are setting the expert bar way too high. Sure her bump skiing could use more absorption and better leg flexibility, she gets launched now and then because of it, and has to recover from getting back seated, but still qualifies as expert.
It seems to me, you folk have set a definition of expert years ago that roughly equates to "a lot better than I am", and have advanced the goal line every year as you got better.
Sidetrack:
As to long poles, shorter poles are all the rage now, but I know one old school bump skier (not me; I suck ar bumps) who likes longer poles and higher hands and does just fine with that.

 

[dbostedo]

You peeps are setting the expert bar way too high.

Maybe... but it could also be that an Olympian doing a demo of how to ski bumps has a really high bar - like it really should be near perfect.

 

[peterm]

Seems like the OP really wanted to know what constituted an advanced (not expert) skier.
Here's my thinking: if you can ski a steepish bump run (that isn't trivially short) fairly smoothly and in control, then you're probably an advanced skier.

 

[crgildart]

Skiing is too broad of a category for anyone to be a true expert at every aspect of it. Bode's only OK at throwing helicopters and probably not an expert at half pipe. Jon Olssen's pretty good at lots of different disciplines, probably as close as I can think of overall, but he's not the absolute best at any of them.

There is always room for improvement.. But, all of the best skiers here have skied with others and should be able to remember skiing with someone else who was clearly a level above them somewhere on the mountain at some point. And, most of us heavy addicts here are better than the average desk jockey who only skis a day or three every couple years.

Still like my first serous response to this question.

 

[CoPow]

Well, "serious"ly, There are generally 2 kinds of categorizations. One is "Beginner, Intermediate, (Advanced/Expert), Pro.". Another one is "Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Pro, Expert.". It's just a matter of definition and if you are good at skiing, in that not recreationally but among people in the industry, but have never won a medal in World Cup, X games, or any other globally recognized competitions, it's socially a safe bet to consider yourself a non-expert.

But then you must not ski "Expert Only" slopes if you were an honest person. I don't know any non-recreational skier who have never skied an expert only terrain.

Anyways, I digress, but it's amazing how Picabo Street is all over the place as far as alignment and body(parts) position go, and still makes it down the hill that fast.

 

[KevinF]

Regarding Picabo’s oft-debated bump skiing clip. Yes, it looks pretty rough, and yes, she gets bucked around, etc.

I’ve always taken the view point that she’s trying to demonstrate just how difficult bump skiing is. Most Olympic viewers know as much about mogul skiing as I know about figure skating (nothing). Showing Jonny Moseley making it look smooth will convince the random public that there isn’t anything to it. Showing Picabo — gold medalist! — getting rocked? Wow

I obviously don’t know her, but I’m guessing she could make it look a lot better.

 

[CoPow]

Yeah, maybe it's on purpose, and for sure she could make it look smoother. Racers aren't a breed that tries to make it LOOK good. If wedging is faster, they wedge.

 

[Scruffy]

... but it's amazing how Picabo Street is all over the place as far as alignment and body(parts) position go, and still makes it down the hill that fast.

That's because she's and expert racer and recovering from off balance is one of the traits that make her an expert in Alpine racing, not moguls. Moseley would probably look awkward in the gates, but he'd get down with a decent time.

 

[CoPow]

That's because she's and expert racer and recovering from off balance is one of the traits that make her an expert in Alpine racing, not moguls. Moseley would probably look awkward in the gates, but he'd get down with a decent time.

Yes.

 

[François Pugh]

OK let's separate fly scat from pepper. Picaboo is an expert skier. Moseley is an expert bump skier. The bump skiing bar for an expert bump skier is set higher than it is for an expert skier.

 

[geepers]

OK let's separate fly scat from pepper. Picaboo is an expert skier. Moseley is an expert bump skier. The bump skiing bar for an expert bump skier is set higher than it is for an expert skier.

Why?

It's either good skiing or it's not.

Would a maths exam be graded differently depending on who did it?

 

[crgildart]

OK let's separate fly scat from pepper. Picaboo is an expert skier. Moseley is an expert bump skier. The bump skiing bar for an expert bump skier is set higher than it is for an expert skier.

Picabo's an expert racer. Moseley's an expert bumper. Marcus Caston's an expert at both. Haven't seen Johnny in the gates but would wager he's better in the gates than Street is in the bumps. Heck, he might even be able to throw down a better time in the gates than Street these days. Battle of the sexes for all around ski expert champion anybody?

 

[FlyingAce]

Interesting question. I was just discussing the ski level designations with an instructor and even he doesn’t call himself “expert” when he can ski anything on our mountain in style and with control. And I know a few skiers who love to tell others that they are “solid advanced” level but they are really barely intermediate, if at all. I personally think the really good ones don’t really care if others know they are good, and the not too good skiers tend to care more and overestimate their abilities.

 

[Josh Matta]

As someone who skied multiple days with Mosley I can assure you he just an expert. No need to say just at bumps. Picabo is an expert at super g and downhill but I bet a half dozen people on this site could beat her at sl and maybe even gs.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Seems like the OP really wanted to know what constituted an advanced (not expert) skier.
Here's my thinking: if you can ski a steepish bump run (that isn't trivially short) fairly smoothly and in control, then you're probably an advanced skier.

This is all it comes down to but i would add some ice to the back sides of the moguls.

 

[Josh Matta]

This is all it comes down to but i would add some ice to the back sides of the moguls.

An expert skier can never ski on the backside if they choose .

 

[Crank]

Picabo could probably just ski right over those moguls without turning if she wanted to. At least she could when in racing form.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Haha I'm just a lucky intermediate. Wish i were so lucky at mtb.

They should make the expert trails hard enough that intermediates can never get down them without a lot of pain. This would make classification so much easier.