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Crank

Making fresh tracks
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It looks more like what you would do on a traverse to move along faster or perhaps gain a little altitude to get above the traverse line or reach a higher one. Probably more of and Alta shuffle. I don't see the point if you are just sidestepping straight up the fall line.
 

James

Out There
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Oh yeah, this was in the Deslauriers book years ago. It only works if tou let yourself glide on the converging step. Going from the Over easy gondola at Stowe to the lodge or chair I did this. Tou can get some speed and altitude, but depends on snow.
 

Brad J

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As a young boy my dad brought me to a hill and taught me all the fundamentals, side step , herringbone, and the hardest kick turn. As a youngster I certainly didn’t get how important these basic’s are, but I do one or more of these everyday I ski. Dad was so smart!!!
 

Doug Briggs

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I do kick turns quite often. The most challenging time is in the trees in deep snow.

I also do the 'Breck shuffle' especially to pass the slow pokes on the traverse to get to Peak 7 terrain. It is more about the keeping going with some speed than actually gaining elevation in my case.
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
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When I was a kid my dad picked up some wooden asnes xc skis. I went to the old upstairs sports section at the library and took out a book from the 1960s on xc skiing and practiced the various techniques described in the book. One was a turn similar to this. Though I don't use it when moving it has worked for me if I get stuck under a log or some crust and need to turn around. I was showing it to my kids a few years ago at Cannon and some guy was like you're going to break your legs haha.
 

mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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Seeing traffic here reminds me -- I used a kick turn "in the wild" at Mary Jane on my last trip. I wound up in a narrow dead end through the woods. Turning around without a kick turn would have been awkward, but it would not have occurred to me without this thread.
 

LiquidFeet

instructor
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I learned to do a kick turn about 12 years ago, in a weekend instructional camp, from one of the camp members. It's the only thing I learned that weekend, and I am really grateful as it's come in useful often. No training session of any sort since then has addressed kick turns, and I've been an instructor the whole time attending as many training sessions as I can get, and I've changed which trainers I work with because I've worked at three different mountains. So, IME, it isn't being taught often enough. I've taught it to British teens; they loved it.
 

no edge

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A little late to the thread, but I first learned the kick turn kicking with the downhill ski. But I now use the uphill ski... up and crossing over the downhill ski. I much prefer this technique, but I am not totally sure why. I think I like the position of the new downhill ski but maybe it's just more flamboyant. There is more to it. But you can more easily experience a "fail". It also seems less stressful on the knees. I use the kick turn somewhat often on steep and nasty sections when I get jammed up. It's fun.
 

Rod9301

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A little late to the thread, but I first learned the kick turn kicking with the downhill ski. But I now use the uphill ski... up and crossing over the downhill ski. I much prefer this technique, but I am not totally sure why. I think I like the position of the new downhill ski but maybe it's just more flamboyant. There is more to it. But you can more easily experience a "fail". It also seems less stressful on the knees. I use the kick turn somewhat often on steep and nasty sections when I get jammed up. It's fun.
Yeah, that works on mellow slopes, but when you really need a kick turn, on something steep, there's no way you can do it with the uphill ski, it will get hung up on the snow above.
 

no edge

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I do it. So much so that I don't even think about the regular kick turn.
 

no edge

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My point exactly. If it's steep you can't do an uphill kick turn

I am from the old days. I did a ton of kick turns but changed to the uphill kick turn because I thought it was cooler. I have used both in hairy circumstances, but now a days I use the uphill method. I'm 66 and find it to be more of a challenge. I have done it plenty over the years on Paradise having fallen a few times too. Let's see how it goes this season.
 

Blue Streak

I like snow.
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That was standard fare back in the old days. They taught it on Day 1 to beginners (like me).
Of course, that was with GLM skis.
 

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