I was trying my best to carve.
- Video 1 (2024 Jan 27 - Aspen Mountain): This is a steep blue run done using my 2021 Elan Ripstick 96 (180 cm length).
- Video 2 (2024 Feb 21 - Mont Tremblant): This is on a green run using my 2023 Head e-Race Pro (170 cm length). I now like skiing the e-Race Pro more than my Ripsticks on groomed runs.
- Video 3 (2024 Feb 24 - Mont Tremblant): This is an a green run demoing the 2024 Atomic Redster Revoshock S (165 cm length). I liked this Redster more than my e-Race Pro (skied them back to back on the same run twice). The Redster just felt like it had more grip (I could trust it more...if that makes any sense).
@az29okg, I applaud your courage in posting your videos and asking for advice. So here goes.
I'm responding to what I see in your three videos, not to the Carv reports. In particular, I'm going to focus on things I see that need work, then ask some questions about your conceptual focus.
--In your first video, it's evident that the outside ski is sliding outward at apex. Tail is not following tip in its groove. Your stance widens as this happens. Conclusion: your inside ski has too much weight on it. And it's not tipped to its little toe edge enough; it's flatter than the outside ski. My guess is that your focus in these turns is mostly on getting that outside ski to build edge and pressure to the fall line. This leaves the inside ski to keep up, which it isn't doing.
1. Am I right about that your focus is on the outside ski?
--In your second video more is visible. A close following camera reveals much more than one stationary at the bottom of the run. You are lengthening your old inside leg to start your turns, which brings your body upward at transition. This can be called "extend to release." Your focus is probably on that outside ski, maybe in particular on getting early pressure on it. You may also be attempting to get it up on edge early, above the fall line, with this extension. These are admirable goals, but they are not working to help you get the turns you desire. A flex-to-release, as mentioned above, would achieve these goals more readily. As that outside ski tips onto its new edge, you lean your whole body into the turn. The inside shoulder drops with each turn. Your upper body tilts almost match the tilt of your outside leg. Maybe you do this in order to achieve high pressure on that outside ski at the fall line. High pressure at fall line is a consequence of an arc-to-arc carved turn, but there's a better way to achieve this than directly focusing on pressure. Then you pause as that ski gets way out there. Your body movements stop for a bit, maybe because you are waiting for pressure build-up (I'm guessing). The pause is not beneficial. If your pressure is increasing (Carv I"m sure tells you whether it is or not). Added pressure at this point will be because gravity adds to the forces of the turn when the ski is pointed downhill, not because your whole body is pressing hard on the ski. Then you start the next turn by extending that inside leg.
2. Am I right that your focus is on the extension of that new outside leg for early edging, the lean to build pressure on that outside ski, and the pause to add to the pressure?
--In your third video, you extend the old inside leg to start the turn then lean with your whole body (note the dropped inside shoulder). The lean is important to your edging. Your body from shoulders to feet is acting as a whole unit to tilt that outside lower leg, thus boot cuff, thus ski onto its edge. I think your focus is on that outside ski pretty much exclusively, still leaving the inside ski to tag along and maybe keep up. It does not do that. You can see your stance width changing as the outside ski moves outward while the inside ski stays more up under your body. I don't see the pause with these skis. Their shorter radius of the Redster is helping you keep up a steady tempo. I suspect this is part of why you said " I liked this Redster more than my e-Race Pro (skied them back to back on the same run twice). The Redster just felt like it had more grip (I could trust it more...if that makes any sense)."
I think your focus on these turns was much like the previous ones, to get early edging and pressure on that outside ski. The Redster sped up your tempo and so you didn't feel like you needed to pause to build up more pressure on that outside ski. You could trust the ski. I also think you equate building pressure with gaining grip. (It works the other way. Building grip builds pressure.)
3. Am I right that you are building pressure in order to build grip?
I'll wait for your answers to those questions before responding with a different way to focus when making carved turns. I suspect your responses will make it much easier for those of us posting suggestions to pinpoint different targets for your attention.
What we want is to help you get your weight properly balanced on the outside ski (without too much weight left on the inside ski), help you get your outside ski tipped up on edge above the fall line (without leaning), all of which involves helping you get your inside ski to fulfill its role properly (instead of lagging behind, inside, weighted, and flat). The overall objective is to get and keep grip on that outside ski with tails following tips. When you get this, you'll feel it.
