Smear turn

[Kriss]

When the term smear turn is used can you describe the technique that accomplishes a smear turn?

 

[Mike King]

Well, I don't know of any specific definition of a smear turn, but let's take the possibly most general: a turn that is not carved or edge-locked. If that's the definition, there's a bunch of ways to accomplish it. It could be that the skier's center of mass is in front of the binding with the result that the tail washes out and takes a wider arc that the tip. It could be that the skier pushes the skis away from the body with the result that the ski skids through the turn. It could be that the platform angle is less the critical angle with the result that the ski's skid through the turn. It could be that the skier applies sufficient rotary force to the skis by turning the body or the legs to cause the skis to skid through the turn.

Ski design can also play an important role in the ease of skidding the ski. Skis that have rocker/early rise in the tip and/or tail can be easier to skid than skis that have strong camber and those that have less torsional rigidity also may be easier to skid/smear. Center mounted skis and those with rounded tails, as opposed to square tails, can also be easier to smear/skid.

Those are the things that come to my mind.

Mike

 

[graham418]

Any turn you do with a flat (not edged) ski will be a smeared or skidded turn

 

[Smear]

Is that a question for me? ;-) Gramatically I would call it a smeared turn instead of a smear turn. Like Mike Said it just implies some sort of skidding. I would say that it also implies that the skidding is sort of even and continous, not a forceful redirection abruptly turned into a carve.

 

[François Pugh]

I'm a little fussier. A proper smear turn is done in balance, with good fore aft pressure control, and good edging control and with the skis tipped to the desired angle that is less than the critical angle required for edge locked carving in the circumstances.

 

[Doby Man]

The original coinage of the term “smear turn” came from one of the grandfathers of backcountry skiing, Scot Schmidt. It was a backcountry maneuver for steep powder and was a light form of the hip check turn as a form of speed control where snow surface contact with the hips and legs along with the skis would cause more friction for speed control but without the more abrupt, jarring and often more dangerous option of the hip check.

“In the 1980s, Miller began shooting footage of Scot Schmidt, who was unlike anything seen previously, at least in the United States. Everyone wanted to copy his signature "smear turn" and the footage of Schmidt skiing was the highlight of any Warren Miller movie at the time. Here's some footage of Schmidt from those 1980s Warren Miller films.”

 

[Josh Matta]

less edging than carving with a really long finish.

OP do you have a video of what you consider a smear turn?

 

[geepers]

The original coinage of the term “smear turn” came from one of the grandfathers of backcountry skiing, Scot Schmidt. It was a backcountry maneuver for steep powder and was a light form of the hip check turn as a form of speed control where snow surface contact with the hips and legs along with the skis would cause more friction for speed control but without the more abrupt, jarring and often more dangerous option of the hip check.

“In the 1980s, Miller began shooting footage of Scot Schmidt, who was unlike anything seen previously, at least in the United States. Everyone wanted to copy his signature "smear turn" and the footage of Schmidt skiing was the highlight of any Warren Miller movie at the time. Here's some footage of Schmidt from those 1980s Warren Miller films.”

So that's what 32 feet per second per second looks like.

So a smear turn is where you drop from a great height and smear yourself across the landscape?

 

[tball]

The original coinage of the term “smear turn” came from one of the grandfathers of backcountry skiing, Scot Schmidt. It was a backcountry maneuver for steep powder and was a light form of the hip check turn as a form of speed control where snow surface contact with the hips and legs along with the skis would cause more friction for speed control but without the more abrupt, jarring and often more dangerous option of the hip check.

Did an old school smear turn require a light hip check back in the day? Does it still today?

I could totally be wrong, but I think of Scot Schmidt's turns at at 1:05 and 1:27 as smear turns, and without hip check. If you click on those times and hit play it should take you to that spot in the video.

Or is that a more modern definition of a smear turn? I'm not sure, but those turns took some skills on those long skinny skis. It's so much easier on our short fat skis these days.

Edit to add a couple screen shots:

 

[KingGrump]

So a smear turn is where you drop from a great height and smear yourself across the landscape?

No, that is the patented Scott Schmidt landing for drops over 80 feet or so. He likes to land side way on big jumps because he know that is no sticking the landing. Landing on the side of his body allows for a larger body area to absorb the shock of the landing.

Did an old school smear turn require a light hip check back in the day? Does it still today?

I could totally be wrong, but I think of Scot Schmidt's turns at at 1:05 and 1:27 as smear turns, and without hip check. If you click on those times and hit play it should take you to that spot in the video.

Or is that a more modern definition of a smear turn? I'm not sure, but those turns took some skills on those long skinny skis. It's so much easier on our short fat skis these days.

Edit to add a couple screen shots:

View attachment 59332 View attachment 59333

No those are not smear turns. He is just side slipping to adjust his take off point.

Look at the turns at around 3:30 of the following clip.

.

 

[tball]

1997 Skiing Mag says Scot Schmidt made the smear turn famous and it's a high speed hip check:

Soure: Google books

But, in 2013 Ski Mag said it's a recent thing and can only be done on fat skis:

The term “smear” only recently entered the skiing vocabulary, with the advent of super-fat, rockered skis. Smearing is the fundamental technique for new-school powder skiing, but it’s not one everyone understands. It helps to think of the difference between skidding and carving on flat snow.

Smearing is skidding a turn in powder, which just wasn’t possible on narrow skis. Skidding—or drifting—gives you options. At speed, it allows you to delay a turn—to avoid an obstacle, for instance. You can drift past that rock, say, without dumping much speed or throwing in an extra turn, smearing the snow with your skis the way a knife smears butter on bread. When you’ve cleared the obstacle, then you’re ready to set an edge, let the snow bend your ski into an arc, and finish your turn.
https://www.skimag.com/ski-performance/powder-day-what-is-a-smear
​

Gotta go with Scot Schmidt, @Doby Man and @KingGrump on this one!

​

 

[tball]

Is a smear turn always in powder?

 

[oldschoolskier]

Smearing a turn is just not enough edge, that you have some sideways slide in the turn. Think of buttering bread, just enough edge to drag the butter not enough to leave some on the bread.

It is part of the whole skill set needed to be a good skier, it can be used to control speed, soften a turn, take a load off just because or allow rotation without loss of speed to change direction. The secret is to make the transitions of this to look effortless.

Spivot turns are basically a smear into a set carve.

All this comes down to edge control and feel.

 

[mdf]

Smearing a turn is just not enough edge, that you have some sideways slide in the turn

Myabe, maybe not. The basic question is whether "smear" is a general term for a category, or the name of something specific.

 

[wyowindrunner]

Smearing a turn is just not enough edge, that you have some sideways slide in the turn. Think of buttering bread, just enough edge to drag the butter not enough to leave some on the bread.

It is part of the whole skill set needed to be a good skier, it can be used to control speed, soften a turn, take a load off just because or allow rotation without loss of speed to change direction. The secret is to make the transitions of this to look effortless.

Spivot turns are basically a smear into a set carve.

All this comes down to edge control and feel.

First time encountering this term was from an instructor at Steamboat during some bump clinics. Same decription. Flattening and compression in bump troughs for speed control. Works pretty good.

 

[Bolder]

I would say that "skidding" isn't deliberate, i.e., you aren't yet proficient enough to carve, whereas smearing is a conscious effort to scrub off speed, delay a turn etc., but doing it fluidly.

(also, seeing those WM videos reminded me how Schmidt basically turned K2 and North Face into the coolest gear in the 80s...)

 

[tball]

Here's a good one of the Scot Schmidt variety I happened to catch on video that I came across today:

 

[KingGrump]

I would say that "skidding" isn't deliberate, i.e., you aren't yet proficient enough to carve, whereas smearing is a conscious effort to scrub off speed, delay a turn etc., but doing it fluidly.

(also, seeing those WM videos reminded me how Schmidt basically turned K2 and North Face into the coolest gear in the 80s...)

IDK. To me, skid and carve are like the two end of a continuous spectrum.
Like black and white. Just two more shades of gray.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

IDK. To me, skid and carve are like the two end of a continuous spectrum.
Like black and white. Just two more shades of gray.

I agree. Developing the ability to access the full spectrum of edging so that you can use the appropriate amount of edge is key to better skiing.

 

[Fuller]

I prefer to slarve...