This topic is about „how to start a turn“ for IM and advanced. My intent was to react in case of „Carving“(„how to start a turn“), because here in Europe carving is „holy grail“ for advanced hobby skiers. And RmG and others are very often considered as benchmark of carving for such wannabe carvers here.
(I reacted to)First claim here was that all L4 instructors must be very good in comparison with racers because they must ski FIS GS course after some „WC Top50 racers“. I doubted it, so I asked about details. Then it was shown, that those tests are done in limit 12% slower than "50 FIS points skiers"(it means average local race guy as my friends), so I said it is total different than „top 50 WC“ – it´s absolutely different level.
Because 50 points skier is 800th place in the world and "+12% slower skiers" on average snow(OK, setting gates as „original GS“ but usually not on ice) are far away from WC abilities and technique. Simply it is a few levels difference. Of course I think those demo skiers are much better than „average L4 instructor“, but there are visible differences in technique between them and real racers.
I think that´s mainly due to differences of technique – see my arguments in post 177(different timing, too much angulation only for effect etc.).
One of those differences I wrote is „tied“ with this topic(iniciation of turn), so I continued discussion to find other opinions about this(my arguments in p.177) – not to make some challenge „who is the boss or Hulk against Superman“(I repeatedly wrote that both „Aussies“ – sorry for geographical NZ mistake – are very good skiers generally).
My impression is that such „demo style“ of carving is often confusing for those thousands of „carvers“, who think that this „ass to grass“ is one of main principles! And I can not agree, as I said previously, have a look at that free skiing of WC stars, they angulate much less(again, see p.177), have different timing etc.
The result is usually copy+paste of that demo style and „carvers“ are enhancing hips to snow and then those guys can not carve on tougher terrain, nor to significantly cleanly tighten a radius(this is main result with "Race" technique).
James wrote about that „cosinus“ calculation – I would like to add, that for „tight“ carved turn(clean) skier need not only have more edge angle, but he needs to have it BEFORE fall line and sooner that is generally accepted – also adequately loaded, not only edged!
In one post I wrote something about rotary teaching. I consider it necessary to learn and repeat for all levels of skiers also for top racers! Because a lot of „carvers“ with problems with „tighter clean carving“ has deficits in rotary technique – they can not show solid skidded/pivot turn(e.g. full control of speed, radius and direction on icy steep slope mixed with some powder or some stork turn in that conditions).
I think without very high level of this rotary on steep ice, a skier is not ready("sensitive" edges and CoM work) for solid „race style“ carving. Of course, then how to continue for such high level carving on steeps and ice is for different topic...