-
For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.
Technical off-piste ski videos: Post your favorites
Caston has some incredible athletic ability. If he worked to get a bit more ski performance, he'd be able to keep up with those dudes a bit better. Still, much better than I could do...
Mike
What do you mean by this? Looks to me like he's really working his skis and is an incredible skier. Just a totally different style than the dudes that just zipper line. And frankly, a style I find more impressive. I don't see him "falling behind" in any of the segments?
Notice how he goes from skis across the hill to skis across the hill in a braking action? This is defensive skiing. If he had the ski more engaged in the beginning of the turn, he could drift it through the entire turn, resulting in a smoother line, greater control, and greater ski performance. If you observe the ski performance of Moseley and the other freestylers, you'll see that in their skiing. Their skiing is offensive skiing. Caston gets away with his edge set to edge set because of his incredible athletic ability. That being said, it isn't bad skiing, it's just not skiing at the highest level (IMHO).
Mike
Mike
To look at the difference, watch JF's bump skiing in this teaser. See how the ski is engaged, taking him there? It isn't being thrown sideways to stop going here. Big difference.
https://jfbeaulieu.vhx.tv/packages/...nge-of-direction/videos/teaser-2-project-2016
or this segment by Jonathan Ballou in big ugly bumps in quite steep terrain:
or in this video of skiing from several members of this board, like @Bob Barnes and @Chris Geib
Mike
https://jfbeaulieu.vhx.tv/packages/...nge-of-direction/videos/teaser-2-project-2016
or this segment by Jonathan Ballou in big ugly bumps in quite steep terrain:
or in this video of skiing from several members of this board, like @Bob Barnes and @Chris Geib
Mike
Hi Mike,
That's a blast from the past! Thanks for the 'mention'. Hope you've had a good summer and ready for sliding
See ya on the snow soon hopefully!
Chris
That's a blast from the past! Thanks for the 'mention'. Hope you've had a good summer and ready for sliding
See ya on the snow soon hopefully!
Chris
Hi. I don't see that at all. I see him blasting down moguls in a 180-something 98-width metal Bonafides, with 21 or greater radius, one air carve after another. Pretty incredible skiing.
JF on the other hand is on 160-something FIS SL skis, with about a 13 radius. Still pretty incredible on a very stiff ski.
Last edited:
This is a weird mix, this thread.
I am with you that I don't see Marcus' skiing as defensive. It's appears quite aggressive and offensive to me. He's taking a very different tactical approach to the bumps than the others in the video or in subsequent videos -- with very different equipment. Many of his turns start "late" because he's in the air for a much greater amount of time. I agree that he doesn't look as composed. However, I think part of the point of the video isn't to show textbook bump technique, but to demonstrate impressive skiing with an atheleticism and technique that pretty darn top notch.
I disagree that JF is on 160 something SL skis -- those look like 180+ GS skis. More impressive in that regard. But still lacks the energy and drive as Marcus' skiing.
I think there's a disconnect here regarding @Mike King 's usage of "defensive" vs the "normal" interpretation of that term.
Posted too soon...
Marcus' skiing is obviously highly athletic and beyond the realm of what us mortals are capable of. That said, there are definitely elements of "skis going sideways" -- i.e., braking, defensive movements. Contrast that with some of the other examples posted where the tips-follow-tails much more closely -- i.e., gliding, offensive movements.
All that said... given the chaotic nature of bump skiing, it's probably impossible to keep to 100% offensive or defensive turns. There are various styles from the zipper line to the highly athletic skiing to offensive round turns to... I prefer the latter, possibly because that's why my fitness and skill set allows.
Posted too soon...
Marcus' skiing is obviously highly athletic and beyond the realm of what us mortals are capable of. That said, there are definitely elements of "skis going sideways" -- i.e., braking, defensive movements. Contrast that with some of the other examples posted where the tips-follow-tails much more closely -- i.e., gliding, offensive movements.
All that said... given the chaotic nature of bump skiing, it's probably impossible to keep to 100% offensive or defensive turns. There are various styles from the zipper line to the highly athletic skiing to offensive round turns to... I prefer the latter, possibly because that's why my fitness and skill set allows.
Last edited:
Also, given a choice of what to watch -- offensive round turns, zipper line turns or Marcus "send it" style... I'll choose Marcus every time. That was spectacular. I hope there's a lot more of these "return to the turn" videos.
I was referring to the last segment of the JF video, which I think is closest to the mogul skiing Marcus is doing in the trailer, moguls, conditions, terrain, and speed. That segment is a short clip from a longer Youtube video I had seen a while ago. There, it's pretty clear he is on a shorter performance ski. I had to know what he was on, so I asked him; FIS SL, 167, 13 radius.
No wonder I can't ski moguls like JF. I simply don't have the right skis!
Perhaps the discussion of Caston's skiing vs. the skiing the more technical skiing that has been posted belongs in a separate thread, but I'll comment here anyway.
First, I love Caston's skiing and videos. I have a lot of respect for his speed, athleticism and especially the tactics (and the fitness to pull it off without blowing up) across all the terrain shown in his clips. I think there is a lot to learn from how he approaches terrain and the speed at which he attempts it at. No way would I categorize his skiing as defensive (never liked or used the terms defensive/offensive to describe skiing anyway). Make no mistake, the dude can ski.
I don’t consider Marcus to be a technical skier or necessarily a model for technique though. There are aspects of his skiing that are rooted in very sound fundamentals and others that are the result of his fitness and athleticism—which I think is what Mike was alluding to above—things like arm/shoulder/hip rotation, leaning-in, generally poor separation unless he feels he needs it to wind up, etc. I would argue however, that for this type of skiing, his fundamentals are among the best out there.
He also shows that it is actually COOL when big-mountain ripper combines freeride world tour-like terrain tactics with a fairly strong technical foundation—that it is possible to make bad-ass technical turns without looking like a clone of another skier.
First, I love Caston's skiing and videos. I have a lot of respect for his speed, athleticism and especially the tactics (and the fitness to pull it off without blowing up) across all the terrain shown in his clips. I think there is a lot to learn from how he approaches terrain and the speed at which he attempts it at. No way would I categorize his skiing as defensive (never liked or used the terms defensive/offensive to describe skiing anyway). Make no mistake, the dude can ski.
I don’t consider Marcus to be a technical skier or necessarily a model for technique though. There are aspects of his skiing that are rooted in very sound fundamentals and others that are the result of his fitness and athleticism—which I think is what Mike was alluding to above—things like arm/shoulder/hip rotation, leaning-in, generally poor separation unless he feels he needs it to wind up, etc. I would argue however, that for this type of skiing, his fundamentals are among the best out there.
He also shows that it is actually COOL when big-mountain ripper combines freeride world tour-like terrain tactics with a fairly strong technical foundation—that it is possible to make bad-ass technical turns without looking like a clone of another skier.
Last edited:
Agreed -- Caston is a great skier.
BTW, the video of Ballou in Sodbuster at Highlands I posted above -- he is on a WC 30m GS ski. Not a slalom...
Mike
BTW, the video of Ballou in Sodbuster at Highlands I posted above -- he is on a WC 30m GS ski. Not a slalom...
Mike
They are all great skiers. The video of JB exemplifies skiing down a fast (relatively) line slowly, just superb skiing.
But, but... I want to ski like Caston! I love that part, him asking the babe if she wants to ski bumps with him. Hysterical.
But, but... I want to ski like Caston! I love that part, him asking the babe if she wants to ski bumps with him. Hysterical.
I think you mean slow line quickly. That’s the difference — Moseley and company are skiing much farther than Caston but at about the same speed down the hill.
