What does "hooking/catching an edge" mean to you?

[LiquidFeet]

1. At the level of the ski and the snow, what just happened? What does "hook" or "catch" mean in this context?
2. What is the result for the skier?
3. What makes it happen?

I'm asking because I stopped using that phrase a long time ago. I never knew what people meant when they said it, other than someone fell.

 

[Après Skier]

“Catching and edge” occurs when the leading edge of the ski gets caught in the snow and resists turning in the desired direction.

 

[Mendieta]

We always used the term “caught an edge.”

Yes, and I think the idea is that one of the ski edges engaged at a time and at a place you didn't intend.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Hooking is usually what happens in a race course when you 'hook a gate'.

'Catching an edge' is when you are sliding your skis in a direction with some lateral component of movement (not 'perfect' carving) and the edge that is 'leading' catches the snow and stops the lateral movement. An example: you are making a right footed, brushed turn and your left ski's big toe edge grabs the snow.

 

[SSSdave]

Means... close my eyes and start screaming while going over the handle bars.

 

[James]

Never have used hook an edge. Catch an edge. I feel like it was more common to talk about with straight skis.
The most common example is side slipping and catching the downhill edge of the downhill ski and face planting.
I did this several years ago coming into an empty lift coral. I try to slide sideways between the hoops. But I came in a little too hot, caught the edge, faceplanted and broke the brim on my helmet. The lifty was very impressed!

 

[Doug Briggs]

In reading @James reply, we do 'hook up' with new skis. We only wished we could in the old days.

If the OP meant hook up, that is when your edges engage and your skis begin to rail. Sometimes they hook up too much and high-side or go-over-the-top. A classic example is a SL racer 'hooks up' and their skis turn back up the hill while their momentum causes them to continue down the hill or high-side.

 

[cantunamunch]

Sometimes they hook up too much and high-side or go-over-the-top. A classic example is a SL racer 'hooks up' and their skis turn back up the hill while their momentum causes them to continue down the hill or high-side.

Around here, "catching an edge" has a third usage (yes, very sloppy term but one can't expect non-pros to uphold these sort of distinctions) sort of related to your hooking example here.

The edge in question is the BTE of the *intended* stance leg but the edge is pushed and tipped into engagement, too fast for the skier to achieve balance on it. The engaged ski does exactly what it's supposed to and either the tips cross or the skier high-sides- if they manage to lift the inside ski off the snow.

 

[Bad Bob]

Think it is kind of a catch all term like 'late in the turn' or 'weight is back'. Would consider hooking an edge to imply trouble caused by not being able to enter or exit a desired turn on demand.
If it happens at beginning of a turn you probably have too much pressure on the old outside ski (for me it is often the edge on the tail that is locked in still locked into the surface causing the skis to try and go different directions. Common solution; get your lazy butt off the tail of the old outside ski, transfer more weight to the new outside ski, prefablly the tip before you fall down.
If I hook a tip at the beginning of a turn it seems to come from not getting off uphill edge fo the new outside ski and it is still involved in the last turn. This is a very good time to practice initiating your turn on the inside ski to depresure the offending ski that is thinking about going back up the hill; if I don't do something like this I may well perform a very stylish face plant under a chairlift (people like that).
If you went with the face plant under the chair, stand up and start looking for your equipment scattered all over the hillside and blame it on the snow snakes of something.
In a more private setting will often beat my skis with pole straps for them doing that to me.

 

[LiquidFeet]

OK, OP here.
I wish I had said "CATCHING an edge" as that's what I meant.

 

[slowrider]

When I catch an edge, i end up going in a unplanned direction in a imbalanced manner on 1 ski edge. Eventually crashing.

 

[crgildart]

When I catch an edge, i end up going in a unplanned direction in a imbalanced manner on 1 ski edge. Eventually crashing.

Winner winner chicken dinner.. And it's usually the outside little toe edge of the inside foot from the previous turn sending you careening in a somewhat straight or arc'd line for several seconds where no mater how hard you try to fight it, you have no control over the direction you are heading or ability to stop other than to just intentionally fall... because the edge is "hooked" or "caught" however you decide to phrase.

 

[Seldomski]

Catching an edge in moguls to me means unintentionally carving when you meant to skid/feather/smear.

Other way I see people catch an edge is in an aggressive hockey stop where you intend to spray someone with snow. Instead of stopping, the skis rail and rocket forward into a turn. Generally both happen when you are too far aft on the ski.

 

[Lauren]

It means one of your edges that was not supposed to be in the snow gets caught in the snow.

The results are generally undesirable, leading to a bobble in your skiing or a fall.

 

[karlo]

To me, I’m thinking breakable crust. It breaks the wrong way and the skis are tipped incorrectly, resulting in the ski going in a direction not intended.

 

[Johnny V.]

And what's more amazing how often it happens on very low angle slopes...............................if you actually go down it's a real PITA to get back up.

 

[mdf]

We used to talk about "catching an edge" all the time back on straight skis. It could be any edge in any situation, but it was usually when one of the inside edges up near the shovel grabbed the snow during transition and you weren't expecting it to. Often lead to a fall, but sometimes you could pick the offending ski up and slam it back where it was intended to be.

I almost never hear about it these days. I used to think it was because we skied better now. But then I went back on an old pair of straight skis just for a giggle one day. The good news was that I could carve them, which I never could do back in the day. The bad news was that I caught an edge!

What changed? I dunno, but the obvious suspects are that the old skis had 1) longer lengths, or 2) zero base bevel.

 

[Pequenita]

I would use the phrase “catching an edge” to describe when my left boot was misaligned, and in barely 3D snow I’d start a right turn, but the left inside edge couldn’t match the right outside edge at the same time, so I would have my right leg going right as the left one was half a second behind. In shallow enough snow or slow enough speed, I could quickly pick up the left ski or change my turn direction, but more often than not my left ski would release, and I would go flying.

 

[Après Skier]

I wish I had said "CATCHING an edge" as that's what I meant.

LOL... me too. Danged typo. I hate “Catching an edge.”

As for hooking, that is something entirely different and usually not associated with skiing... however, those skiing at Courchevel in early January might beg to differ.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Hooking or catching and edges is caused when a ski is rolled onto the edge without any pressure applied. Instead of having a ski flex and carve an arc, the edge engages the snow and goes in the opposite direction than desired, generally causing a fall depending on the amount of engagement.

On old straight skis this was caused mostly by front tip, modern shaped skis equally by tip or tail.

The solution old days was a detune to prevent this pressure/roll timing issue. Modern skis we base bevel which allows some roll before pressure is applied. Greater base bevel is a more forgiving tune at the sacrifice of performance. Between both methods base bevel has less negative impact than a detune of yesteryear.

If you hook or catch an edge, you let the ski, ski you vs you skiing the ski. Race skis are very punishing because of stiffness and tune, quickly showing those that have sloppy timing between applying pressure (or lack there of) and rolling onto the edge. The punishment quick and pain in a face plant or torn ACL (any Front edge vs Rear inside edge).

Final note, not much of a roll from flat is required without proper pressure to cause improper engagement which leads into an edge feel and balance discussion for prevention (way better than tuning for prevention).