Yes, you are perfectly right. We have plenty of video material where amateurs are blocking our piste. Note, "OUR" piste. We ski like we own it LOL. Which is not the case. Our SG training sessions are 6 oclock in the morning when the slopes are closed.
@@Triggerboy62 Of course a person can vary turn shape depending on where other people are on the slope - all turns don't have to be either close to the fall line or the opposite. I have one criticism of the skid being demonstrated which happens when slopes become hard packed or icy. They guy showing off the skid seemed to be doing most of his skid in the last third of the turn. That means having to do a lot of things just before the transition, including reestablishing the edge across the fall line. Just my opinion.
@@jeepmor Yup you can straight line through if you wish but in some cases with some people that's really just a panic move. Anyway, I was responding to the video content. If people do desire to control speed by skidding they should not skid the tails out at the end of the turn. There's no real need to skid on a nice smooth slope.
The timing of this is just so perfect!! I always go into defensive when getting into steeper runs and start doing slide turns which is not carving obviously. Then I lose my rhythm and find it hard to get back into carving again which frustrates the hell out of me. So thank you so much for how to maintain carving with getting into steeper runs! I will practice this tomorrow!
Wow, not many girls/women watch my content on my channel, according to the analytics anyway, so I am really thrilled to hear from you. Glad the timing was perfect. Hopefully I was able to give you some tips on how to overcome being "defensive". And nice to hear that someone is out skiing as we are slowly only approaching our season here in northern Europe. reg. Tom
Choose your slope, a smooth one, bumps and cross slopes don't help practicing or generally for carved turns. Shallow slope open wavey S's, bit steeper (blues) close the S by coming across the slope (as he said), Steeper still (red-black) big linked C's and even continue a little bit up the hill if you want to bring the speed down. Fall into each turn with a carve and if you speed check with a slide or because someone is in the track don't worry, finishing the turn still in a carve will come with confidence and choosing the right terrain. Hope this helps.
@@Triggerboy62, plenty of women seek out video ski tips, so pls don't be surprised at your audience of females (many of us baby boomers!). The best tip I ever got years ago re conquering steep turns was to perfect SHORT turns. That rhythm of quick carving made all the difference to me in enjoying steep slopes.
@@Triggerboy62, plenty of women seek out ski tips, so pls don't be surprised at your audience of females (many of us baby boomers!). The best tip I ever got years ago re conquering steep turns was to perfect SHORT turns. That rhythm of quick carving made all the difference to me in enjoying steep slopes.
yes, the Elite Skiing FB Group is great and Im glad to see many of my videos ending up there for viewing and conversation. Im honored actually. Anyway, have you seen my video on safe carving: ruclips.net/video/UgbU38mjjj8/видео.html The pivot is a great concept or technique of scrubbing off speed. Do a quick search on my channel for "pivot" and you will see lots of videos. The most comprehensive one is the one on Line Selection. You actually combine an old fashion style parallel turn entry with a carved belly and exit part of the turn.
I call it skiing with your down hill fist. I find that if you steer with your hands, or fists, it helps to stabilise the turn. For some extraordinary reason , call it magic, the initiation of the turn starts with the uphill fist “talking to “ the uphill ski and directing the turn, and in no time the uphill fist has become the downhill fist. The final session of video shows this very well. He is a very “fisty” skier. It is lovely to watch. Thank you.
Woah there with the fisting... we all know where that joke thread goes...Hands are important and it is important not to thimk about fists but let the hands conduct the orchestra don't let anyone know the secret daddy. My coach told me that.
The hard part of method 2 is on an even moderately crowded day you take up a lot more of the mountain. It becomes difficult on narrow pitches and on wide runs it dramatically increase risk of collision. I've had a couple close calls and am very careful before using technique 2. It's fun but I've been working on using more of technique 3 to stay closer to the fall line.
You are perfectly right. I also use technique 3 most of the time. Hardly ever carve 100% all the time. That is kind of a bit outdated IMO. Not very useful anyways as slopes are so crowded nowadays. Did you see this video: ruclips.net/video/UgbU38mjjj8/видео.html
It's one reason why I quite enjoy those wide, steep red runs. As long as there's plenty of space, I don't mind a bit of excess speed because I'm confident enough to know that I have plenty space to deal with a minor mistake or if I suddenly have to avoid someone.
Very clear exposition. I too end up skidding turns once the slope gets steep. I love the simplicity of the "fast line slow" vs the "slow line fast" and I'm looking forward to trying the latter (safely) on my next ski trip.
Right on! Have fun and you have the exact right approach, safely! Always use a helmet and a back protector and have eyes at the back of your helmet :) Cheers, Tom
I been skiing for 16 years, 4 years of racing, and since then been a combination from skiing in resort to backcountry, randonnee, etc. And you´ve accomplished explaining what most instructors (who love the snow same way as I do) can´t. Thank you for such a useful video!
There are many tips for beginners online but very few useful tips for advanced skiers who want to polish their skills. You do a great job by filling this gap. Keep up the good work!
Cool, thanks! Great feedback as that is kind of what my mission is all about. Thanks for watching and more to come... this weekend a WC ski racer training... :)
I watched this video before going skiing in Colorado. It had been almost 35 years since I skied really steep runs. Once there, I practiced the techniques on a few steeper blue runs first then took them to the groomed black runs. I am so glad I watched this video before I went. I found that my confidence built as the day went on and I was able to handle the steeps with improving skills. I found that I progressed to being able to ski the slow line fast. I also found, as another comment mentioned, that at times I could actually maintain the arc and go slightly up the slope to slow even further If I desired. I will continue to practice these techniques. Thanks for the great video!!
Thanks for your comment on pivoting: I'm always disagreeing with coaches saying you have to maintain contact with the snow all the time, while my experience and watching FIS slalom says otherwise, especially on steep slopes. Skiing is dynamic and never say never. Also all bodies are different and styles differ
Thanks for watching and glad to find someone to appreciate the pivot. I have during my coaching years here on YT gotten a lot of feedback from skiers and racers tired of that never ending jargon of "early pressure" and never turn below the gate that they get from coaches out on the hill. That pivot is really what it is all about. Chris is a master of perfecting that kind of technique. And you are right, not all skiers are the same. I never try to change the way a (junior) skier skis naturally. I always try to have him/her retain their own style. Just tweak it where obvious mistakes are made.
I've never been instructed, but I feel it's most natural to pivot. It's when I stop doing it, that I start to feel fear creeping in. As long as I'm like "YEAH!" and jumping into my turns, it's a blast, and I go down stuff I never thought I could. I hope to ski a lot more this year. Great comment! Makes me feel less like an idiot.
After 30 years of not skiing, now back on a holiday with my son doing reds after a disaster of a first day. I was quite confused with all the pure carving going on. I must say this new type of ski is basically the perfect ski type for this old skidder. I do think I start every turn with a touch of pivot and then lean and carve the rest of the turn. It's a versatile technique suited for any slope. My son is something different though, he is light and smooth on the skis and flows through steep reds like they weren't there. He couldn't understand what I was trying to explain, because he never had to endure those narrow 2m long planks.
A revelation!! I can carve a decent turn on medium flat terrain, then look like I've never skiied before in my life when it gets steep! Fantastic information!
I ski 47 years and have no problems with all this. My turns are very short, flat or steep, with or without bumps. As soon as bumps are arriving you can quit carving because it is not possible. I do like carving now and then but, I am down the hill in a minute. But, steep with big bumps is the most fun, also because almost nobody can ski them nowadays. In an elegant way with super fast turns. By the way, nice video, very good explanation 👏
Every bump is an opportunity for an easy turn as you get free mobility under your skis. I was taught to ski around them but I never got the hang of that. Too much forces going on in the down part, so I just attack them and make them do the hard work for me.
Great great great video. As a skier who was greatly influenced by Harold harbes ski the fast line slow. I find this is still so true today. By loved laying down railroad tracks in the snow with the old Tech skis. But of course that meant picking up a lot of speed and making long long long radius turns. I mostly ski small hills in the Midwest. I remember once, me and my buddies said( three turns to the bottom). The new technology has certainly made carving and believing railroad track slices in the snow easier and made carving more versatile. I have loved laying down the " railroad tracks" in the snow, ever since Harold harbes book came out. And have been doing it ever since with the new versatility and fun and he's that the new side cuts allow. Midwest snow is can be hard and ice., sometimes point a loose powdery covering on top. Carving allows me to ski that surfaced silently! If it gets crowded and I need to control my path and speed, I will skip my turns at times and I just hate the sound of the sea scraping on ice. One last thought!! Being able to carve turns down the slope has
Thank you for this unique explanation. Skiing the slow line fast concept has improved my skill significantly and I can do slopes with more confidence now. You’re a great teacher 🙏
Some of these things instinctively happen but it's sloppy and I have no confidence. These videos help me confirm what I'm doing and really add polish to my skiing. It's a win-win
skis sharpened frequently (every 4-5 days of use in normal conditions) will give a huge confidence boost on firmer snow like in this video. I can look similar on dull skis in the same snow, but it takes significantly more balance, effort, and skill (often to the degree of impossibility if you don't already have the confidence on good skis). It's a great drill to improve, but i see dull skis as just that... a drill
I've been working on controlling my speed and technique on steeper terrain this past week. The video helped a lot. I still struggle controlling the shape of my turn and speed on steep terrain that's also skied out and bumpy. Adding an actual carving ski to my quiver was a game changer. Now I can feel how flexing the ski and foot pressure changes the shape of the turn. Thank you for the tips!
I'm an old skier (on Medicare) that can carve on any icy slope that is very steep without accelerating (keeping my speed constant). How do I do that? In the old days we used to call them "S" turns. You start the weight transfer to the uphill ski early (like Shiffrin does) and continue to have moderate angulation and ski pressure. I'm not asking for a "J" turn where you pressure the skis at the end of the turn which BTW due to physics is where the skis are most likely to come out of a carve and start skidding. This is where is carve/steer part of the turn is appropriate. Racers are taught to press and angulate harshly, and then get into a floating edge lock between turns. This is fine for racing and is appropriate for slalom, but if you just continue with moderate pressure and edging the skis, will do the work and they will ARC to finish a "S" turn where you will end up fully across the hill. This takes PATIENCE to let the skis finish the turn. Most skiers don't understand that the ski flex (stiffness on the tip, middle, and tail) and length will determine the radius of the turn. The FIS knows this as they classify skis by radius. For instance, GS skis on the WC are now 30m radius skis. Ten years ago when the FIS had 35m radius skis mandated, only guys like Ted Liggety figured out to use a stivot to make the turn. Basically it entailed carving the first part of the turn, skidding to make the gate, and then edge lock to the next gate. This is an ugly way to turn a pair of skis. BTW watch a GS race and you will see in many turns the slightly longer distance with a more carved "S" radius turn is faster than a GS "J" turn or stivot. However, in racing you are limited by the real estate between turns. When a coach puts up a fast course with maximum distance between turns and a very difficult shorter gate sequence comes up, even skiers like Shiffrin will have to use a stivot, otherwise they fail to make the gate and are disqualified. Also your upper body also determines the radius of the turn. If you upper body follows the skis direction you will be making a turn that is decided by the sidecut, flex, and length of the skis. If your upper body (i.e. center of mass) is always facing downhill your legs will wind up and then be released to make a shorter turn. After your legs are released, don't immediately start a new turn, but rather let them finish the turn. PATIENCE...PATIENCE...PATIENCE
Great posting. Thanks. I frequently talk about the difference between long and short turns. Both exist in both SL and GS so it is useful to be able to use both techniques. It is all about carrying the momentum. In longer turns across the hill you want to carry your momentum across the hill while in shorter down the fall line turns you need to keep your momentum going downhill. And yes, PATIENCE. That is the trick to S turns, or just finishing the turns across the hill. Patience to start the turn, patience to finish the turn. Thanks for watching and all the best to you this upcoming season :)
"Most skiers don't understand that the ski flex (stiffness on the tip, middle, and tail) and length will determine the radius of the turn." The physical limitation of how tight a ski will be capable of turning - in a pure carve - is only dependent on the side cut. In the turn, the difference in width between the portion of the tip (on the snow), the narrowest part of the ski, and the tail (on the snow) - and the distances between these three points - is what physically enables this. It will vary with ski length, if those factors are the same only because you're measuring farther out on the circumference of the circle. The flex of the ski will only determine how easy it is to get the ski to bend as it's put on edge to form that part of the circumference of a circle. But, it's the sidecut that ultimately matters. I'm about the same age as you, I expect. Started skiing in 1964 and I'm 69 now. Raced in high school and college and at the age of 55, transitioned to telemark. Few things are easier for an experienced skier than carving in an alpine stance (or on a snowboard, for that matter) and my eyes have been opened to the physics of the turn, because few things are harder than carving in a telemark stance!
@@kayakutah "The physical limitation of how tight a ski will be capable of turning - in a pure carve - is only dependent on the side cut." You would be right if you where on a perfect flat piece of rockhard ice. In reality most snow conditions offer a lot of pressure related flex, and even with a straight ski, you'd be able to have a bit of radius. The sidecut helps a lot to bend the ski, however, on higher edge angles, the higher pressure will easily bend the ski even more than the sidecut. Imagine having 90 degrees edge angle: the sidecut middle will not even touch the snow anymore, and the tip and tail flex will be *only* dependant on pressure. When you have 0 degrees edge angle, there is no such effect. So gradually...from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, the effect of added pressure-flex will accumulate. On a 13m slalom ski, you can make shorter carved turns than 13m, provided you have high enough edge angles in the range of 70+ degrees or so. The radius is just a number so you can get a feeling of the rough radius that ski will deliver you. A good skier will get both longer and shorter radius carved turns out of them.
To summarize, finish the turn (skis briefly across the hill) to control speed. This can be either a carve (standard) or a quick foot swivel (if you’ve developed that skill), depending on situation.
I have been skiing a long time, but trying to ski fast, I often go into the defensive mode when I hit a steeper pitch. It is so good to hear you articulate that problem, showing how you can keep good turn shape and control speed at the same time. It is such a mental thing, and it is so good to hear is said so I can keep it in mind and hold my confidence when things get too fast. Thanks.
So nice to have been of any use. I dont like it when some skiers say that brushing a turn or even wedging is defensive skiing. Its not. Pointing your ski tips into the fall line is always a "go get it" move. And at some point every skier will slam on the brakes. Just watch a WC Down Hill race and every skier slams on the brakes after crossing the finishing line :) Cheers, Tom
Taking the slow line fast (staying in the carve) is a great feeling, and one you only rarely see among recreational skiers, especially when steeper. One way I describe it when teaching, is to tell the skier to imagine riding a bike down the slope with no brakes! You can, and sometimes should, not only ski perpendicular to the fall line - you can continue your arc all the way back up the hill! It takes practice, but it is a great way to stay in the carve, even on the steepest of slopes. It’s also a lot of fun! Ps - it’s slow. You cannot win races this way.
Thank you for great comment. Yes, it maybe slow and all of what you are saying is more or less true, but even in WC races, also in GS but particularly in SG and DH, is that even if they run wide or are very late in their line, they still keep the skis arcing even if the distance will be much longer because it is still the fastest way to ski a racing course, arcing, carving. As soon as they start skidding it is much slower. Thanks for watching, Cheers Tom
Hi Tom, your videos is best prep for upcoming season, better then squads, running, planks and all that boring sweaty stuff. They're really good. Thanks
Great to hear! Im not much of a runner myself but got me some new jogging shoes today. So, I will start a new life as of tomorrow.... today was raining and I didn't want to wet my new Brooks :) And thanks for watching :)
Nice one, Tom. One of the demos we had to do for full cert was transitioning from fast line slow to fast line fast. I personally don’t find the racers’ pivot, skid, edge particularly beautiful to watch but goddamn it is ruthlessly effective on the steep bulletproof ice they travel over. So I guess in its own way it is beautiful.
Be sure to check out all my entry level ski lessons. Before you can carve you need to be able to wedge. But they have a lot in common and turning and turn shape is equally important on the nursery slope as it is on a steeper slope. Cheers, T
Hi Tom, thanks for all your videos… I want to let you know I will be competing in my regional Master’s racing league this winter and also get trained for ski racing. You video really inspired me into ski racing and get better at skiing. All the best! James
That is awesome! Glad I could inspire you and give you motivation. I cannot see any other reason for going skiing at a small local hill 5 times a week other than bashing gates and feeling like a WC racer. I never check the weather in advance other than for waxing. I just GO. In what region are you skiing and what age group? I am in 55-59 for the last year now.
@@Triggerboy62 haha ... I will be in 30-35 group. My region is Mid-Alantic in US Eastern division ... I still have a lot to learn but I am very excited for winter and snow :)
Thank you for this great explanation! It was spooky to see that No. 3 came to me as an instinct, when people took me to steep slopes while I was still a beginner. I started skidding on the turns due to lack of angle, then to stop myself from skidding down on the icy slope, I realised I only needed to put the skis in high angle to keep me level (I wasn't carving before, but a nearby instructor told me I did the right thing). Going fast on the slow lane is the classy way to scale steeps slopes, so I'm keeping to that whenever possible since I started carving.
Your lessons are so clear and valuable! Thank you! Where do you coach in person? How can one get into your coaching group to get direct instructions? Thank you!
Thank you for watching. For the time being I teach at a local hill in the south of Finland but if you want some personal coaching online please contact me at tdk.skiracing@gmail.com. I would be glad to help you out.
Just finish your turns, possibly carving back up hill a bit until you reach the desirable speed. Yes, turn shape is the key. However #3 option, with some sort of ski tip pivot is not carving, plus there is skidding involved. Convoluted 'tip'. Just complete your turn, and change edges by moving your center of mass across your skis and down the hill. Not that complicated. Again, the pivot the tips 'tip' is weak and does not fulfil the goal of keep carving since it is not carving at turn initiation. There is a ski/foot 'pivot and not a smooth transition for the most part, which is the goal of carving throughout the turn. Just saying.
Thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, #3 is in the gray zone. However, as it is done at the top of the turn in a controlled manner and the most important part of the turn is carved it should be considered as carving. There is not a huge difference between #2 and #3. Anyway, it should be done only when pure carving is not possible.
@@Triggerboy62 My point is that if your strategy (goal) for the new turn is to 'pure carve', a pivot and skid is not in line with your tip #3. Most important part of the turn? Carving throughout is the stated goal. To pure carve with speed, finish your turn across and if needed up the hill until proper high speed under control goal is to your liking. Then (at the top of the turn) a sequential edge change (new outside ski, which at that phase is the uphill ski - diverging tips perhaps) and subtle weight transfer while maintaining speed is the key to carving high speed on steep terrain. This involves extension/retraction of both legs/feet. I don't get your distinction that a pivot at the "top of the turn" has any relevance or application. That manuver is not pure carving by your own definition. My other point is World Cup racing, is just that..., racing; be the fastest through gates. Gates are restrictive and rigid paths. This is not the goal of high speed carving. High speed carving on steep or otherwise is an expression of creativity with snow conditions and use of terrain.... and so much fun. There are no gates per se, only ones desire to carve and have a blast. Just saying.
Yes, you are right of course. The pivot at the top of the turn kind of turns it into a skidded turn and not a carved one. But good skidding is intentional skidding at the top of the turn and bad skidding is un-intentional skidding at the bottom half of the turn. Good skidding is also intentional skidding the whole turn if skidding is your intention. Thats why I put it last as an extra tip at the end of the video. Not really part of the lesson on how to carve properly to control your speed. Sounds reasonable?
I really enjoyed your video and instructional commentary. Controlling speed on steeper terrain is something I have been working on for several years. I found a few years back that continuing the turn parallel to the fall line really made all the difference in the world. I find when I really get after it the pivot happens naturally and I get a slingshot into the next turn. This works great on groomers, but when the conditions get variable or icy, skidding turns or at least a combination of carving and skidding seems necessary to keep the speed in check.
Variable conditions are tough I know. And yes, the pivot comes to me naturally now also. I find that I much rather start with a pivot and then hook up in a carve when I feel confident and really cut through the aft part of the turn carving cleanly. Cheers, Tom
I'd never heard it called skiing the slow line fast until now, but it is spot on. I was lucky to learn my skiing by following the tracks of a member of the Swiss national team. He said "It's simple: Every joint from your skis to your head must be flexed; Stand taller to release the edges; Rest your shin on the front of one boot at a time and point the femur of that leg where you want to go; Keep your chest facing downhill; And remember ABC - Always Be Carving". He NEVER let his skis run flat. Skiing is dynamic, so speed is as essential as it js to riding a bike. And a knife only cuts paper if you draw it fast. So don't use the skis to spread butter, make the edges cut the crust. You dissipate excess speed by skiing across the fall line - or even uphill - and ABC. When you feel that variable or icy snow, make a note-to-self: "I feel the need, the need for speed". There are a few GoPro videos of skiing the Grande Couloir at Courchevel, all by fair skiers. But one is by former Olympic skier Graham Bell. Compare the others with how Bell skis the arrête down to the top of the couloir, and you'll see exactly what I mean. I hope this helps.
Your video also highlighted to me the need to eliminate traditional pole plants while carving/racing at higher speed, very good instruction, thank you.
Many thanks! Glad you like the slower pace as it is quit hard to do. For me anyway, so eager to tell you guys as much as I can in the shortest time hahahaa reg. Tom
I don't how this got recommended to me but thank you. It's been a decade since I had a full season under my belt and 13 years since I had a lesson. I was taught #1 and I have it down pretty well but I want to carve. I see these old folks just cruising on diamond and I'm dyimg. It's that wider carving with the kick out at the beginning instead of at the end that I'm missing. I'm gonna give it a go. I've been trying to line match people who are clearly better than me and I've improved a lot over this season just matching lines left by others. Thanks for the video hopefully I'll be the one laying lines down for others to follow.
Hi. Welcome back to the sport. Have you seen my video on how to learn carving: ruclips.net/video/vaPDpU1_OrU/видео.html How to carve on steeps and how to stay low are more advanced concepts. Cheers, T
Excellent explanation. Just yesterday I found myself getting defensive and a bit out of control, I’ll be ruminating on this and hopefully doing this next time out
That used to be my problem also. And I get so tired of listening to the WC TV commentary explaining how well all the best skiers carve all the time even on very steep slopes. They dont, educate yourself payed experts :)
Nice job! as most of your videos are. I'm PSIA level 3 and USSA level 3. Couldn't have said it better myself. I hope many appreciate and follow your advice.
Yes, this is true. Im however not a really big fan of having newbies ski uphill.... against traffic. Its bad enough for them to go across the slope. But newbies do not really go to steeper terrain and carve.... However, I also sometimes tell my students that if their speed increases too much and they want to slow down, instead of panicking or sitting down they should steer their skis uphill. Sort of a bunny hill concept. They stop instantly. Yes, it builds confidence. I should make a video of that. Thanks for pointing it out :)
Great video - very helpful you talk about the old style skidding. I learnt skiing that way and never really got into carving proper. I am competent on tough black slopes my style, but it seems to take more effort (and less style). Young instructors often don’t know the old style and have difficulty to explain the difference to us Oldtimers.
Thats why Im here. Im trying to explain how we skied in the old days and why that kind of skiing is still relevant. Have you seen my video HOW TO SKI CRUD? Check it out, you are going to love it. Cheers, Tom
Perfect - I've been looking for the answer - always skidding at the turn beginning on steep terrain to control speed. I find the steeper pitch requires more commitment at the turn apex and agree with the pivot on pitchy terrain. They do it in the World Cup!
Yes, but that is the million dollar trick. Now we can even ski with GS skis on groomers with other people around. Keeping the speed down and making sharper turns.
Sweet, I never had many lessons but did some big mountain comps. Its cool to see the theory behind what my skis taught me and it may make me more conscious of what the heck im doing.
Good point. The best coach and instructor we have lies underneath our skis, the mountain. It will teach you everything if you only let it. In good ski instruction and coaching we always make all our movements and moves in harmony and dictated by the conditions and circumstances at hand. Cheers, Tom
Spot on, great video very well explained especially the last technique which I view as the technique that was required back in the day on straight skis and now utilized more easily with shaped skis!
Exactly. Well put statement. I think that people are more and more evolving into blending "old-school" technique with new technique. The old technique never really went away, it just became unpopular and as we know, fashion always come back. Cheers, T
Probably worth noting that there are two variations within "how the pros do it". Chris is steering the skis into the turn and then drifting out to the apex, where he hooks up into the carve. That's a very traditional approach in racing. The more modern approach, especially for GS and SG, is to again steer the skis into the turn and "tap the brakes", but then steer them back "out" to engage the carve well above the turn apex. It's a somewhat tricky move in that it requires really good balance (especially fore/aft) but it's extremely effective. The pros do it so quickly that it often only lasts a few frames in video.
Yes, that is true. I should make a video of that move. I saw a Canadian ski racing video many years ago where juniors of all ages were training. That's where I picked up that drill, a short drift sideways during the approach and then re-engage the edges before apex. I tried to make a demo at some point but the slope needs to be wide and open, flat, icy and hard. Never really worked out. And not many of my racers are able to do such move. Thanks for expanding this topic a bit. You know your stuff! Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I think that a lot of it is fore-aft balance. A lot of people seem to push their heels out when they skid, and if you're drifting out to the apex you can get away with that since you'll transition to carving deep into the belly of the turn. If you're going to steer back out into a carve above the gate then you really have to focus on driving "straight through" the skid with your weight forward, to enable a strong initiation. At least that's the mental image that worked for me. Obviously you also have to be building edge angles at the same time so that you come out of the skid ready to carve through the paex, but that wasn't the hard part IME. The combination of staying forward and building angles means that you have to skid with your body basically starting to fall down the hill, and that's why it's a lot easier on flatter slopes. That makes it all the more impressive when pros do it in the steepest parts of courses like Alta Badia (did you see Odermatt's runs this year, and Zubcic's second run in the first race?)
Carving is the most fun there is in skiing, great to see a video explaining how to do it on black runs without taking up the whole piste ;) thanks! Earned a new subscriber :))
Thanks a million for such good words on the content of the video and for watching. I have lots of videos on my channel so go to my playlists and choose a topic that interests. Reg. Tom
Thanks for watching. Yes, staying in the fall line is nice but can get out of hand. I have found a lot more use of easy slopes after the carving ski came along. Too steep slopes are dangerous to carve.
I come back to refresh the technique every time I go back to the slopes. 💪💪 Thank you so much. I am able to ski even European black slopes (even though with my particular style 🤭).
Good to hear you have your own style. Too little credit is given to "style". Back in the old days at mogul competitions you would get judged by style. Thanks for watching and great to hear you now ski blacks. Cheers, Tom
Great lightening on your face, very nice background. Improvement in video making tools. Music good as always. Waiting for new videos. Best regards from Bosnia
I just got a pair of Fischer RC4. So much fun but very large energy output. But these ski's are happy and easy to ride in longer turns too. NZ skiing spring freeze thaw conditions September 👍
Thanks and thanks for watching. Yes, the fast line slow is great as well. It is actually becoming quite out of the ordinary. Zipperline mogul skiing for example is the ultimate FLS and how often do you see that? Cheers, Tom
Good illustration, thanks! There's one more technique the skier is using beautifully, which isn't mentioned, and that is making a strong, fast switch to the new edge, to drive a tight arc with a high edge angle at the start of the new turn. If you are a little lazy at the start of the turn, you'll be in the fall line too long and won't be able to control your speed.
This was great because it illustrated what I do (fast line slow) instead of what I should be doing. This I kill my legs very fast going down the mountain trying to shed off speed.
Before carving skis were a thing, we used long skis to get the edges to carve, and long turns. With my weight and height, that meant 203s, and I loved every centimeter of those edges. Your note on that last clip was perhaps the most important: Carving the slow line fast works on an icy surface - really well - and even on polished ice, there's often a little powder scraped to the edges of the piste which helps with the turns too. I do so want to get back to Tyrol...
Dont we all want to go back to Tyrol.... also for the skiing hahahaaa. Anyway, thanks for watching and leaving a comment. We still use long skis as our GS and SG skis are 190-210. Those are serious carving boards and really fun to ski on. Reg T
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. Hopefully your season will start soon. I had already forgotten how much fun it was. Greetings from Levi :)
one more thing, hard pack? I hear you. We are at the Levi WC event and have been skiing on their training slopes all week. This is hard pack next level. Its bloody solid hockey rink ice slanted at an angle. I cannot understand how they can ski like that. Carving like it was a walk in the park. At least thats what it looks like. My tip for skiing in conditions like this: dont. Hahaha... greetings from Levi!
Please do. It is actually so useful you will never ski like you did before. Now as you hit the steeper parts of the slope you continue ripping like before but with control. It will make you a much more versatile skier. However, the secret lies in how you manage to engage the ski edges into a carve after the pivot. You need to be aggressive and dictate the skid and the carve. Good luck :)
@@Triggerboy62 I usually initiate the carve turn by moving my old downhill knee into the new direction accompanied with ankle roll to change edges, it seems that this would work at the same time as the pivot or a fraction later. Just thinking!
Yeah, first you release the turn by flexing your outside ski upwards. Then you tip it into the turn. If you are making a pivot the release and the inside leg tipping is the same. The tipping also happens during the pivot as you so correctly pointed out.
It also helps to crouch low to get more tip angle; to press hard on the shovels to make the ski bend; and to start the carve well before the fall line.
Yes, you need to get as much pressure as you can to the tips of your skis. Best way to do that is by tipping the skis on edge and being "forwards" but what people do not really understand is how much "forwards" you need to be. A whole lot. Thanks for pointing that out. Did you see my how to be forwards video? Here: ruclips.net/video/0760JW5AjW4/видео.html Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I just watched it. Excellent idea for getting the feel of being forward! I will show this to friends. By the way, a funny expression to describe the way most people stand on their skis, with their arms to their sides, is "waiting for the bus." I'm not sure why people are hesitant to press forward but it affects 95% of all skiers, who load the tails of their skis rather than the front. They are bending only half of the ski.
From other videos I've heard this 3rd option called a Stivot turn. When watching World Cup slalom & GS races, I noticed that often times they would actually hop into a brief skid at the apex of the turn. It surprised me that they weren't making pure carved turns. One video explained that some of the gates were being set closer than turning radius of the ski thus the racers had to skid a bit which is apparently the fastest route for them. I have inadvertently used this method in my drastically lower level of skiing as a way of controlling my speed on what are to me, steep areas. Others I've seen do not seem to consider them steep enough to warrant trying to control their speed. Being in my mid 70's, I no longer abide by that old "saw" that "if you're not falling, you're not skiing".
Last season I skied well over 100 days. I think I fell once. Note that I train SL and compete at national masters level on a weekly basis. Someone could argue that I don't ski fast enough as I could ski faster but being over 60 I appreciate having fun more than winning. And staying healthy and skiing is what matters. Besides, I have hip issues that I do not want to get any worse. So, I also do not abide by that old saying. That makes two of us :) The skidding before a gate in WC racing is indeed more common than you think. It is a bit old school to try to carve every turn cleanly. Especially on a racing track. But there are a few techniques that are used. A "stivot" as you mention is a brief braking movement where you throw your skis sideways at the top of the turn way before apex. You then lock your skis back in a carve and carve the turn through. The other technique is to skid before you lock your skis in a carve so that you are not making a very drastic sideways pivot with the skis like in a stivot. I need to make more videos on that topic. Did you watch the Carving Low video? Or How to Carve like a Boss? Those are touching on the topic. Cheers, Tom
Great video! I have 1 issue with the Slow Line Fast Technique - I find many of the skiers that do this are the least self-aware skiers on the hill - and they have attitude to boot that they own the hill while doing it. They will ski across the entire pitch out of nowhere, not look uphill with skiers around them having to bail left&right to avoid them. With beginner skiers you know they're beginners so you plan accordingly - with this group, they can ski but are blind like snow-boarders
Thanks for sharing! You are perfectly right. BTW, have you checked my video on how to carve safely? I always try to look back up the hill at whats behind me before I start to ski down. I much rather have "great fast" skiers in front than behind. So I never try to put anyone at danger. And I also try to educate all my students to do the same. As racers we usually always train free skiing under strict discipline that we never ski close to each other and watch out for other people if we dont have a slope reserved for our use. Happy New Year, Tom and sons
@@Triggerboy62 I trust the racers, like race car drivers on a track, they are comfortable staying in their lane and will generally stick to a predictable lane width. What I see, since the growth of carving has really taken off, is that when even really good skiers start to do these teaching-type slow line fast drills, for some reason their entire brain just shuts off in terms of hill awareness. I've stolen a line from the movie Hunt for Red October (crazy-Ivan), and that is, they will be skiing like a good skier skis, and then out of nowhere, they will do one of these crazy-Ivan fast slow-line turns and just cut across the mountain into oncoming traffic with no idea of the chaos that they are causing - and you can see in their mind they are working on that perfect ski-instructor type turn. I now see this all the time - basically in a midlife moment to re-capture their youth and become a better modern skier that can carve, they enter the take lesson teaching realm of perfect turns and just start doing crazy-Ivan's all over the hill. Love your channel. Thanks for the videos - my favorite is your recent (How to CARVE LOW - WC Technique + DRILL)
Exactly. People underestimate what great physics will do. And its one area where you, if you have the attributes, age and health, can be as good as any WC ski racer. Or close anyway. Yes, lets do those squats and burpies one more time :)
Yay, thank you! Thanks for watching. Yes, this video was long overdue but there are more to come. Got a huge amount of material to release before the new season hits in.
Good to hear. Yes,, controlling speed is the most important issue when carving. Being able to control it means that we can go even faster. We go faster when we can and want and go slower when we need. Both by line selection and pivoting the top part of the turn. Yes, smarter, not harder, brilliant expression, Cheer Tom
Subscribed! You have a lot of good content. I am living in New Zealands best ski town. It's halfway through a very good snow season. Queenstown NZ. Thank you for your videos!
Great to hear I have been an inspiration. That is actually my main objective both here and out on the mountain, to inspire people. My ancestors come from Scotland back in 1860's. I so long to ski there some day. Thanks for watching and all the best to you this coming season :)
@@Triggerboy62 I love learning from your videos especially when you explain in detail. And I am so happy that I could actually watch this one. I am just learning to race. I am Autistic and I am also a Special Olympics racer. It is impossible for me to watch your older videos because the music you used in them is neurologically triggering and it would cause me to have big and painful meltdowns. But this video has music that my brain can actually process so I was able to enjoy it. I would love to watch and learn from so many videos but when there is a heavy bass beat, in the music, or if they use fast music like rap, I can end up in shock and in the hospital. So I hope that your future videos can also have softer music so that I can keep learning from you. Thank you again.
wow, first, thanks for watching and leaving such an inspiring comment. It feels great to be able to reach out to a new audience and nothing better than getting feedback like this. I put a lot of time choosing the music as I am a part time musician myself but never taught the music would have that kind of impact on a viewer. Maybe the 14 Essentials would be an ok movie to watch for you. At the beginning there are a few seconds of heavier beat but most of the video is without music at all. At the end my favorite video music track kicks in with that mellow folk type vibes: ruclips.net/video/YdHnGNzr2uw/видео.html I also did a few videos of other para skiers: ruclips.net/video/8VjkMD9_0JQ/видео.html ruclips.net/video/5Wd_7pa3yoo/видео.html ruclips.net/video/5KHrYX638l0/видео.html Be sure to turn the music down at the start of the video not to have a meltdown :) I will pay more attention to the music, I promiss :)
The problem with this technique is that you need as fairly empty slope to do the wide, carving turns that you are suggesting. There is nothing worse than a fast skier ploughing into you or very close to you from behind if you are coming down the slope and that is what would happen here if the slope is busy.
When you increase your turn size in high speed, you will also keep slowing by hitting all the people who don't expect you to pull such a wide turn :)
Yes, you are perfectly right. We have plenty of video material where amateurs are blocking our piste. Note, "OUR" piste. We ski like we own it LOL. Which is not the case. Our SG training sessions are 6 oclock in the morning when the slopes are closed.
Yep, especially on those narrow pistes.
@@Triggerboy62 Of course a person can vary turn shape depending on where other people are on the slope - all turns don't have to be either close to the fall line or the opposite. I have one criticism of the skid being demonstrated which happens when slopes become hard packed or icy. They guy showing off the skid seemed to be doing most of his skid in the last third of the turn. That means having to do a lot of things just before the transition, including reestablishing the edge across the fall line. Just my opinion.
@@TheGruntski Yep, everyone starts taking wider turns in the zones many of just straightline through.
@@jeepmor Yup you can straight line through if you wish but in some cases with some people that's really just a panic move. Anyway, I was responding to the video content. If people do desire to control speed by skidding they should not skid the tails out at the end of the turn. There's no real need to skid on a nice smooth slope.
The timing of this is just so perfect!! I always go into defensive when getting into steeper runs and start doing slide turns which is not carving obviously. Then I lose my rhythm and find it hard to get back into carving again which frustrates the hell out of me. So thank you so much for how to maintain carving with getting into steeper runs! I will practice this tomorrow!
Wow, not many girls/women watch my content on my channel, according to the analytics anyway, so I am really thrilled to hear from you. Glad the timing was perfect. Hopefully I was able to give you some tips on how to overcome being "defensive". And nice to hear that someone is out skiing as we are slowly only approaching our season here in northern Europe. reg. Tom
Choose your slope, a smooth one, bumps and cross slopes don't help practicing or generally for carved turns. Shallow slope open wavey S's, bit steeper (blues) close the S by coming across the slope (as he said), Steeper still (red-black) big linked C's and even continue a little bit up the hill if you want to bring the speed down. Fall into each turn with a carve and if you speed check with a slide or because someone is in the track don't worry, finishing the turn still in a carve will come with confidence and choosing the right terrain. Hope this helps.
@@Triggerboy62, plenty of women seek out video ski tips, so pls don't be surprised at your audience of females (many of us baby boomers!). The best tip I ever got years ago re conquering steep turns was to perfect SHORT turns. That rhythm of quick carving made all the difference to me in enjoying steep slopes.
@@Triggerboy62, plenty of women seek out ski tips, so pls don't be surprised at your audience of females (many of us baby boomers!). The best tip I ever got years ago re conquering steep turns was to perfect SHORT turns. That rhythm of quick carving made all the difference to me in enjoying steep slopes.
yes, the Elite Skiing FB Group is great and Im glad to see many of my videos ending up there for viewing and conversation. Im honored actually. Anyway, have you seen my video on safe carving: ruclips.net/video/UgbU38mjjj8/видео.html
The pivot is a great concept or technique of scrubbing off speed. Do a quick search on my channel for "pivot" and you will see lots of videos. The most comprehensive one is the one on Line Selection. You actually combine an old fashion style parallel turn entry with a carved belly and exit part of the turn.
Over 50 years of skiing and still passionately anticipating many more years!
Thanks for watching. Yes, I have 55y under the belt and still so many places to visit so mamy slopes to ski 🙂
I call it skiing with your down hill fist. I find that if you steer with your hands, or fists, it helps to stabilise the turn. For some extraordinary reason , call it magic, the initiation of the turn starts with the uphill fist “talking to “ the uphill ski and directing the turn, and in no time the uphill fist has become the downhill fist. The final session of video shows this very well. He is a very “fisty” skier.
It is lovely to watch. Thank you.
Great tip, I must remember this when I go skiing tomorrow. Cheers, T
Woah there with the fisting... we all know where that joke thread goes...Hands are important and it is important not to thimk about fists but let the hands conduct the orchestra don't let anyone know the secret daddy. My coach told me that.
The hard part of method 2 is on an even moderately crowded day you take up a lot more of the mountain. It becomes difficult on narrow pitches and on wide runs it dramatically increase risk of collision. I've had a couple close calls and am very careful before using technique 2. It's fun but I've been working on using more of technique 3 to stay closer to the fall line.
You are perfectly right. I also use technique 3 most of the time. Hardly ever carve 100% all the time. That is kind of a bit outdated IMO. Not very useful anyways as slopes are so crowded nowadays. Did you see this video: ruclips.net/video/UgbU38mjjj8/видео.html
It's one reason why I quite enjoy those wide, steep red runs. As long as there's plenty of space, I don't mind a bit of excess speed because I'm confident enough to know that I have plenty space to deal with a minor mistake or if I suddenly have to avoid someone.
Very clear exposition. I too end up skidding turns once the slope gets steep. I love the simplicity of the "fast line slow" vs the "slow line fast" and I'm looking forward to trying the latter (safely) on my next ski trip.
Right on! Have fun and you have the exact right approach, safely! Always use a helmet and a back protector and have eyes at the back of your helmet :)
Cheers, Tom
I been skiing for 16 years, 4 years of racing, and since then been a combination from skiing in resort to backcountry, randonnee, etc. And you´ve accomplished explaining what most instructors (who love the snow same way as I do) can´t. Thank you for such a useful video!
Thank you 🙏
There are many tips for beginners online but very few useful tips for advanced skiers who want to polish their skills. You do a great job by filling this gap. Keep up the good work!
Cool, thanks! Great feedback as that is kind of what my mission is all about. Thanks for watching and more to come... this weekend a WC ski racer training... :)
As a beginner skier learning how to carve and be able to carve down steeper slopes, I found this video very helpful!! Thank you!!!
Great to hear! And thanks for watching :)
I watched this video before going skiing in Colorado. It had been almost 35 years since I skied really steep runs. Once there, I practiced the techniques on a few steeper blue runs first then took them to the groomed black runs. I am so glad I watched this video before I went. I found that my confidence built as the day went on and I was able to handle the steeps with improving skills. I found that I progressed to being able to ski the slow line fast. I also found, as another comment mentioned, that at times I could actually maintain the arc and go slightly up the slope to slow even further If I desired. I will continue to practice these techniques. Thanks for the great video!!
Thank you for watching and all your good words on my video. Glad you found it useful. Cheers, Tom
Thanks for your comment on pivoting: I'm always disagreeing with coaches saying you have to maintain contact with the snow all the time, while my experience and watching FIS slalom says otherwise, especially on steep slopes. Skiing is dynamic and never say never. Also all bodies are different and styles differ
Thanks for watching and glad to find someone to appreciate the pivot. I have during my coaching years here on YT gotten a lot of feedback from skiers and racers tired of that never ending jargon of "early pressure" and never turn below the gate that they get from coaches out on the hill. That pivot is really what it is all about. Chris is a master of perfecting that kind of technique. And you are right, not all skiers are the same. I never try to change the way a (junior) skier skis naturally. I always try to have him/her retain their own style. Just tweak it where obvious mistakes are made.
The good old days, had to laugh, I remember them well.
I've never been instructed, but I feel it's most natural to pivot. It's when I stop doing it, that I start to feel fear creeping in. As long as I'm like "YEAH!" and jumping into my turns, it's a blast, and I go down stuff I never thought I could. I hope to ski a lot more this year. Great comment! Makes me feel less like an idiot.
After 30 years of not skiing, now back on a holiday with my son doing reds after a disaster of a first day. I was quite confused with all the pure carving going on. I must say this new type of ski is basically the perfect ski type for this old skidder. I do think I start every turn with a touch of pivot and then lean and carve the rest of the turn. It's a versatile technique suited for any slope.
My son is something different though, he is light and smooth on the skis and flows through steep reds like they weren't there. He couldn't understand what I was trying to explain, because he never had to endure those narrow 2m long planks.
A revelation!! I can carve a decent turn on medium flat terrain, then look like I've never skiied before in my life when it gets steep! Fantastic information!
Great to hear. We learn new stuff all the time. Cheers, Tom
I ski 47 years and have no problems with all this. My turns are very short, flat or steep, with or without bumps. As soon as bumps are arriving you can quit carving because it is not possible. I do like carving now and then but, I am down the hill in a minute. But, steep with big bumps is the most fun, also because almost nobody can ski them nowadays. In an elegant way with super fast turns.
By the way, nice video, very good explanation 👏
Thanks and thanks for watching. Cheers, Tom
Every bump is an opportunity for an easy turn as you get free mobility under your skis. I was taught to ski around them but I never got the hang of that. Too much forces going on in the down part, so I just attack them and make them do the hard work for me.
Great great great video. As a skier who was greatly influenced by Harold harbes ski the fast line slow. I find this is still so true today. By loved laying down railroad tracks in the snow with the old Tech skis. But of course that meant picking up a lot of speed and making long long long radius turns. I mostly ski small hills in the Midwest. I remember once, me and my buddies said( three turns to the bottom). The new technology has certainly made carving and believing railroad track slices in the snow easier and made carving more versatile. I have loved laying down the " railroad tracks" in the snow, ever since Harold harbes book came out. And have been doing it ever since with the new versatility and fun and he's that the new side cuts allow. Midwest snow is can be hard and ice., sometimes point a loose powdery covering on top. Carving allows me to ski that surfaced silently! If it gets crowded and I need to control my path and speed, I will skip my turns at times and I just hate the sound of the sea scraping on ice. One last thought!! Being able to carve turns down the slope has
Yes, your ears will tell you how well you carve. Cheers, T
Thank you for this unique explanation. Skiing the slow line fast concept has improved my skill significantly and I can do slopes with more confidence now. You’re a great teacher 🙏
Wow, what great feedback. There is nothing better than a viewer that got some value out of the lesson. Cheers, Tom
I love your tips, they always make sense and are easy to implement 😊
Thanks, T
Some of these things instinctively happen but it's sloppy and I have no confidence. These videos help me confirm what I'm doing and really add polish to my skiing. It's a win-win
Thanks :)
skis sharpened frequently (every 4-5 days of use in normal conditions) will give a huge confidence boost on firmer snow like in this video. I can look similar on dull skis in the same snow, but it takes significantly more balance, effort, and skill (often to the degree of impossibility if you don't already have the confidence on good skis). It's a great drill to improve, but i see dull skis as just that... a drill
@@GamerBrosJAndM agreed. Wax and sharpen make all the difference
I've been working on controlling my speed and technique on steeper terrain this past week. The video helped a lot. I still struggle controlling the shape of my turn and speed on steep terrain that's also skied out and bumpy. Adding an actual carving ski to my quiver was a game changer. Now I can feel how flexing the ski and foot pressure changes the shape of the turn. Thank you for the tips!
Thanks for watching and glad I could help. Be sure to watch other carving videos with tips and tricks for improving. Cheers, Tom
another year, another major advancement in Triggerboy62's video technology. Cheers, mate, looking forward to more!
You bet! More to come. Thanks for watching, and check us out on IG as well for more casual content :)
I'm an old skier (on Medicare) that can carve on any icy slope that is very steep without accelerating (keeping my speed constant). How do I do that? In the old days we used to call them "S" turns. You start the weight transfer to the uphill ski early (like Shiffrin does) and continue to have moderate angulation and ski pressure. I'm not asking for a "J" turn where you pressure the skis at the end of the turn which BTW due to physics is where the skis are most likely to come out of a carve and start skidding. This is where is carve/steer part of the turn is appropriate. Racers are taught to press and angulate harshly, and then get into a floating edge lock between turns. This is fine for racing and is appropriate for slalom, but if you just continue with moderate pressure and edging the skis, will do the work and they will ARC to finish a "S" turn where you will end up fully across the hill. This takes PATIENCE to let the skis finish the turn.
Most skiers don't understand that the ski flex (stiffness on the tip, middle, and tail) and length will determine the radius of the turn. The FIS knows this as they classify skis by radius. For instance, GS skis on the WC are now 30m radius skis. Ten years ago when the FIS had 35m radius skis mandated, only guys like Ted Liggety figured out to use a stivot to make the turn. Basically it entailed carving the first part of the turn, skidding to make the gate, and then edge lock to the next gate. This is an ugly way to turn a pair of skis. BTW watch a GS race and you will see in many turns the slightly longer distance with a more carved "S" radius turn is faster than a GS "J" turn or stivot. However, in racing you are limited by the real estate between turns. When a coach puts up a fast course with maximum distance between turns and a very difficult shorter gate sequence comes up, even skiers like Shiffrin will have to use a stivot, otherwise they fail to make the gate and are disqualified.
Also your upper body also determines the radius of the turn. If you upper body follows the skis direction you will be making a turn that is decided by the sidecut, flex, and length of the skis. If your upper body (i.e. center of mass) is always facing downhill your legs will wind up and then be released to make a shorter turn. After your legs are released, don't immediately start a new turn, but rather let them finish the turn. PATIENCE...PATIENCE...PATIENCE
Great posting. Thanks. I frequently talk about the difference between long and short turns. Both exist in both SL and GS so it is useful to be able to use both techniques. It is all about carrying the momentum. In longer turns across the hill you want to carry your momentum across the hill while in shorter down the fall line turns you need to keep your momentum going downhill. And yes, PATIENCE. That is the trick to S turns, or just finishing the turns across the hill. Patience to start the turn, patience to finish the turn.
Thanks for watching and all the best to you this upcoming season :)
"Most skiers don't understand that the ski flex (stiffness on the tip, middle, and tail) and length will determine the radius of the turn."
The physical limitation of how tight a ski will be capable of turning - in a pure carve - is only dependent on the side cut. In the turn, the difference in width between the portion of the tip (on the snow), the narrowest part of the ski, and the tail (on the snow) - and the distances between these three points - is what physically enables this. It will vary with ski length, if those factors are the same only because you're measuring farther out on the circumference of the circle. The flex of the ski will only determine how easy it is to get the ski to bend as it's put on edge to form that part of the circumference of a circle. But, it's the sidecut that ultimately matters.
I'm about the same age as you, I expect. Started skiing in 1964 and I'm 69 now. Raced in high school and college and at the age of 55, transitioned to telemark. Few things are easier for an experienced skier than carving in an alpine stance (or on a snowboard, for that matter) and my eyes have been opened to the physics of the turn, because few things are harder than carving in a telemark stance!
@@kayakutah "The physical limitation of how tight a ski will be capable of turning - in a pure carve - is only dependent on the side cut." You would be right if you where on a perfect flat piece of rockhard ice. In reality most snow conditions offer a lot of pressure related flex, and even with a straight ski, you'd be able to have a bit of radius.
The sidecut helps a lot to bend the ski, however, on higher edge angles, the higher pressure will easily bend the ski even more than the sidecut.
Imagine having 90 degrees edge angle: the sidecut middle will not even touch the snow anymore, and the tip and tail flex will be *only* dependant on pressure. When you have 0 degrees edge angle, there is no such effect. So gradually...from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, the effect of added pressure-flex will accumulate. On a 13m slalom ski, you can make shorter carved turns than 13m, provided you have high enough edge angles in the range of 70+ degrees or so.
The radius is just a number so you can get a feeling of the rough radius that ski will deliver you. A good skier will get both longer and shorter radius carved turns out of them.
To summarize, finish the turn (skis briefly across the hill) to control speed. This can be either a carve (standard) or a quick foot swivel (if you’ve developed that skill), depending on situation.
Ditto! I’m 66. started when I was 5. ski and think like you. You just wrote it all down! Thanks, Wendell
I have been skiing a long time, but trying to ski fast, I often go into the defensive mode when I hit a steeper pitch. It is so good to hear you articulate that problem, showing how you can keep good turn shape and control speed at the same time. It is such a mental thing, and it is so good to hear is said so I can keep it in mind and hold my confidence when things get too fast. Thanks.
So nice to have been of any use. I dont like it when some skiers say that brushing a turn or even wedging is defensive skiing. Its not. Pointing your ski tips into the fall line is always a "go get it" move. And at some point every skier will slam on the brakes. Just watch a WC Down Hill race and every skier slams on the brakes after crossing the finishing line :)
Cheers, Tom
Taking the slow line fast (staying in the carve) is a great feeling, and one you only rarely see among recreational skiers, especially when steeper.
One way I describe it when teaching, is to tell the skier to imagine riding a bike down the slope with no brakes! You can, and sometimes should, not only ski perpendicular to the fall line - you can continue your arc all the way back up the hill!
It takes practice, but it is a great way to stay in the carve, even on the steepest of slopes. It’s also a lot of fun!
Ps - it’s slow. You cannot win races this way.
Thank you for great comment. Yes, it maybe slow and all of what you are saying is more or less true, but even in WC races, also in GS but particularly in SG and DH, is that even if they run wide or are very late in their line, they still keep the skis arcing even if the distance will be much longer because it is still the fastest way to ski a racing course, arcing, carving. As soon as they start skidding it is much slower. Thanks for watching, Cheers Tom
Hi Tom, your videos is best prep for upcoming season, better then squads, running, planks and all that boring sweaty stuff. They're really good. Thanks
Great to hear! Im not much of a runner myself but got me some new jogging shoes today. So, I will start a new life as of tomorrow.... today was raining and I didn't want to wet my new Brooks :)
And thanks for watching :)
Nice one, Tom. One of the demos we had to do for full cert was transitioning from fast line slow to fast line fast. I personally don’t find the racers’ pivot, skid, edge particularly beautiful to watch but goddamn it is ruthlessly effective on the steep bulletproof ice they travel over. So I guess in its own way it is beautiful.
Thanks :)
I'm going skiing next month for the first time and this is very useful. I will try this on nursery slope. 👌
Be sure to check out all my entry level ski lessons. Before you can carve you need to be able to wedge. But they have a lot in common and turning and turn shape is equally important on the nursery slope as it is on a steeper slope. Cheers, T
Hi Tom, thanks for all your videos… I want to let you know I will be competing in my regional Master’s racing league this winter and also get trained for ski racing. You video really inspired me into ski racing and get better at skiing.
All the best! James
That is awesome! Glad I could inspire you and give you motivation. I cannot see any other reason for going skiing at a small local hill 5 times a week other than bashing gates and feeling like a WC racer. I never check the weather in advance other than for waxing. I just GO. In what region are you skiing and what age group? I am in 55-59 for the last year now.
@@Triggerboy62 haha ... I will be in 30-35 group. My region is Mid-Alantic in US Eastern division ... I still have a lot to learn but I am very excited for winter and snow :)
Hey, you will have a long career ahead of you as a masters skier if you are in that group. Be sure to trust yourself. Be your own coach.
Thank you for this great explanation! It was spooky to see that No. 3 came to me as an instinct, when people took me to steep slopes while I was still a beginner. I started skidding on the turns due to lack of angle, then to stop myself from skidding down on the icy slope, I realised I only needed to put the skis in high angle to keep me level (I wasn't carving before, but a nearby instructor told me I did the right thing). Going fast on the slow lane is the classy way to scale steeps slopes, so I'm keeping to that whenever possible since I started carving.
Sounds like you got it. Thanks for watching and have a great season! Cheers, Tom
Your lessons are so clear and valuable! Thank you! Where do you coach in person? How can one get into your coaching group to get direct instructions? Thank you!
Thank you for watching. For the time being I teach at a local hill in the south of Finland but if you want some personal coaching online please contact me at tdk.skiracing@gmail.com. I would be glad to help you out.
Just finish your turns, possibly carving back up hill a bit until you reach the desirable speed. Yes, turn shape is the key. However #3 option, with some sort of ski tip pivot is not carving, plus there is skidding involved. Convoluted 'tip'. Just complete your turn, and change edges by moving your center of mass across your skis and down the hill. Not that complicated. Again, the pivot the tips 'tip' is weak and does not fulfil the goal of keep carving since it is not carving at turn initiation. There is a ski/foot 'pivot and not a smooth transition for the most part, which is the goal of carving throughout the turn. Just saying.
Thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, #3 is in the gray zone. However, as it is done at the top of the turn in a controlled manner and the most important part of the turn is carved it should be considered as carving. There is not a huge difference between #2 and #3. Anyway, it should be done only when pure carving is not possible.
@@Triggerboy62 My point is that if your strategy (goal) for the new turn is to 'pure carve', a pivot and skid is not in line with your tip #3. Most important part of the turn? Carving throughout is the stated goal. To pure carve with speed, finish your turn across and if needed up the hill until proper high speed under control goal is to your liking. Then (at the top of the turn) a sequential edge change (new outside ski, which at that phase is the uphill ski - diverging tips perhaps) and subtle weight transfer while maintaining speed is the key to carving high speed on steep terrain. This involves extension/retraction of both legs/feet. I don't get your distinction that a pivot at the "top of the turn" has any relevance or application. That manuver is not pure carving by your own definition. My other point is World Cup racing, is just that..., racing; be the fastest through gates. Gates are restrictive and rigid paths. This is not the goal of high speed carving. High speed carving on steep or otherwise is an expression of creativity with snow conditions and use of terrain.... and so much fun. There are no gates per se, only ones desire to carve and have a blast. Just saying.
Yes, you are right of course. The pivot at the top of the turn kind of turns it into a skidded turn and not a carved one. But good skidding is intentional skidding at the top of the turn and bad skidding is un-intentional skidding at the bottom half of the turn. Good skidding is also intentional skidding the whole turn if skidding is your intention. Thats why I put it last as an extra tip at the end of the video. Not really part of the lesson on how to carve properly to control your speed. Sounds reasonable?
I really enjoyed your video and instructional commentary. Controlling speed on steeper terrain is something I have been working on for several years. I found a few years back that continuing the turn parallel to the fall line really made all the difference in the world. I find when I really get after it the pivot happens naturally and I get a slingshot into the next turn. This works great on groomers, but when the conditions get variable or icy, skidding turns or at least a combination of carving and skidding seems necessary to keep the speed in check.
Variable conditions are tough I know. And yes, the pivot comes to me naturally now also. I find that I much rather start with a pivot and then hook up in a carve when I feel confident and really cut through the aft part of the turn carving cleanly. Cheers, Tom
I'd never heard it called skiing the slow line fast until now, but it is spot on. I was lucky to learn my skiing by following the tracks of a member of the Swiss national team. He said
"It's simple:
Every joint from your skis to your head must be flexed;
Stand taller to release the edges;
Rest your shin on the front of one boot at a time and point the femur of that leg where you want to go;
Keep your chest facing downhill;
And remember ABC - Always Be Carving".
He NEVER let his skis run flat. Skiing is dynamic, so speed is as essential as it js to riding a bike. And a knife only cuts paper if you draw it fast. So don't use the skis to spread butter, make the edges cut the crust. You dissipate excess speed by skiing across the fall line - or even uphill - and ABC.
When you feel that variable or icy snow, make a note-to-self:
"I feel the need, the need for speed".
There are a few GoPro videos of skiing the Grande Couloir at Courchevel, all by fair skiers. But one is by former Olympic skier Graham Bell. Compare the others with how Bell skis the arrête down to the top of the couloir, and you'll see exactly what I mean.
I hope this helps.
Your video also highlighted to me the need to eliminate traditional pole plants while carving/racing at higher speed, very good instruction, thank you.
Wow, glad it was helpful! I have a pole plant video in the works. Stay tuned. Cheers, Tom
Absolutely all of videos are best didactic level. Slow verbalisation help to understand ... congratulation.
Many thanks! Glad you like the slower pace as it is quit hard to do. For me anyway, so eager to tell you guys as much as I can in the shortest time hahahaa reg. Tom
I don't how this got recommended to me but thank you. It's been a decade since I had a full season under my belt and 13 years since I had a lesson. I was taught #1 and I have it down pretty well but I want to carve. I see these old folks just cruising on diamond and I'm dyimg. It's that wider carving with the kick out at the beginning instead of at the end that I'm missing. I'm gonna give it a go. I've been trying to line match people who are clearly better than me and I've improved a lot over this season just matching lines left by others. Thanks for the video hopefully I'll be the one laying lines down for others to follow.
Hi. Welcome back to the sport. Have you seen my video on how to learn carving: ruclips.net/video/vaPDpU1_OrU/видео.html
How to carve on steeps and how to stay low are more advanced concepts.
Cheers, T
@@Triggerboy62 Thank you for that suggestion! Some great things for me to work on.
Truly clever advice of carving skiing, slow line fast. Well been skiing 40 yrs or more, only GS, this info is worth acknowlwdged.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a great comment. Yes, this kind of technique is excellent for GS. Cheers, Tom
Still playing golf in October but this video gets the juices flowing
Enjoy golf while you can, soon you will be skiing :)
Excellent explanation. Just yesterday I found myself getting defensive and a bit out of control, I’ll be ruminating on this and hopefully doing this next time out
Great to hear. Cheers, T
I really needed that video, when the slope gets extremely steep then I always get an enormously long radius
That used to be my problem also. And I get so tired of listening to the WC TV commentary explaining how well all the best skiers carve all the time even on very steep slopes. They dont, educate yourself payed experts :)
Perfectly clear guidance that makes it look so easy and effortless (but we all know it's not) --- great stuff!
Many thanks! Yes, it is not easy. Still, if we know what to do we can make it work and we can improve. Keep training, reg Tom
Thanks Tom, thanks for the advice, for the mood... And the music is beyond praise - the name alone is worth a lot...!!!
Im honored. Thank you so much for such great feedback. Cheers, Tom
this video plus a recent one on unweighting DOWN/diagonally =pure diamond
Thank you very much for such great feedback. Cheers, Tom
Thanks Tom for the great video! I will practice the third option at the coming weekend and hope to have more progress on carving.
Thanks and best of luck! Report back. Cheers, Tom
Lots of good tips. Ty very much, now ihave to try them when mountain opens
Glad I could help. And thanks for watching :)
Great video, counting the days till our ski trip...
Liked your explanations and video snippets which made the techniques easier to understand.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching, Tom
Very clear and instructive.. You tube needs more ski fanatics like you !! Thanks.
Thank you and thanks for watching. Where do you draw the line between fanatic and crazy :)
Hallo, you got me in to ways, 1st understood clear instructions, 2nd Supertramp. Don’t hide in your Shell.
Two out of three ain't bad :)
Nice job! as most of your videos are. I'm PSIA level 3 and USSA level 3. Couldn't have said it better myself. I hope many appreciate and follow your advice.
Thank very much for watching and for leaving a nice comment like that. Means lots to me coming from an instructor and coach your level. Cheers, Tom
when teaching newbies i always tell them to ski uphill to slow down--simple but works and builds confidence
Yes, this is true. Im however not a really big fan of having newbies ski uphill.... against traffic. Its bad enough for them to go across the slope. But newbies do not really go to steeper terrain and carve.... However, I also sometimes tell my students that if their speed increases too much and they want to slow down, instead of panicking or sitting down they should steer their skis uphill. Sort of a bunny hill concept. They stop instantly. Yes, it builds confidence. I should make a video of that. Thanks for pointing it out :)
Great video - very helpful you talk about the old style skidding. I learnt skiing that way and never really got into carving proper. I am competent on tough black slopes my style, but it seems to take more effort (and less style). Young instructors often don’t know the old style and have difficulty to explain the difference to us Oldtimers.
Thats why Im here. Im trying to explain how we skied in the old days and why that kind of skiing is still relevant. Have you seen my video HOW TO SKI CRUD? Check it out, you are going to love it.
Cheers, Tom
Your tutorials are the best on youtube! Thanks Tom!
Wow, thanks! And thanks for watching :)
Great stuff Tom!
This will help a lot of people 👍
thnx Tom, you are awesome with your videos. i've learned a lot from them and use them often in my skilessons. keep up the good work!
Awesome, thank you! Cheers, Tom
Perfect - I've been looking for the answer - always skidding at the turn beginning on steep terrain to control speed. I find the steeper pitch requires more commitment at the turn apex and agree with the pivot on pitchy terrain. They do it in the World Cup!
Yes! And thank you for watching by the way :)
Very usefull video, thank you. Pivoting in and carving out the turn is a real challenge...
Yes, but that is the million dollar trick. Now we can even ski with GS skis on groomers with other people around. Keeping the speed down and making sharper turns.
Sweet, I never had many lessons but did some big mountain comps. Its cool to see the theory behind what my skis taught me and it may make me more conscious of what the heck im doing.
Good point. The best coach and instructor we have lies underneath our skis, the mountain. It will teach you everything if you only let it. In good ski instruction and coaching we always make all our movements and moves in harmony and dictated by the conditions and circumstances at hand. Cheers, Tom
I can't thank you enough mate. INCREDIBLY useful.
Super nice to be able to produce useful content. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Tom
Another excellent video, Tom! Thanks for sharing! /Janus
Thanks Janus, reg. Tom
Spot on, great video very well explained especially the last technique which I view as the technique that was required back in the day on straight skis and now utilized more easily with shaped skis!
Exactly. Well put statement. I think that people are more and more evolving into blending "old-school" technique with new technique. The old technique never really went away, it just became unpopular and as we know, fashion always come back. Cheers, T
Probably worth noting that there are two variations within "how the pros do it". Chris is steering the skis into the turn and then drifting out to the apex, where he hooks up into the carve. That's a very traditional approach in racing. The more modern approach, especially for GS and SG, is to again steer the skis into the turn and "tap the brakes", but then steer them back "out" to engage the carve well above the turn apex. It's a somewhat tricky move in that it requires really good balance (especially fore/aft) but it's extremely effective. The pros do it so quickly that it often only lasts a few frames in video.
Yes, that is true. I should make a video of that move. I saw a Canadian ski racing video many years ago where juniors of all ages were training. That's where I picked up that drill, a short drift sideways during the approach and then re-engage the edges before apex. I tried to make a demo at some point but the slope needs to be wide and open, flat, icy and hard. Never really worked out. And not many of my racers are able to do such move. Thanks for expanding this topic a bit. You know your stuff! Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I think that a lot of it is fore-aft balance. A lot of people seem to push their heels out when they skid, and if you're drifting out to the apex you can get away with that since you'll transition to carving deep into the belly of the turn. If you're going to steer back out into a carve above the gate then you really have to focus on driving "straight through" the skid with your weight forward, to enable a strong initiation. At least that's the mental image that worked for me.
Obviously you also have to be building edge angles at the same time so that you come out of the skid ready to carve through the paex, but that wasn't the hard part IME.
The combination of staying forward and building angles means that you have to skid with your body basically starting to fall down the hill, and that's why it's a lot easier on flatter slopes. That makes it all the more impressive when pros do it in the steepest parts of courses like Alta Badia (did you see Odermatt's runs this year, and Zubcic's second run in the first race?)
Tom, congratulations on your RUclips success. 23 thousand subscribers. Very well deserved, some of the best ski instruction content on RUclips.
Wow, thanks Rick! We have come a long way since the glory Epic days. You have been a great friend and inspiration all these years. Thanks :)
Love the memorable saying "ski the slow line fast"
Being an intermediate skier, this is super helpful advice!
Glad it was helpful!
Carving is the most fun there is in skiing, great to see a video explaining how to do it on black runs without taking up the whole piste ;) thanks! Earned a new subscriber :))
Thanks a million for such good words on the content of the video and for watching. I have lots of videos on my channel so go to my playlists and choose a topic that interests. Reg. Tom
Great Lesson! Thanks for helping to clean up my turns!!
Any time!
I feel like you are talking personally to me! I am working hard to incorporate your teaching points into every single turn I make!
Wow, thank. Im honored 👍
Great tips on now to check your speed , particularly on ice. Awesome & thank-you !
My pleasure! And thanks for kind words and for watching. Cheers, Tom
Great video. I found it as one of the best tips for controlling speed and carving style on steep slopes.
Awesome, thank you!
Nice tip . Sometimes I just want to stay in the fall line always but it’s not wise if it gets very steep
Thanks for watching. Yes, staying in the fall line is nice but can get out of hand. I have found a lot more use of easy slopes after the carving ski came along. Too steep slopes are dangerous to carve.
I come back to refresh the technique every time I go back to the slopes. 💪💪 Thank you so much. I am able to ski even European black slopes (even though with my particular style 🤭).
Good to hear you have your own style. Too little credit is given to "style". Back in the old days at mogul competitions you would get judged by style. Thanks for watching and great to hear you now ski blacks. Cheers, Tom
Great lightening on your face, very nice background. Improvement in video making tools. Music good as always. Waiting for new videos. Best regards from Bosnia
Thanks a lot 😊
Aaaand 12 points gooooos to Bosnia :)
Thanks for watching and all the best to you and all ski fans in your region!
This man doesn't blink! That is skill!
Hahaa... and parallel eye's :)
I just got a pair of Fischer RC4. So much fun but very large energy output. But these ski's are happy and easy to ride in longer turns too. NZ skiing spring freeze thaw conditions September 👍
Good to hear from someone that is skiing. We are stuck in limbo between surfing and skiing. How long are the RC4s?
@@Triggerboy62 they are 160. I am 176cm and 64kg
Thanks...Tom...hope everyone gets a great coming seeason.
Thanks for watching and yes, lets hope everyone get to ski as much as they want this winter. Could not take annother lock-down winter.
Excellent advice. Worked on exactly this all week.
Excellent!
Very informative but u guys r such great skiers! I particularly like fast in the slow lane thanks.
Thanks and thanks for watching. Yes, the fast line slow is great as well. It is actually becoming quite out of the ordinary. Zipperline mogul skiing for example is the ultimate FLS and how often do you see that? Cheers, Tom
Great instructional video. Can't wait to try this out this weekend. Thank you, Tom!
Your welcome. Best of luck! Winter is ON :)
Good illustration, thanks! There's one more technique the skier is using beautifully, which isn't mentioned, and that is making a strong, fast switch to the new edge, to drive a tight arc with a high edge angle at the start of the new turn. If you are a little lazy at the start of the turn, you'll be in the fall line too long and won't be able to control your speed.
Great tip!
This was great because it illustrated what I do (fast line slow) instead of what I should be doing. This I kill my legs very fast going down the mountain trying to shed off speed.
And the more you kill your legs the more dangerous it gets. I like being able to rip and then to scrub :)
Still learning, but faster because of these good instructive videos !
Great to hear! Thanks for watching :)
Before carving skis were a thing, we used long skis to get the edges to carve, and long turns. With my weight and height, that meant 203s, and I loved every centimeter of those edges.
Your note on that last clip was perhaps the most important:
Carving the slow line fast works on an icy surface - really well - and even on polished ice, there's often a little powder scraped to the edges of the piste which helps with the turns too.
I do so want to get back to Tyrol...
Dont we all want to go back to Tyrol.... also for the skiing hahahaaa. Anyway, thanks for watching and leaving a comment. We still use long skis as our GS and SG skis are 190-210. Those are serious carving boards and really fun to ski on. Reg T
The harmonica did it for me. I'm subscribed! 🤸
Awesome! Thank you! Maybe I should do a video named the Harmonica Skier :)
Thank you great tips, getting excited about this season in the hard pack im upstate NY.... always learning
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. Hopefully your season will start soon. I had already forgotten how much fun it was. Greetings from Levi :)
one more thing, hard pack? I hear you. We are at the Levi WC event and have been skiing on their training slopes all week. This is hard pack next level. Its bloody solid hockey rink ice slanted at an angle. I cannot understand how they can ski like that. Carving like it was a walk in the park. At least thats what it looks like. My tip for skiing in conditions like this: dont. Hahaha... greetings from Levi!
Love the music and all that comes with this channel. SUBSCRIBED!
Thank you 🙏
Thanks for the tips, will try next time!
Please do!
That quick pivot looks very effective, I must try it this winter.
Please do. It is actually so useful you will never ski like you did before. Now as you hit the steeper parts of the slope you continue ripping like before but with control. It will make you a much more versatile skier. However, the secret lies in how you manage to engage the ski edges into a carve after the pivot. You need to be aggressive and dictate the skid and the carve. Good luck :)
@@Triggerboy62 I usually initiate the carve turn by moving my old downhill knee into the new direction accompanied with ankle roll to change edges, it seems that this would work at the same time as the pivot or a fraction later. Just thinking!
Yeah, first you release the turn by flexing your outside ski upwards. Then you tip it into the turn. If you are making a pivot the release and the inside leg tipping is the same. The tipping also happens during the pivot as you so correctly pointed out.
It also helps to crouch low to get more tip angle; to press hard on the shovels to make the ski bend; and to start the carve well before the fall line.
Yes, you need to get as much pressure as you can to the tips of your skis. Best way to do that is by tipping the skis on edge and being "forwards" but what people do not really understand is how much "forwards" you need to be. A whole lot. Thanks for pointing that out. Did you see my how to be forwards video? Here: ruclips.net/video/0760JW5AjW4/видео.html
Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I just watched it. Excellent idea for getting the feel of being forward! I will show this to friends. By the way, a funny expression to describe the way most people stand on their skis, with their arms to their sides, is "waiting for the bus." I'm not sure why people are hesitant to press forward but it affects 95% of all skiers, who load the tails of their skis rather than the front. They are bending only half of the ski.
@@hbgap3596 waiting for the buss. Thats a good one. Thanks for checking oit the video on stance👍
From other videos I've heard this 3rd option called a Stivot turn. When watching World Cup slalom & GS races, I noticed that often times they would actually hop into a brief skid at the apex of the turn. It surprised me that they weren't making pure carved turns. One video explained that some of the gates were being set closer than turning radius of the ski thus the racers had to skid a bit which is apparently the fastest route for them. I have inadvertently used this method in my drastically lower level of skiing as a way of controlling my speed on what are to me, steep areas. Others I've seen do not seem to consider them steep enough to warrant trying to control their speed. Being in my mid 70's, I no longer abide by that old "saw" that "if you're not falling, you're not skiing".
Last season I skied well over 100 days. I think I fell once. Note that I train SL and compete at national masters level on a weekly basis. Someone could argue that I don't ski fast enough as I could ski faster but being over 60 I appreciate having fun more than winning. And staying healthy and skiing is what matters. Besides, I have hip issues that I do not want to get any worse. So, I also do not abide by that old saying. That makes two of us :)
The skidding before a gate in WC racing is indeed more common than you think. It is a bit old school to try to carve every turn cleanly. Especially on a racing track. But there are a few techniques that are used. A "stivot" as you mention is a brief braking movement where you throw your skis sideways at the top of the turn way before apex. You then lock your skis back in a carve and carve the turn through. The other technique is to skid before you lock your skis in a carve so that you are not making a very drastic sideways pivot with the skis like in a stivot. I need to make more videos on that topic. Did you watch the Carving Low video? Or How to Carve like a Boss? Those are touching on the topic.
Cheers, Tom
Great video! I have 1 issue with the Slow Line Fast Technique - I find many of the skiers that do this are the least self-aware skiers on the hill - and they have attitude to boot that they own the hill while doing it. They will ski across the entire pitch out of nowhere, not look uphill with skiers around them having to bail left&right to avoid them. With beginner skiers you know they're beginners so you plan accordingly - with this group, they can ski but are blind like snow-boarders
Thanks for sharing! You are perfectly right. BTW, have you checked my video on how to carve safely? I always try to look back up the hill at whats behind me before I start to ski down. I much rather have "great fast" skiers in front than behind. So I never try to put anyone at danger. And I also try to educate all my students to do the same. As racers we usually always train free skiing under strict discipline that we never ski close to each other and watch out for other people if we dont have a slope reserved for our use. Happy New Year, Tom and sons
@@Triggerboy62 I trust the racers, like race car drivers on a track, they are comfortable staying in their lane and will generally stick to a predictable lane width. What I see, since the growth of carving has really taken off, is that when even really good skiers start to do these teaching-type slow line fast drills, for some reason their entire brain just shuts off in terms of hill awareness. I've stolen a line from the movie Hunt for Red October (crazy-Ivan), and that is, they will be skiing like a good skier skis, and then out of nowhere, they will do one of these crazy-Ivan fast slow-line turns and just cut across the mountain into oncoming traffic with no idea of the chaos that they are causing - and you can see in their mind they are working on that perfect ski-instructor type turn. I now see this all the time - basically in a midlife moment to re-capture their youth and become a better modern skier that can carve, they enter the take lesson teaching realm of perfect turns and just start doing crazy-Ivan's all over the hill. Love your channel. Thanks for the videos - my favorite is your recent (How to CARVE LOW - WC Technique + DRILL)
This video reminds me to do my daily squats, and then some more. Thanks!
Exactly. People underestimate what great physics will do. And its one area where you, if you have the attributes, age and health, can be as good as any WC ski racer. Or close anyway. Yes, lets do those squats and burpies one more time :)
yay! finally another great video from you, Tom! thumbs up!
Yay, thank you! Thanks for watching. Yes, this video was long overdue but there are more to come. Got a huge amount of material to release before the new season hits in.
Thank you your videos and instructions are really good!!
I have shared them often.
Awesome, thank you! So nice to get good feedback on the videos and thanks for sharing! Cheers, T
Thanks! Appreciate the video...figuring out how to carve on steep slopes this season
Thanks for watching and please let me know how it went. Cheers, Tom
Thanks I really enjoyed your tips, I used to be a fast carver. Nowadays I need to ski smarter...not harder.
Good to hear. Yes,, controlling speed is the most important issue when carving. Being able to control it means that we can go even faster. We go faster when we can and want and go slower when we need. Both by line selection and pivoting the top part of the turn. Yes, smarter, not harder, brilliant expression, Cheer Tom
Yes thank you. I tried this tecnique of the fast line slow. Works well.
Excellent!
Subscribed! You have a lot of good content. I am living in New Zealands best ski town. It's halfway through a very good snow season. Queenstown NZ. Thank you for your videos!
@@gairnmclennan5876 great to hear you like the content. Thanx for subscribing. Cheers :)
Greetings from Scotland. Another very explained video, you have motivated me to do my Friday training session. Look forward to the next video.
Great to hear I have been an inspiration. That is actually my main objective both here and out on the mountain, to inspire people. My ancestors come from Scotland back in 1860's. I so long to ski there some day. Thanks for watching and all the best to you this coming season :)
Let us know if you will be in Scotland, there are many who will help with accommodation and advice. Failte gu Alba.
wow, thanks a million for the invitation. I will let you know if Im heading over... darn corona screwing my ski trip plans :)
Great tips, well explained. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Great video, I am a telemark, but your video applies to my affliction too. Thank you.
Glad to hear it! One of my favorite books used to be a telemark book :)
I needed that for clarity. well explained!
Thanks and thank you for watching :)
This is awesome!! Thank you. I want to try to learn this technique.
Go for it! And thanks for watching.
@@Triggerboy62 I love learning from your videos especially when you explain in detail. And I am so happy that I could actually watch this one. I am just learning to race. I am Autistic and I am also a Special Olympics racer. It is impossible for me to watch your older videos because the music you used in them is neurologically triggering and it would cause me to have big and painful meltdowns. But this video has music that my brain can actually process so I was able to enjoy it. I would love to watch and learn from so many videos but when there is a heavy bass beat, in the music, or if they use fast music like rap, I can end up in shock and in the hospital. So I hope that your future videos can also have softer music so that I can keep learning from you. Thank you again.
wow, first, thanks for watching and leaving such an inspiring comment. It feels great to be able to reach out to a new audience and nothing better than getting feedback like this. I put a lot of time choosing the music as I am a part time musician myself but never taught the music would have that kind of impact on a viewer. Maybe the 14 Essentials would be an ok movie to watch for you. At the beginning there are a few seconds of heavier beat but most of the video is without music at all. At the end my favorite video music track kicks in with that mellow folk type vibes: ruclips.net/video/YdHnGNzr2uw/видео.html
I also did a few videos of other para skiers:
ruclips.net/video/8VjkMD9_0JQ/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/5Wd_7pa3yoo/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/5KHrYX638l0/видео.html
Be sure to turn the music down at the start of the video not to have a meltdown :)
I will pay more attention to the music, I promiss :)
@@Triggerboy62 Thank you so very much. I am so grateful to you. I will definitely look at the videos you linked. Thank you again. ❤
The problem with this technique is that you need as fairly empty slope to do the wide, carving turns that you are suggesting. There is nothing worse than a fast skier ploughing into you or very close to you from behind if you are coming down the slope and that is what would happen here if the slope is busy.
Yes, watch my video on how to carve safely. Cheers, Tom