name this turn

[lowangle al]

I was doing laps on my local hill today in a little over a foot of fluff with my powder boards. I was doing unweighted turns rolling from edge to edge getting in and out of each turn as quickly as possible when I felt a new sensation. Because I was getting in and out of my turns so fast my edging wasn't keeping up and I was doing "skidded" turns as opposed to carved in the powder. It felt pretty good and it occurred to me that it was the type of turns I've seen snowboarders do when they aren't carving.

So I tried some more of those turns and realized that besides being fun they could be another tool for keeping speed down in steep powder. I knew it felt like a snowboarding turn and when I looked at my tracks it confirmed it. My carved turns looked like a narrow trough the width of my skis partially refilled in with snow. The "smeared" turns looked like commonly seen snowboard tracks and left a flat packed spot about 2 feet to 2.5 feet wide at each turn.

Is this called "smearing?" I've heard the term but thought it was a turn for packed snow, never thought of doing it in powder. Anybody else out there doing anything like this? I'm sure you would need pretty big skis, I'm not sure I would have felt it on my vectors. They would sink too deep,

By "carving in powder" I mean that the tails of the ski are following in the same path or track as the tips.

[lowangle al]

http://www.skinet.com/ski/article/powde ... c=homepage

It says it's done on fat rockered skis, but they worked pretty well on my fat traditional camber boards. It is also called buttering.

[TomH]

From your description, you were smearing which is more or less your skidded turn for powder, but with more emphasis on the pivot versus edge engagement and generally less angulation which lets you do that smear until you engage more ski and give it a direction across the fall line. I instinctively do it occasionally as a speed check or as a reaction to the upcoming terrain. You don't need rockerered skis to smear, but it's easier on them due to the ease of pivoting a full rockered ski.

Buttering is different, as that's riding a nose or tail press, and is usually not a good idea off of hard pack or terrain park feature.

[lowangle al]

Thanks Tom, I never even thought about skidded turns in powder and I never really needed them. Most of my powder skiing is either on lower angle slopes that I don't need to slow down for or wide open slopes where I can stay in a traverse a little longer to loose speed or heavily weight to go deeper and flex the skis more. I thought the smeared turns were not only fun but an energy efficient way to ski powder.

These type turns are one more reason why I think everyone needs some powder boards regardless of where you ski.

[fisheater]

Is this called "smearing?" I've heard the term but thought it was a turn for packed snow, never thought of doing it in powder. Anybody else out there doing anything like this? I'm sure you would need pretty big skis, I'm not sure I would have felt it on my vectors. They would sink too deep,

I don't own anything as big as Vectors, so it would be a different experience for me. Might be a reason to go as large as Vectors though

[TomH]

It can be handy in tight spots too where you essentially want to pre-set a turn around an obstacle (rather than straight-line it and try to snap off a turn). So you engage a smear directly down the fall line, then engage the turn at the right spot. They also add a little more of that surfy feeling if you're really doing mach speeds in powder and toss some smears in.

Another place I use them is coming into blind roll-overs, especially when the pitch increases substantially beyond the roll-over. It gives me a speed check to see what's below and sets me up to easily alter my turn rhythm for the changing terrain.

[connyro]

I first noticed 'smearing' in deep snow riding Voile Asylums several years ago. Vectors work for smearing too, maybe even better than the Asylums. Smearing is perfect for finding tight gaps in trees and adjusting your line or checking speed. Plus the surf feel of sliding laterally on TOP of the snow is awfully fun! It works best at higher speed and steeper terrain and soft snow.

[lowangle al]

I'm glad to hear that the vectors work too, but they probably take more speed to stay up on top than a fatter board.

It sure was a great and different feeling when you are used to slicing through powder for thirty years, as well as useful. I figured it would be something tree skiers would find especially useful.

As much as I love my vectors (the only modern ski I own) I find I have more fun on my traditional camber Insanes because of how all that surface area increases reaction with soft snow, and they kicked ass with T4s too.

[EvanTrem]

I always heard it referred to as "slarving" or "smearing". That may be referring more of the McConkey-style off piste skid turn. Anybody who has skied Pontoons or similar powder skis knows what I'm talking about, those giant skis just don't like to turn any other way.

This kind of thing:

[lowangle al]

I always heard it referred to as "slarving" or "smearing". That may be referring more of the McConkey-style off piste skid turn. Anybody who has skied Pontoons or similar powder skis knows what I'm talking about, those giant skis just don't like to turn any other way.

This kind of thing:

Exactly, except where I was doin it I was more concerned about getting bit by a dog than getting knocked over by my own sluff.