The Ski Lite / XCD thread

[CIMA]

Thanks for the nice vid, Ron.
I wonder how the technique of pole-plant in powder looks like.

[Raventele]

It's the same for me, Cima.. With fluff there's really nothing to make a "positve /forceful" plant into..I think it's fine to goof around with your arms and hands however you like for the sake of playing and feeling the balance, but anything that can cause you to drag that uphill hand can become a problem..it may only show up as an issue when it's steep or when you try to ski fast or when you are skiing uneven snow or heavy snow etc..it's funny to watch all the different poling "styles" on the mountain..but I think just flicking the poles for timing from the wrists is really the most stable way to pole WHEN you can..Obviously bumps, skied out junk, heavy snow, and needing to use the poles to assist in jumping are different from skiing good snow..Even that backhanded poling might be good when the skis just don't want to come around for wtvr reasons -- provided you stop your arm from passing your spine and throwing you into rotating uphill..I find doing as a habit makes it harder to control just as pulling yourself forward with a strong plant does, even though I can see that also can be useful.. In powder I think a person can get away with more wild hand and arm actions, because generally it's lower-speed skiing and in order to ski the fluff right, a person must not turn at much of an angle across the hill i.e. you face downhill or you end up sinking one ski a lot..

[Raventele]

Hands down a bit and forward !! Atta boy, John!! Now "tip the tray!!"

[connyro]

Hi! New to the forum and just found this tread. Interesting video above and if I could offer that skier some tips? It looks like you have the hand positioning down-pat. Now you need to work on pressuring the cuff of the lead ski. Also if you were to pivot more at the hips you would be able to angulate and engage your edges better and start to carve a little. Keep working on it and you will get there!

[Raventele]

Thanks for the tips..I have never really been focused on carving so much per se..Tend to think of Tele as being a soft snow kinda thing as opposed to a full-on carving focus ..Snow was so soft and wet at times there, that is was not great carving..but yea, I think having excellent carving skills, which I really don't, would be a good thing esp. when the snow is very packed or icy....Also I tend to feel what I am doing with my feet more than shins-against-cuffs..It's probably an old habit from skiing XCD and softer boots..And I think in Tele there's often too much focus on the lead ski..Too much pressure/focus on front boot cuff and what becomes of the trailing ski ? I like to think of it as starting the lead change with to-be-lead ski a fraction before scissoring the new trailing ski back to keep from skidding/pivoting on the back ski too much..that's just what I "think : changes edges, start moving rear ski forward (lead change), move front ski back as front ski moves forward ..But it all has to be dynamic for anything to really work..There's a strange attitude out there that seems to say that the new goal of freeheel skiing is just carving..Whatever, just as fun to ride them flat or slide them at times too..If the real focus is carving, then get locked heels and be done with it..

[Raventele]

BTW, Conny "Was not trying to carve much, just sliding around having fun"..
In any case, you sound like an expert carver, could you please put up a vid or 2 showing great hip angulation RE carving ?
the more we can see other forum members in vids skiing, the better!

[connyro]

Not me but this video starting at around the two minute mark might be helpful:
Apologies for not reading your post more closely. I was only commenting on the fact that you seem to figure out hand position but struggle with other important aspects of telemark turn. As long as you are having fun sliding around the snow thats all that matters! Cheers!

[Raventele]

Well , now iI have to make a vid of my best carving !
There's not a lot of hip angulation in the vid, as i said..All turns include elements of skidding and carving..If there's edging, there's some carving..no carving at all and you will just slide down and tumble over your downhill edges..Struggling ? If I were struggling, I would be stabbing wildly with the poles , flopping all over the hill..
I like that 7 flaws vid a lot..I don't really agree with the whole thing about trying not to scissor..First he says it's better to not scissor, and then he says it's way better than just retracting the front ski predominantly..the he says it can speed things up and that's cool..then he says he thinks of not doing that, but then he says he DOES scissor.. But anyways, wtvr..Reducing skidding is a good goal, but carving 'till you are cross-eyed is boring stuff..Anyways, lots of snow is not that great for total carveomania..BTW, if you are barely turning , how much hip angulation is required ?
Keep the hands down below the elbows,body facing fall line, hands tipping the tray down the fall line and I don't care how much you carve exactly, you won't struggle on anything from 15 to 45 degree slopes ..

[MikeK]

I'm not a very good skier, not nearly as awesome as Ron, but in his defense I'd be doing the same thing down a 20° slope of hardpack - if you are carving the skis you are going to get going warp speed. If you want to cruise at a moderate pace you have to skid to scrub your speed.

And I agree about the pole flick. Keep those hands forward and still. I have no idea what I do on xc skis, probably not even close to that, but when I skied alpine at my best that is how I pole planted... or I just didn't even plant them... that feels kind of awkward though unless you are really carrying some speed.

Just my $0.02.

[Dongshow]

I'm not a very good skier, not nearly as awesome as Ron, but in his defense I'd be doing the same thing down a 20° slope of hardpack - if you are carving the skis you are going to get going warp speed. If you want to cruise at a moderate pace you have to skid to scrub your speed.

And I agree about the pole flick. Keep those hands forward and still. I have no idea what I do on xc skis, probably not even close to that, but when I skied alpine at my best that is how I pole planted... or I just didn't even plant them... that feels kind of awkward though unless you are really carrying some speed.

Just my $0.02.

Uh, depending on the turn radius of the ski you can definitely go slow and carve turns. You can't rush the turn.