Why are americans fat?

[bgregoire]

turning in the BC should be first and foremost to control your speed and avoid obstacles... beyond that it's just horseplay.

I'll go along with a lot of what you say on this site, but that's just ridiculous. For some XCD/BC skiers, doing turns and riding the terrain IS THE POINT of XCD/BC skiing. Making turns down steep hardwood slopes is where it's at for some of us, and the climb up and tour out and back can be almost as fun! Exploring and touring is also part of the fun, but it's often done with an eye towards turns.

I was being a bit cheeky, but seriously - what is the REAL point of making turns? It's to control your speed or dodge obstacles. If it wasn't why not just bomb it down everything?

Turning on hardpack when there are gates involved is a real sport. It's not just some jerking around weaving back and forth. Yeah a lot people have fun with it but it mostly to accomplish the two things I said... and even in racing it's to do at least one of those.

I'm sorry but I think sometimes people put way too much emphasis on this turning crap. They use it to bully people around and make them feel like lesser of a skier - like your buddy Ron. So just for minute, step back and think about what the real goal is. Maybe it's so far removed for some it becomes something else, but it really started with a true purpose. And for those looking to become better skiers in the BC, it's really the two things I stated.

Ok boys, before this gets out of hand, why don't you start a new topic like "What's all this tele crap about anyway?". All I want to do is talk about skinnies and fries here!

[connyro]

turning in the BC should be first and foremost to control your speed and avoid obstacles... beyond that it's just horseplay.

I'll go along with a lot of what you say on this site, but that's just ridiculous. For some XCD/BC skiers, doing turns and riding the terrain IS THE POINT of XCD/BC skiing. Making turns down steep hardwood slopes is where it's at for some of us, and the climb up and tour out and back can be almost as fun! Exploring and touring is also part of the fun, but it's often done with an eye towards turns.

I was being a bit cheeky, but seriously - what is the REAL point of making turns? It's to control your speed or dodge obstacles. If it wasn't why not just bomb it down everything?

Turning on hardpack when there are gates involved is a real sport. It's not just some jerking around weaving back and forth. Yeah a lot people have fun with it but it mostly to accomplish the two things I said... and even in racing it's to do at least one of those.

I'm sorry but I think sometimes people put way too much emphasis on this turning crap. They use it to bully people around and make them feel like lesser of a skier - like your buddy Ron. So just for minute, step back and think about what the real goal is. Maybe it's so far removed for some it becomes something else, but it really started with a true purpose. And for those looking to become better skiers in the BC, it's really the two things I stated.

Wow. You don't get it at all. That's OK. It's about the thrill of cruising down a slope and becoming involved with the terrain. It's not 'crap' and it's most-certainly not 'bullying.' I don't think you are any less of a skier if you don't get it but don't call what many skiers enjoy 'crap' just because you don't or can't do it. I've got no interest in judging your style of sliding around on the snow, honestly!

[connyro]

Also don't misunderstood what I said about how I skied when I was young but I never once said I'm going to make some turns - I said I was going skiing. Turns just happened to be part of the process. I scoffed at those who were swishing back in forth in a perfect line down a groomed run not because I was jealous, but because I thought what they were doing was incredibly boring. Why didn't they go one way or another? Why go in a straight line swooshing back and forth? It's like jerking off. It isn't skiing. It's going through the motions. Ever see a professional race course that was in straight line making the same radius arcs back and forth like a pendulum?

So because you find it boring it makes it like "jerking off" and it's "not skiing"? To me, racing and XC got to be boring at a certain point but I don't scoff at it and say it's stupid or pointless. Some of us like the feel of the turn and the expression of the terrain that it affords. I like all kinds of skiing. XC, XCD, tele, even alpine, etc. and I don't feel bullied by any of it like you seem to be. Honestly, don't be so damn defensive. Nobody is attacking you here.

[MikeK]

Ok boys, before this gets out of hand, why don't you start a new topic like "What's all this tele crap about anyway?". All I want to do is talk about skinnies and fries here!

I apologize for shitting up your skinnies thread, but hopefully I cleared the air. I shouldn't have made the turns comment(s) - thought it was appropriate on a skinny ski thread, but I think I missed my mark. Was just a jab. Turns are important and some people are very passionate about them.

[connyro]

Turns are important and some people are very passionate about them.

Yeah!

No harm no foul.

[Rickster]

Mike, the time may come… when you've got your turns dialed in… and you'll surf through a series of turns getting the best of the terrain and realize you're doing it well, and actually enjoying it. And, then you'll say to yourself, "that's what they've all been talking about" or maybe "that's what I've been missing.".

[MikeK]

"that's what they've all been talking about" or maybe "that's what I've been missing.".

Point taken. Let's get back to skinny BC skis on this thread.

[bgregoire]

[MikeK]

I'm sorry it went there Ben and on a Telemark forum none-the-less - personally, I like to think of this place as more of Nordic ski forum where all sorts of different ideas can be shared from skate skiing to telemark. Turns, no-turns. Flats or steeps. All is valid. Everyone turns their skis, even if they are skinny. Free the heel, free the mind right?

[lilcliffy]

I am quite sure that the S-Bounds are available throughout Europe. Perhaps not as popular, because skiers from the Nordic countries- on average- are better Nordic skiers than North Americans- and can do stuff on traditional backcountry skis- that many of us need dedicated xcD skis for (myself included).

Open-cover Fennoscandia is windswept and hardpacked just like open country in Canada, Russia and Alaska.

Western Norway is extremely mountainous and gets a ton of snowfall (very wet- boreal rainforest climate). The evolution of the telemark stride from the diagonal stride comes from xcountry skiing in those mountains and deep snow.

The addition of sidecut to xcountry-mountain skis (i.e. "fjellski") comes from the mountainous region of Norway- not the above-tree-line alpine skiing of the Alps.

Fennoscandian backcountry Nordic skiers, IME, (to be obnoxious and generalize about an entire region of people ) are obsessive tourers. And there is one simple fact- classic long, relatively straight and relatively narrow skis (double-camber on the flats; single-camber in the mtns, and in the pow) are much more efficient touring skis than short, fat, parabolic skis.

Many skiers are unwilling to sacrifice touring efficiency for dedicated downhill performance.