"Forwardagonal" skiing

[Ron]

In case you were interested in the way we were skiing with Dan and Eric modern PSIA-? Take a look at the December issue of Ski mag.? Page 101. It's all about "skiing forward and to the inside"? its just a FYI not meant to encourage to change your skiing. This is what I have found to work best for me overall.

[Perry]

yea, but there was not mention of the LTE...yikes

[Ron]

no need to, if your using all 4 edges, you have to be to depending on the extent. YOu don't always need to be on edge and for most off-piste skiing its not always the best tool in the kit. sometimes its much better to let them drift/slide under control.  Ski the best way for you and where you ski. 

[Perry]

I was trying to be facetious . I actually just finished Clendenin's book.  I am anxious to try it out.

[Ron]

Very happy to hear that (re: the LTE comment)!? yup, that's another way as well. 3 different approaches, all good.? All are best done on the snow!

[LivingProof]

Ron,
I don't subscribe, but, did read this article at my library this weekend. Given my need for depth and clarity in ski instruction, I'd give the article low marks on what they tried to convey. The photo montages of good and bad "Forwardagnonal skiing" just failed to show the concept. Then they got into a "back seat", weight on tails of skis only discussion, so, I conclude that Forewadangonal is a technique to avoid this. Skiers should ski between 10 and 2 O'Clock --- WTF?? Oh yeah, pressure the whole ski edge by getting weight on the tips, duhhhh ... never heard that before .

Either Ski should give the concept a more detailed review or just keep it sooo much more simple.

It's a shame because the basic concept is right on and is covered at length in PMTS. I think it's one of the great sensations in skiing where you release your body in this direction and just feel gravity grab. Go with the flow.

There was Womens World Cup GS skiing on yesterday and I thought of the concept watching them on a really icy Aspen run. They move from the old turn into new turns by going both forward and down the hill with their hips.

[Ron]

Mike, the 2 page article is harldly an instructional manual. It's all ok though and I just wanted to share what worked for me.

[LivingProof]

Jim and Ron,

My minor rant is directed at SKI mag and that one specific instructional piece where they were all over the place. Said another way, they took a worthwhile concept and made it so fuzzy to be useless to the general ski population. I read and reread that piece for 10 minutes trying to figure it out, still can't make real sense out of it. Keep it simple - stupid!

[jim-ratliff]

Understood.  I read their articles sometimes, seldom get much out of them.  I deleted my other response once I realized that you were criticizing the article, not by Ron's concept of Forwardagonal.

It's like Einstein said (paraphrase), if you can't effectively explain something to a novice, then you don't really understand it yourself.

[Ron]

its actually pretty simple once on the snow. ?You move forward and to the inside leading with your body and hands while tipping your feet to the direction, think countering and you pretty much have it; just keep your body within the 10 and 2 as stated, you don't need to counter more than that in the vast majority of cases unless it gets really steep, don't over think it or analyze it. ?look downhill 2-3 turns ahead- keep stacked and adjust foot pressure accordingly. In this method, how much you use your up or downhill ski/foot is dependent on the conditions and terrain, from 95%-5% to 50/50% from no edges to crank em' over but moving forward into the next turn and keeping the poles moving, leading your body into the turn (skiing through the plants, not around) is pretty consistent. ?I was moving way too laterally, exactly like the example of how not to do it (like I think that's me in the picture) and not nearly forward enough was huge for me alone. That was something they saw/noticed in about 15 minutes- I knew something wasn't right in my turns, I always felt like I wasn't forward enough- Got yelled at a lot up to the last couple of days for doing that. Still need to be conscious of it until it becomes natural and without thought.

[Ron]

RE: the article, yes, there could be much more and should be but given that this is just a magazine that covers all things skiing, if you took the average Joe skier and just got them to stay stacked and forward, hands up and counter their turns while tipping feet, that would be a really good start.

[gregmerz]

 

[Ron]

yeah, we need some snow underfoot......