Author Topic: Ski Logik Ullr's Chariot  (Read 7792 times)

jbotti

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Re: Ski Logik Ullr's Chariot
« Reply #105 on: September 27, 2010, 08:43:54 am »
It all goes back to what I said in a previous post. There are two ways to turn a ski. One is by tipping first to engage the edges. The other is by pressuring the tails some (in a slide, drift or pivot) and then engage the edges when the ski has already changed it's course. Both can be done on piste or off piste. To carve a turn (edge locked) you cannot do the second of the above options. Having said that you can use the carving motion of tipping and getting the skis on edge to produce a non edge lock carved or a brushed carve turn.This is a great turn to use off piste and it is the turn I attemptt to use all the time in my off piste skiing. I say attempt because there are times that my skills are not good enough and I need to pivot or slide the skis to get them to turn faster. On good days I canpretty much avoid doing this. On bad days, anything can happen!!This is the off piste turn that Harald Harb uses in pretty much all conditions and it is the turn that he teaches in his books. I think it is a great turn and if one perfects it, the turn will take youu everywhere. As Harald says it is bullet proof (when one has perfected it to that degree). To do this turn properly, it require failry intense tipping forces. The tipping enables the whole ski to brush rather than pushing on the tails where the tails will pivot. There are just two different ways to get a ski to turn on a tighter arc than it's turn radius.

Again let's distinguish several different types of off piste skiing. Pure untracked powder is a distinct condition and a distinct experience. Really fat skis may actually be a slight advantge in pure untracked. But in my experience skiing pure untracked in chutes that lead to steep bowls or in glades with lots of trees, I really don't need an ultra wide or rockered board to ski it well and have fun (admitting that it might be a little easier and a little more fun on wider boards). Now when it gets tracked out and we are dealing with chop and bumps, it is a different experience and I find that wider boards require more work if you are attempting to tip the skis first rather than slide them and or pivot them. I think this makes intuitive sense because wider boards require more pressure to tip them hence more firing of the feet and ankle muscles used in tipping. I am quite happy with the comprimise, using a less wide board in untracked so that later in the day I can use tipping motions as my go to approach.