Thankfully, Unlike the emerging modern industries and corporations of the early 20th century, skiing isn't some pursuit in fanatical Taylorism. For many, efficiency is hardly the highest goal of any recreational pursuit.
And of course, even Taylor would stipulate that efficiency cannot be defined as a goal within itself, but rather a process defined by the specific goals and desires of each unique corporate/ industrial entity:
There is a difference in efficiency between the skier who wants to get through a steep, icy run covered with pre-arranged sticks that must be skied around in a specific order as fast as possible (which, I understand, may rely on something called 'stivoting' from time to time), and a skier who wants to maximize the number of opportunities for 'air' on a given run in the shortest amount of time. And, again, a whole other rubric of efficiency for those for whom time is not a factor or goal at all.
But all that is a distraction anyway. In a macro-sense, if I took efficiency as my highest goal, I wouldn't ski at all or waste any time pursuing such self-indulgent, low-yield frivolities like expensive outdoor recreation of any kind. I'd like to think something more than a desire to be efficient drives people to the snow.
I think most of us search for 'competency' in our recreational pursuits, and perhaps one day 'mastery', though the very definition of that word makes it an elusive goal. Both competency and mastery are primarily subjective, and the imposition of 'efficiency' is perhaps a pleasing way to objectify our playtime for some, but in the end, it is still evaluated by individual goals, which, due to their very individualism, are subjective.
At best, you can come up with an efficient way (but unlikely the 'most' efficient' way) to gain competency in the style of skiing you most desire to emulate.
Which gets back to the point of my start of this thread. There are different styles of skiing that have their own ups and downs, their own learning curves and pursued techniques that shape them. And, yes their own scale of competency and mastery, and now, I'll even add their own scope of efficiency.
Ok, I was going to put up a few more videos in this thread (some of the Xteam stuff, etc) but I like staying with a theme of more everyday skiers and I think everything that can be said for this stylistic choice of skiing has been said. Actually there is one video that has recently popped up on epic that I might throw in this thread....
It's some young guy from London skiing big lines in New Zealand: Very wide stance, tons of rotary and hopping, and yet, skis an impressive and air filled steep line, is able to pull off some nice recoveries on less than perfect landings. I was say this is the younger more athletic version of the skiing shown in the very first video in this thread (the older instructor skiing trees and cornices in Park city). As I have said, this is not my preferred style of skiing, but I think it is a good 'last look' in my first thread devoted to one style and the techniques it engenders:
https://vimeo.com/50629357I'll try to put together a new thread on the next style in my line up.