What is carving? Discuss.....

[mountainxtc]

I've been reading some posts on this forum recently that show a lot of different perceptions of a "carved" turn.

I think it would be interesting to hear the collective voice.

Discuss at will ladies!!

(insert emoticon of little dude stoking a fire here!)

 

[bitoffluff]

ooh, cant resist. Gulp, errr, isnt it that turn where you dont skid? Or is that impossibly superficial? Its when you get that doooiiing from one edge to the other and grin from ear to ear?

 

[geargrrl]

My understanding is that carved turns are made with the skis on edge: the only time the ski is flat in the turn is when you are making the transition linking turns. You are actively carving the ski by using the various techniques ( balance, rotary, pressure) and your joints to activate the ski, using the shaped egde of the ski to carve.

 

[Liquid Yellow]

When you score a nice deep double-groove right to the bottom of the piste

 

[Serafina]

My understanding is that carved turns are made with the skis on edge: the only time the ski is flat in the turn is when you are making the transition linking turns. You are actively carving the ski by using the various techniques ( balance, rotary, pressure) and your joints to activate the ski, using the shaped egde of the ski to carve.

This is how I understand it. Also that you can see the thin lines for both skis when you look at your track, and the turns aren't smudged out.

 

[tcarey]

The skis stay an equal distance apart,the tails follow the tips of the skis leaving two clean tracks in the snow.

 

[KatyPerrey]

Carving is when you go really fast!!! :D

Faster faster faster till the thrill of speed overcomes your fear of death!!!

 

[Liquid Yellow]

The skis stay an equal distance apart,the tails follow the tips of the skis leaving two clean tracks in the snow.

Rather like your avatar?

 

[badger]

To me, true carving is not really a nice clean edged C turn (or S). I suppose that is what most consider a carved turn vs a skidded turn. However I always thought that real carving was more related to the actual sport of ski-carving, where the skier is usually without poles, skimming at high speed, angled very laterally on the snow. Like the alpine snowboarder who is on the longer carving board with hard boots and using lots of space to create huge carved turns. Fluid and seamless ski turns might be what most think carving is when they are done on piste with good edging throughout the turn. Maybe the term "carving" has been borrowed and is now part of common ski vernacular.

 

[mtngirl]

carving is what you are doing when your turn feels solid and nice.. but it is definitely what you are doing.. the other guy isn't doing it right!

 

[Jilly]

When I get 2 definate railway tracks in the snow!

I really like tcarey's, that's perfect.

 

[marge]

Edges. I see those clean lines in the snow. I also agree with speed. I'm sure it's my skis but they are SO much better at carving when I'm haulin'.

 

[mountainxtc]

Carving is when you go really fast!!! :D

Faster faster faster till the thrill of speed overcomes your fear of death!!!

:ROTF: that reminds me of a conversation I had with a student yesterday. She had just taken a lesson with one of our (extremely talented) Japanese instructors and quoted her as saying very gravely "with much edge, come, much speeeed". I can't convey the intonation that made it so hilarious, but I immediately had flashbacks to the spiderman movie "with great power comes great responsibility" moment.

Other great quote from same instructor to a group in large bump run: "here, we have, big mogul. please, absorb mogul. If, cannot, absorb.... please avoid". ahh, I love her. so funny......

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Know what, mountainxtc? With carving being "The Holy Grail" to just about every skier who is advancing (and---aren't we all? ), it seems to me as though a lot of important skills don't get mastered, unless the progressing skier has been faithfully regular with instruction. Things like side-slipping, steering, how to use a flat ski - and when. And why. I've even seen quite a few 5+- year skiers who do very nice carved turns who don't know these skills or where they would be useful to them.

So many skiers need these skills developed: to negotiate intimidating terrain, huge bumps, minimal visibility (fog/white-outs), rocks, how to land air (inadvertent air, in my case ). There are so many applications in which a carved turn will do no good whatsoever.

So while it might the "The Holy Grail," there are dozens of other times when it won't work. Even in powder. Let's broaden this, get people to the point where they can execute a good side-slip and really feel what their edges can (and can't!) do.

 

[Mary Tee]

So while it might the "The Holy Grail," there are dozens of other times when it won't work. Even in powder. Let's broaden this, get people to the point where they can execute a good side-slip and really feel what their edges can (and can't!) do.

I agree completely. I don't think I really knew what edging felt like until I had an instructor that insisted on side slip drills that got you on and off edge for entire runs.

 

[pinto]

Carving is when you go really fast!!! :D

Faster faster faster till the thrill of speed overcomes your fear of death!!!

The first time I really "got" carving: we have a friend who used to be a World Cup downhiller. (Ski with one of those, and you'll never have any ego about your own skiing, btw.) At Keystone, on one of those lovely rolling blue groomers, I decided to follow his tracks when he started off. Between the second and third turn, I was going about twice as fast as I'd ever gone in my life -- and we weren't even going straight down. I couldn't believe how quickly we were going so fast. "We," ha: he was pretty much out of sight by then, too. Holy crap.

(It was a weekday early morning in January, ie, no one else around, btw.)

 

[altagirl]

Depending on what type of skis you are on - a "pure carve" i.e. railroad tracks, might not be super useful unless you want to go crazy fast down the mountain. If you are on carving skis - sure - that's what they are meant for. On powder skis with very little sidecut... well, I hope you have a wide slope, or no fear of speed and no traffic in front of you.

 

[AussieSkiWomen]

Well I have learnt alot from all your posts, heres to carving it up!

 

[geargrrl]

Here's another take from me. I think "pure carving" is one of those ethereial concepts; a goal one should strive for in learning. But also, as AG says,

"pure carve" i.e. railroad tracks, might not be super useful

However, as someone who's hard such a hard time getting my turns to a place where I'm not washing out/skidding the apex of it, always, carving a pure turn been a real goal to strive for. It's certainly a fun thing to work on when it's a groomer kind of a day. And seriously, it's not until I got the Aura that I carve with any consistency. That feeling you get when you turn on edge is indescribable. But also, not always how you want to be skiing.

 

[mountainxtc]

So - playing devil's advocate here - if a carved turn is purely edged and a skidded turn is purely "based" (you know what I mean?!), what is in between?!