To carve or not to carve ....

[missyd]

To carve or not to carve? This is my question.

Having learnt to ski in the 60ties (I had to take ski lessons for ~8yrs as a kid) I have no idea how to carve.
My friends tell me to take some lessons and to learnt is as it is fun.
I am not so shure about it. I can do short swings, normal swings, very fast wide swings, wedel, stem .... all the old techniques .... but I can't do a carving turn.
I love skiing and for me its ok not to do carving turns. Is it worth the effort and money for the teacher or should I ski as before? Maybe I learn it by trial and error ....

Any advice is very welcome!

 

[volklgirl]

Carving turns expends much less energy than skidding turns, it stacks your body more efficiently (thus less subject to injuries), and is mucho fun, besides. It's also the only way to really ski crud and remain standing most of the time.

Take some lessons and learn to carve.....the best skiers use all the tools they have at their disposal.

Plus, why invest in current skis, then not use them to their potential????

 

[evaino]

Do yourself a favour and take a lesson on some carving skis. My bet is that you will LOVE it and wish you had learned sooner. But if you don't, then just go back to the way you've always skied.

But definitely take a lesson. I have a friend who is an old-school skier that converted to carving skis. He thinks he's carving, but he's really not. Feet together and nice little butt-wiggle. That said, he's having a blast, so who can argue with that?

If you don't want to take a lesson, try it but put your feet way wider than you think feels comfortable (hip width - will probably feel much wider), and then ski exactly as you would, but as you turn your feet, roll the ankles slightly into the turn and then hold on as the sidecut takes you for a ride!

Elsbeth

 

[SkiBam]

I agree with everyone who says to learn to carve. It's so much fun - sort of feels like your skis are accelerating through the turn.

Here are a couple of exercises as part of what I call Carving 101. I've found with the people I teach that the longer they've skied, the harder a time they have with these. But old-time skiers CAN learn; I did.

One way to start getting the feeling is to find an uncrowded, widish, not-too-steep slope. Pointing your skis just slightly downhill (but more across the hill than down), hip width (at least) apart, push off and gradually start edging into the hill, increasing the edging all the time. Don't skid or brake. You should leave two nice clean lines and eventually you'll come to a stop as your skis start going more and more uphill. Then try this in the other direction. Start linking these and, voila, you're carving. This is fun to try with a group of people, as each person will leave a different sized curve depending on their ski's turn radius.

The other thing to try (someone may have mentioned this) are roller-blade turns (I think that's what they're called - someone correct me if I'm wrong). Find an almost flat slope (but one you'll at least move on). With skis hip width apart, face down the slope, nicely balanced right over your feet with ankles flexed (if you're in the back seat, none of these exercises will work). Push off to start moving and then do nothing other than tip your skis first in one direction, then the other. When you're doing it right, you'll leave two railroad tracks in the snow. As you get the feel of this you can move to a slightly steeper slope.

Have fun!

 

[missyd]

Thanks for your tips and suggestions! I will give it a try this winter.
I think I found a video that shows what you have posted ...

Learn to ski - Chapter 6 - The fundamentals of carving

Hope I can learn it with your tips and some of the video ....

 

[Pequenita]

He thinks he's carving, but he's really not. Feet together and nice little butt-wiggle. That said, he's having a blast, so who can argue with that?

Well, of course he's having a blast - he's wiggling his butt!

 

[tcarey]

Thanks for your tips and suggestions! I will give it a try this winter.
I think I found a video that shows what you have posted ...

Learn to ski - Chapter 6 - The fundamentals of carving

Hope I can learn it with your tips and some of the video ....

I am not so sure I agree with all of this video, if you tip you whole body into the hill without doing other things you will tip right over! The shoulders need to be level with the slope of the hill as the turn develops.I do like his fan progression.I don't like the up and down movement,that will create problems in the recreational skier.The movement is forward and lateral with progressive leg length change.

Hope this helps!

T

 

[abc]

I love skiing and for me its ok not to do carving turns. Is it worth the effort and money for the teacher or should I ski as before? Maybe I learn it by trial and error .... !

On whether it's worth the effort to learn to use the morden carving skis: As one who had made the effort, I'd say it's worth it. There's more fun to be able to carve (even if it's only some of the time).

On whether you can learn it by trial and error: it depends how good of a skier you are. I know people who get it by trial and error.

I thought you snowboard?

 

[missyd]

I'll try it ... something new to learn this winter.
I am a good skier so I should be able to learn it maybe even by myself (OK can't ski in powder).

Sorry OffTopic: I did snowboard for 10yrs. Got fed up with it! Never found boots that fitted well, fed up with opening the rear binding all the time on chairlifts and always sit on your butt to take a rest .... skiing is much easier and more fun!

 

[SkiBam]

Go for it, missyd! I agree with tcarey re the video. I don't think you want that up and down movement, and as for leaning more and more into the turn, yup, if you go too far, you'll fall right over! As your ankles and knees increase their tipping angle and lean more into the turn, think about keeping over the outside (downhill) ski. I've been told to keep the zipper of my jacket over the outside ski. But these things said, the video should be helpful. Let us know your progress.

 

[abc]

Since you've boarded a long time, you know quite well what it feels like to be balancing on the edge of the board and let IT take you. That's CARVING!

(you can still 'guide' the board to your intended path, but too much input, you know the point you start skidding...)

That's pretty much the same thing on skis. Now you have TWO edges to use too. (though I think that actually makes it harder, having to coordinate the two)

 

[missyd]

I'll try it out the next time I go skiing ... then I will write how it went here ... :D

 

[Jilly]

Check out this website for some tips too.

https://www.steveyoungski.com/

 

[EShef]

Great thread for me to read! I think that's my problem... I'm skiing "old school" and only kinda sorta carving but not much at all. I love the tips!

 

[missyd]

I tried some of the tips you gave me .... but I noticed another problem appearing .... I can't put real pressure on the inside the turn ski!!!
Being an old school skier I learned not to put pressure on the inside the turn ski!

But ..... I noticed that some of my turns are (almost) carved but you'll see that the inside ski does not have enough pressure to see 2 similar ruts in the snow.

And it works better with the Burnin' Luvs as with the Apaches ...

 

[abc]

Missyd, you might benefit from a short, focus lesson on carving from someone who has experience in re-training old timers into carving.

I had the exact same problem when I first switch to carving skis. I think it's the hip to ski relationship. In the old style, all the weight are on the outside ski, so you neccessarily move your hip a tiny little bit further to the outside (downhill side) to put ALL the body weight on the downhill ski. The result is the inside ski had no pressure at all.

There're quite a few tricks to help correct that. I forgot many of them now. One that I do remember is to visualize being on a stairmaster, varying the pressure on each ski during the edge transition, without completely letting go on either.

 

[AnnKH]

Missy, I just took a lesson at Big mountain (Whitefish), to do exactly what you want to do. The instructor had taught old-school, so he knew what I was dealing with, tryingto make the transition to carving skis. I was really, really good at skidding through my turns, using my rear end to shift my weight. He had me widen my stance, and lean forward more. It felt awkward, but he assured me I wasn't leaning nearly as far forward as it felt.

At one point the instructor said "I'm going to prove to you that the skis will turn!" He took my poles, and had my put my hands on my knees (this was on a flatter stretch of the hill). Then I tipped my knees slightly, and voila! I was turning with ease!

I spent the next three days working on my technique, and as I got used to it I really was skiing a lot more smoothly.

I was in a group lesson with 3 young girls, and to help keep their interest he taught us a drill (that he called a game). Again, on a flat stretch, he had us ski on one ski (lift the other foot off the gound, but keep the tip near the tip of the ski that's on the ground). With a little practice, we found that we could turn in both directions, though of course it was a bit trickier to turn left with just the left ski.

The instructor would agree with your friend (the butt-wiggler) - he said the most important thing is to have fun - if you're smiling, you're doing something right. But if you get the hang of carving, believe me, you'll be smiling! I wholeheartedly recommend a couple of lessons (this from a woman who skied straight skis for 35 years).

 

[Jcb2ski]

bring on more skiing videos I learn best by watching and doing vs reading. So thank you to those who attach links. Any possibility we could have a section of this site that is all videos? really helpful. now ready ot go practice!! Bring on the snow!!

 

[nopoleskier]

I tried some of the tips you gave me .... but I noticed another problem appearing .... I can't put real pressure on the inside the turn ski!!!
Being an old school skier I learned not to put pressure on the inside the turn ski!

But ..... I noticed that some of my turns are (almost) carved but you'll see that the inside ski does not have enough pressure to see 2 similar ruts in the snow.

And it works better with the Burnin' Luvs as with the Apaches ...

Sounds like you're getting it! It is definitely more 'two' footed to carve. There's always some input to each ski.. does feel odd compared to old style, but once you feel it, get the hang of, trust your skis, you'll find it's lots of power & control and FUN being on 2 feet! Kind of Feels like roller blades,when on edge is like riding the rails,carving, leaving tracks.
Try As Many Skis as you can!! Burning Luvs are nice turners, lady Atomics turn nice too. Rossi attraction series like to turn..my atomic heaven's gate is light ski, 157cm w/11.5 radius & loves little short turns and it still carves big enough GS for me.. maybe Radius of your ski may make a difference? Keep having Fun! Ski on!

 

[missyd]

Thanks a lot for your help! I'll give it a try as soon as I can ski again. I know I can learn it its just a matter of time!