1:47 Lol, CRUD is create read update delete - the basic methods of programming and the first thing you need to pick up when learning a new language. That is also what you find when you google it :D
Wow, glad I could help. And that the video was helpful. After teaching hundreds and even maybe thousands of lessons out on the mountain I have a feel for what works. Sometimes the best technique is not very complicated. Cheers, Tom
Absolutely the best instructional ski video on the subject. The explanation of when and where to carve (3:42 - 4:07) and how to approach crud differently (4:08 - 4:15) is the key that unlocks crud! Thank you!
This is an awesome video. Too many skiers have been convinced that they need a different set of skis for each snow condition. Adjusting technique to meet each situation was done when longer thinner skis were all that we had. The new skis are so much easier to work with, so with patience and practice people can still learn to adapt to a wide variety of conditions on one set of skis. Thank you for posting this video.
Agreed. An all arounder will serve nicely. I prefer a ski around 78- 82 at the waist that is fairly flexible longitudinally but torsionally stiff. That said my preferred day to day ski is a racing ski, currently an Elan Ace SLX in a 165 cm.
Thanks NRB and JD, new skis are indeed easy to ski on but I dont like any wider than around 70 for regular all-round skiing. For powder I dont know as I never tested but racing skis are so much fun and there are so much milidge you get on flat groomers.
True but newer skis with wide tips, wider underfoot and profiles ideal for conditions like steep crud and pow make it far easier to just power through it. My old skis just would not track through the uneven stuff like the ones I currently use. The new ones are wider with a different profile and they absolutely slice through the crud and uneven stuff like scalpels and I'm only older. That being said, I only use one pair and expect them to work in 90% of conditions. And there is absolutely nothing equipment will do to help poor technique. As we know, challenging conditions are what reveals flaws in technique. Can not wait to get out there.
What skis you are on does matter. I agree a ski around 100mm waist can be used for everything, but a dedicated carver sub 90mm will always be better on groomed snow, and a fat ski with some rocker and/or taper will always be better in powder. Last year I had only brought my 165cm SL race ski, and tried to follow my friends into the tracked out snow in the forest. Worst day skiing ever :p My collection of 8 skis is definitely excessive, but I would recommend all skiers to at least have two pairs if they want to ski both on and off piste.
Different skis for different conditions is a great idea. Trying to adapt one pair of skis to all conditions is a bad idea. If you think that by using one pair of skis for all conditions makes you a better skier you are kidding yourself. If a person can afford to they should have at least three different pairs of skis: 1. groomer skis (carving), 2. powder skis, 3. All mountain skis. If you don't have at least that you are cheating yourself out of a lot of fun.
It was wonderful to watch you play in the crud. I personally, now in the last year of my eighties do prefer groomed early morning runs but do take a kick at crud with a new snowfall. It is a great feeling when crud skiing works but I find it uses a lot of energy. Great video, thanks.
Thanks for watching and super nice to hear you are still skiing at that age. And yes, sometimes crud works, sometimes not so well. Same for me. Cheers, T
I love the way you try to simplify ski turns. A carve turn can become so complicated if not explained properly. Your skiing is so smooth and you really make it fun to make proper ski turns. Thank You for your dedication!
Thank YOU for watching and for all your good words on my videos. Ski instruction can become very complicated I know but I have over the years tried to simplify it as much as possible. Because if you just make it simple and talk about the most essential elements then everything else will fall in place once they are required. It is a progression. And the most important thing in skiing is managing your weight. Either between two skis or in the vertical plane. Jumping is so natural to all living things. Why leave it out of skiing? Cheers, T
Hi Tom Finally I decided to write to you and share my skiing experience. My name is Joseph, I was born in Poland and I live in Canada. I am a former ski instructor Level II. I believe that my skiing is closer to level III. I never really instructed that much. Your video is excellent and I agree with you 100%. My comments are of the general nature and related more to carving. Recently I have been looking for a definition of a perfect carved turn and no luck. It seems that a clean railway track implies carving. I think it is more to it. I ran to your video Carv low where you advocate flex/ extend/ flex strategy. I could not agree more. I have learning how to carv on my own for many, many years by reading and watching videos. I was extending through the transition and felt that that it sluggish and I was unhappy with my early edging. I started experimenting and found that flexing through the transition produced much better results. It made me a better skier. I am happy with my carving. I think that my parallel is also much better. I engage my edges much earlier and produce steady and constant skidding throughout entire turns. I believe in two footed skiing, 50/50 as much as I can. I have two legs, two skis and and feel quite comfortable doing it. I am quite surprised to see many professional instructors extending through the transition. I hope you read my comments. I certainly would appreciate your definition of a perfect carved turn.
I've only been skiing for a total of 25 days spanning 6yrs (early 40s) so I'm still learning but have taken to carving really well with my short, stocky legs (I used to be a sprinter) but the crud & low visibility in Obertauern currently has messed my confidence up really well *sigh* It's so exhausting going through crud and spring snow & I've fallen many many times today. But watching your video on overcoming crud has reminded me to go back to my "Bunny Hop" beginnings and hopefully I can maintain the momentum in my next run tomorrow. Thank you for the tips! P.s I didn't learn the old way to ski (husband taught me, he's the skied-his-whole-life one) so i went straight into carving style as it reminds me of when I speed ice skate...like the pushing the legs out to the side kind of thing. I probably look terrible but I don't mind as it feels fun.😊
Welcome to the sport of skiing. It is amazing. You go places you would never go both on piste and in your head. Hahaaa.... crud is one of them. Glad to hear that you had some gain in watching my video and taking to my tips. Dont worry how it looks, go for safety and thrills first. Cheers, Tom
Thanky you. This is the best instruction video I've seen on YT. I especially like that you show examples of improper technique and why people struggle in harder conditions.
Thank you very much for such good feedback. I always think I could or should have done it better. Good that it was sufficient for those exact reasons. I try to demo everything as simple as possible. Out on the mountain with students and here online with my videos. More videos to come. Thanks for watching, Tom
I now finally understand the subtle differences between the weight-unweighting in snowplough, parallel and carving turns. Thanks for this video! I am firmly in the parallel turn camp (not carving yet) and now I see that I have not been doing it too badly :) Especially in tricky conditions. I always thought I was doing it wrong but accepted it since I cannot carve (yet).
Thanks for watching and if you stick to it, skiing, and try to do my drills in my carving drills you too will be carving before you know it. Cheers, Tom
Skiing variable conditions is part of the game, thanks for the preseason tips i cant wait to start my season . Watching this video puts me back in the mindset to ski . thanks have a great ski season and be safe
My pleasure! And I also got into the ski mindset when editing this video. Before that I was kind of just waiting for the season, now I really cannot wait for it to start. I was supposed to go to Levi this week but due to lack of snow and a few other issues I had to pass this year. I have to wait a few more weeks or even a month... rats.... Cheers, Tom
I watch too much TH-cam and probably leave a comment 2-3 times a year - but wow! Truly wow! I watch lots of ski videos, have taken a lot of lessons, but this is maybe the most useful instruction I've ever received. Thanks so much!
Oh wow.. I watched like 10 “how to ski moguls” video and took a full day class.. but when I watched this I realized that everything they said began to make sense only until this point of time… thank you ❤
Thank you so much for watching and glad you found the missing puzzle peace in my video. By the way, this is the best bump video on YT: th-cam.com/video/xY33X302Ul4/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 Thank you, Tom, for generously sharing your knowledge. I have been binge-watching ur channel these few days. It has really high-quality contents!
I hurt my knee yesterday cranking my skis as fast as I can smashing into mounds of crud, but now I know to just use some air momentum to enter the high C turn with a brushed angle and "ski" out an arc like I would normally on groomed runs. This video has given me some confidence back to return to crud since it always makes me feel like an intermediate again and again.
You master one thing but not another. So it goes. Does not mean you are an intermediate skier. Just that some terrain is harder than other. Too bad about your knee. Hopefully it will get better soon. That is the exact reason I put some air into my crud skiing, so that I minimize the risk of not being strong enough with the support of my body weight to plow through uneven snow. Cheers, Tom
In over 40 years on the soles I always find that maintaining a natural even rhythm is very important no matter the snow conditions, the rhythm will change depending on ski conditions but it has always been an important component.
As usual, a decent dose of knowledge and good viewing. The ability to use sliding techniques with ski relief is undoubtedly indispensable in such conditions, especially on Polish slopes. Regards
This was really educational. I didn’t even realize that people ski differently in different terrain. I was trying to “carve” in cruddy snow, and constantly catching an edge. Thanks for this.
You are welcome. Nice to have been able to bring you some new information. I often get confronted with the belief that carving is the only way to ski and not only is that not true, most of those people also cannot carve even if they think they can. Cheers, Tom
Thank you for this. Been sking is crap conditions for so long I've started liking when it gets cruddy. With 100mm stiff skis can just plow trough it with short turns. Real fun. 4 weeks until I can hit the slopes again! Can't wait!
Many thanks for such good and encouraging feedback. Its fun to make these videos when I know people watch and appreciate them. I am humbled. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom, Thank you for the insite to skiing on regular piste skis. I spent 20 years learning to ski the holy grail of paralled skiing, then another 20 years to forget it and keep my feet apart and keep the weight just on the outside ski. First with upward unweighting then later with downward unweighting. I'm not very good in the deep snow (not enough practice). But with your advice in mind I'm going to slap my skis together and go back to the Upward Unweighting, to tackle those unpisted bits at the side of the piste. Thank You Tom, great video
Thanks for watching and leaving such a good comment Tony. I hear your pain. I was lucky enough to ski with great instructors and coaches in Austria back in the 70s and 80s so I totally blocked out all that crapola about wide stance and no pole plant no tip lead etc. etc. And as an instructor on the internet I do not have to follow any association rules. I can bring you guys as much of the truth I know. Hopefully you get your confidence to ski basic parallel again. I was working at this ski school once where I had the reputation of being this oldschool guy that skied really slowly (I was teaching kids on a bunny hill). What did they know. Just let them do their talk :) Cheers, Tom
Hi, thanks for this important video for all these who want to have fun in crud snow and trying to avoid skying in overcrowded well prepared slopes. One point that I would like to add to your hints is the important part of the poles. in contrary to carving, poles have the role of giving rhythm and security. in my skistyle offpist the poles are the metronome for a flowing run in crud conditions. What do you think? Best. Daniel from Switzerland
I am absolutely of the same opinion. The poles are essential. I hate it when juniors today learn to ski without a poleplant as they are carving or racing. It is totally important for rhythm and stability. It helps your upper body in so many ways.
Great to hear! I think there are very few out there that can actually tell you something worth wile. Also out on the slope. I hear the same "lines/lies" over and over again and they dont make any sense. Most of the times. Thanks for watching. Cheers, T
Super nice it resonated with you. I feel really sorry for lots of skiers actually doing things right but being put down by much better skiers that in fact are not better at everything. Maybe they are great ski racers but they are not doing it right in the bumps or off-piste. Glad to be of help, Cheers Tom
Great video Tom! It's all about sound fundamentals and agility. Not a big fan when it comes to up unweighting unless absolutely necessary. Thanks for the video.
I was also not very found of the old up-unweighting technique at some point but I have come to the conclusion that it is the best technique for certain things. And we need to be versatile. Happy Holidays, Triggerboy & Team
Nice explanations. One thing you should add. Key for most crud or deep snow conditions are narrow feet. Keeping the legs/skis together prevent you from twisting and falling, as you can see in your video.
Agree, I'd like to see a comparison in styles also, as the feet together platform here seems to make both skis easier to control for sure. But when it is really steep you often end up with one ski higher up next to the opposing knee, which makes turning continuously with pace, a bit more technical than just smearing the tails.
@@scollyutube I know what ypu mean. But higher knee does not mean automatically wider stance. For example watch some pictures of WC racers carving. The skis/ feet/knees are split, but only in a vertical line, horizontal they are completely narrow with no gap. I've seen very good skiers in crud, powder who struggle with turning, falling of twisting because they push a wide stance. The inside leg works like a lever, and the deep snow pushes force on boot of the inside leg and will rotate the whole body. When snow is very light, this may be less of a problem, but in heavy deep snow it is.
Nice discussion going on. I think that XY has a valid point here, narrow feet serve you better in crud and deep snow. But Scollyoutube is right, on steep the skis end up wide apart and even if the legs are closed, no horizontal separation, no gap of air between legs, the skis can be wide apart, vertical separation. However, as soon as the skis go apart as in big vertical separation you cannot platform over both at the same time. That advantage is gone. And your skis become also more difficult to control. Like Chris @ 4:53 & 11.14. In my book both are right.
Tom, thank you. I am skiing right now in the Austrian Tirol. Upper slopes are fine, lower valley runs are crud - made worse because it’s mainly artificial snow rather than those natural snowflakes that bind together like velcro! Yesterday I didn’t enjoy the descent to the valley because, although I can carve beautifully on the upper, groomed pistes, I am clumsy in the crud. So I watched your video and read many of the comments. Today I skied the same run and what a difference. Okay, I’m not blasting down like some folk. But I am now choosing to execute my turns in the snow mounds rather than on the deceptively smooth patches which have been scraped clean by others. I am also lifting my inside ski so that it doesn’t get caught, pivot me around and overcook the turn. It’s so much better and, for the very first time, I actually enjoyed the challenge of skiing through this stuff rather than simply the euphoria of making it to the car park without falling. My legs don’t ache either! Your video explained this very clearly, demystifying the whole thing and giving me the knowledge of what’s actually happening so that my confidence has grown and my stance is more athletic rather than risk-averse. I also appreciated the comment, by you or someone else here, that when skiing crud the experience will never be smooth or perfect since the snow is anything but. Constant adjustments felt through one’s feet and balance is to be expected and it’s not proof of being a poor skier. Carving groomers is fabulous, feeling the g-forces provide the extra edge bite and being catapulted out of one turn and into the next. But from your video I learned that one must have several different techniques ready to deploy depending upon the conditions ahead. One technique is not king. BTW, I don’t have any special off-piste wide skis. Mine are just Head V-shape V8 skis mainly suited to carving on groomers but with some limited ability to tackle the softer stuff. Anyway, thank you so much for this and your other videos. Really, you’ve made my two week skiing holiday so much better. Now all I need you to do is make a video on how to bypass the crowds that descend on these European ski resorts at Christmas and the New Year 😅. Best wishes, David.
Hi David. Wow! Many thanks for your comment and for watching. Im so happy I could give advice you had use for on your holiday. It is indeed important to know many different techniques. Happy New Year, Tom
Thank you for this video I have just got back from Tignes and practiced this technique in chopped up snow and bad visibility and it really has helped me to improve. thanks.
Wow, great to hear. I know it works wonders and glad you picked up on it. This is the way I was taught by super talented ski instructors and glad to be able to pass it on. Cheers, Tom
Great to hear you mention not actually making the turn when up, as we see so many trying to do exactly that and literally throwing themselves out of shape. You clearly state that the transition to the new outside should done at this point, which allows you to drive the turn through the snow. (The bonus of getting a bit of air when ending the previous turn is the application of additional downward force to help getting those planks to bend through the turn and get them on edge......just as long as those learning realise that being a bit more gentle on edge angle in the soft stuff is best)
Wow, thanks for such a great comment. Yes, exactly! People think you up-unweight to turn your skis into the fall line. No! You up-unweight to set your new edges. And let the edges pull you into the fall line and beyond. Also, not "actively steering" the skis by turning your feet. That is totally wrong. You set the new edges and let the skis turn you. Just like in carving. Cheers, T
@@Triggerboy62 I disagree, when there is an icy crust on top of powder, only active steering right at the start of turn can save you from going straight unstoppably. This is why I always push the new outside ski actively from the beginning, so that I have good customs for the hardest conditions.
Great Video. Thank you. I have always wanted to ski St Anton and reminded how to ski (what most people don't want to, crud) where there isn't a lot of people however the slopes are open let the skis run. Do please keep making the vids you do. Hopefully see you on the hill.
The skier in the greenish suit struggles and has to rotate the upper body due to a consistently overly open ankle joint (ie they are always back). Toms skiing shows a small brief ankle flex to get spring off the snow partly from the boots unflexing. Comments below ask about more equal weighting of the skis: still put as high a % of pressure on the outside ski as the snow will support. Glad you are making more videos.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. That is Chris in the greenish suit. This is among his first times skiing in conditions like these and yes he is sitting quite far back but that is a bleed over from his racing style. Usually jr skiers sit further back than adults. And yes, even if we have more equal weight on both skis in softer snow we should still be weighting our outside ski more. This is where a narrow stance comes in handy. You can platform yourself against the snow better while still weighting the outside ski more without snow bleeding over both edges of your skis. Only over the outside. So you get more pressure and lift. Cheers, Tom
Thanks for watching and have a great weekend out on the mountain. BTW, did you get some snow in the northwest or was that just in the East US? Cheers, Tom
Thank you for taking the time to do this video, I am mid 60's and skied for too many years to remember I ski fast on the 'groomed' and turn nicely with wide or tight turns but, have never been able to ski off piste or in crud. I find many contradictions. The 'unloading' of the ski makes sense to initiate the turn but I find I get too fast and and catch the edge and down I go for a face full of snow. I've also been told to push down to compress the snow to be able to turn? More information on the 'Brushed Parallel turn would be helpful, I intend to keep trying so please carry on making these films... Thank you
Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I will continue making videos and hopefully you will keep on watching. Yes, the brushed parallel turn is more important than people realize. Too much carving. Too much speed. Works on a moderate groomer but if you ski offpist or in crudd or on steep terrain in general you need to know how to brush your turns and check your speed through out the turn. Cheers, T
I love narrow race skis, don't get me wrong. And they're definitely useable in more situations than most people think. But wider all mountain and powder skis are just so much more fun in chop, powder, and other off piste conditions. They dramatically cut down on the amount of up unweighting you need to do, and even eliminate it in some circumstances. That move is really a compensation technique for skis that are narrower than ideal for the conditions imho. And honestly, doing what is pretty much full blown jump turns looks kind of exhausting. I saw in another comment that you rarely ski anything wider than 70 mm. I'd encourage you to give the wider sticks a go. You might even like them...
The only reason I do not like wider skis is that they are not as suitable for on-piste skiing as narrow skis. But in crud conditions and powder I know that they are much easier to ski with. I have tried a few times but never in really seriously deep off-piste or crud conditions. And Im kind of speaking to the crowd that dont have the money to buy lots of different skis for different conditions. I belong to that category myself. So yes, I would love to spend more time on wider skis but for now that has not been possible. So I stick with the old school concept. Cheers, Tom
Thank you Tom for the work you put in with this video and sharing it freely. I applied what you said yesterday in skiing crud and moguls and had an insight to share and get your thoughts. I have been practicing your "how to carve low" video on my carving... i.e. flex in transition and extend laterally at the turn. I skied the crud, starting from a flex position and when encountering either a mogul or severe crud I just slightly extended upward vs. laterally, which kept me more on my ski bottoms vs the edge of course. By using the same fundamental sequence of flex to extend, but just changing my intention from carve to pivot, I was able to affect the direction of my extension to match the conditions on the snow. I experienced better timing and flow this way... and was able to do combinations of carving and pivoting without a whole lot of change in technique. Your thoughts on these similarities in technique are always appreciated. Thanks.
You got it. Carving and parallel skiing with up-unweighting technique is really the same thing. It is a matter of timing. When you carve and flex through the transition you extend earlier, in the turn phase. Thats where you get your upward momentum except it is more in the lateral plane. Not only vertical. When I ski powder I do exactly what I do in carving, I extend my legs into the snow and the turn and then I flex into the transition not to get knocked up in the air. Same in bumps. Its basicly all the same. Also, in bumps it helps if you start out flexed. Thats is a good trick. Most people start out extended and then they flex over a bump. But its better to start out flexed and then extend between the bumps. Thats why Chris is such a great overall skier. Strong in all conditions. Its all about the same technique, just different timing. Thanks for pointing this out to me. How important it actually is. That it is not only me thinking that way. I need to make a video on that topic. Thanks. Cheers, Tom
This is a great video - its refreshing to see people talk about brushed parrallels and why they are important and where to use them. So many people are focused on carving now days. I learned to ski well with carving first, and have always struggled with Australian man made soft snow on rock hard ice (bad conditions often). This really helps as you often see the old school skiers handling it with ease as they stand up knees together. One thing though - not sure about your claims on skis. I just moved to some big all mountain skis which are made for "charging" as its called, allowing you to ski the entire slope rather than picking intricate lines. They make a huge - and I mean massive difference. Trying to ski "crud", slush, chop over ice on Nordica Doberman Spitfires compared to a Head Kore 99 is a world of difference. Would like to understand more about "flex and extension" - these words are used very freely on a lot of videos and are confusing. Does it mean we push our legs out hard? Thanks for video. Also you sound like this guy www.youtube.com/@AndreasSpiess
Thanks for the great feedback. Yes, carving will not work outside nicely groomed conditions on easy blues European slopes if you are not a very good skier or a ski racer. The point I am trying to convey is that its more a technique thing than a ski thing. Wider skis help but the most bang for buck you get from knowing how to ski. The wider skis are most often a short cut into a trap. I agree, the words flexing and extending are used in many different ways. I try to use the word flexing to describe the movement of bending at the knees. That can also be performed by compressing at the knees. If you are skiing bumps you flex over a bump but you are actually applying pressure not to get slammed against the bump. Also, flexing is not the same as relaxing. It is most often a very tense movement. Extension is easier as you just extend your legs. Note, we are talking about flexing and extending at the knees here. You can also flex your ankle or brake at the waist. Cheers, T
Initiating a slight carve and let the skis do the job for you instead of turning your ski's too much after your jump, this must be what I have been doing wrong. It always takes me so much power and effort to get down from powder/crud, in worst cases I would collapse over my skies as I cannot generate enough power to move the snow from beneath them. Will definitly try this on my next trip!
hyvaa paiva Tom! good to see u again, nice vid. crud is difficult in part because its not predictable. it feels like you have to be ready to react to whatever you find under the skis. to me this means actually slowing and speeding up according to the changing conditions. I was told not to pick my turns off piste, in other words to get in a rhythm and stick to it, but I find I get the best results by using the terrain and finding my way down the mountain using route-finding skills as you would when running down the same hill in the summer. similar to your slow way fast philosophy, cos in the crud the fast way often ends way outside my comfort zone. Kiitos! undrell
Hyvää päivää :) Nice to be greeted in our native language. There is a point to keeping the rhythm going and not scouting for places to turn. However, I think in crud it so crucial where you turn. Do a wrong move and your down. So I always scout for good places to turn and even if I always teach to concentrate on your next turn only I also look ahead a bit when conditions are bad not to run into trouble or a dead end. Speed has a lot to do with it. No speed in crud or powder will not get you anywhere. Its also better if its steep. So the worse the conditions get the faster you are going to be and hope for bumps and steep sections hahahaaa. Life is hard, its harder if you cannot ski :) Cheers, Tom
Very good explanations. I might add that a certain modest amount of speed helps create the momentum to smash through piles of snow. Also, it can never be effortless because the changing density and texture of the snow grabs at your skis and boots, alternately slowing and accelerating them. Crud is not my favorite but a good way to get away from crowds.
Exactly, you need speed. To crash through the uneven snow. If you are too careful it will not work. You need momentum. Yes, in the crud videos we are totally alone even if there are thousands of skiers on the mountain. Cheers, T
Would you clarify? It's all about flexion and extension. In carving, no up movement as you flex the stance leg to transfer, extend your downhill leg to meet and balance over snow. In bumps, better to start out flex, extend into the troughs. In crud, use up movement (using bumps, subtle extension, basically hopping) to use the added momentum to enter the turn with a brushed angle and plow through the snow in an arc. Since I consider myself a decent carver, how would you tell me to do differently in short turn cruds? Thank you!
I have found myself making bigger turns than many other in powder and crud. The reason is that I need extra time to get my skis up to the surface of the snow or close anyway or even up in the air sometimes in the transition to add momentum to the plow through in the arc but also, Im going a bit faster than most for the same reasons. Not necessarily down the slope but the slow line fast. Rounder turns. So maybe Im not the right guy for explaining how to make short turns in crud. Other than short turns in general. Yesterday we started out with 10cm of powder on a flat groomed slope in the morning. It was fun for half an hour but then it was all chopped up. But the fun did not stop. I skied almost nonstop for 7 hours with a private lesson in between. Just for fun. Beautiful weather. I was trying to make some bumps. You know, when enough people ski through crud there will be bumps. Except I was the only one making short turns. All other basically just skidded down on snowboard or just arced bigger turns. So I was not very successfull in what I was doing. However, the short turn exercise was great. I found that I really had to scout for the right places to turn. Scouting for piles of snow and bumps to turn against and on. In between some quick turns just to keep the tempo up. So that would be my advice, approach it like it was moguls. Cheers, Tom
Awesome explanation. Skiing le massif de charlevoix , my 5th day no instructor yet… your advice is really helpful. Did lots of sports before deciding to ski. Having trouble with turning’s down sudden dissent to the left specially when it’s scrappy offy lol
Great to hear! Thanks for watching. Have fun skiing on your own but dont be afraid of taking ski lessons from an instructor. If you are in luck you will have a great time and learn a lot. Cheers, Tom
As such a perfect lecture how to ski on different terrains. ✌️ To learn all this takes time, if new. Or even for many if us, experienced skiers. I m a carver type of GS skier. So this video gives me new motivation yo learn to become better skier on crud. Ita never too late to learn new 👍. I m now 71 yrs old but in very good shape concidering my age. Maybe 49 yrs of regular training of japanese martial arts explain some it, also avoided major injuries which happen in our sport. Kiitos 🙏
Thanks and thanks for watching. Super nice that you are still willing to improve and that you are in such good shape. I think that my biggest asset in life has been good health and good physical conditions. Too bad I had to give up martial arts a long time ago but I think that is about the best you can do for physical conditioning. Strength, agility, flexibility, cardio and Zen :)
@@Triggerboy62 hello, thank you for yr nice feedback. Its indeed the regular training combined wit mentally healthy attitude that is the best way with time to keep up the mobility with aging. As younger I had the pleasure of training GS with a male member of Austrian Ski team. He taught me how to ski on edge, avoid sliding . That was eye opening training for me. We trained 3 hrs per day one week so it was a crash course of GS. Then the skis were longer (203 cm), much heavier and not carvers. Its was a huge step ahead when carvers came out. Wish you too many good years in skiing. I have actively only some 5-10 yrs ahead, then tone down. As did with martial arts. These moves are compensated with regular gym training, 2-5 times a week plus yoga.Gym training done mostly by body weight training, but some machines bit too. Kiitos.
As always, you make really incredible content. I have always wondered if I was correct that in powder or deep crud, that unloading, jumping, un-weighting or flexing as you call in between turns was good form for these conditions. It seems that yes, it's what I will need to do to a lesser or greater extent given the conditions. As others have said, these type of days are really hard on the legs and it's something that we all experience, that our fitness level has one of the biggest impacts on our skiing. I mostly ski on my 80mm (waist) carvers but only recently picked up a pair of 100mm (waist) skis that really help on the powder and crud days, their just so much more stable on those days. With that said, I must admit that powder is best experienced on my snowboard. Floating though powder on a board, is an amazing feeling. Thanks again for the outstanding video. Cheers.
Thanks for all your good words on my videos. Yes, powder on a snowboard must be absolutely fantastic. I have never tried it as I am not very good at snowboarding but I can imagine it being better than skis as we are now talking about "riding" right? Skiing is skiing but riding is like riding a wave. Maybe someday :) Cheers, T
Also important to mention your quiet upper body with minimum arm movement. Your pole plants are more or less flicks of the wrist. Too many people get their upper bodies all wound up…the wrong way, when they are reaching out to plant their poles, or swinging their arms as they would, walking or running.
Thanks for watching. Great observation. A quiet body is very important. I actually have a video on my to-do-list explaining my thoughts regarding the pole plant and the upper body. Cheers, Tom
THANKs FOR Videos, WE SURE NEED YOUR EXPERTIES IN THE US, SKIING HAS BECOME AWEFULL NO BEAUTY OF THE SKI TURN, OUT OF CONTROL FOLKs ALL OVER THE MTs. KEEP THE COACHING INSTRUCTION COMING GIVEs ME FAITH THAT PRETTY CONTROL SKIING WILL MAKE A COME BACK.GOOD DAY
Wow! Im honored by such great feedback. Actually, ski instruction in many other countries are in the same rut. That's why I am here on TH-cam. No assosication can tell me what to do or say. So I give you the best drills and techniques I know and that I have used to instruct and coach skiers of all levels. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom, as long time skier have found your advice and tips very useful after over 40 yrs ski experience. On many different surfaces. For me crud has been, for some reason, most challenging. Deep (powder) snow on off piste even has been easier compared to crud. Maybe it relates to self confidence on crud. Because changed there my ski posture bit different. To worse. Thank you for you sharing your knowledge. As well your different approach concerning turns, which is almost opposite what they teach in normal Ski Schools! I truly think thst the tecnique you present in turns, based on extending the lower leg in turn, was bit new to me. Waiting for to test your method this winter. Best skiing regards from Finland 🇫🇮. Thank U, sir 👍
Thanks I found this video very informative. I ski mostly in California where the crud can often get very heavy and often hard. Standard procedure is to avoid it. Do you have videos or ideas on attacking those types of slopes? Second, if may, I also struggle with mogels where there is some soft snow on the tops but hard/ice - usually on the front side of the mogel (NOT total rock solid mogels). If you had any ideas or videos on how to best handle those it would be great. thx
Thanks for watching. Crud comes in different sizes and shapes. Not really sure how to ski in conditions like you describe but I have once been stuck on a slope with deep heavy wet snow with crust on top. That was difficult to ski. Heavy snow is one of the worst as you can easily hurt your legs. If the snow is hard its possible to ski on top. Moguls with soft snow on top but icy ruts? Yes, I have a lesson for you: th-cam.com/video/iiNnEZDlSe0/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Tom
Great video. I wish I would have seen it before I skied crud all day today. I looked better than the girl but felt I should have be faster than I was. Will try it tomorrow. Thanks and again very well put together video
I recently picked up skiing again after yeras of snowboarding and I'm struggeling with crud/offpiste skiing, I just don't know what the right technique is for taking turns. Your video is until now the best explanation I found and will definitely try it out next time.
Thanks for watching and giving it a shot. I've been skiing all my life and I have had the pleasure to ski with great ski instructors and coaches. One thing they all had in common, this technique. You can do it. Cheers, T
Hi! Would there be much of a technique change for more center mounted skis? I find my tails getting caught when turning in deeper crud especially in the steep trees.
You are touching on a very important issue here. My gripes with some skis out on the market, in particular park skis but also off-piste skis, is that their bindings are mounted so far in front. I used to mount all my bindings forward of the manufacturers center mark by up to 40mm. Now I know better. It is a myth that the skis would for example carve tighter for example due to it being easier to weight the front part of the skis. What actually happens is that the tail starts to act like a rudder and prevents the ski tails from braking out in a skid when turn needs to be tighter than the turn radius of the skis and all other factors at that particular moment. And the same applies to crud skiing. The longer tail part of the skis keeps on catching crud elements, bumps or ice. Sorry but I have no real good tip to give you other than try to get the bindings moved back. Or get other skis. Absolutely great question you presented me with. Cheers, Tom
This is SO good. Thank you. I really like to "hop", or "unweight" as you call it, and I've always assumed that this is "bad" relative to a purer carving motion but it works for me. Now you have convinced me that I am actually be doing something right. :) I'm going to think about this some more, experiment with it on the slopes, and pay attention to the details. Thank you again for giving me something new to consider and think about.
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching and feels great you found something to work on. And yes, you have been doing lots of things right, like so many others, but carving has blind sighted people and even ski schools. Cheers, Tom
Great advice! I've been trying to up unweight the skis in crud but with diminishing results the worst the snow got. I hadn't considered increasing the amount of force even more to the point of literally jumping.
Thanks for watching. Yes, this up and down motion, momentum, is really important. In most skiing situations. Yesterday it was dumping and we could not run gates with the kids at the club so I had them ski crud. Great fun but also a great gap in the kids skill set. Cheers, T
There is good advice here, like flex in transition and pay attention to snow and timing. However, the presented technique can be a knee / lower back killer for some older or unfit skiers. Wider skis are not necessarily for technical purposes but rather comfort and relieve the pressure on knees and back especially in uneven snow conditions.
Thanks. Yes, you are perfectly right. Wider skis would be for the most part a comfort thing. Improve our skiing both because it would be easier from a technical perspective as well as less taxing on our leg muscles for safer and longer skiing. Cheers, T
Great Video! I ski everything nearly the same, which means I can have a fairly good edge angle in power and crud. That doesn’t mean I’m trying to be on my edges though they can contribute. Instead of Carving I call it “Basing”. I’m sending the skis “out” rounding out the top of the turn just like carving but it’s not the edge’s performing, it’s the bases arcing that ski back. Using the ski along its length! One thing I focus on is rounding out the top of the turn down to the apex. I don ‘t think beyond the apex at the start of the turn. After the apex that arc continues completing the turn. For me, if I focus on getting past the scary apex and getting back across the fall line as quickly as possible it messes up the round top of the turn.
You are absolutely correct. Wow, I'm gonna use that title in a future video if you don't mind, BLASTING! What a great word and meaning. What I teach beginners as well as more accomplished skiers and also tell myself in scary or demanding situations is to LOVER THE FALL LINE. Crave it. Don't try to rush past it to safety. Stay in the fall line, do not be scared. Being scared is you main enemy, not the pitch or the snow conditions. Be confident. Have confidence in your skills. So when we up-unweight to get momentum for starting a turn, do not use this momentum to twist or pivot your skis in order to change direction, do it for momentum being used to initiate the turn and get your bases arcing that ski back. Yes, a round top part of the turn is what it is all about in both wedging, parallel skiing, carving, bumps, off-piste, powder, crud etc. Thanks for sharing and proud to have such great skiers here on my channel. T
Thanks for asking. Yes, I have some bump videos on my channel. This one is more for entertainment purposes but maybe you will enjoy it: th-cam.com/video/iiNnEZDlSe0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1E9cHLVsRjKKMF_G However, this is by far the best mogul video out there: th-cam.com/video/xY33X302Ul4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7ikY_Ikf_HmULI9A Cheers, Tom
How would you describe your foot to foot pressure during turn initiation, mid turn and the end. Are you balanced on both feet throughout or leaning on the outside ski at any point? Looks quite 50/50 from the video but i can't tell. Lovely skiing.
In the 80s and the 90s we went through a phase were we were stepping from one ski to another. It took me a while to realize that was not really a good method and especially in crud, powder and softer snow. In carving at high speed the pressure is more over the outside ski but in the video here above its more of a 50/50 balance point. Cheers, Tom
In 1965 I was skiing at a private resort north of Toronto. The day started with about 8 inches of heavy snow that was soon carved into choppy crud. Had pair of 205 cm Head Standards and on the trail back to the lift my right ski was not tracking well. Weird, but it became weirder when riding the T-Bar. It was wandering around and in looking the front of the ski was bent up. In looking behind so was the tail. The ski had been barrel-staved, which was amusing to our group. In those days the ski was sent to Head were it was re-laminated.
@@Triggerboy62 What fun--yes delaminated Heads went back to factory for repair. My first skis in 1948 were made of solid wood. Bought skis, boots and bindings for something like $35. A neighbor was a skilled woodworker and he installed the steel edges.
Hi, thanks for asking. Yes, it is very important. It is very important in all kind of skiing. But we need to differ between when we have pressure under our skis and when we are floating with no pressure. The float is naturally a much shorter time period of when we ski so we must get familiar with the different types of turn transitions we can use. The basic rule is that when we are making a turn we should be centered over our BaseOfSupport and utilize proper fore-aft-balance. We need to be forward not to loose our balance backwards but also in order to pressure the tips of the skis for better performance. When we come into the transition we can either continue to stand centered leaning forwards OR flex our legs through the transition. But in order to do that we need to have the pressure gone from underneath our skis. Just like I explain in the video. However, we can flex deeper than we do in video. And when we do that it looks like we are waaaay in the back seat but its just for a brief moment. Then we extend again. Same technique is being used when we carve and when we ski powder or crud. Here is a lesson: th-cam.com/video/mgbEAcSTdsc/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Tom
Yes, GS skis are nice all round skis. I use mainly SL skis but GS skis are my second go to ski. They are also better powder skis than SL skis that are a bit too short. Cheers, Tom
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This is solid! Much better than 95% of ski instruction videos out there. Especially agreed with - "not to crank the skis around" from 9:22 - the overall observation of good skiing IS good crud skiing. On the other hand, your stance looks too narrow on the groomer (4:50 onwards). Keep on posting!
Thanks. Yes, stance width is kind of narrow. I started skiing with a narrow stance to rebel against the wide stance advocated 20y ago when the carving skis became mainstream. But thanks for watching and yes, that 9.22 (my birth day BTW... the ultimate 911... if you cannot get any help please call 922 hahahahaaa) tip is the beef of the meal. Cheers, Tom
I enjoyed a beautiful groomer day today but we had powder the past couple days so it did start getting cruddy.. I did even go off trail a little.. I will more as the season progresses.. I broke my arm on 3.14.2022.. I think for me a lot of it will be to slow down.. I remember 20 years ago it was taking me a lot longer to ski the runs and I was in a lot better shape...
Glad to hear you are skiing after braking your arm last season. Take it slow at first. Dont fall. Not in crud anyway, that hurts more than in soft snow. Yes, we all slow down with age. Main thing is we ski. Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I am used to falling.. I do know that with Thanksgiving coming up and there being a lot of people it is more about being aware of others.. I went to opening day this year and there were a ton of people.. Sometimes it was about skiing slow with the pack and sometimes it was about skiing fast to get away from the pack..
Is it ok to lean back a bit (more pressure on the tails) when going across the slope in crud? The idea being it helps the tips of the skis not sink into the crud. Of course when it's time to turn, moving the body weight forward so that the skis don't get stuck during the transition
Could be an option, especially with wider skis that float on the snow. But I myself do not like to lean back when the skis are pressured. Weight forward and ski tips buried in the snow. That is the proper way to stay balanced. And you need therefore more speed than normally. Steeper slopes. Cheers, Tom
For me at least, probably one of your best videos to help me progress. I have been stuck as to why I in the morning could carve a run beatifully and in full control with high edge angle, and when skiing the same run in the afternoon's crud found my technique falling apart and feeling like the woman in your video 😞 You clearly demonstrate, I cannot rely on edge angle and need to use a different technique and use more vertical force to unload the skis the heavier the terrain. Thanks for the great tip. I am eager to test it out next weekend.
Thanks for watching and giving such good feedback. Yes, it is a very common problem. People can carve but not ski when the firm base becomes all soft and torn apart. I run into this friend of mine, a good ski racing masters woman in her 40s, when skiing in Austria. She carves very well but when we were supposed to ski down to the village she had no clue what to do. And its also an attitude thing. Not wanting to degrade themselves down to the level of not carving. Not to mention wedging. I just had a masters coaching session on Monday. Too much snow and rain and we could not run gates. So I had them do ski school drills. Some did not like it and left. Of the ones who stayed, it was clearly evident that the ones that were the fastest on the track were also best at the drills. Best was of course Chris, who is becoming a very good overall skier. He has the patience to do drills and also ski fast. Cheers, Tom
Very good explanation - I'm self taught, and always struggle in crud, well - I thought I struggle, but seems like my up and down technique is actually right. Now to train my legs to survive whole day of this :D
So glad I have been of any help. And yes, many times we are put down by others for doing stuff wrong even if we do it the right way. Or lets say, there are always many ways of skiing but this one works for me and evidently for you as well. So why do it any other way. And actually, a little secret, this is the correct way :)
this is great race skiing crud skiing! you are right that a cambered ski is very skiable in crud. but, imo. skiing a rockered ski versus a cambered ski in crud is a little different, because rockered skis dont pop up out of the crud as well as a cambered ski
You are right. We have a carving ski / racing style approach and if you are using rockered skis you do not get the same rebound and sensitivity. But you still have to unweight your turn initiations. I tested rockered skis last season and found that the skis made like racing skis both from construction and design (sort of) perspective worked much better. Never tried such skis in fluffy 0,5m deep powder.
Gr8 video, thank you for explanation. That's my goal of skiing to ride down off piste, however I know it is hard way. Thanks for that film. I have to watch it more times, but it is very good as usual :) Kris has, I believe, nice new outfit on this film, I only recognized him by skis and amazing carving style,,,👍😊
Thank you so much and thank you for watching. This material is quite old to be honest so the suit is from his jr years. But yes, his style is clearly recognizable. Also, you are right. Skiing off-piste is quite difficult. Not only from a technical perspective but also from a practical. To get there can be difficult and to get out of there can be even more difficult. And there is a big safety hazzard. And you need avalanche training and gear. So my advice is to develop as a skier and get your kicks on the groomer and then if you ever get a chance to ski off-piste under safe conditions then go for it. Cheers, Tom
How do you ride in the flat lighting conditions where you can't see terrain. Or even can't see where up and down is... Where everything is like one white mess?...
That is really a good question. Often you run into conditions like that when skiing crud or powder which makes it even more difficult. I have at times fallen even if I just stood at a complete standstill. Sorry, have no good advice. However, training your balance will make it easier to cope in conditions like that. Also, in a 100% safe environment on a very flat hill we have been training to ski blind folded with a person behind giving directions. Blind para skiers ski like that. Very slowly of course. Cheers, Tom
You nailed me! This is exactly my situation-look like a pro on groomers but any sort of uneven terrain-goodbye! I am going to watch your video again. I have many ailments which effect my skiing (need a new knee and shoulder, and am no spring chicken), but have never been good in anything but groomers. Always blamed it on not having wider skis, and left it at that. I don't plan on any recreational racing this year, and am afraid of falling on a shoulder which dislocated several times in the last few years-so crud puts me off balance and I'm afraid of falling when skiing in it! I have tried "bouncing" in it for heavy unloading, but that didn't work.
Hi. I always had the same issues as you. Looked really good on groomers but turned to shite when it got steep or deep. Made skiing the slopes I wanted to very physically demanding. Then I took a small group lesson at Jackson Hole and it changed everything. It is nearly the same things for all of us that somehow just cannot make turns in deep snow. The main things are keeping our chests (head, eyes, upper body) pointing down the fall line and staying off of the tails of our skis. And these two things go hand in hand. We get going, get some speed, get concerned because it's hard to turn, sit back and it becomes impossible to turn because we are essentially digging our tails into the snow and cannot unweight them. Now to turn we try to throw our upper bodies into the turn to make it happen. The second you turn the upper body, your balance is lost and shifted even further into the "back seat". Combining those two sins and it is impossible to ski and impossible to feel confident, the third strike. Keeping that body weight forward (which is completely the opposite of what our brain is screaming at us to do), keeping your hands in front of you and keeping your eyes locked on the fall line ("eyes on the prize" per my instructor that day) will keep you locked in. You won't twist your upper body and you won't dig your tails in. You will find it unbelievably easy to make turns. Not effortless but far less difficult than before. These are all things you know how to do already, you just have to trust yourself and keep those two things foremost in your mind. I'm sorry if this is all old hat to you and was boring. That half-day lesson was so beneficial to me after years of frustration that I usually jump at the chance to share what I learned. BTW I am from Pennsylvania, not a mecca for skiing, and I can now ski steep tree runs out west. Best of luck. Hope this helps.
Wow, glad this video resonated with you. CVN65 gave you some amazingly good advice. I have nothing further to add. Thanks for watching and keeping the discussion going. Cheers, Tom
I really need to send you a video of my technique for some crud, where I literally just get on top of it and make huge turns the same way an Airplane banks after it’s taken off to make a big turn … it’s very fast but really fun. The empty slope you are skiing would be perfect .. great vids
Great explanation, must say skiing in crud is meant for stronger skier and takes a bit more energy out of you. Being in shape will help the situation. Thanks
Absolutely! But you should not muscle it. You should let the terrain help you. Being in shape is imperative in skiing. As in many other sports. A combination of own effort and terrain usage. Cheers, T
I’m so backseat it hurts me to think of it - I’m like that poor skier @ 2:30 negotiating with the mountain for her life. I notice as you ski crud that you are always in that “athletic stance” position at all times. There’s none of that temporary backseat positioning that is a part of carving, for example. Given, as you say, that pivoting is not as crucial a part of crud skiing, is that “ready position” more about preparing for unexpected conditions?
Such a good comment. Thanks. Very well explained. Sorry to hear you think you are in the back seat but Im sure that will change for the better. At least you know about it. That is the first step to learning. Yes, in crud you should stay forward at all times and be prepared for unexpected terrain. Good observation. Cheers, Tom
Wondering if you ever get on wider skis like all mountain pair when there are 30cm or more snow, for example? I ski most every day on my Atomic Redster S9. Sometimes on Redster x9. Don't really enjoy getting on any all-mountain pairs anymore. Thank you for great videos!
Not really. Since we do not have a ton of money and we have a huge shortage on time we stick to our racing skis for all our skiing. If we started to ski more off piste then maybe we could try to find good all mountain skis. In the mean time its racing skis for everything.
@Triggerboy62 Today, I gave up and got on my 90. We had about 12 inches of heavy snow. I think I am not good enough to ski that much snow in my 68.... I wish. I will try one day.
I agree that you can ski anything on one pair of skis. But... As a 192cm (6'2") and 100kg (260lbs) man, going from my piste oriented skis that are 170cm long and 72mm at the waist to a pair of 184cm All Mountain rentals with 84mm at the waist still made a noticeable difference in ease, comfort and stability. I felt like my personal skis had been a misfit for the past ten years
Great that you came to this conclusion. Better late than never. I always encourage everyone to try different gear and setup. Even if we are satisfied with our SL skis we still test other SL skis every time we get a chance. The reason we use SL skis also when skiing crud is to keep things simple. I actually rented a pair of wider and longer skis in StAnton once, there actually is a video of that on my channel somewhere, but even if the snow was crud and bumpy there was not much difference in my opinion. But I could be wrong. Also, who the heck takes their presous SL skis into ungroomed terrain? BTW, I have on GS camps in Austria many times skied powder with GS skis. If a ski manufacturer reads this then send me a pair of wider back country skis and I will put them to use :) Reg T
Super good, I have never skied crud but I think I understood most of it. You have to clear the ski of crud and use momentum to dig the edge and just trust that you will regain the control, which you will eventually lose because of the conditions. Looks fun 😁
Hi Tom, I´m an intermediate skier and I have trouble in crud and moguls. I was thinking of buying a ski that would be good in all snow conditions. What would you recommend in widt under foot? I have Head Prestige that are 78 under foot and they are awsome on good groomed terrain but when the crud starts in the afternoon I have trouble.
Skis will always be a compromise. I chose a ski that is best for the terrain I like the best and then I compromise on the rest of my skiing. I think that if you like the 78 under foot on good groomed terrain stick with that. I ski afternoon crud on a 65 under foot. Just been skiing crud for the past two days. My 165cm SL skis worked great. Cheers, Tom
Is it better to tighten the DINs on the ski bindings for skiing in crud? I feel that my skis come off more easily although admittedly that could be because of poor technique in the crud
You should always use the DIN recommendations by the manufacturer. However, when we race we always tighten the bindings way past the DIN max. We use race bindings at DIN 14 or so, depending on the manufacturer, but also in crud I think you need to tighten the bindings. Especially if they come off easily. Even thou that is the point, that they release. I always felt that pre-release is a very bad thing. And I have hurt myself many times that way. Cheers, Tom
Thank you so much for this video! I immediately saved it after watching and will view it again before my skiweeks in the French and Italian alps. This must be the first truly comprehensive vid I have ever watched about the subject. However, do you agree with me that in crud conditions, my longer and a bit wider all mountain ski’s (1.74 m by 80 mm) will provide for more float and thus stable skiing than my short slalom ski’s (165 by 68)? Or is this wrong and will the added weight of longer and wider ski’s hamper my technique?
Thanks for watching and for such good feedback. Yes, those wider/longer skis will serve you well in crud and powder. Surely better than SL skis. However, you still can ski well with the SL skis, just like we did in the video. Our main focus is carving on groomers and we want to have the optimum skis for those conditions. So if there is crud we ski with what we have. If its really dumping we go and rent wider skis. By the way, in the clip where Im filmed from behind and some other ones I am using wider skis. Not much difference I must honestly say. Cheers, Tom
What is your opinion on ski waist width for skiing fresh snow (i.e. crud by the time I wake up)? I ski a short slalom ski (65 underfoot) on groomed runs and absolutely love them. But when I have to tackle fresh Pacific Northwest wet snow on skied out runs, I'm just not used to the wider skis that everyone keeps pushing me to use. What do you use?
Easy to answer your last question, I use my narrow waist SL and GS skis. But if I had the luxury of owning a wider waist ski for crud and off piste skiing I probably would. How wide thou is a good question. Somehow I think that I would not like to wider than 85 for example. I have tried skis like that once in St Anton and I liked them although I did not find them "much" better than my SL skis. Its the length that makes the difference also. SL skis are quite short. Even a 175 cm ski would make a huge difference. What I definitely did not like about them was the tip rocker. The ski was trying to go over the now and that caused my knees to hurt. My SL skis plugged right through. Same as my GS skis. I would like to test skis in order to find the right crud ski. My garage is full of racing skis and we do not have any time or money to buy skis for different recreational use. Also, my strategy has been to ski with SL skis as much as possible to get use to the skis. So that in racing I would not have to adapt to "new" skis. Same goes for Chris. Sorry if this info is of little use. Cheers, T
Extremely good observation. We instructors and coaches take every thing for granted. Yes, it is like jumping. Except that you don't necessarily jump up in the air. Just enough for you to get light under your feet. You extend from a flexed position and when you stop extending you will experience the sensation of unweighting. Cheers, Tom
As a kid I learned how to ski parallel turns in the old days. Then I stopped skiing. Recently picked up skiing again and I'm still learning how to carve. I've heard people talk about 'kicking your tails out' during a carved turn. Is this technique similar to a parallel turn? Or are carving and parallel turn technique completely different and I should be learning both?
Thanks for asking. It is not that simple. If you check out my videolesson 3 Levels Of Carving you will see that drifting your tails oit while carving is an advanced skill. Yes, you should learn both. Feel free to ask any ski related question. Im here to help.cheers Tom
1:47 Lol, CRUD is create read update delete - the basic methods of programming and the first thing you need to pick up when learning a new language. That is also what you find when you google it :D
Sorry, missed your point... do I have a typo?
This is one of the most helpful ski videos I have watched. It got me back on the right track after a frustrating day in difficult conditions.
Wow, glad I could help. And that the video was helpful. After teaching hundreds and even maybe thousands of lessons out on the mountain I have a feel for what works. Sometimes the best technique is not very complicated. Cheers, Tom
Absolutely the best instructional ski video on the subject. The explanation of when and where to carve (3:42 - 4:07) and how to approach crud differently (4:08 - 4:15) is the key that unlocks crud! Thank you!
Wow, thanks! Nice to hear such positive feedback. Glad to hear you think I did a good job. Cheers, Tom
This is an awesome video. Too many skiers have been convinced that they need a different set of skis for each snow condition. Adjusting technique to meet each situation was done when longer thinner skis were all that we had. The new skis are so much easier to work with, so with patience and practice people can still learn to adapt to a wide variety of conditions on one set of skis. Thank you for posting this video.
Agreed. An all arounder will serve nicely. I prefer a ski around 78- 82 at the waist that is fairly flexible longitudinally but torsionally stiff. That said my preferred day to day ski is a racing ski, currently an Elan Ace SLX in a 165 cm.
Thanks NRB and JD, new skis are indeed easy to ski on but I dont like any wider than around 70 for regular all-round skiing. For powder I dont know as I never tested but racing skis are so much fun and there are so much milidge you get on flat groomers.
True but newer skis with wide tips, wider underfoot and profiles ideal for conditions like steep crud and pow make it far easier to just power through it. My old skis just would not track through the uneven stuff like the ones I currently use. The new ones are wider with a different profile and they absolutely slice through the crud and uneven stuff like scalpels and I'm only older. That being said, I only use one pair and expect them to work in 90% of conditions. And there is absolutely nothing equipment will do to help poor technique. As we know, challenging conditions are what reveals flaws in technique. Can not wait to get out there.
What skis you are on does matter. I agree a ski around 100mm waist can be used for everything, but a dedicated carver sub 90mm will always be better on groomed snow, and a fat ski with some rocker and/or taper will always be better in powder.
Last year I had only brought my 165cm SL race ski, and tried to follow my friends into the tracked out snow in the forest. Worst day skiing ever :p
My collection of 8 skis is definitely excessive, but I would recommend all skiers to at least have two pairs if they want to ski both on and off piste.
Different skis for different conditions is a great idea. Trying to adapt one pair of skis to all conditions is a bad idea. If you think that by using one pair of skis for all conditions makes you a better skier you are kidding yourself. If a person can afford to they should have at least three different pairs of skis: 1. groomer skis (carving), 2. powder skis, 3. All mountain skis. If you don't have at least that you are cheating yourself out of a lot of fun.
Great lesson! Your ability to rephrases and explain some rather difficult concepts is amazing! Thanks for this video!
You're very welcome! Thanks for such great feedback and for watching, Cheers Tom
It was wonderful to watch you play in the crud. I personally, now in the last year of my eighties do prefer groomed early morning runs but do take a kick at crud with a new snowfall. It is a great feeling when crud skiing works but I find it uses a lot of energy. Great video, thanks.
Thanks for watching and super nice to hear you are still skiing at that age. And yes, sometimes crud works, sometimes not so well. Same for me. Cheers, T
All I'm hearing here is that I have at least 30 more years of skiing pow!
Keep making turns!
@@teknik12k I am.
@@teknik12kMe too! ;-)
The explanation is so plain and precise, you made it very easy to internalize these techniques. Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks for such good feedback. Cheers, T
I love the way you try to simplify ski turns. A carve turn can become so complicated if not explained properly. Your skiing is so smooth and you really make it fun to make proper ski turns. Thank You for your dedication!
Thank YOU for watching and for all your good words on my videos. Ski instruction can become very complicated I know but I have over the years tried to simplify it as much as possible. Because if you just make it simple and talk about the most essential elements then everything else will fall in place once they are required. It is a progression. And the most important thing in skiing is managing your weight. Either between two skis or in the vertical plane. Jumping is so natural to all living things. Why leave it out of skiing? Cheers, T
Hi Tom
Finally I decided to write to you and share my skiing experience. My name is Joseph, I was born in Poland and I live in Canada. I am a former ski instructor Level II. I believe that my skiing is closer to level III. I never really instructed that much. Your video is excellent and I agree with you 100%. My comments are of the general nature and related more to carving. Recently I have been looking for a definition of a perfect carved turn and no luck. It seems that a clean railway track implies carving. I think it is more to it. I ran to your video Carv low where you advocate flex/ extend/ flex strategy. I could not agree more. I have learning how to carv on my own for many, many years by reading and watching videos. I was extending through the transition and felt that that it sluggish and I was unhappy with my early edging. I started experimenting and found that flexing through the transition produced much better results. It made me a better skier. I am happy with my carving. I think that my parallel is also much better. I engage my edges much earlier and produce steady and constant skidding throughout entire turns. I believe in two footed skiing, 50/50 as much as I can. I have two legs, two skis and and feel quite comfortable doing it. I am quite surprised to see many professional instructors extending through the transition. I hope you read my comments. I certainly would appreciate your definition of a perfect carved turn.
Simply the best skiing instruction video ever. Thanks Tom.
Wow, thanks Lindsay! Need to make this a sticker! Cheers, Tom
I've only been skiing for a total of 25 days spanning 6yrs (early 40s) so I'm still learning but have taken to carving really well with my short, stocky legs (I used to be a sprinter) but the crud & low visibility in Obertauern currently has messed my confidence up really well *sigh*
It's so exhausting going through crud and spring snow & I've fallen many many times today. But watching your video on overcoming crud has reminded me to go back to my "Bunny Hop" beginnings and hopefully I can maintain the momentum in my next run tomorrow. Thank you for the tips!
P.s I didn't learn the old way to ski (husband taught me, he's the skied-his-whole-life one) so i went straight into carving style as it reminds me of when I speed ice skate...like the pushing the legs out to the side kind of thing. I probably look terrible but I don't mind as it feels fun.😊
Welcome to the sport of skiing. It is amazing. You go places you would never go both on piste and in your head. Hahaaa.... crud is one of them. Glad to hear that you had some gain in watching my video and taking to my tips. Dont worry how it looks, go for safety and thrills first. Cheers, Tom
The most realistic and "no nonsence" aproach so far! Thanks a lot! ❤
Wow, thanks!!! Cheers, Tom
Thanky you. This is the best instruction video I've seen on YT. I especially like that you show examples of improper technique and why people struggle in harder conditions.
Thank you very much for such good feedback. I always think I could or should have done it better. Good that it was sufficient for those exact reasons. I try to demo everything as simple as possible. Out on the mountain with students and here online with my videos. More videos to come. Thanks for watching, Tom
I now finally understand the subtle differences between the weight-unweighting in snowplough, parallel and carving turns. Thanks for this video! I am firmly in the parallel turn camp (not carving yet) and now I see that I have not been doing it too badly :) Especially in tricky conditions. I always thought I was doing it wrong but accepted it since I cannot carve (yet).
Thanks for watching and if you stick to it, skiing, and try to do my drills in my carving drills you too will be carving before you know it. Cheers, Tom
Skiing variable conditions is part of the game, thanks for the preseason tips i cant wait to start my season . Watching this video puts me back in the mindset to ski . thanks have a great ski season and be safe
My pleasure! And I also got into the ski mindset when editing this video. Before that I was kind of just waiting for the season, now I really cannot wait for it to start. I was supposed to go to Levi this week but due to lack of snow and a few other issues I had to pass this year. I have to wait a few more weeks or even a month... rats.... Cheers, Tom
hey, thank you so much for making and putting out your skiing lessons, yours are my favourite of all on youtube!
Wow, thank you! That is an honor. All the best to you and have a great season :)
I watch too much TH-cam and probably leave a comment 2-3 times a year - but wow! Truly wow! I watch lots of ski videos, have taken a lot of lessons, but this is maybe the most useful instruction I've ever received. Thanks so much!
Wow, such good feedback coming from a YT pro is awesome. Thank you for watching and an honor to have you as a viewer. Cheers, T
Oh wow.. I watched like 10 “how to ski moguls” video and took a full day class.. but when I watched this I realized that everything they said began to make sense only until this point of time… thank you ❤
Thank you so much for watching and glad you found the missing puzzle peace in my video. By the way, this is the best bump video on YT: th-cam.com/video/xY33X302Ul4/w-d-xo.html
Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 Thank you, Tom, for generously sharing your knowledge. I have been binge-watching ur channel these few days. It has really high-quality contents!
I hurt my knee yesterday cranking my skis as fast as I can smashing into mounds of crud, but now I know to just use some air momentum to enter the high C turn with a brushed angle and "ski" out an arc like I would normally on groomed runs. This video has given me some confidence back to return to crud since it always makes me feel like an intermediate again and again.
You master one thing but not another. So it goes. Does not mean you are an intermediate skier. Just that some terrain is harder than other. Too bad about your knee. Hopefully it will get better soon. That is the exact reason I put some air into my crud skiing, so that I minimize the risk of not being strong enough with the support of my body weight to plow through uneven snow. Cheers, Tom
The best explanation I've ever seen on this topic - a really excellent video, thank you!
Thanks :)
One of the best explanations I’ve seen to date. Thank you!
Wow, thanks! Cheers, Tom
In over 40 years on the soles I always find that maintaining a natural even rhythm is very important no matter the snow conditions, the rhythm will change depending on ski conditions but it has always been an important component.
Yes, this is highly true. Did you see my video on rhythm? Here: th-cam.com/video/vqAJZEftxDs/w-d-xo.html
Cheers, Tom
As usual, a decent dose of knowledge and good viewing. The ability to use sliding techniques with ski relief is undoubtedly indispensable in such conditions, especially on Polish slopes.
Regards
Thanks for watching and greetings to Poland :)
Yes, your lesson makes sense. I really needed this. Thank you
So glad! You are welcome. Glad to have been of assistance. Cheers, Tom
This was really educational. I didn’t even realize that people ski differently in different terrain. I was trying to “carve” in cruddy snow, and constantly catching an edge. Thanks for this.
You are welcome. Nice to have been able to bring you some new information. I often get confronted with the belief that carving is the only way to ski and not only is that not true, most of those people also cannot carve even if they think they can. Cheers, Tom
Thank you for this. Been sking is crap conditions for so long I've started liking when it gets cruddy. With 100mm stiff skis can just plow trough it with short turns. Real fun. 4 weeks until I can hit the slopes again! Can't wait!
Great to hear! Have fun. I too have to wait at least 4 weeks. Cheers, Tom
Lovely to have you back Tom, missed your videos. thanks for taking the time to make these valuable teaching video's.
Many thanks for such good and encouraging feedback. Its fun to make these videos when I know people watch and appreciate them. I am humbled. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the insite to skiing on regular piste skis.
I spent 20 years learning to ski the holy grail of paralled skiing,
then another 20 years to forget it and keep my feet apart and keep the weight just on the outside ski.
First with upward unweighting then later with downward unweighting.
I'm not very good in the deep snow (not enough practice).
But with your advice in mind I'm going to slap my skis together and go back to the Upward Unweighting, to tackle those unpisted bits at the side of the piste.
Thank You Tom, great video
Thanks for watching and leaving such a good comment Tony. I hear your pain. I was lucky enough to ski with great instructors and coaches in Austria back in the 70s and 80s so I totally blocked out all that crapola about wide stance and no pole plant no tip lead etc. etc. And as an instructor on the internet I do not have to follow any association rules. I can bring you guys as much of the truth I know. Hopefully you get your confidence to ski basic parallel again. I was working at this ski school once where I had the reputation of being this oldschool guy that skied really slowly (I was teaching kids on a bunny hill). What did they know. Just let them do their talk :)
Cheers, Tom
Hi, thanks for this important video for all these who want to have fun in crud snow and trying to avoid skying in overcrowded well prepared slopes. One point that I would like to add to your hints is the important part of the poles. in contrary to carving, poles have the role of giving rhythm and security. in my skistyle offpist the poles are the metronome for a flowing run in crud conditions. What do you think? Best. Daniel from Switzerland
I am absolutely of the same opinion. The poles are essential. I hate it when juniors today learn to ski without a poleplant as they are carving or racing. It is totally important for rhythm and stability. It helps your upper body in so many ways.
Makes a lot of sense, I've been through some skiing instruction manuals and your approach is very sensible & practical, cheers
Great to hear! I think there are very few out there that can actually tell you something worth wile. Also out on the slope. I hear the same "lines/lies" over and over again and they dont make any sense. Most of the times. Thanks for watching. Cheers, T
Tom...glad ypu are posting ski vids again...new season wishing you Happy safe riding . I look fwd to more vids.
I'm headed to Japan soon too..
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Good that the videos still are interesting to watch. Have a good time in Japan, Tom
Nice video. Was doing these things intuitively thinking my skiing technique is poor. It was nice confirmation and added tips for better approach 👍🏽
Super nice it resonated with you. I feel really sorry for lots of skiers actually doing things right but being put down by much better skiers that in fact are not better at everything. Maybe they are great ski racers but they are not doing it right in the bumps or off-piste. Glad to be of help, Cheers Tom
Great video Tom! It's all about sound fundamentals and agility. Not a big fan when it comes to up unweighting unless absolutely necessary. Thanks for the video.
I was also not very found of the old up-unweighting technique at some point but I have come to the conclusion that it is the best technique for certain things. And we need to be versatile. Happy Holidays, Triggerboy & Team
Nice explanations. One thing you should add. Key for most crud or deep snow conditions are narrow feet. Keeping the legs/skis together prevent you from twisting and falling, as you can see in your video.
Agree, I'd like to see a comparison in styles also, as the feet together platform here seems to make both skis easier to control for sure. But when it is really steep you often end up with one ski higher up next to the opposing knee, which makes turning continuously with pace, a bit more technical than just smearing the tails.
@@scollyutube I know what ypu mean. But higher knee does not mean automatically wider stance.
For example watch some pictures of WC racers carving. The skis/ feet/knees are split, but only in a vertical line, horizontal they are completely narrow with no gap.
I've seen very good skiers in crud, powder who struggle with turning, falling of twisting because they push a wide stance.
The inside leg works like a lever, and the deep snow pushes force on boot of the inside leg and will rotate the whole body. When snow is very light, this may be less of a problem, but in heavy deep snow it is.
Narrow, but with independent feet and legs.
@@scollyutube You don't have to smear the tails if by that you mean twisting the tails first upon initiation, rather twist the toes first.
Nice discussion going on. I think that XY has a valid point here, narrow feet serve you better in crud and deep snow. But Scollyoutube is right, on steep the skis end up wide apart and even if the legs are closed, no horizontal separation, no gap of air between legs, the skis can be wide apart, vertical separation. However, as soon as the skis go apart as in big vertical separation you cannot platform over both at the same time. That advantage is gone. And your skis become also more difficult to control. Like Chris @ 4:53 & 11.14. In my book both are right.
Tom, thank you. I am skiing right now in the Austrian Tirol. Upper slopes are fine, lower valley runs are crud - made worse because it’s mainly artificial snow rather than those natural snowflakes that bind together like velcro! Yesterday I didn’t enjoy the descent to the valley because, although I can carve beautifully on the upper, groomed pistes, I am clumsy in the crud. So I watched your video and read many of the comments. Today I skied the same run and what a difference. Okay, I’m not blasting down like some folk. But I am now choosing to execute my turns in the snow mounds rather than on the deceptively smooth patches which have been scraped clean by others. I am also lifting my inside ski so that it doesn’t get caught, pivot me around and overcook the turn. It’s so much better and, for the very first time, I actually enjoyed the challenge of skiing through this stuff rather than simply the euphoria of making it to the car park without falling. My legs don’t ache either! Your video explained this very clearly, demystifying the whole thing and giving me the knowledge of what’s actually happening so that my confidence has grown and my stance is more athletic rather than risk-averse. I also appreciated the comment, by you or someone else here, that when skiing crud the experience will never be smooth or perfect since the snow is anything but. Constant adjustments felt through one’s feet and balance is to be expected and it’s not proof of being a poor skier. Carving groomers is fabulous, feeling the g-forces provide the extra edge bite and being catapulted out of one turn and into the next. But from your video I learned that one must have several different techniques ready to deploy depending upon the conditions ahead. One technique is not king. BTW, I don’t have any special off-piste wide skis. Mine are just Head V-shape V8 skis mainly suited to carving on groomers but with some limited ability to tackle the softer stuff. Anyway, thank you so much for this and your other videos. Really, you’ve made my two week skiing holiday so much better. Now all I need you to do is make a video on how to bypass the crowds that descend on these European ski resorts at Christmas and the New Year 😅. Best wishes, David.
Hi David. Wow! Many thanks for your comment and for watching. Im so happy I could give advice you had use for on your holiday. It is indeed important to know many different techniques. Happy New Year, Tom
Thank you for this video I have just got back from Tignes and practiced this technique in chopped up snow and bad visibility and it really has helped me to improve. thanks.
Wow, great to hear. I know it works wonders and glad you picked up on it. This is the way I was taught by super talented ski instructors and glad to be able to pass it on. Cheers, Tom
Thank you. These are the conditions I’m expecting next week so very useful!
Best of luck!
Your videos and tips are awesome Tom!! Above all else fun to watch and helpful to improve style and confidence! Thank you!!
Great to hear! Trying to make it as real as possible. Like you were there with me out skiing. Thanks for watching and lots more to come! Cheers, T
Great to hear you mention not actually making the turn when up, as we see so many trying to do exactly that and literally throwing themselves out of shape.
You clearly state that the transition to the new outside should done at this point, which allows you to drive the turn through the snow. (The bonus of getting a bit of air when ending the previous turn is the application of additional downward force to help getting those planks to bend through the turn and get them on edge......just as long as those learning realise that being a bit more gentle on edge angle in the soft stuff is best)
Wow, thanks for such a great comment. Yes, exactly! People think you up-unweight to turn your skis into the fall line. No! You up-unweight to set your new edges. And let the edges pull you into the fall line and beyond. Also, not "actively steering" the skis by turning your feet. That is totally wrong. You set the new edges and let the skis turn you. Just like in carving.
Cheers, T
@@Triggerboy62 I disagree, when there is an icy crust on top of powder, only active steering right at the start of turn can save you from going straight unstoppably. This is why I always push the new outside ski actively from the beginning, so that I have good customs for the hardest conditions.
Great Video. Thank you. I have always wanted to ski St Anton and reminded how to ski (what most people don't want to, crud) where there isn't a lot of people however the slopes are open let the skis run. Do please keep making the vids you do. Hopefully see you on the hill.
Thank you so much for such a positive comment. Sure, love to see you out on the slope some day. Cheers, Tom
The skier in the greenish suit struggles and has to rotate the upper body due to a consistently overly open ankle joint (ie they are always back). Toms skiing shows a small brief ankle flex to get spring off the snow partly from the boots unflexing. Comments below ask about more equal weighting of the skis: still put as high a % of pressure on the outside ski as the snow will support. Glad you are making more videos.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. That is Chris in the greenish suit. This is among his first times skiing in conditions like these and yes he is sitting quite far back but that is a bleed over from his racing style. Usually jr skiers sit further back than adults.
And yes, even if we have more equal weight on both skis in softer snow we should still be weighting our outside ski more. This is where a narrow stance comes in handy. You can platform yourself against the snow better while still weighting the outside ski more without snow bleeding over both edges of your skis. Only over the outside. So you get more pressure and lift.
Cheers, Tom
These conditions sound like an average ski day in the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for the lesson. Good stuff to practice this weekend.👍
Thanks for watching and have a great weekend out on the mountain. BTW, did you get some snow in the northwest or was that just in the East US?
Cheers, Tom
Thank you for taking the time to do this video, I am mid 60's and skied for too many years to remember I ski fast on the 'groomed' and turn nicely with wide or tight turns but, have never been able to ski off piste or in crud. I find many contradictions. The 'unloading' of the ski makes sense to initiate the turn but I find I get too fast and and catch the edge and down I go for a face full of snow. I've also been told to push down to compress the snow to be able to turn? More information on the 'Brushed Parallel turn would be helpful, I intend to keep trying so please carry on making these films... Thank you
Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I will continue making videos and hopefully you will keep on watching.
Yes, the brushed parallel turn is more important than people realize. Too much carving. Too much speed. Works on a moderate groomer but if you ski offpist or in crudd or on steep terrain in general you need to know how to brush your turns and check your speed through out the turn.
Cheers, T
great commentary, thanks, for cutting thru' the crud
Hahaa, thats a good one. I have to remember that. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Tom
Your knowledge and blogd needs wider attention among skiing society. So many good skiets can improve their skiing skills by your advice 🙏
Thanks, T
I love narrow race skis, don't get me wrong. And they're definitely useable in more situations than most people think. But wider all mountain and powder skis are just so much more fun in chop, powder, and other off piste conditions. They dramatically cut down on the amount of up unweighting you need to do, and even eliminate it in some circumstances. That move is really a compensation technique for skis that are narrower than ideal for the conditions imho. And honestly, doing what is pretty much full blown jump turns looks kind of exhausting. I saw in another comment that you rarely ski anything wider than 70 mm. I'd encourage you to give the wider sticks a go. You might even like them...
The only reason I do not like wider skis is that they are not as suitable for on-piste skiing as narrow skis. But in crud conditions and powder I know that they are much easier to ski with. I have tried a few times but never in really seriously deep off-piste or crud conditions. And Im kind of speaking to the crowd that dont have the money to buy lots of different skis for different conditions. I belong to that category myself. So yes, I would love to spend more time on wider skis but for now that has not been possible. So I stick with the old school concept. Cheers, Tom
Thank you Tom for the work you put in with this video and sharing it freely.
I applied what you said yesterday in skiing crud and moguls and had an insight to share and get your thoughts. I have been practicing your "how to carve low" video on my carving... i.e. flex in transition and extend laterally at the turn. I skied the crud, starting from a flex position and when encountering either a mogul or severe crud I just slightly extended upward vs. laterally, which kept me more on my ski bottoms vs the edge of course.
By using the same fundamental sequence of flex to extend, but just changing my intention from carve to pivot, I was able to affect the direction of my extension to match the conditions on the snow. I experienced better timing and flow this way... and was able to do combinations of carving and pivoting without a whole lot of change in technique.
Your thoughts on these similarities in technique are always appreciated.
Thanks.
You got it. Carving and parallel skiing with up-unweighting technique is really the same thing. It is a matter of timing. When you carve and flex through the transition you extend earlier, in the turn phase. Thats where you get your upward momentum except it is more in the lateral plane. Not only vertical. When I ski powder I do exactly what I do in carving, I extend my legs into the snow and the turn and then I flex into the transition not to get knocked up in the air. Same in bumps. Its basicly all the same. Also, in bumps it helps if you start out flexed. Thats is a good trick. Most people start out extended and then they flex over a bump. But its better to start out flexed and then extend between the bumps.
Thats why Chris is such a great overall skier. Strong in all conditions. Its all about the same technique, just different timing. Thanks for pointing this out to me. How important it actually is. That it is not only me thinking that way. I need to make a video on that topic. Thanks. Cheers, Tom
This is a great video - its refreshing to see people talk about brushed parrallels and why they are important and where to use them. So many people are focused on carving now days. I learned to ski well with carving first, and have always struggled with Australian man made soft snow on rock hard ice (bad conditions often). This really helps as you often see the old school skiers handling it with ease as they stand up knees together.
One thing though - not sure about your claims on skis. I just moved to some big all mountain skis which are made for "charging" as its called, allowing you to ski the entire slope rather than picking intricate lines. They make a huge - and I mean massive difference.
Trying to ski "crud", slush, chop over ice on Nordica Doberman Spitfires compared to a Head Kore 99 is a world of difference.
Would like to understand more about "flex and extension" - these words are used very freely on a lot of videos and are confusing. Does it mean we push our legs out hard?
Thanks for video.
Also you sound like this guy www.youtube.com/@AndreasSpiess
Thanks for the great feedback. Yes, carving will not work outside nicely groomed conditions on easy blues European slopes if you are not a very good skier or a ski racer.
The point I am trying to convey is that its more a technique thing than a ski thing. Wider skis help but the most bang for buck you get from knowing how to ski. The wider skis are most often a short cut into a trap.
I agree, the words flexing and extending are used in many different ways. I try to use the word flexing to describe the movement of bending at the knees. That can also be performed by compressing at the knees. If you are skiing bumps you flex over a bump but you are actually applying pressure not to get slammed against the bump. Also, flexing is not the same as relaxing. It is most often a very tense movement. Extension is easier as you just extend your legs. Note, we are talking about flexing and extending at the knees here. You can also flex your ankle or brake at the waist.
Cheers, T
Initiating a slight carve and let the skis do the job for you instead of turning your ski's too much after your jump, this must be what I have been doing wrong.
It always takes me so much power and effort to get down from powder/crud, in worst cases I would collapse over my skies as I cannot generate enough power to move the snow from beneath them.
Will definitly try this on my next trip!
Yes, you got it now. I too have had so many students fighting with the same problem. Hopefully you get to enjoy crud the next time. Cheers, Tom
hyvaa paiva Tom! good to see u again, nice vid. crud is difficult in part because its not predictable. it feels like you have to be ready to react to whatever you find under the skis. to me this means actually slowing and speeding up according to the changing conditions. I was told not to pick my turns off piste, in other words to get in a rhythm and stick to it, but I find I get the best results by using the terrain and finding my way down the mountain using route-finding skills as you would when running down the same hill in the summer. similar to your slow way fast philosophy, cos in the crud the fast way often ends way outside my comfort zone. Kiitos! undrell
Hyvää päivää :)
Nice to be greeted in our native language. There is a point to keeping the rhythm going and not scouting for places to turn. However, I think in crud it so crucial where you turn. Do a wrong move and your down. So I always scout for good places to turn and even if I always teach to concentrate on your next turn only I also look ahead a bit when conditions are bad not to run into trouble or a dead end. Speed has a lot to do with it. No speed in crud or powder will not get you anywhere. Its also better if its steep. So the worse the conditions get the faster you are going to be and hope for bumps and steep sections hahahaaa. Life is hard, its harder if you cannot ski :) Cheers, Tom
Very good explanations. I might add that a certain modest amount of speed helps create the momentum to smash through piles of snow. Also, it can never be effortless because the changing density and texture of the snow grabs at your skis and boots, alternately slowing and accelerating them. Crud is not my favorite but a good way to get away from crowds.
Exactly, you need speed. To crash through the uneven snow. If you are too careful it will not work. You need momentum. Yes, in the crud videos we are totally alone even if there are thousands of skiers on the mountain. Cheers, T
Would you clarify? It's all about flexion and extension. In carving, no up movement as you flex the stance leg to transfer, extend your downhill leg to meet and balance over snow. In bumps, better to start out flex, extend into the troughs. In crud, use up movement (using bumps, subtle extension, basically hopping) to use the added momentum to enter the turn with a brushed angle and plow through the snow in an arc.
Since I consider myself a decent carver, how would you tell me to do differently in short turn cruds? Thank you!
I have found myself making bigger turns than many other in powder and crud. The reason is that I need extra time to get my skis up to the surface of the snow or close anyway or even up in the air sometimes in the transition to add momentum to the plow through in the arc but also, Im going a bit faster than most for the same reasons. Not necessarily down the slope but the slow line fast. Rounder turns. So maybe Im not the right guy for explaining how to make short turns in crud.
Other than short turns in general. Yesterday we started out with 10cm of powder on a flat groomed slope in the morning. It was fun for half an hour but then it was all chopped up. But the fun did not stop. I skied almost nonstop for 7 hours with a private lesson in between. Just for fun. Beautiful weather. I was trying to make some bumps. You know, when enough people ski through crud there will be bumps. Except I was the only one making short turns. All other basically just skidded down on snowboard or just arced bigger turns. So I was not very successfull in what I was doing. However, the short turn exercise was great. I found that I really had to scout for the right places to turn. Scouting for piles of snow and bumps to turn against and on. In between some quick turns just to keep the tempo up. So that would be my advice, approach it like it was moguls. Cheers, Tom
Awesome explanation. Skiing le massif de charlevoix , my 5th day no instructor yet… your advice is really helpful. Did lots of sports before deciding to ski. Having trouble with turning’s down sudden dissent to the left specially when it’s scrappy offy lol
Great to hear! Thanks for watching. Have fun skiing on your own but dont be afraid of taking ski lessons from an instructor. If you are in luck you will have a great time and learn a lot. Cheers, Tom
As such a perfect lecture how to ski on different terrains. ✌️ To learn all this takes time, if new. Or even for many if us, experienced skiers. I m a carver type of GS skier. So this video gives me new motivation yo learn to become better skier on crud. Ita never too late to learn new 👍.
I m now 71 yrs old but in very good shape concidering my age. Maybe 49 yrs of regular training of japanese martial arts explain some it, also avoided major injuries which happen in our sport.
Kiitos 🙏
Thanks and thanks for watching. Super nice that you are still willing to improve and that you are in such good shape. I think that my biggest asset in life has been good health and good physical conditions. Too bad I had to give up martial arts a long time ago but I think that is about the best you can do for physical conditioning. Strength, agility, flexibility, cardio and Zen :)
@@Triggerboy62 hello, thank you for yr nice feedback. Its indeed the regular training combined wit mentally healthy attitude that is the best way with time to keep up the mobility with aging. As younger I had the pleasure of training GS with a male member of Austrian Ski team. He taught me how to ski on edge, avoid sliding . That was eye opening training for me. We trained 3 hrs per day one week so it was a crash course of GS. Then the skis were longer (203 cm), much heavier and not carvers. Its was a huge step ahead when carvers came out. Wish you too many good years in skiing. I have actively only some 5-10 yrs ahead, then tone down. As did with martial arts. These moves are compensated with regular gym training, 2-5 times a week plus yoga.Gym training done mostly by body weight training, but some machines bit too. Kiitos.
As always, you make really incredible content. I have always wondered if I was correct that in powder or deep crud, that unloading, jumping, un-weighting or flexing as you call in between turns was good form for these conditions. It seems that yes, it's what I will need to do to a lesser or greater extent given the conditions. As others have said, these type of days are really hard on the legs and it's something that we all experience, that our fitness level has one of the biggest impacts on our skiing. I mostly ski on my 80mm (waist) carvers but only recently picked up a pair of 100mm (waist) skis that really help on the powder and crud days, their just so much more stable on those days. With that said, I must admit that powder is best experienced on my snowboard. Floating though powder on a board, is an amazing feeling. Thanks again for the outstanding video. Cheers.
Thanks for all your good words on my videos. Yes, powder on a snowboard must be absolutely fantastic. I have never tried it as I am not very good at snowboarding but I can imagine it being better than skis as we are now talking about "riding" right? Skiing is skiing but riding is like riding a wave. Maybe someday :)
Cheers, T
Also important to mention your quiet upper body with minimum arm movement. Your pole plants are more or less flicks of the wrist. Too many people get their upper bodies all wound up…the wrong way, when they are reaching out to plant their poles, or swinging their arms as they would, walking or running.
Thanks for watching. Great observation. A quiet body is very important. I actually have a video on my to-do-list explaining my thoughts regarding the pole plant and the upper body. Cheers, Tom
THANKs FOR Videos, WE SURE NEED YOUR EXPERTIES IN THE US, SKIING HAS BECOME AWEFULL NO BEAUTY OF THE SKI TURN, OUT OF CONTROL FOLKs ALL OVER THE MTs. KEEP THE COACHING INSTRUCTION COMING GIVEs ME FAITH THAT PRETTY CONTROL SKIING WILL MAKE A COME BACK.GOOD DAY
Wow! Im honored by such great feedback. Actually, ski instruction in many other countries are in the same rut. That's why I am here on TH-cam. No assosication can tell me what to do or say. So I give you the best drills and techniques I know and that I have used to instruct and coach skiers of all levels. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom, as long time skier have found your advice and tips very useful after over 40 yrs ski experience. On many different surfaces. For me crud has been, for some reason, most challenging. Deep (powder) snow on off piste even has been easier compared to crud. Maybe it relates to self confidence on crud. Because changed there my ski posture bit different. To worse. Thank you for you sharing your knowledge. As well your different approach concerning turns, which is almost opposite what they teach in normal Ski Schools! I truly think thst the tecnique you present in turns, based on extending the lower leg in turn, was bit new to me. Waiting for to test your method this winter. Best skiing regards from Finland 🇫🇮. Thank U, sir 👍
Thanks for planning to test these tips. T
”can turn every groomer in Battlefield“ sofxxking true !!!!!!
Yes!
Thanks I found this video very informative. I ski mostly in California where the crud can often get very heavy and often hard. Standard procedure is to avoid it. Do you have videos or ideas on attacking those types of slopes? Second, if may, I also struggle with mogels where there is some soft snow on the tops but hard/ice - usually on the front side of the mogel (NOT total rock solid mogels). If you had any ideas or videos on how to best handle those it would be great. thx
Thanks for watching. Crud comes in different sizes and shapes. Not really sure how to ski in conditions like you describe but I have once been stuck on a slope with deep heavy wet snow with crust on top. That was difficult to ski. Heavy snow is one of the worst as you can easily hurt your legs. If the snow is hard its possible to ski on top.
Moguls with soft snow on top but icy ruts? Yes, I have a lesson for you: th-cam.com/video/iiNnEZDlSe0/w-d-xo.html
Cheers, Tom
Great video. I wish I would have seen it before I skied crud all day today. I looked better than the girl but felt I should have be faster than I was. Will try it tomorrow. Thanks and again very well put together video
Wow, thanks for such good words on my video. And hopefully you will have more fun in crud in the future. Let me know how it went. Cheers, Tom
I recently picked up skiing again after yeras of snowboarding and I'm struggeling with crud/offpiste skiing, I just don't know what the right technique is for taking turns. Your video is until now the best explanation I found and will definitely try it out next time.
Thanks for watching and giving it a shot. I've been skiing all my life and I have had the pleasure to ski with great ski instructors and coaches. One thing they all had in common, this technique. You can do it. Cheers, T
Hi! Would there be much of a technique change for more center mounted skis? I find my tails getting caught when turning in deeper crud especially in the steep trees.
You are touching on a very important issue here. My gripes with some skis out on the market, in particular park skis but also off-piste skis, is that their bindings are mounted so far in front. I used to mount all my bindings forward of the manufacturers center mark by up to 40mm. Now I know better. It is a myth that the skis would for example carve tighter for example due to it being easier to weight the front part of the skis. What actually happens is that the tail starts to act like a rudder and prevents the ski tails from braking out in a skid when turn needs to be tighter than the turn radius of the skis and all other factors at that particular moment. And the same applies to crud skiing. The longer tail part of the skis keeps on catching crud elements, bumps or ice. Sorry but I have no real good tip to give you other than try to get the bindings moved back. Or get other skis. Absolutely great question you presented me with. Cheers, Tom
Hi, great to see you back. We missed your videos.
Hey, thanks! And thanks for being so patient. Cheers, Tom
This is SO good. Thank you. I really like to "hop", or "unweight" as you call it, and I've always assumed that this is "bad" relative to a purer carving motion but it works for me. Now you have convinced me that I am actually be doing something right. :) I'm going to think about this some more, experiment with it on the slopes, and pay attention to the details. Thank you again for giving me something new to consider and think about.
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching and feels great you found something to work on. And yes, you have been doing lots of things right, like so many others, but carving has blind sighted people and even ski schools. Cheers, Tom
Great advice! I've been trying to up unweight the skis in crud but with diminishing results the worst the snow got. I hadn't considered increasing the amount of force even more to the point of literally jumping.
Thanks for watching. Yes, this up and down motion, momentum, is really important. In most skiing situations. Yesterday it was dumping and we could not run gates with the kids at the club so I had them ski crud. Great fun but also a great gap in the kids skill set. Cheers, T
There is good advice here, like flex in transition and pay attention to snow and timing. However, the presented technique can be a knee / lower back killer for some older or unfit skiers. Wider skis are not necessarily for technical purposes but rather comfort and relieve the pressure on knees and back especially in uneven snow conditions.
Thanks. Yes, you are perfectly right. Wider skis would be for the most part a comfort thing. Improve our skiing both because it would be easier from a technical perspective as well as less taxing on our leg muscles for safer and longer skiing. Cheers, T
Great video and well explained 👏
Thank you! 👍
Great Video! I ski everything nearly the same, which means I can have a fairly good edge angle in power and crud. That doesn’t mean I’m trying to be on my edges though they can contribute. Instead of Carving I call it “Basing”. I’m sending the skis “out” rounding out the top of the turn just like carving but it’s not the edge’s performing, it’s the bases arcing that ski back. Using the ski along its length! One thing I focus on is rounding out the top of the turn down to the apex. I don ‘t think beyond the apex at the start of the turn. After the apex that arc continues completing the turn. For me, if I focus on getting past the scary apex and getting back across the fall line as quickly as possible it messes up the round top of the turn.
You are absolutely correct. Wow, I'm gonna use that title in a future video if you don't mind, BLASTING! What a great word and meaning. What I teach beginners as well as more accomplished skiers and also tell myself in scary or demanding situations is to LOVER THE FALL LINE. Crave it. Don't try to rush past it to safety. Stay in the fall line, do not be scared. Being scared is you main enemy, not the pitch or the snow conditions. Be confident. Have confidence in your skills. So when we up-unweight to get momentum for starting a turn, do not use this momentum to twist or pivot your skis in order to change direction, do it for momentum being used to initiate the turn and get your bases arcing that ski back. Yes, a round top part of the turn is what it is all about in both wedging, parallel skiing, carving, bumps, off-piste, powder, crud etc. Thanks for sharing and proud to have such great skiers here on my channel. T
@@Triggerboy62thanks for the great comments. I would be honored if you use “Basing”!
Very good lesson.
I am still learning and looking to improve on bumps. Is there a good video for this. Thank you
Thanks for asking. Yes, I have some bump videos on my channel. This one is more for entertainment purposes but maybe you will enjoy it: th-cam.com/video/iiNnEZDlSe0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1E9cHLVsRjKKMF_G
However, this is by far the best mogul video out there: th-cam.com/video/xY33X302Ul4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7ikY_Ikf_HmULI9A
Cheers, Tom
Great video, showing different conditions and how to ski them
Very easy to understand ,not too technical.
Know I get it
Thanks
Thank YOU for watching. Glad it resonated with you. Cheers, Tom
How would you describe your foot to foot pressure during turn initiation, mid turn and the end. Are you balanced on both feet throughout or leaning on the outside ski at any point? Looks quite 50/50 from the video but i can't tell. Lovely skiing.
In the 80s and the 90s we went through a phase were we were stepping from one ski to another. It took me a while to realize that was not really a good method and especially in crud, powder and softer snow. In carving at high speed the pressure is more over the outside ski but in the video here above its more of a 50/50 balance point. Cheers, Tom
In 1965 I was skiing at a private resort north of Toronto. The day started with about 8 inches of heavy snow that was soon carved into choppy crud. Had pair of 205 cm Head Standards and on the trail back to the lift my right ski was not tracking well. Weird, but it became weirder when riding the T-Bar. It was wandering around and in looking the front of the ski was bent up. In looking behind so was the tail. The ski had been barrel-staved, which was amusing to our group. In those days the ski was sent to Head were it was re-laminated.
Wow, what a great story!!! Relaminated, I go WHAT? Thanks and thanks for watching, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 What fun--yes delaminated Heads went back to factory for repair. My first skis in 1948 were made of solid wood. Bought skis, boots and bindings for something like $35. A neighbor was a skilled woodworker and he installed the steel edges.
Interesting stuff! Question: is "fore-aft balance" also of importance when skiing this type of (non-carving) turns?
Hi, thanks for asking. Yes, it is very important. It is very important in all kind of skiing. But we need to differ between when we have pressure under our skis and when we are floating with no pressure. The float is naturally a much shorter time period of when we ski so we must get familiar with the different types of turn transitions we can use. The basic rule is that when we are making a turn we should be centered over our BaseOfSupport and utilize proper fore-aft-balance. We need to be forward not to loose our balance backwards but also in order to pressure the tips of the skis for better performance. When we come into the transition we can either continue to stand centered leaning forwards OR flex our legs through the transition. But in order to do that we need to have the pressure gone from underneath our skis. Just like I explain in the video. However, we can flex deeper than we do in video. And when we do that it looks like we are waaaay in the back seat but its just for a brief moment. Then we extend again. Same technique is being used when we carve and when we ski powder or crud. Here is a lesson: th-cam.com/video/mgbEAcSTdsc/w-d-xo.html
Cheers, Tom
Very good,there's lots of ways to make a turn and we should practice them all.i prefer a gs cut and flex for all mountain skiing.Thanks
Yes, GS skis are nice all round skis. I use mainly SL skis but GS skis are my second go to ski. They are also better powder skis than SL skis that are a bit too short.
Cheers, Tom
This is solid! Much better than 95% of ski instruction videos out there.
Especially agreed with
- "not to crank the skis around" from 9:22
- the overall observation of good skiing IS good crud skiing.
On the other hand, your stance looks too narrow on the groomer (4:50 onwards).
Keep on posting!
Thanks. Yes, stance width is kind of narrow. I started skiing with a narrow stance to rebel against the wide stance advocated 20y ago when the carving skis became mainstream. But thanks for watching and yes, that 9.22 (my birth day BTW... the ultimate 911... if you cannot get any help please call 922 hahahahaaa) tip is the beef of the meal.
Cheers, Tom
wow, you have just given me a moment of clarity! thanks
You are so welcome, T
I enjoyed a beautiful groomer day today but we had powder the past couple days so it did start getting cruddy.. I did even go off trail a little.. I will more as the season progresses.. I broke my arm on 3.14.2022.. I think for me a lot of it will be to slow down.. I remember 20 years ago it was taking me a lot longer to ski the runs and I was in a lot better shape...
Glad to hear you are skiing after braking your arm last season. Take it slow at first. Dont fall. Not in crud anyway, that hurts more than in soft snow. Yes, we all slow down with age. Main thing is we ski. Cheers, Tom
@@Triggerboy62 I am used to falling.. I do know that with Thanksgiving coming up and there being a lot of people it is more about being aware of others.. I went to opening day this year and there were a ton of people.. Sometimes it was about skiing slow with the pack and sometimes it was about skiing fast to get away from the pack..
Is it ok to lean back a bit (more pressure on the tails) when going across the slope in crud? The idea being it helps the tips of the skis not sink into the crud. Of course when it's time to turn, moving the body weight forward so that the skis don't get stuck during the transition
Could be an option, especially with wider skis that float on the snow. But I myself do not like to lean back when the skis are pressured. Weight forward and ski tips buried in the snow. That is the proper way to stay balanced. And you need therefore more speed than normally. Steeper slopes. Cheers, Tom
For me at least, probably one of your best videos to help me progress. I have been stuck as to why I in the morning could carve a run beatifully and in full control with high edge angle, and when skiing the same run in the afternoon's crud found my technique falling apart and feeling like the woman in your video 😞 You clearly demonstrate, I cannot rely on edge angle and need to use a different technique and use more vertical force to unload the skis the heavier the terrain. Thanks for the great tip. I am eager to test it out next weekend.
Thanks for watching and giving such good feedback. Yes, it is a very common problem. People can carve but not ski when the firm base becomes all soft and torn apart. I run into this friend of mine, a good ski racing masters woman in her 40s, when skiing in Austria. She carves very well but when we were supposed to ski down to the village she had no clue what to do. And its also an attitude thing. Not wanting to degrade themselves down to the level of not carving. Not to mention wedging. I just had a masters coaching session on Monday. Too much snow and rain and we could not run gates. So I had them do ski school drills. Some did not like it and left. Of the ones who stayed, it was clearly evident that the ones that were the fastest on the track were also best at the drills. Best was of course Chris, who is becoming a very good overall skier. He has the patience to do drills and also ski fast. Cheers, Tom
Very good explanation - I'm self taught, and always struggle in crud, well - I thought I struggle, but seems like my up and down technique is actually right.
Now to train my legs to survive whole day of this :D
So glad I have been of any help. And yes, many times we are put down by others for doing stuff wrong even if we do it the right way. Or lets say, there are always many ways of skiing but this one works for me and evidently for you as well. So why do it any other way. And actually, a little secret, this is the correct way :)
this is great race skiing crud skiing! you are right that a cambered ski is very skiable in crud. but, imo. skiing a rockered ski versus a cambered ski in crud is a little different, because rockered skis dont pop up out of the crud as well as a cambered ski
You are right. We have a carving ski / racing style approach and if you are using rockered skis you do not get the same rebound and sensitivity. But you still have to unweight your turn initiations. I tested rockered skis last season and found that the skis made like racing skis both from construction and design (sort of) perspective worked much better. Never tried such skis in fluffy 0,5m deep powder.
Gr8 video, thank you for explanation. That's my goal of skiing to ride down off piste, however I know it is hard way. Thanks for that film. I have to watch it more times, but it is very good as usual :) Kris has, I believe, nice new outfit on this film, I only recognized him by skis and amazing carving style,,,👍😊
Thank you so much and thank you for watching. This material is quite old to be honest so the suit is from his jr years. But yes, his style is clearly recognizable. Also, you are right. Skiing off-piste is quite difficult. Not only from a technical perspective but also from a practical. To get there can be difficult and to get out of there can be even more difficult. And there is a big safety hazzard. And you need avalanche training and gear. So my advice is to develop as a skier and get your kicks on the groomer and then if you ever get a chance to ski off-piste under safe conditions then go for it. Cheers, Tom
How do you ride in the flat lighting conditions where you can't see terrain. Or even can't see where up and down is... Where everything is like one white mess?...
That is really a good question. Often you run into conditions like that when skiing crud or powder which makes it even more difficult. I have at times fallen even if I just stood at a complete standstill. Sorry, have no good advice. However, training your balance will make it easier to cope in conditions like that. Also, in a 100% safe environment on a very flat hill we have been training to ski blind folded with a person behind giving directions. Blind para skiers ski like that. Very slowly of course. Cheers, Tom
You nailed me! This is exactly my situation-look like a pro on groomers but any sort of uneven terrain-goodbye! I am going to watch your video again. I have many ailments which effect my skiing (need a new knee and shoulder, and am no spring chicken), but have never been good in anything but groomers. Always blamed it on not having wider skis, and left it at that. I don't plan on any recreational racing this year, and am afraid of falling on a shoulder which dislocated several times in the last few years-so crud puts me off balance and I'm afraid of falling when skiing in it! I have tried "bouncing" in it for heavy unloading, but that didn't work.
Hi. I always had the same issues as you. Looked really good on groomers but turned to shite when it got steep or deep. Made skiing the slopes I wanted to very physically demanding. Then I took a small group lesson at Jackson Hole and it changed everything. It is nearly the same things for all of us that somehow just cannot make turns in deep snow. The main things are keeping our chests (head, eyes, upper body) pointing down the fall line and staying off of the tails of our skis. And these two things go hand in hand. We get going, get some speed, get concerned because it's hard to turn, sit back and it becomes impossible to turn because we are essentially digging our tails into the snow and cannot unweight them. Now to turn we try to throw our upper bodies into the turn to make it happen. The second you turn the upper body, your balance is lost and shifted even further into the "back seat". Combining those two sins and it is impossible to ski and impossible to feel confident, the third strike. Keeping that body weight forward (which is completely the opposite of what our brain is screaming at us to do), keeping your hands in front of you and keeping your eyes locked on the fall line ("eyes on the prize" per my instructor that day) will keep you locked in. You won't twist your upper body and you won't dig your tails in. You will find it unbelievably easy to make turns. Not effortless but far less difficult than before. These are all things you know how to do already, you just have to trust yourself and keep those two things foremost in your mind. I'm sorry if this is all old hat to you and was boring. That half-day lesson was so beneficial to me after years of frustration that I usually jump at the chance to share what I learned. BTW I am from Pennsylvania, not a mecca for skiing, and I can now ski steep tree runs out west. Best of luck. Hope this helps.
Wow, glad this video resonated with you. CVN65 gave you some amazingly good advice. I have nothing further to add. Thanks for watching and keeping the discussion going. Cheers, Tom
Awesome, thanks for chiming in :)
excellent video, thanks a million, wider skis help in powder I would say!
Yes. They help a lot. Cheers, Tom
I really need to send you a video of my technique for some crud, where I literally just get on top of it and make huge turns the same way an Airplane banks after it’s taken off to make a big turn … it’s very fast but really fun. The empty slope you are skiing would be perfect .. great vids
Please do! tdk.skiracing(a)gmail.com
This video was enriching... I look forward to trying this technique... I thought a good skier could (should)carve through anything
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. No, you cannot always carve. Glad you have now been made aware of this. Cheers, Tom
Great tips thank you 😊 I'll be trying them this season 👍
Thank you for watching. Good luck with your skiing this winter :)
Great explanation, must say skiing in crud is meant for stronger skier and takes a bit more energy out of you. Being in shape will help the situation.
Thanks
Absolutely! But you should not muscle it. You should let the terrain help you. Being in shape is imperative in skiing. As in many other sports. A combination of own effort and terrain usage. Cheers, T
I’m so backseat it hurts me to think of it - I’m like that poor skier @ 2:30 negotiating with the mountain for her life.
I notice as you ski crud that you are always in that “athletic stance” position at all times. There’s none of that temporary backseat positioning that is a part of carving, for example. Given, as you say, that pivoting is not as crucial a part of crud skiing, is that “ready position” more about preparing for unexpected conditions?
Such a good comment. Thanks. Very well explained. Sorry to hear you think you are in the back seat but Im sure that will change for the better. At least you know about it. That is the first step to learning.
Yes, in crud you should stay forward at all times and be prepared for unexpected terrain. Good observation. Cheers, Tom
Wondering if you ever get on wider skis like all mountain pair when there are 30cm or more snow, for example? I ski most every day on my Atomic Redster S9. Sometimes on Redster x9. Don't really enjoy getting on any all-mountain pairs anymore. Thank you for great videos!
Not really. Since we do not have a ton of money and we have a huge shortage on time we stick to our racing skis for all our skiing. If we started to ski more off piste then maybe we could try to find good all mountain skis. In the mean time its racing skis for everything.
@Triggerboy62 Today, I gave up and got on my 90. We had about 12 inches of heavy snow. I think I am not good enough to ski that much snow in my 68.... I wish. I will try one day.
I agree that you can ski anything on one pair of skis.
But... As a 192cm (6'2") and 100kg (260lbs) man, going from my piste oriented skis that are 170cm long and 72mm at the waist to a pair of 184cm All Mountain rentals with 84mm at the waist still made a noticeable difference in ease, comfort and stability.
I felt like my personal skis had been a misfit for the past ten years
Great that you came to this conclusion. Better late than never. I always encourage everyone to try different gear and setup. Even if we are satisfied with our SL skis we still test other SL skis every time we get a chance. The reason we use SL skis also when skiing crud is to keep things simple. I actually rented a pair of wider and longer skis in StAnton once, there actually is a video of that on my channel somewhere, but even if the snow was crud and bumpy there was not much difference in my opinion. But I could be wrong. Also, who the heck takes their presous SL skis into ungroomed terrain? BTW, I have on GS camps in Austria many times skied powder with GS skis. If a ski manufacturer reads this then send me a pair of wider back country skis and I will put them to use :)
Reg T
Super good, I have never skied crud but I think I understood most of it. You have to clear the ski of crud and use momentum to dig the edge and just trust that you will regain the control, which you will eventually lose because of the conditions. Looks fun 😁
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Yes, you got it right. And yes, sometimes you lose control. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom, I´m an intermediate skier and I have trouble in crud and moguls. I was thinking of buying a ski that would be good in all snow conditions. What would you recommend in widt under foot? I have Head Prestige that are 78 under foot and they are awsome on good groomed terrain but when the crud starts in the afternoon I have trouble.
Skis will always be a compromise. I chose a ski that is best for the terrain I like the best and then I compromise on the rest of my skiing. I think that if you like the 78 under foot on good groomed terrain stick with that. I ski afternoon crud on a 65 under foot. Just been skiing crud for the past two days. My 165cm SL skis worked great. Cheers, Tom
Hi, Tom! Glad to your return!
Hello there! Yes, I'm back in business. Or at least I will try. More videos coming before Christmas. Cheers, Tom
Is it better to tighten the DINs on the ski bindings for skiing in crud? I feel that my skis come off more easily although admittedly that could be because of poor technique in the crud
You should always use the DIN recommendations by the manufacturer. However, when we race we always tighten the bindings way past the DIN max. We use race bindings at DIN 14 or so, depending on the manufacturer, but also in crud I think you need to tighten the bindings. Especially if they come off easily. Even thou that is the point, that they release. I always felt that pre-release is a very bad thing. And I have hurt myself many times that way. Cheers, Tom
Thank you so much for this video! I immediately saved it after watching and will view it again before my skiweeks in the French and Italian alps. This must be the first truly comprehensive vid I have ever watched about the subject. However, do you agree with me that in crud conditions, my longer and a bit wider all mountain ski’s (1.74 m by 80 mm) will provide for more float and thus stable skiing than my short slalom ski’s (165 by 68)? Or is this wrong and will the added weight of longer and wider ski’s hamper my technique?
Thanks for watching and for such good feedback. Yes, those wider/longer skis will serve you well in crud and powder. Surely better than SL skis. However, you still can ski well with the SL skis, just like we did in the video. Our main focus is carving on groomers and we want to have the optimum skis for those conditions. So if there is crud we ski with what we have. If its really dumping we go and rent wider skis. By the way, in the clip where Im filmed from behind and some other ones I am using wider skis. Not much difference I must honestly say. Cheers, Tom
What is your opinion on ski waist width for skiing fresh snow (i.e. crud by the time I wake up)? I ski a short slalom ski (65 underfoot) on groomed runs and absolutely love them. But when I have to tackle fresh Pacific Northwest wet snow on skied out runs, I'm just not used to the wider skis that everyone keeps pushing me to use. What do you use?
Easy to answer your last question, I use my narrow waist SL and GS skis. But if I had the luxury of owning a wider waist ski for crud and off piste skiing I probably would. How wide thou is a good question. Somehow I think that I would not like to wider than 85 for example. I have tried skis like that once in St Anton and I liked them although I did not find them "much" better than my SL skis. Its the length that makes the difference also. SL skis are quite short. Even a 175 cm ski would make a huge difference. What I definitely did not like about them was the tip rocker. The ski was trying to go over the now and that caused my knees to hurt. My SL skis plugged right through. Same as my GS skis. I would like to test skis in order to find the right crud ski. My garage is full of racing skis and we do not have any time or money to buy skis for different recreational use. Also, my strategy has been to ski with SL skis as much as possible to get use to the skis. So that in racing I would not have to adapt to "new" skis. Same goes for Chris. Sorry if this info is of little use. Cheers, T
after watching and rewatching - I am unclear on what does "up unweighted" means or looks or feels like; my best guess is that it looks like jumping?
Extremely good observation. We instructors and coaches take every thing for granted. Yes, it is like jumping. Except that you don't necessarily jump up in the air. Just enough for you to get light under your feet. You extend from a flexed position and when you stop extending you will experience the sensation of unweighting. Cheers, Tom
As a kid I learned how to ski parallel turns in the old days. Then I stopped skiing. Recently picked up skiing again and I'm still learning how to carve.
I've heard people talk about 'kicking your tails out' during a carved turn. Is this technique similar to a parallel turn? Or are carving and parallel turn technique completely different and I should be learning both?
Thanks for asking. It is not that simple. If you check out my videolesson 3 Levels Of Carving you will see that drifting your tails oit while carving is an advanced skill. Yes, you should learn both. Feel free to ask any ski related question. Im here to help.cheers Tom