Hello from Patagonia Argentina Deb. Wrote you an extended description of my perspective at your inbox. The relevance physics and mechanics in all kinds of ski learning frameworks is enormous. It is specially important when working with non competitors, kids, and people with special needs.
Looking forward to starting my ski season and learning more new things from Deb. Funny, but you'd think that at age 74, I would have learned all there is to know about the sport, but the truth is just as Deb has stated: there's always something new and learning is part of skiing. Come to think of it, this applies to life in general. Keep living; keep learning.
This is great food for thought. As I was growing into my own style in the '90s many of the innovations were coming from snowboarding -- paraboloc shapes, skiing switch, etc. Then big mountain lines were getting more direct with new ski shapes. It just felt at that time that the innovations were coming in conversation between different disciplines and World Cup racing adopting, refining, and maximizing the benefits. There is an art to sliding on snow that's style and experiment first. And then that informs breakthroughs in technology and technique. And then those advances allow for a larger canvas for the art and exploration. That's the conversation I think about when I'm listening to this video. Thanks for always inspiring while instructing!
I love skiing courses. Got so much better at skiing once I got the opportunity to train with racers. I wish we had courses setup on runs outside of training. Also, slalom skiing is an awesome technique. I never learned moguls or powder skiing. But once I could ski a slalom course, the same mechanics transferred into being able to do any terrain.
Great ideas and concepts. I guess experts are just highly advanced beginners .Would love to see the follow-up vid that shows how each aspect of wedges, christies, and basis parallels can be seen in world cup turns. 6^th year now as PSIA instructor and still beginning to learn.
Great segment. Georges Joubert took the same position in the 60s. Waiting for the snow and looking at his book Comment se perfectionner le ski. I have usedyour videos as a tool in the adaptive world. Thanks
Deb, Thank you. IMHO this is spot on... although I was only PSIA Level 2 back in 1999, after a long break from teaching, I am now 3/4 of way through Austrian Landeslehrer Full Certification. There are a lot of differences b/w both programs, however in my opinion, one of the biggest is that the Austrian system is much more focused on the the basic dynamics and mechanics of alpine racing... in fact, giant slalom is part of overall certification, including a timed GS run to complete final step for full certification. It is both inspiring and refreshing seeing you push this with PSIA:) Something I also love about the Austrian system is keeping it simple, and their relentless focus on the Alpine Basic Position throughout all steps of the progression.
You are right in one way, but your points are just one side of the problems a ski instructor must handle. Take into account, that the main goal of a racer is to ski as fast as possible, without losing control, but as a ski-instructor your main goal must be to ski as safely and as slowly as possible... These differences are very important. The other missing side is the necessary knowledge about the skiing issues of beginners, intermediate and less advanced skiers. If you want to help your students, you should make a stepwise development for them, so that they can improve step by step and for this you have to put your skiing tools int a priority order, I think.
@@travisbacon1974 As a previous director at a small mountain I had some extra brushes and stubbies to take to my new mountain where I just get to teach!! The new mountain puts out the stubbies just off the grooming and leaves them there. Note: I didn’t steal the stuff. I owned all of it, even the stuff I left at the old mountain so they could continue to function. Maybe I’ll see this year if we can put out some brushes somewhere after grooming.
@@davidbeazer9799in the past couple years JHMR has done a better job having brushes set up. I think they primarily do it for ski school but a lot of people run them as they come to the bottom of the mountain. Maybe the Instructors are taking it onto themselves to put them in. They have always had a duel GS course that is open occasionally and you have to respect that because it requires a few employees to do it. I would love it if they would set a SL course a couple days a week so local race kids could get a little extra practice in.
I agree with your sentiment. But I'd tweak it just a bit this way. I think mogul skiing is the pinnacle of skiing. Why, why not racing? Racing is very specialized (and yes, so is mogul skiing). Mogul skiing requires absolutely perfect technique. And the skills you learn mogul skiing are universally applicable to the recreational skier who wants to ski the whole mountain. Racing teaches you to go fast on groomed terrain. Mogul skiing techniques give you access to all terrain.
I hear ya for sure. However I find the threads down from a World Cup turn to a wedge more in line than that of a World Cup mogul skier. And another point, in ski racing there are more differing sizes of turns and forces. Mogul comp is more or less the same turn shape and forces turn after turn. Not at all the case in Alpine requiring a bit more adaptability in my view. Just my thoughts
the physics and biomechanics of turning a ski are most purely and beautifully on display in ski racing ... and perhaps most purely and beautifully stretched in natural bump skiing. before a new skier graduates the magic carpet, it takes some basic mechanics to complete a first turn ... and until an intermediate skier advances their fundamentals, they're not well-positioned to apply specialized tactics. then again, to closely-quote glenn plake, "you can buy a carved turn, and you can buy a powder turn ... but you can't buy a bump turn, no equipment can ski bumps for you."
@@alexandermayer5924 Not tip towing around anything. In Europe to get your highest level qualification you have to take the European Speed test a G.S. race that you have to pass a timed race based on a coefficient time of the current world champion in the discipline. This means that many extremely good ski teachers can never make the level but are quite possibly way better teachers then them who can race. I would expect a good number of PISA l3 teachers would never pass the speed test.
I fully agree that PSIA should understand the basics of skiing. Ski racing is all about the basics of skiing. Making the connection between students desires and competitive outcomes is a broad topic. My brain is full of what others feel is frivolous unnecessary nonsense. fun... Inside my fun filled brain the editor is keeping some parts and saving the rest for later to repackage as Functionally Understanding Nature...FUN One is strictly intentioned to be off beat weird excentric absurdities about a task or lesson plan. The other is very analytical, precise, scientific analysis of physics and causality... students should not have to think so hard so to go professional...get weird... A child taught me the "Secret Daddy" move I only see it in winners.
Always let there be a few inches on your side. Us fast guys need that space to pass you. I get so tired of yelling. Ski blacks and there are no people. That's the way to go.
I sort of agree with you both. The wedge is generally an impediment to learning better skiing, especially if you want to learn quickly. But sometimes that’s what your student presents with.
@@DebArmstrongSkiStrong There’s a big difference between using the wedge in very rare, specific situations and making it a mandatory first step in the learning process, as many 'classic' associations advocate (from Europe to Japan and North America). Instructors have the responsibility to select and recommend slopes that suit their students' abilities. In my experience, 99% of students don’t need to use the wedge at all. For the rare 1% who struggle with severe psychological barriers around speed, the wedge can be a last-resort tool during the first 30 minutes of their first lesson. Once that speed-related fear is addressed, they’re ready to move on to basic tipping and weight transfer to make parallel turns. On the other hand, the issues caused by mandatory wedge training are countless. These include relying on inside edges, adopting a static backseat position, and numerous other challenges when transitioning to parallel. Since parallel movements are fundamentally opposite to wedge techniques, it makes the switch unnecessarily difficult.
@@Osnosis I’m not against using the wedge entirely-it has its place. However, I’ve seen far too many people give up on skiing because the wedge, being an unnatural, exhausting, and often painful position, didn’t align with their expectations of what skiing should feel like. In my PMTS-based lessons, students experience the joy of gliding on parallel skis within the first hour. This immediate sense of the smooth, exhilarating sliding feeling motivates them and helps them progress much faster. When they know how exciting skiing can feel, they’re eager to master the rest of the technique. In contrast, starting with the wedge often discourages students. Many give up early, frustrated by the discomfort and lack of enjoyment it brings. Starting with parallel skiing not only keeps students engaged but also inspires even the hesitant ones to embrace the sport from the very beginning.
Hello from Patagonia Argentina Deb. Wrote you an extended description of my perspective at your inbox. The relevance physics and mechanics in all kinds of ski learning frameworks is enormous. It is specially important when working with non competitors, kids, and people with special needs.
Looking forward to starting my ski season and learning more new things from Deb. Funny, but you'd think that at age 74, I would have learned all there is to know about the sport, but the truth is just as Deb has stated: there's always something new and learning is part of skiing. Come to think of it, this applies to life in general. Keep living; keep learning.
Love it!!!!!
This is great food for thought. As I was growing into my own style in the '90s many of the innovations were coming from snowboarding -- paraboloc shapes, skiing switch, etc. Then big mountain lines were getting more direct with new ski shapes.
It just felt at that time that the innovations were coming in conversation between different disciplines and World Cup racing adopting, refining, and maximizing the benefits.
There is an art to sliding on snow that's style and experiment first. And then that informs breakthroughs in technology and technique. And then those advances allow for a larger canvas for the art and exploration. That's the conversation I think about when I'm listening to this video.
Thanks for always inspiring while instructing!
Love it
I'm happy to see your new video, Deb! Have a nice start to new fantastic season!
Have you seen the others I’ve put out in the past 6weeks? Hope so. Have an awesome season
I love skiing courses. Got so much better at skiing once I got the opportunity to train with racers. I wish we had courses setup on runs outside of training. Also, slalom skiing is an awesome technique. I never learned moguls or powder skiing. But once I could ski a slalom course, the same mechanics transferred into being able to do any terrain.
Great ideas and concepts. I guess experts are just highly advanced beginners .Would love to see the follow-up vid that shows how each aspect of wedges, christies, and basis parallels can be seen in world cup turns.
6^th year now as PSIA instructor and still beginning to learn.
Great segment. Georges Joubert took the same position in the 60s. Waiting for the snow and looking at his book Comment se perfectionner le ski. I have usedyour videos as a tool in the adaptive world. Thanks
Deb, Thank you. IMHO this is spot on... although I was only PSIA Level 2 back in 1999, after a long break from teaching, I am now 3/4 of way through Austrian Landeslehrer Full Certification. There are a lot of differences b/w both programs, however in my opinion, one of the biggest is that the Austrian system is much more focused on the the basic dynamics and mechanics of alpine racing... in fact, giant slalom is part of overall certification, including a timed GS run to complete final step for full certification. It is both inspiring and refreshing seeing you push this with PSIA:) Something I also love about the Austrian system is keeping it simple, and their relentless focus on the Alpine Basic Position throughout all steps of the progression.
Love it. Thanks for the comment
Good stuff Deb! Looking forward to trying to get to the point where I can "world cup" my turns!
Love it. Get into a fixed environment of some brushes. Request your ski school set some up
Been watching every video of yours the last few months. Can’t wait to test it all out (soon I hope).
You are right in one way, but your points are just one side of the problems a ski instructor must handle.
Take into account, that the main goal of a racer is to ski as fast as possible, without losing control, but as a ski-instructor your main goal must be to ski as safely and as slowly as possible... These differences are very important.
The other missing side is the necessary knowledge about the skiing issues of beginners, intermediate and less advanced skiers. If you want to help your students, you should make a stepwise development for them, so that they can improve step by step and for this you have to put your skiing tools int a priority order, I think.
Every hill should have brushes set up for the public to run. And if possible a course with gates.
Every ski school for sure
@@travisbacon1974 As a previous director at a small mountain I had some extra brushes and stubbies to take to my new mountain where I just get to teach!! The new mountain puts out the stubbies just off the grooming and leaves them there. Note: I didn’t steal the stuff. I owned all of it, even the stuff I left at the old mountain so they could continue to function. Maybe I’ll see this year if we can put out some brushes somewhere after grooming.
@@davidbeazer9799in the past couple years JHMR has done a better job having brushes set up. I think they primarily do it for ski school but a lot of people run them as they come to the bottom of the mountain. Maybe the Instructors are taking it onto themselves to put them in.
They have always had a duel GS course that is open occasionally and you have to respect that because it requires a few employees to do it. I would love it if they would set a SL course a couple days a week so local race kids could get a little extra practice in.
NASTAR is a lot of fun but It has faded. I am uncertain why.
@ NASTAR doesn’t do it. Other brushie environments is better
Hi Deb, have a nice skiing season. Making any plans for Italy Dolomites Alta Badia or Cortina d'Ampezzo?
Wish but not this winter. Have a wonderful season
I agree with your sentiment. But I'd tweak it just a bit this way. I think mogul skiing is the pinnacle of skiing. Why, why not racing? Racing is very specialized (and yes, so is mogul skiing). Mogul skiing requires absolutely perfect technique. And the skills you learn mogul skiing are universally applicable to the recreational skier who wants to ski the whole mountain. Racing teaches you to go fast on groomed terrain. Mogul skiing techniques give you access to all terrain.
I hear ya for sure. However I find the threads down from a World Cup turn to a wedge more in line than that of a World Cup mogul skier. And another point, in ski racing there are more differing sizes of turns and forces. Mogul comp is more or less the same turn shape and forces turn after turn. Not at all the case in Alpine requiring a bit more adaptability in my view. Just my thoughts
the physics and biomechanics of turning a ski are most purely and beautifully on display in ski racing ... and perhaps most purely and beautifully stretched in natural bump skiing.
before a new skier graduates the magic carpet, it takes some basic mechanics to complete a first turn ... and until an intermediate skier advances their fundamentals, they're not well-positioned to apply specialized tactics.
then again, to closely-quote glenn plake, "you can buy a carved turn, and you can buy a powder turn ... but you can't buy a bump turn, no equipment can ski bumps for you."
@@shawnphillipsyoga - you can bank and brace in racing. Do that in bumps and you get ejected.
Hope everyone has a great season!
You too!!!
Great video!
Spot on Deb! See ya soon , Mugzy
YES!
I guess all of your PSIA L3 will be queuing up to take the Europen Speed test then? Or not? Should they have to? And could they pass?
It’s not about speed in my view. And who knows who all would pass. This would be a very interesting test
@@DebArmstrongSkiStrong Chances are most would not pass and therefore would not get there level 3 so what now with so few top-level ski teachers?
@@SnowCampsEuropeyou are tip towing around your point. What do you really mean?
@@alexandermayer5924 Not tip towing around anything. In Europe to get your highest level qualification you have to take the European Speed test a G.S. race that you have to pass a timed race based on a coefficient time of the current world champion in the discipline. This means that many extremely good ski teachers can never make the level but are quite possibly way better teachers then them who can race. I would expect a good number of PISA l3 teachers would never pass the speed test.
@@SnowCampsEurope In PSIA racing was once part of passing. I recall it from my exams long ago.
I fully agree that PSIA should understand the basics of skiing. Ski racing is all about the basics of skiing. Making the connection between students desires and competitive outcomes is a broad topic. My brain is full of what others feel is frivolous unnecessary nonsense. fun... Inside my fun filled brain the editor is keeping some parts and saving the rest for later to repackage as Functionally Understanding Nature...FUN One is strictly intentioned to be off beat weird excentric absurdities about a task or lesson plan. The other is very analytical, precise, scientific analysis of physics and causality... students should not have to think so hard so to go professional...get weird... A child taught me the "Secret Daddy" move I only see it in winners.
Embrace pmts❤
Not the magic pill either😉
I want to be an F1 driver😊
❤❤❤❤❤
Hi David😉
@ 👋 ❤️
Amen Sista Deb!-!! ⛷️💣💥/😉😎🤘
Always let there be a few inches on your side. Us fast guys need that space to pass you. I get so tired of yelling. Ski blacks and there are no people. That's the way to go.
When are we going to get rid of "instructing the ski" To teaching people to ski.
Don’t understand question. Sorry
If you still teaching wedge there is no way you will become a better ski instructor.😅😂😎
Ha!! Yet, Depending on the terrain and where you ski the wedge may be a necessary tool when beginning to ski
I sort of agree with you both. The wedge is generally an impediment to learning better skiing, especially if you want to learn quickly. But sometimes that’s what your student presents with.
@@DebArmstrongSkiStrong There’s a big difference between using the wedge in very rare, specific situations and making it a mandatory first step in the learning process, as many 'classic' associations advocate (from Europe to Japan and North America).
Instructors have the responsibility to select and recommend slopes that suit their students' abilities. In my experience, 99% of students don’t need to use the wedge at all. For the rare 1% who struggle with severe psychological barriers around speed, the wedge can be a last-resort tool during the first 30 minutes of their first lesson. Once that speed-related fear is addressed, they’re ready to move on to basic tipping and weight transfer to make parallel turns.
On the other hand, the issues caused by mandatory wedge training are countless. These include relying on inside edges, adopting a static backseat position, and numerous other challenges when transitioning to parallel. Since parallel movements are fundamentally opposite to wedge techniques, it makes the switch unnecessarily difficult.
@@Osnosis I’m not against using the wedge entirely-it has its place. However, I’ve seen far too many people give up on skiing because the wedge, being an unnatural, exhausting, and often painful position, didn’t align with their expectations of what skiing should feel like.
In my PMTS-based lessons, students experience the joy of gliding on parallel skis within the first hour. This immediate sense of the smooth, exhilarating sliding feeling motivates them and helps them progress much faster. When they know how exciting skiing can feel, they’re eager to master the rest of the technique.
In contrast, starting with the wedge often discourages students. Many give up early, frustrated by the discomfort and lack of enjoyment it brings. Starting with parallel skiing not only keeps students engaged but also inspires even the hesitant ones to embrace the sport from the very beginning.
@ yes, Harald Harb (plus Lito Tejada-Flores) is the way to go.