Your last tip is the best. Before buying fat powder skis that skim the top of deep powder try your skinny skis and learn to love the sensation of porpoising up and down in rhythm while bouncing left and right
I took lessons once and the instructor counseled to be more patient with my skis as they were arcing -- ie make rounded turns and not Z turns. That was on a bluebird day and I got boot deep powder a day two after that. That rounded turn advice set me up for some good skiing!
I will be definitely be directing my friends who still yearn to master the fluffy stuff to this video. Brilliant, direct, concise and absolutely spot on . Thank you!
Yeah for mid-fat (~95 to 110mm) skies, using the bunny hop 'bounce' method is an effective way to get through Powder, especially heavier Powder. "Skiing powder is just like skiing bumps, except you are making the bumps as you go" - that is a great way to think about it! Solid advice. Stomp It has some good advice too
"bunny hop 'bounce' method". I would love it if @section8 would do a special vid just on that bunny bounce method. As Klaus Maier from autria is explaining it.
Can’t count the number of times I have watched this particular video. Mimetism. It makes me feel/perceive how to ski powder. During lunch in December , watching this vid is my go-to video. I must be over 30 watching right now.
Growing up in Georgia all we could easily get to for 'skiing' was extreme western north carolina, the smokies, and ski areas like Cataloochee & Beech mtn .. So it was icey at best lol. And it's been soo hard for me to try and learn to not twist your skis to turn .. like that's all I know is attacking the turn with my legs .. But this video has given me a little insight into how to maybe mentally think about turning on powder.. and I especially love the part where he mentions attempting to 'pop-off' your skis in a turn to get some air .. where you then can re-orient (twist) while slightly elevated. But yeah this is great!
as someone who is used to east coast skiing and is going to colorado next year for my bday, this is definitely gonna be handy for me, since i wanna practice this year... i also dont use poles, as i grew up not using them and still have a great balance, so thats something im also gonna try this year. great video, definitely useful!
A double black becomes a blue under two or three feet of untracked powder. There's nothing closer to flying except perhaps squirrel suits. And if the sun is at your back your shadow makes for a delightful feedback, an instantaneous, intense, aesthetic feeling. If I could put that feeling in a bottle I would save it to restore my spirit as I approach my last horizon.
and you too can charge the klondike powder rush as the lines pile up and then you are elbow to elbow at the drop line, when it goes down it is an all out race to the chair in little lanes.
Great tips for powder hounds. Am an ole ski-bum w/ a bum knee from volleyball. The last 24 years ski noting but the deep & steep including ♦♦ trees & soft black/blue groomers. However, one cannot ski deep snow & soft crud on stiff narrow GS ski or stiff fat ski! Have 5 pair of ski, GS, all mntn, freeride, all 190, 100-122 wide. Used to ski open trees, crud & groomers all at once on 193, 88 under foot Volant Power-carve. The issue is the shovel & tails, not too stiff/soft. The depth of snow makes a yuge diff too. Skiing ankle, knee & butt deep (am 6'4") is a diff ballgame. Skiing 1-2' of fresh is not real pow-skiing, one hits the base & can (should) edge. However, skiing 3-5' of fresh fluff is the real deal when the ski are deep in the snow. Floating in the lightly compressed snow as one goes down is beyond description. Edging is not necessary but balance, bouncing up & down on flat lying ski & slarving. Twin tips are best for that. The tails sliding sideways takes some getting used to. The secret is staying balanced over the pitch of the slope & keeping the ski parallel to it. Takes practice & patience. ua-cam.com/video/2vdhG0m6lEo/v-deo.html Czech out a big wipeout in 3' of fluff. The green Line Prophet 100, 186 were the shortest & best pow & all mntn ski in my 62 y of skiing.
Yep, 70mm Skinny skis are so fun in deep steep light powder, but not as versatile and certainly requires very dynamic skiing and physically more demanding. But chest deep you got it. As water content increases, get on fat(ter) skis.
For those of you who wish to conserve energy and reduce leg fatigue keep your uphill leg as straight as possible and put all of your weight on it. This provides your downhill leg a moment of complete relaxation and maximal blood flow. This works on all surfaces except difficult conditions like those with large chunks of crud or thick wet snow. But in the case of untracked powder with the sun at your back it is very easy to accomplish and with the extra energy you may choose to skip lunch.
The hardest part for me, knowing that I need more speed, but being unable to really stop as quickly as I'd feel comfortable, really kills the confidence. I don't want to go fast if I can't stop when I want to.
So similar to how carving bends the ski (a bit less now that there's the parabolic nature, but carving still bends it a bit), powder bends the ski too.....
@@section8ski hi. someone was talking about "bunny hop 'bounce' method". I would love it if you Tobin would do a special vid just on that bunny bounce method. As Klaus Maier from Autria is explaining it in his dvd FROM BLUE TO POWDER. but with the special touch from @section 8
But what if you suck at bump skiing? ;-) On my pair of 108 mm Corvus, I've ripped some steeper powder runs almost like they are groomers. But on stuff sub 30 degrees even on the 108mm skis I need some bounce to really feel the turns. Great advice about powder overall.
Amazing advice! I feel much more prepared for the 50cms tomorrow morning at Lake Louise! This was such a fantastic video, with a great amount of humor, illustrations and production quality to keep it interesting. Definitely subscribing. Curious which mountain this was shot at, love Canadian content.
Thanks Alexandra, glad you found it helpful:) It was mostly shot on Vancouver Island (inbounds at Mount Washington and some Island backcountry), plus a few clips from a camp we held in Revelstoke last season.
@@section8ski Can’t count the number of times I have watched this particular video. Mimetism. It makes me feel/perceive how to ski powder. During lunch in December , watching this vid is my go-to video. I must be over 30 watching right now. We so much would love other shootings of you ski through powder , just vids of you skiing and skiing in powder , no explanation needed , no editing , just hours of skiing through powder , every kind of powder. Peter from France.
A “touring ski” is mounted with a touring binding that allows you to free the heel for uphill travel. The main focus of touring skis are use of light weight materials to make skinning uphill easier. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes for the various conditions you might experience in the backcountry. “Powder skis” typically focus on a wider width under foot and usually a softer flex or rocker profile to facilitate more floatation in deep snow. Because powder is often the reason people venture into the backcountry, it’s common to find touring skis with a powder ski profile.
The secret to powder is knowing the conditions. When it is cold, calm winds consistent deep accumulations of pillowly blow away face shots just be prepared and don't choke on snow filling your mouth and don't count on seeing things all the time... look ahead burrow to a site where you pop up asking...Is this Albequirky? Often is is not that good so you must convince your self to make is look good so you do and watch from the bottom as your clinic group flais in the breakable crust you ignored. When they ask how you did it you say "COMPACTION SATISFACTION" I create my own mass energy density stress tensor then ride the superfluididty of the exclusion zone briefly into the future and wait for reality to catch up. Functionally Understanding Nature is FUN.
Skiing "powder" in the PNW is just easier on a snowboard. All great tips, but if your just learning & the snow is very heavy & deep, then go back to the groomers because if you're on an all mountain ski you will not float & you'll risk an ACL tear. Injury is not fun.
My brother, an instructor from the east, eventually came out to visit me in the Rockies. He said he loathed powder but by the end of a week of getting used to two feet untracked daily he became a powder hound. The most helpful tip he admitted was... to be patient, be subtle, no need to force the skis.
Your last tip is the best. Before buying fat powder skis that skim the top of deep powder try your skinny skis and learn to love the sensation of porpoising up and down in rhythm while bouncing left and right
Best video I have watched on skiing in powder. Thanks for posting!! Much appreciated.
Hands down best powder skiing lesson on the inter webs. Thanks for breaking it down so well!
I took lessons once and the instructor counseled to be more patient with my skis as they were arcing -- ie make rounded turns and not Z turns. That was on a bluebird day and I got boot deep powder a day two after that. That rounded turn advice set me up for some good skiing!
That has got to be an all-time top three powder ski videos. Thank you.
I will be definitely be directing my friends who still yearn to master the fluffy stuff to this video. Brilliant, direct, concise and absolutely spot on . Thank you!
So glad you found it helpful!
Yeah for mid-fat (~95 to 110mm) skies, using the bunny hop 'bounce' method is an effective way to get through Powder, especially heavier Powder. "Skiing powder is just like skiing bumps, except you are making the bumps as you go" - that is a great way to think about it! Solid advice. Stomp It has some good advice too
"bunny hop 'bounce' method". I would love it if @section8 would do a special vid just on that bunny bounce method. As Klaus Maier from autria is explaining it.
best vid on powder skiing on the internet!
Great set of tips, strong production values and as usual Section 8's laid back style. Lifts the bar for the "Best Ski Tip Vid, 2021".
Can’t count the number of times I have watched this particular video. Mimetism. It makes me feel/perceive how to ski powder. During lunch in December , watching this vid is my go-to video. I must be over 30 watching right now.
This is a great video. The advice given is expert and easy enough to understand and remember as to put it good use on the slope.
Thank you - always good to hear great tips from experienced powder pros! Can’t wait to try them out this week 😊
Really really great tips and production, BRAVO. I love the old skinny skis in powder too ! Rosi Bandits , love em !
I hear ya, my 195 Hexcel Sundance IIs were so much nicer in powder than my 170 K2s
Amen! Thanks for putting what I been preaching into an easy to follow video! I will be sharing this often!
Best powder skiing video I have seen. Love it!!
Growing up in Georgia all we could easily get to for 'skiing' was extreme western north carolina, the smokies, and ski areas like Cataloochee & Beech mtn .. So it was icey at best lol. And it's been soo hard for me to try and learn to not twist your skis to turn .. like that's all I know is attacking the turn with my legs ..
But this video has given me a little insight into how to maybe mentally think about turning on powder.. and I especially love the part where he mentions attempting to 'pop-off' your skis in a turn to get some air .. where you then can re-orient (twist) while slightly elevated.
But yeah this is great!
nice tutorial bro!! Riding in pow really is the best thing ever it really makes for the best memories! 🤩🙏
Thanks! I tried a lot of videos, thankful to have found this one. Holy hell it’s rough out there, for this topic. 👍🏼👍🏼
Rock'in the Hotham neck warmer there mate !
Best ski video I’ve watched! Love the diagrams for explanation. Thank you!
Thanks for the great clear advice on powder. I wish I had seen this video before my first powder experience!
as someone who is used to east coast skiing and is going to colorado next year for my bday, this is definitely gonna be handy for me, since i wanna practice this year... i also dont use poles, as i grew up not using them and still have a great balance, so thats something im also gonna try this year. great video, definitely useful!
First comment of 2022 also best pow ski instructor there is out there 🙌
Extremely well explained!!! Very useful the graphic help, showing where to apply the pressure. Many thanks!! Greetings from German Alps!
Excellent video. I shall take this to the slopes tomorrow.
Hopefully you’ll find some fresh snow!
"Skiing powder is like skiing bumps--except you're making the bumps as you go."
Great way of describing the powder skiing experience.
This is a great video! Thank you!
We are getting here some late season powder in Switserland, thanks for the tips ;-) i'm out and about for the next few days! whoop whoop!
A double black becomes a blue
under two or three feet of untracked powder.
There's nothing closer to flying except perhaps squirrel suits.
And if the sun is at your back
your shadow makes for a delightful feedback,
an instantaneous, intense, aesthetic feeling.
If I could put that feeling in a bottle
I would save it to restore my spirit
as I approach my last horizon.
and you too can charge the klondike powder rush as the lines pile up and then you are elbow to elbow at the drop line, when it goes down it is an all out race to the chair in little lanes.
Great tips for powder hounds. Am an ole ski-bum w/ a bum knee from volleyball. The last 24 years ski noting but the deep & steep including ♦♦ trees & soft black/blue groomers. However, one cannot ski deep snow & soft crud on stiff narrow GS ski or stiff fat ski! Have 5 pair of ski, GS, all mntn, freeride, all 190, 100-122 wide. Used to ski open trees, crud & groomers all at once on 193, 88 under foot Volant Power-carve. The issue is the shovel & tails, not too stiff/soft. The depth of snow makes a yuge diff too. Skiing ankle, knee & butt deep (am 6'4") is a diff ballgame. Skiing 1-2' of fresh is not real pow-skiing, one hits the base & can (should) edge. However, skiing 3-5' of fresh fluff is the real deal when the ski are deep in the snow. Floating in the lightly compressed snow as one goes down is beyond description. Edging is not necessary but balance, bouncing up & down on flat lying ski & slarving. Twin tips are best for that. The tails sliding sideways takes some getting used to. The secret is staying balanced over the pitch of the slope & keeping the ski parallel to it. Takes practice & patience.
ua-cam.com/video/2vdhG0m6lEo/v-deo.html Czech out a big wipeout in 3' of fluff. The green Line Prophet 100, 186 were the shortest & best pow & all mntn ski in my 62 y of skiing.
simply fantastic video...thanks!
This was awesome!
Beautiful skiing!👍
Great video; I now know why I've never been able to ski powder.
Those are good ones ...... Especoaly the float turn . ........
Great video. Thanks.
Really helpful, thank you.
bellissimo video !!! Grazie 👏
My pleasure:)
Makes sense. Bookmarked!
Great lesson but ultimately practice makes it perfect
Practice makes permanent, not perfect...no turn no skier will ever be perfect, no matter how many times you do it.
Just got my first pair of fat skis and I'm excited to get out there and shred some powder!
Woohoo!
Yep, 70mm Skinny skis are so fun in deep steep light powder, but not as versatile and certainly requires very dynamic skiing and physically more demanding. But chest deep you got it. As water content increases, get on fat(ter) skis.
This whole video screams Canada! Everything about it!
I didn't notice, the guy had no accent
but then I am Canadian so naturally I wouldn't.
Cool video.
For those of you who wish to conserve energy and reduce leg fatigue
keep your uphill leg as straight as possible and put all of your weight on it.
This provides your downhill leg a moment of complete relaxation and maximal blood flow.
This works on all surfaces except difficult conditions like
those with large chunks of crud or thick wet snow.
But in the case of untracked powder with the sun at your back
it is very easy to accomplish and
with the extra energy you may choose to skip lunch.
00:35 That looks like an early 2000 Rossignol XX. Amazing ski :)
yes, rossignol bandit b2 blue
The hardest part for me, knowing that I need more speed, but being unable to really stop as quickly as I'd feel comfortable, really kills the confidence. I don't want to go fast if I can't stop when I want to.
So similar to how carving bends the ski (a bit less now that there's the parabolic nature, but carving still bends it a bit), powder bends the ski too.....
great, now We Just need some
excellent thank you
5:02 “Ignore your instincts “LOL Double Black Full Send it is
Thanks !!!!
And in 20 years you will be good at it.
Awesome vid Tobin! :)
Thanks Greg, Hope your getting some face shots of your own!
@@section8ski hi. someone was talking about "bunny hop 'bounce' method". I would love it if you Tobin would do a special vid just on that bunny bounce method. As Klaus Maier from Autria is explaining it in his dvd FROM BLUE TO POWDER. but with the special touch from @section 8
@@2204pc Hmmm, The Bunny Bounce Method. You got me thinking:)
Brilliant 😁
But what if you suck at bump skiing? ;-)
On my pair of 108 mm Corvus, I've ripped some steeper powder runs almost like they are groomers. But on stuff sub 30 degrees even on the 108mm skis I need some bounce to really feel the turns.
Great advice about powder overall.
Amazing advice! I feel much more prepared for the 50cms tomorrow morning at Lake Louise!
This was such a fantastic video, with a great amount of humor, illustrations and production quality to keep it interesting. Definitely subscribing.
Curious which mountain this was shot at, love Canadian content.
Thanks Alexandra, glad you found it helpful:) It was mostly shot on Vancouver Island (inbounds at Mount Washington and some Island backcountry), plus a few clips from a camp we held in Revelstoke last season.
@@section8ski I thought I recognized a Revy in there!
Thanks for replying, and keep up the good work :)
@@section8ski Can’t count the number of times I have watched this particular video. Mimetism. It makes me feel/perceive how to ski powder. During lunch in December , watching this vid is my go-to video. I must be over 30 watching right now. We so much would love other shootings of you ski through powder , just vids of you skiing and skiing in powder , no explanation needed , no editing , just hours of skiing through powder , every kind of powder. Peter from France.
So will I be able to ski pow with my 65mm slalom skis with proper technique?
Absolutely. You may need a little steeper slope to get enough momentum going, but it’s workable.
Just go fast!
Thanks for the tips. For me, do not twist the ski(sharp turn) and speed is your friend should be helpful.
what is the diference between touring skiis and powder skiis
A “touring ski” is mounted with a touring binding that allows you to free the heel for uphill travel. The main focus of touring skis are use of light weight materials to make skinning uphill easier. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes for the various conditions you might experience in the backcountry. “Powder skis” typically focus on a wider width under foot and usually a softer flex or rocker profile to facilitate more floatation in deep snow. Because powder is often the reason people venture into the backcountry, it’s common to find touring skis with a powder ski profile.
@@section8ski thank you so much!
The secret to powder is knowing the conditions. When it is cold, calm winds consistent deep accumulations of pillowly blow away face shots just be prepared and don't choke on snow filling your mouth and don't count on seeing things all the time... look ahead burrow to a site where you pop up asking...Is this Albequirky? Often is is not that good so you must convince your self to make is look good so you do and watch from the bottom as your clinic group flais in the breakable crust you ignored. When they ask how you did it you say "COMPACTION SATISFACTION" I create my own mass energy density stress tensor then ride the superfluididty of the exclusion zone briefly into the future and wait for reality to catch up. Functionally Understanding Nature is FUN.
Skiing "powder" in the PNW is just easier on a snowboard. All great tips, but if your just learning & the snow is very heavy & deep, then go back to the groomers because if you're on an all mountain ski you will not float & you'll risk an ACL tear. Injury is not fun.
Lmao maybe you can just stay home?
@@nickv3085 just make sure your rockin' larger dimension skis (mm): 163-135-141 (Black Diamond Gigawatt)
Really good breakdown.
Patience and powder skiing? Hah! If you patiently ride powder 10 hounds are going to pass you and snake your line!
True… but if you’re lucky they’ll faceplant on their first turn.
My brother,
an instructor from the east,
eventually came out to visit me in the Rockies.
He said he loathed powder but
by the end of a week of getting used to two feet untracked daily
he became a powder hound.
The most helpful tip he admitted was... to be patient, be subtle, no need to force the skis.