Something that I rarely see being addressed are the actual conditions. Skiing new snow is so much different from one storm to the next or from region to region. Skiing new snow in Utah is a completely different animal vs skiing new snow in the PNW where the water content of the snow is much higher. In Utah every decent skier looks like a hero. The snow is light, fluffy and you can simply steer your legs and feet and it feels really effortless and easy. In the Northwest it requires considerably more skill and effort. You have to get the skis up out of the snow to get the turn started and then inertia allows you to continue through the shapping phase. Add in an icy layer of bumps underneath, trees, steeps and a semi tracked out hill and now you've got a formidable challenge. I don't see many people post videos about these variables.
remember this... in europe they really don't have the concept of 'off-piste' on resorts, at least not under their remit. Whereas here in NA, East, West, North, South rockies... ungroomed terrain dominiates much of our destinations.
This video was about skiing powder, not skiing Cascade cement. Cascade cement is a different beast. Having lived in the PNW and now in Utah I believe know what I'm talking about. Each has its own technique for sure, but I wouldn't describe PNW snow as "more skill!"
@irideaduck939 that's why I said "new snow". My comment was meant to build on the content in the video and point out that you rarely see anyone posting videos about skiing new snow that's not light and fluffy. Skiing wet heavy snow takes considerably more skill. And as a staff trainer and lead team coach I teach my athletes and coaches these concepts.
As someone who used to suck at skiing powder, but is better now … the reason is lack of experience. I couldn’t ski powder until I spent 4 days at Niseko (on Armada JJs) and it was like an aha moment, an epiphany, like learning to ride a bike … it was just BANG that’s how you do it. Most people only rarely get to ski powder. Do a trip to Niseko or snowbird and get some experience. Once you figure it out it’s easy.
I'd skied on packed snow most of my young life, and suddenly went to a mountain trip where it snowed a whopping 12 feet or so over about 5 days. I skied in snow up past my waist, where you never see your skis. That was basically in the days where powder style skis didn't yet exist. Took a LOT of getting used to and trying to prevent a ski detachment under deep snow where you'd never find it again. Older narrow skis with virtually no rocker and bindings mounted in traditional packed snow location, were pretty miserable. But you skied what you brought, and that was that.
I would second this, I'm a European skiier and only rarely had proper powder days, and so on those days I would attempt black runs which I can normally do and would struggle with the snow, often it's heavier powder and I just didn't know how to ski it, add to that that it's only the steeper blacks which are ungroomed, so unless you go off piste (which requires a guide unless you know the area well) there aren't really any easy powder runs to practice on in European resorts. Did a trip to Japan a few years ago and actually learned how to ski it properly, and now have no probelms on those same runs.
Two points hit home with me. First, learn how to carve on piste, which I've been improving on since the day after Franz Klammer won the '76 Olympic downhill. Second, demo skis. I was skiing Serre Chevalier in '96 with an overnight prediction of a meter of snow. My companions, who were on RD Coyote Helidogs, told me to dump my 198 cm all mountain Rossis for some powder skis, or they wouldn’t let me ski with them. Ha ha! So I went from the bar to the ski shop and ended up renting a pair of Rossignol Axiom DP 110s. Within two runs the next morning, I was an expert powder skier. And skis are better now-a-days. Never doubt the importance of finding the right tool for the job. Fun video! Thanks.
I disagree. Today's powder skis want to float on top instead of letting you experience the full depth of the powder like with the old straight skis. So many heli ski videos where everyone skis on top of the snow making slalom or gs turns with no bounce. Today's fat skis may be an "improvement" in the sense they require less technique but not a better experience.
I was getting into a discussion with a person online about how to ski powder. I realized that he wasn't going to listen to me, so I shared this instead. Bravo bravo - you are saying what people don't want to hear.
I do agree having powders skis makes for the best ride, although saying roughly 60% of the skis on the market are “meh” to “very bad” in powder is a overstatement. Skiing makes you a good skier not the skis, and while I do agree that all mountain skis are “meh” I own them because they CAN do anything. I’ve only had a handful of powder days with them and the rest being normal groomers, while it hasn’t been as enjoyable, the ability to go on and off trail without any issues is something everyone should experience. At the same time some of the best skiers I know use true center mounted skis and carve though powder better than I will for the next decade. It’s how you ski at the end of the day, yes skis makes the world of a difference, although if you can’t ski in powder it doesn’t matter if you have 115s or 90s. Still love this channel and not saying I am a expert by any means. Simply trying to provide the most information to those who need it :)
I'd quite agree with this, 1) not everyone can have 10 pairs of skis, therefore all mountain ones are the recommended choice for anyone who can only have one pair and would like to go off the slope if possible. 2) though the right skis really help, you can use all sorts of skis (except for bigfoots, I can't imagine using those in powder), with deep enough powder, reasonable gradient and speed, you can have fun with any, but the technique will be slightly different and possibly backseated (which in the video is described as wrong, but it is not for all skis, they speak about powder skis only).
I'm an old crappy skier who came to alpine touring in my late 50s in Northern Ontario of all places. I love it. Boy did this video check a lot of boxes for why I suck at powder skiing (but am slowly getting better). I'm skiing steep untracked forested areas where run is close to 1.5 km and consists of tight treed areas that we've opened up and natural glades with powder that is not often near as deep as a lot of what's on here but powder none the less. Re: equipment, I just upgraded this year from beat up used stuff some of which is not really backcountry or powder gear to new wider skis, boots and bindings. What an improvement!! Also, I'm a terminal intermediate skier who wants to backseat ski- not good. Forcing myself to stay more centered and over tips. Again, huge improvement. I used to reef the power band and top buckle super tight on my boots to the point of discomfort. Have now slacked off so they sit snug but comfortable. So, a lot of what's pointed out in the video. Had probably the best day of skiing ever (for me) last week so something must be working.
I think snow conditions also matter a lot. It is hard to find pristine, deep enough powder at the right steepness to practice. Tracked terrain is a whole different thing
Water content of the new snow, the layers under the recently fallen snow, how tracked out it is, the pitch, moguls, all dramatically change the tactics employed and level of skill required to ski well, agreed.
Agree. If the powder is tracked it can tough to overcome the feeling that there may be impediments to consider...chunks, etc. That can make it hard to commit.
I remember skiing deep snow on a fairly warm afternoon in March (is was about four or five degrees above zero on the celsius skala, about 40 degrees fahrenheit). I was together with a friend and a local swiss ski instructor who was about 70 years old. Me friend and me had been skiing since our childhood and are fairly good skiers, but as the snow got thicker and thicker in this warm weather we could harldy make a single turn on the last run. Imagine our baffled faces as the old man suddenly started jumping out of the snow each turn to make his turns like a young mountain goat frolicking its way down to his momma. We tried that and immediately got even more frustrated and I think we were lucky not to ruin our knees that day 😅 On the other hand, one of the best skiing days in my life was when snow was pouring on a really freezing day (just a few degrees fahrenheit), hardly anyone on the piste at all, and we found ourselves a little t-bar lift with a steep piste besides that had been flattened by a snowcat just before it had been starting to snow. So we were knee- to hip-deep in the finest powder and were just ploughing through it without any effort, it was just that the deep snow was giving enough friction no to get too fast, and we couldn't stop laughing and running down that piste and going up with the t-bar again until our thighs burned from hyperacidity.
I went Cat skiing in Snowbird with people that were way better than me but I had my first gen K2 Pontoons and I outskied all of them. We did 5 runs and at the end they were all gassed and I felt great. Could have done another 5. The best ski day of my life!
As always, excellent video. Another fault that I see is that skiers continue ot overweight the outside ski as they often do to carve on groomed slopes. In poweder, you want a much more even distribution of weight on each foot/ski since you will not have the strong counterforce of an aggressively place edge of the outside ski. The dolphin hops that Jens recommends are an excellent way to get inexperienced skiers to (1) understand the up/down float of powder skiing; (2) get comfortable with more speed; and (3) practice even or near even weight distribution. Great video!
I taught myself to ski powder. I used the trampoline analogy, which I picked up from the book "Ski Powder" with Martin Epp. I let the speed build up then do compressions with both feet out to the side. I compress the top of the turn with both feet and raise the inside hand in anticipation of the next pole plant. Because the skis were compressed they bend and rise in the snow towards the flowline. The skis go light and you can unwind your upper/lower body separation automatically, "sending" the skis laterally for the next 2-footed landing. I really don't like the arrogance of the "big mountain ski" users who use up an entire powder slope for 3 turns. I like to stitch my turns and go back up to "figure8" fill-in the previous run or lay the new turns in besisde. In my younger days, skiing powder ws definitely for the experts only. Now we get holiday skiers with full kit, all the gear but no idear.
I really like the efforts to find different ways of describing things as some mean nothing to me and some really resonate (when one of my sons was very young, he asked how much toothpaste he should use to clean his teeth, and we said “pea sized” and he said “but it depends how big you write the ‘P’! Lesson learned by my wife and I). I also think the filming quality and sound quality are amazing on these videos.
Great video… always tell intermediate skiers that the only way to advance is to keep their weight forward concentrating on engaging the entire carving edge of both skies from tip to tail on every turn. Keeping forward pressure on the shins so that they are touching the tongues of the boot….add to this some good efficient pole plants and your technique and stamina will Improve as you will be skiing with much greater efficiency.
My Faction Prodigy 2 might not be the best ski for powder but its so fun to me. I got it this year and love it on and of the piste. For someone who only had race skis in the past its a blessing
Jens, we really need a review of the new Bent line 🙂 Especially those 110s. It will be also very helpful to make a tutorial about powder tree skiing. The most challenging for me. I think it is a bit different as it requires sharper turns, perfect speed control, careful line choice. It would be great pointing out whats important.
I would practice short turns on piste first. You need to be sharp with lots of obstacles in your path. And unless you are very familliar with the terrain ALWAYS go with someone who can show you around. At best you could end up with a long walk if you take a wrong turn, at worst you could be stuck upsidedown under a tree
Number one skill for powder skiing is springboarding or compression,then up and turn, and then linking this motion in shallow arcs.. You can ski on straight 80 cm skis and do this, like in the 70s. Equipment helpful, but not key.
A guide I had a week in Flaine laughed and shook his head when he saw my DPS Wailer 112RP Pure and said (imagine the French accent): "People come here thinking they can ski powder when they have skis like that." I replied saying that I learnt skiing powder on a 65 mm wide Salomon Crossmax, but that the Wailers were just so much more enjoyable. :) The Wailers were not very fun in the somewhat harder conditions inbounds. But when I found the Extrem Opinion 88, my problem with needing two different skis disappeared. They really are a blast and a very enjoyable and fun ski both inbounds and in the off piste!
Great video! And yes, getting powder/soft snow specific skis is the biggest part imo as well. I always talk to people on the chair during pow days who tell me how hard the skiing is and how they keep falling and their skis wont move, and I tell them look you might now want to hear this but the biggest part is having the right skis that are designed to turn with snow engaging the tips instead of underneath your feet.
One point I think is important to note is that there are many different kinds of powder, different densities, moisture content, wind pack, thin top crust, different depths, etc, etc, etc. Skiing nice soft, deep go anywhere fluff is a treat. Heavy, wet, dense “powder” snow is a whole different animal …. at least for me!
I find the hip movement on powder is the same as when you do Romanian deadlifts in the gym. That is why it is time to start doing that before the season starts.
here's my criticism for this video : it's well put together and gives good advice (from my lifelong skiing experience POV at least), but i don't think it's a good idea to start out like that with "get the right skis". it does play a big role, but learning to ski off piste straight away with skis designed just for that might just make it... too easy. i'm not saying this because i want to see the newer skiers struggle, but i think it's really important to start on not so good gear, get good with it, then move on to good gear. if you learn to PROPERLY ski powder with piste skis, then you almost for sure can ski powder with ease on any skis, then, new skis designed for that use only make it more pleasant and easy. just look at the skis our parents were riding, those were straight as a stick and not wide at all. i learned to ski on that because for a long time, my dad's old touring gear was all i had, a pair of 190cm dynastar Arno Adam pro model from a while ago. and they're not even that old, but man did it make me improve my technique
Yeah, yeah, yeah, OK boomer, hit me with a stick if I choose to struggle on shitty equipment on good powder day instead of getting pure joy while using proper skies. BTW I suck at skiing of piste partially because I have all mountain skies and prefer snowboard each and every powder day.
@@AlmostSickBoy i never talked about skiing on the old twigs on a powder day. of course, when it snows 50cm i'm not on the 78s under food yeah. just taking them out sometimes, even on the piste, learning to properly ski with them, and wen i say properly, i mean it, helps so much with technique. it's not shitty equipment, it's different equipment, and you're not asking yourself the right questions imo. they were doing crazy stuff on 2m long skis and you suck at skiing off piste with modern, easy to ski gear. it's a matter of practice, i'm in love with skiing so i wanna be as best as i can and have perfect technique. i'm not saying i do, i just want to, and skiing with modern skis that literally turn by slightly rocking to the side won't help with that. monoskiing as well is super good for training and getting better (and it's way more fun than any ski i've ever skied on an actual pow day) but u gotta want perfection to do all that. not even talking about snowboarding, i hate it
@arnaudFbr yeah, we already got that you are an old, not that clever, gatekeeper with lifelong experience of skiing 2×4s and just jealous that newer lads can hop in and ride alongside you. And hatered towards snowboarding is a key point here. There is no good or bad equipment, even according to your words, there are only people that can not use some of it.
One of the biggest probelms I have with skiing powder is that it never snows often enough where I live to get good practice in. I only get to ski powder maybe one to 5 days a year if I'm lucky. I never get the chance to properly implement all this advice. It really sucks tbh. But last year I did ok in the powder. I just need to work out more to keep my muscles strong.
Great tutorial. Gave me a lot of great ways to communicate with friends that struggle in deep snow. Only criticism is the title. Makes it hard to share with those that need it the most.
I would add one more reason to these 5: it is not that easy to find good powder and ride it while it is still good (unless you live in Laax or a similar place) :D Skiing perfect powder is indeed not so hard, but I would not say that about all kind of snow conditions (and their combinations within the same slope) that one mostly finds off-piste. A lot of those require expert skills.
Own some Head Core 99 in 184 and they aren't "Meh" all-terrain skis so long as you aren't in 2+ ft of pow. They do, I just I do, stuggle in the big bumps with them as they want to go fast. In Western US, like Vail or Park City you'll have great packed pow groomers or ungroomed pow where they either didnt have time to groom on many occasions and I appreciate the versitility of an "all terrain" (95-105mm) type of ski on these days.
I aree with all the tips and add an extra one: If you start the turn by leaning inside of of it you lose control and tend to fall in the back of your skis. I do unbuckle my boots loose to feel the weight being centered and also ski a lot with only one ski at a time, it is true that the outside ski is the king on the groomers (90 /10 I would say) but also on powder (here it is more loke a 60/40 ratio). Looking at the outside of the turn while the skis are turning already also helps to stop your shoulders from following the hips and falling inside the turn. My sweet spot powder ski is a bit less than 100 mm with tip and tail rocker, bidings mounted 1 cm back from ski mounting point (not the ski center but mounting point) and my height or 5 cm more. I currently have an old pair of Blizzard zeroG 98 that weight 1250 gr without bindings are are really impressive in and out of the slopes, they ride incredible and are really light (only front rocker though) I used to have the Rossi Sin 7, heavier but also spectacular, an all time best seller for a reason...
I was using Carving technique in real powder last wk, and flowing and ripping like never before. And Carving helps in the skied out & hardpacked, even on my old now rock ski Head 99s that don't edge for shit!
As someone on the US east coast, it would be a dream to have these endless fields of untracked powder to practice on! Then again, as someone on the US east coast, I rarely have to worry about being good at skiing powder anyway 😅
You're also lucky to not have to worry about avalanches like what just happened in Idaho last week. 36" of new snow in a 24 hour period and they did avalanche safety evaluations and cleared it for use and not an hour later 4 people were caught in a slide and one person died. Tree wells are a thing too. I stay away from fresh deep powder here in the PNW.
my favorite little ski spot was Hickory Hill. I learned to ski moguls pretty quick. one day we were there after/during 1'-2' snow dump. nothing was groomed. it was just me, my father, and like one other guy out there, and all I could think was "is this what they ski in out west? this is horrible!" I was leaning back, legs burning, etc. that was my only experience with a true "powder dump" in the northeast (skiing in 1' of untracked snow). not that I was any good at powder, but decades later I realized 1' of relatively wet "powder" in upstate NY is nothing like the powder everyone talked about in the Rockies. 😆
Great tips, and competely agree. Equipment actually does matter, need some speed, and keep hips 45% or more downhill(for all skiing). I skied in 2 feet of powder with some all-mountain skis with 75mm waist and had to lean slighly back in order to not get propelled forward. I remember asking people "howdo you ski powder"? I wish someone would have said go rent some wider skis.....
Well as you demonstrated it is not impossible, but it needs a different approach. It depends on your weight also, but you can have some fun with reasonably long and wide all mountain skis.
Are we really discussing pow skiing with European guys? Let’s hear from Western USA guys, with plenty of experience skiing snorkel deep pow. I watched 70% of this vid and learned nothing. Sorry, brutal assessment. 😬
@@Bubbaskidude I can't help it, but was your point that somebody should make fun of your "the world is America narrow view"? Yes the climate in North America is interesting, but don't get too excited, maybe the conditions you speak of are more frequent, but that doesn't mean it can't happen in Europe. Might I add that Japan is well known for loads of powder, so if you spoke snorkel deep, get about 2 meter long snorkel to go to Japan. About the video, I agree with the brutal assessment.
So, I guess wine I was successfully skiing neck deep powder, steeps, trees, crud 30 years ago I had the wrong skis - it’s never the skis, it’s generally the skier’s lack of technique
Appreciate the tips. Past seasons I’ve squandered power days cause I couldn’t connect the dots and figure out what I was doing wrong. These tips will help with future pow days this, and in , future seasons on pow days .
I'm loving all of this. and to be fair, I haven't skied in 30 years (motorcycle accident), but you mentioned rolling your ankles. immediately I thought, " how do you roll your ankles in ski boots?"
Fair question. Sure if your boots fit well they will hardly move. But you need use the little you got. The fine motor skills form the toes to the ankles to get good balance and influence the bigger movements of the legs.
I feel like most people are trying to initiate theturnfrom the upper body instead of shifting weight and rolling/turning the ankles. With just skiing, i don't have any problem. For me, it's always the mind kicking in once i start or try to catch some air. But would be very helpful for my goals of nosebutter 360 in pow an 360 double safety on a windlip.
just had first 2 ski days this year always nice to look back on technic to get into it again , currently on 88 brahma works great in most conditions so far (no deep snow yet and they are definetly on the stiff side) realy nice for fast black runs
Great video on powder technique. However, if someone sucks skiing powder because they have 95mm All Mountain skis, they just suck at skiing in general.
Great video, only small addition would be a quick few tips on how to stop quickly. May sound odd but as you say a lot of people don't ski fast enough in powder, bit if your unsure how to stop in powder then it will be a natural sticking point. Awesome vidoe👍
Sucking at skiing powder because can't ski is on point. Skiing is so fun because it is so dynamic; snow and terrain difference don't change the principles of skiing well. Using the propper equipment for the application of good skiing makes skiing well easier and more fun!
I was playing on slalom skis one time and tried to take them off piste for the craic. I'm a very experienced skier, so I knew it was going to be a bad idea but it was just for fun. I looked like a fool and had some ignorant old English tosser try to tell me off. The point being, its about having fun and playing with it. When you improve, it becomes the most enjoyable experience. So ignore what other people might think and go for it. Enjoy the falls, then get up and go again.
Why do most people I see stink at powder? I never see anyone on a powder day, who's asking...... (Said from somewhere lost deep in the trees) 😊 Main reason, is they do not understand what is happening. Piste skiing is always some version of ice skating with a little more or less top dressing. Powder skiing is an intermediate fluid between solid and actual water skiing. In fluid mediums, you need to build momentum in order to create float to carry your weight (and proper displacement). Same principle applies. Once you get momentum, the proper skis (100+ underfoot) begin to rise up in the fluid powder and "get on the step" in boating parlance. Once on the step, it's soft turns with perfect (or nearly perfect) control, but down in the fluid, you need to bounce to pump power into the skis to switch edges for turns. Bounce bounce bounce... 😊
When you only get chance to ski up to 6 days a year (like most), you can go years without ever seeing powder and it can be a little daunting, knocking confidence.
That's why on weekend powder days we call it "Rookie Powder Day". I do feel bad when I see people stopped all over the mountain not knowing what to do and I'm flying by them! I've averaged over 100 days per season for 11 years.
One more reason, why people suck in da powder. People tend to rush instead of being patient and smooth. That usually leads to some weird body movement. This is extremely important when the snow get wet and heavy.
If you can't properly drive a ski on a groomed run, you can't effectively ski powder. Regardless of the equipment you have, if you're not forward on your skis and flexing forward into your boots, you're going to struggle. Slaying powered on a rockered ski is reminisent of driving a fully cambered ski down a groomed slope.
I moved to Wyoming 5 years ago and started learning to ski in powder. If the powder is only a few inches or so, I find it fairly easy. Last year we had an awesome powder year and I was skiing in knee deep powder but not very well. I cannot find anyone who can tell me how to stop in deeper powder. I sure would love to see a video about stopping. The few times I tried it in the deep powder, I crashed and smacked my head pretty hard. Can you do a video on stopping in deep powder? By the way, I was a ski instructor but now I just play! Why do I want to stop? When learning new things, it gets a bit scary and I'm not getting any younger so I just want to stop every so often and check in with myself! Lol! Thank you!
Still think the best ski ever made was the Atomic Theory from 2012, a true all rounder. Was great everywhere, maybe only not so good if your thing is dropping cliffs bigger than 10-15 foot. But a 95mm twin tip that is directional is excellent in lots of situations. Tiny amount of rocker a tip and that's all you really need. Most folks don't live in resort and defo dont have 5 pairs of planks, nor do they want the inconvenience. This sort of specificity is only likely to turn poeple off the idea of owning their own stuff and learning because of the expense (and inconvenience of 5 different pairs) and lack of multi-tasking.
Focus on your skill and movements first and never let the gear control you, you must be in control! Get powder skiis for the powder days, at the very least get all mountain skiis if you can't get multiple pairs for the different conditions. In the end, it's about the ability to control your body and the gear in unison with the forces and the mountain.
It feels like a challenge because we don't want to blame our equipment, But at the same time multiple people here said that you are more likely to stay too far back if you don't have powder specific skis. So for a skier who is trying to learn but they're using their all-mountain or park ski in ungroomed areas in the resort, it feels like the only way is to either "ride backseat and be bad" or "buy different skis"
Thanks Jens. This season, it is my goal to learn how to ski powder and wider skis. Today I rented the Bent 100's and will be seeking out the powder here at Lake Louise. 1st goal is to simply not suck!🤣
@StompItTutorials You're right. I loved the Bent 100's everywhere except when I was in deeper powder and trees! The powder was quite sticky, so that didn't help but I did struggle, especially in the trees.
@@BobE_Nagesh you have the same problems as me. I think the problem comes from the camber which makes turning in deeper snow difficult. As a result, tree skiing is a struggle as you need to turn a lot and quick.
For me the main problem of beginners is speed. They go way to slow and they are sinking. So they cannot turn because the skis become too heavy by behing under the snow. It's like water skiing. If you go too slow it's just not possible. So for powder you need a bit more speed and beginners can be afraid of that...
Well. Ive been skiing since iwas 4-5 and I'm a competent skier. But skiing pow is often a workout for me. Then again I ski everything with Volkl Ledge Skis from 2013. (park twintips) 85mm waist and centraly mounted bindings. Theyre a workout in powder. but good fun.
Why do I suck at skiing powder? Because I usually ski a mountain that does not have powder days, except for this one connector run between groomers. I turned left and POOF! WIPEOUT! I just grabbed my skis and walked over to the trail I was trying to reach because I knew that I would not be able to get started in that powder. Oddly enough, the last time I skied there, that connector was steep and icy.
Had the same skis. Worked just fine and forced you to learn proper technique, something that is missing today with most people due to the modern equipment (and the result looks like crap)
I think this might actually be correct. As a weekday warrior (i'm not about to stand in line with a bunch of people on a weekend) who tries to get into as much powder as I can going through little open glades and things, I just don't ski enough in powder. If there's a section that's untouched I'll ski it, but then it's maybe only a few hundred yards if even, and then right back to piste. I think in order to get better at powder skiing I have to just force myself to hike up and ski back down in powder with no way to get back down except for through the powder. Trial by fire sort of thing. It's just so hard when stopping on piste is quick and easy, but stopping in powder is a big question mark. If I can't feel comfortable enough to slow myself down, it's hard to get comfortable going faster.
The main reason I suck at powder is because it stopped snowing enough 25 years ago. Climate has changed, we barely get any snowfall at all (or rainfall), many popular resorts had to close on early 2000s, and we have constant draught and water restrictions. Sorry for the rant, but I really really really would love to ski on powder again, for many years, so having this video recommended was like a trigger.
Ahhhhhh….iam not a maga Trumptard….and just finished 3 days of deep powder skiing at mammoth…before that deep powder in Utah….next powder in Alaska….get off the couch….and the soapbox…and see for yourself.
@@bjbhehir When I said "we" I meant the skiing areas were I live, not in general, sorry. In the late 90s the weather patterns (climate) changed radically where I live, we have continuous drought for years (major rainfalls happening every 2 to 3 years) and snowfall has become so rare that without artificial snow making, there would be NO open resorts AT ALL. ZERO. For most of the season. Back in 2018 (since the 2000s) there was a very wet spring and people were surprised about that... except it was the normal amount of rain and rainy days we used to have for the same period every year until the mid-90s! So, yes, climate has changed, at least it has benefited your skiing so far.
@@bjbhehir Tank you! Actually, no, snow was worse than usual this season, and when it finally there was a snowfall, the week after it was "spring snow" already 😢
10 місяців тому
Just bought the bent chetler 110 with pivot look 15 GW looking forward to ski them in Zermatt
you don't need 5 skis. you can get wide powder skis if thats all you wanna ski, racing skis if you wanna carve on groomed runs or all mountain skis if you wanna do both
I enjoy freeride ski in any conditions. I do bad firm conditions often on my wide park skis. But when its bad I prefer to ride the park but I freeride about 2 runs per day on my way home from the park about 1000m vertical.
I recently purchased the new Backland 100 and I don’t like how it skies. I don’t know why, but it feels somehow weak and short for the length. My worst touring skis so far. Prefer a lot the Dps pagoda tour 112, blizzard gzero 95 or nordica enforcer unlimited 94 eg
I can't help it, but speaking of powder and in most parts you shreded what I'd call a layer of sugar on the top, not powder. And I know you mean not to sit back too much, but how convenient was the sitting a bit back for you on the drops 8:50 not sitting back nearly got you eating it nicely, 9:00 you got back as you had to. With any of the skis that are told to be meh or nah, you could still shred the powder, but with more difficulties and you would have to lean a bit back at some point, otherwise you eat it 🤣
Hi Jens! Why dismissing Atomic Bent 100 for powder skiing? Apart from skiers skills, powder skiing ability has mostly to do with where your bindings are mounted but also how long the ski is. I have been skiing deep snow since the 1970s, and for 25 years before the introduction of fat skis they were almost all skiable in powder despite their narrow widths, this fact depending on the skills and the applied technique of the skier. And as for more modern freestyle skis, my favorite ski for a couple of years in mixed deep snow conditions were Scott PS3 twintip in a shorter then skier length and normally mounted bindings.
Please give me some advice, is it possible to set the bindings for piste and freeride skiing to -2, without jumping and park skiing, or should I leave them at 0?
How do you deal with low viz/definition - not knowing what's coming up and potential sudden changes of snow? I struggle with the changes and get nervous when I can see 🤷♂️
Hello. I’m looking to buy a new pair of skis. I want something that will be great at free riding and powder. Would you say the stöckli stormrider 102 is a good choice ? Or should I rather buy two cheaper skis one for powder one for piste ? Could you help me please ?
I bought some Nordica Enforcer 104, I ski on them every day in any conditions. I skied 150 days last year and this year I'm at 108, great ski. Good luck
Thx for great videos...Regarding your q in the video I missed difference between powdwer stance wich is like on balance board and on pise stance wich is more weight on outer ski. Usually people r used to press more on outer ski on piste but in powder that doesn' work.
No, It's not fine to suck at skiing powder because the times I got to ski in deeper powder. like a few weeks ago in Japan, I end up with skier's toe! Now both of my big toe toe nails are falling off. No more skiing this year... Makes me sad. My skis are Volkl 2021 M5 Mantra skis. Your opinion on them for powdery resorts like in Hokkaido, Japan?
I remember someone in Japan once asking me why is powder skiing so hard? I took at look at his skies and they were just bog standard rental piste skies and was like mate you need to switch up, those will provide about as much lift as a stone. Personally I like all mountain skies with around 90mm under foot. My wife is still getting her ski legs so I need something that can actually turn on piste when I'm teaching her, but they are still fun when I pop off into the side country for a little adventure through the trees. For piste skiing 70mm suits me best as I love the tight carving feeling
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Something that I rarely see being addressed are the actual conditions. Skiing new snow is so much different from one storm to the next or from region to region. Skiing new snow in Utah is a completely different animal vs skiing new snow in the PNW where the water content of the snow is much higher. In Utah every decent skier looks like a hero. The snow is light, fluffy and you can simply steer your legs and feet and it feels really effortless and easy. In the Northwest it requires considerably more skill and effort. You have to get the skis up out of the snow to get the turn started and then inertia allows you to continue through the shapping phase. Add in an icy layer of bumps underneath, trees, steeps and a semi tracked out hill and now you've got a formidable challenge. I don't see many people post videos about these variables.
Good point
remember this... in europe they really don't have the concept of 'off-piste' on resorts, at least not under their remit. Whereas here in NA, East, West, North, South rockies... ungroomed terrain dominiates much of our destinations.
@@StompItTutorials you are such a diplomat. I think that would be the hardest thing about a channel like this.
This video was about skiing powder, not skiing Cascade cement. Cascade cement is a different beast. Having lived in the PNW and now in Utah I believe know what I'm talking about. Each has its own technique for sure, but I wouldn't describe PNW snow as "more skill!"
@irideaduck939 that's why I said "new snow". My comment was meant to build on the content in the video and point out that you rarely see anyone posting videos about skiing new snow that's not light and fluffy. Skiing wet heavy snow takes considerably more skill. And as a staff trainer and lead team coach I teach my athletes and coaches these concepts.
As someone who used to suck at skiing powder, but is better now … the reason is lack of experience. I couldn’t ski powder until I spent 4 days at Niseko (on Armada JJs) and it was like an aha moment, an epiphany, like learning to ride a bike … it was just BANG that’s how you do it. Most people only rarely get to ski powder. Do a trip to Niseko or snowbird and get some experience. Once you figure it out it’s easy.
Nice to hear about your sick experience!
I'd skied on packed snow most of my young life, and suddenly went to a mountain trip where it snowed a whopping 12 feet or so over about 5 days. I skied in snow up past my waist, where you never see your skis.
That was basically in the days where powder style skis didn't yet exist. Took a LOT of getting used to and trying to prevent a ski detachment under deep snow where you'd never find it again. Older narrow skis with virtually no rocker and bindings mounted in traditional packed snow location, were pretty miserable. But you skied what you brought, and that was that.
I would second this, I'm a European skiier and only rarely had proper powder days, and so on those days I would attempt black runs which I can normally do and would struggle with the snow, often it's heavier powder and I just didn't know how to ski it, add to that that it's only the steeper blacks which are ungroomed, so unless you go off piste (which requires a guide unless you know the area well) there aren't really any easy powder runs to practice on in European resorts. Did a trip to Japan a few years ago and actually learned how to ski it properly, and now have no probelms on those same runs.
My Candide 4.0 122 underfoot with zero camber say otherwise fella.
Two points hit home with me. First, learn how to carve on piste, which I've been improving on since the day after Franz Klammer won the '76 Olympic downhill. Second, demo skis. I was skiing Serre Chevalier in '96 with an overnight prediction of a meter of snow. My companions, who were on RD Coyote Helidogs, told me to dump my 198 cm all mountain Rossis for some powder skis, or they wouldn’t let me ski with them. Ha ha! So I went from the bar to the ski shop and ended up renting a pair of Rossignol Axiom DP 110s. Within two runs the next morning, I was an expert powder skier. And skis are better now-a-days. Never doubt the importance of finding the right tool for the job. Fun video! Thanks.
I disagree. Today's powder skis want to float on top instead of letting you experience the full depth of the powder like with the old straight skis. So many heli ski videos where everyone skis on top of the snow making slalom or gs turns with no bounce. Today's fat skis may be an "improvement" in the sense they require less technique but not a better experience.
@@kenjohnston1257 Not sure what skis you're on, but I went hip deep at Alta this year on my Volkls. And I found them via demoing. Cheers.
I was getting into a discussion with a person online about how to ski powder. I realized that he wasn't going to listen to me, so I shared this instead. Bravo bravo - you are saying what people don't want to hear.
Props to your cameraman, it is super hard to film in powder lol
I do agree having powders skis makes for the best ride, although saying roughly 60% of the skis on the market are “meh” to “very bad” in powder is a overstatement. Skiing makes you a good skier not the skis, and while I do agree that all mountain skis are “meh” I own them because they CAN do anything. I’ve only had a handful of powder days with them and the rest being normal groomers, while it hasn’t been as enjoyable, the ability to go on and off trail without any issues is something everyone should experience. At the same time some of the best skiers I know use true center mounted skis and carve though powder better than I will for the next decade. It’s how you ski at the end of the day, yes skis makes the world of a difference, although if you can’t ski in powder it doesn’t matter if you have 115s or 90s. Still love this channel and not saying I am a expert by any means. Simply trying to provide the most information to those who need it :)
I'd quite agree with this,
1) not everyone can have 10 pairs of skis, therefore all mountain ones are the recommended choice for anyone who can only have one pair and would like to go off the slope if possible.
2) though the right skis really help, you can use all sorts of skis (except for bigfoots, I can't imagine using those in powder), with deep enough powder, reasonable gradient and speed, you can have fun with any, but the technique will be slightly different and possibly backseated (which in the video is described as wrong, but it is not for all skis, they speak about powder skis only).
I'm an old crappy skier who came to alpine touring in my late 50s in Northern Ontario of all places. I love it. Boy did this video check a lot of boxes for why I suck at powder skiing (but am slowly getting better). I'm skiing steep untracked forested areas where run is close to 1.5 km and consists of tight treed areas that we've opened up and natural glades with powder that is not often near as deep as a lot of what's on here but powder none the less. Re: equipment, I just upgraded this year from beat up used stuff some of which is not really backcountry or powder gear to new wider skis, boots and bindings. What an improvement!! Also, I'm a terminal intermediate skier who wants to backseat ski- not good. Forcing myself to stay more centered and over tips. Again, huge improvement. I used to reef the power band and top buckle super tight on my boots to the point of discomfort. Have now slacked off so they sit snug but comfortable. So, a lot of what's pointed out in the video. Had probably the best day of skiing ever (for me) last week so something must be working.
I think snow conditions also matter a lot. It is hard to find pristine, deep enough powder at the right steepness to practice. Tracked terrain is a whole different thing
Water content of the new snow, the layers under the recently fallen snow, how tracked out it is, the pitch, moguls, all dramatically change the tactics employed and level of skill required to ski well, agreed.
Agree. If the powder is tracked it can tough to overcome the feeling that there may be impediments to consider...chunks, etc. That can make it hard to commit.
10 cm of light pow on top of boilerplate is very tricky. Yesterday proved it. 😳
@bobdavis2689 those days are really about playing with the blend of skills until you find what works.
I remember skiing deep snow on a fairly warm afternoon in March (is was about four or five degrees above zero on the celsius skala, about 40 degrees fahrenheit). I was together with a friend and a local swiss ski instructor who was about 70 years old. Me friend and me had been skiing since our childhood and are fairly good skiers, but as the snow got thicker and thicker in this warm weather we could harldy make a single turn on the last run. Imagine our baffled faces as the old man suddenly started jumping out of the snow each turn to make his turns like a young mountain goat frolicking its way down to his momma. We tried that and immediately got even more frustrated and I think we were lucky not to ruin our knees that day 😅
On the other hand, one of the best skiing days in my life was when snow was pouring on a really freezing day (just a few degrees fahrenheit), hardly anyone on the piste at all, and we found ourselves a little t-bar lift with a steep piste besides that had been flattened by a snowcat just before it had been starting to snow. So we were knee- to hip-deep in the finest powder and were just ploughing through it without any effort, it was just that the deep snow was giving enough friction no to get too fast, and we couldn't stop laughing and running down that piste and going up with the t-bar again until our thighs burned from hyperacidity.
I went Cat skiing in Snowbird with people that were way better than me but I had my first gen K2 Pontoons and I outskied all of them. We did 5 runs and at the end they were all gassed and I felt great. Could have done another 5. The best ski day of my life!
As always, excellent video. Another fault that I see is that skiers continue ot overweight the outside ski as they often do to carve on groomed slopes. In poweder, you want a much more even distribution of weight on each foot/ski since you will not have the strong counterforce of an aggressively place edge of the outside ski. The dolphin hops that Jens recommends are an excellent way to get inexperienced skiers to (1) understand the up/down float of powder skiing; (2) get comfortable with more speed; and (3) practice even or near even weight distribution. Great video!
Agreed; and another big point that was not mentioned is that you need a much narrower stance
I taught myself to ski powder. I used the trampoline analogy, which I picked up from the book "Ski Powder" with Martin Epp.
I let the speed build up then do compressions with both feet out to the side.
I compress the top of the turn with both feet and raise the inside hand in anticipation of the next pole plant. Because the skis were compressed they bend and rise in the snow towards the flowline.
The skis go light and you can unwind your upper/lower body separation automatically, "sending" the skis laterally for the next 2-footed landing.
I really don't like the arrogance of the "big mountain ski" users who use up an entire powder slope for 3 turns.
I like to stitch my turns and go back up to "figure8" fill-in the previous run or lay the new turns in besisde.
In my younger days, skiing powder ws definitely for the experts only. Now we get holiday skiers with full kit, all the gear but no idear.
I really like the efforts to find different ways of describing things as some mean nothing to me and some really resonate (when one of my sons was very young, he asked how much toothpaste he should use to clean his teeth, and we said “pea sized” and he said “but it depends how big you write the ‘P’! Lesson learned by my wife and I). I also think the filming quality and sound quality are amazing on these videos.
Haha P. I like that story. I try to explain things differently but its tricky todo sometimes isnt it. :)
Great video… always tell intermediate skiers that the only way to advance is to keep their weight forward concentrating on engaging the entire carving edge of both skies from tip to tail on every turn. Keeping forward pressure on the shins so that they are touching the tongues of the boot….add to this some good efficient pole plants and your technique and stamina will
Improve as you will be skiing with much greater efficiency.
My Faction Prodigy 2 might not be the best ski for powder but its so fun to me. I got it this year and love it on and of the piste. For someone who only had race skis in the past its a blessing
Jens, we really need a review of the new Bent line 🙂 Especially those 110s.
It will be also very helpful to make a tutorial about powder tree skiing. The most challenging for me. I think it is a bit different as it requires sharper turns, perfect speed control, careful line choice. It would be great pointing out whats important.
I think they're sponsored by Atomic so I'm not sure if that would be a very trustworthy review
I would practice short turns on piste first. You need to be sharp with lots of obstacles in your path. And unless you are very familliar with the terrain ALWAYS go with someone who can show you around. At best you could end up with a long walk if you take a wrong turn, at worst you could be stuck upsidedown under a tree
Short, fat skis are awesome for trees.
@@BigBenLB i heard smurfs story is about people found upside down near tree traps making them like big blue mushrooms
The massive rock you uncovered at 11:52 🙃 Thank you for risking your bases for our education
Number one skill for powder skiing is springboarding or compression,then up and turn, and then linking this motion in shallow arcs.. You can ski on straight 80 cm skis and do this, like in the 70s. Equipment helpful, but not key.
A guide I had a week in Flaine laughed and shook his head when he saw my DPS Wailer 112RP Pure and said (imagine the French accent): "People come here thinking they can ski powder when they have skis like that." I replied saying that I learnt skiing powder on a 65 mm wide Salomon Crossmax, but that the Wailers were just so much more enjoyable. :)
The Wailers were not very fun in the somewhat harder conditions inbounds. But when I found the Extrem Opinion 88, my problem with needing two different skis disappeared. They really are a blast and a very enjoyable and fun ski both inbounds and in the off piste!
Great video! And yes, getting powder/soft snow specific skis is the biggest part imo as well. I always talk to people on the chair during pow days who tell me how hard the skiing is and how they keep falling and their skis wont move, and I tell them look you might now want to hear this but the biggest part is having the right skis that are designed to turn with snow engaging the tips instead of underneath your feet.
One point I think is important to note is that there are many different kinds of powder, different densities, moisture content, wind pack, thin top crust, different depths, etc, etc, etc. Skiing nice soft, deep go anywhere fluff is a treat. Heavy, wet, dense “powder” snow is a whole different animal …. at least for me!
I find the hip movement on powder is the same as when you do Romanian deadlifts in the gym. That is why it is time to start doing that before the season starts.
Yet another reason I snowboard instead now of ski. Riding pow is the most fun I’ve ever had on the mountain.
here's my criticism for this video : it's well put together and gives good advice (from my lifelong skiing experience POV at least), but i don't think it's a good idea to start out like that with "get the right skis". it does play a big role, but learning to ski off piste straight away with skis designed just for that might just make it... too easy. i'm not saying this because i want to see the newer skiers struggle, but i think it's really important to start on not so good gear, get good with it, then move on to good gear. if you learn to PROPERLY ski powder with piste skis, then you almost for sure can ski powder with ease on any skis, then, new skis designed for that use only make it more pleasant and easy. just look at the skis our parents were riding, those were straight as a stick and not wide at all. i learned to ski on that because for a long time, my dad's old touring gear was all i had, a pair of 190cm dynastar Arno Adam pro model from a while ago. and they're not even that old, but man did it make me improve my technique
the skis i talked about were 188cm*, i just went in the ski room to check i had a doubt
Yeah, yeah, yeah, OK boomer, hit me with a stick if I choose to struggle on shitty equipment on good powder day instead of getting pure joy while using proper skies.
BTW I suck at skiing of piste partially because I have all mountain skies and prefer snowboard each and every powder day.
@@AlmostSickBoy i never talked about skiing on the old twigs on a powder day. of course, when it snows 50cm i'm not on the 78s under food yeah. just taking them out sometimes, even on the piste, learning to properly ski with them, and wen i say properly, i mean it, helps so much with technique. it's not shitty equipment, it's different equipment, and you're not asking yourself the right questions imo. they were doing crazy stuff on 2m long skis and you suck at skiing off piste with modern, easy to ski gear. it's a matter of practice, i'm in love with skiing so i wanna be as best as i can and have perfect technique. i'm not saying i do, i just want to, and skiing with modern skis that literally turn by slightly rocking to the side won't help with that. monoskiing as well is super good for training and getting better (and it's way more fun than any ski i've ever skied on an actual pow day) but u gotta want perfection to do all that. not even talking about snowboarding, i hate it
i’ve struggled with big power skis because they’re so big and heavy
@arnaudFbr yeah, we already got that you are an old, not that clever, gatekeeper with lifelong experience of skiing 2×4s and just jealous that newer lads can hop in and ride alongside you. And hatered towards snowboarding is a key point here. There is no good or bad equipment, even according to your words, there are only people that can not use some of it.
One of the biggest probelms I have with skiing powder is that it never snows often enough where I live to get good practice in. I only get to ski powder maybe one to 5 days a year if I'm lucky. I never get the chance to properly implement all this advice. It really sucks tbh. But last year I did ok in the powder. I just need to work out more to keep my muscles strong.
Agreed, lack of repetition is a problem for the learning curve.
Great tutorial. Gave me a lot of great ways to communicate with friends that struggle in deep snow. Only criticism is the title. Makes it hard to share with those that need it the most.
I would add one more reason to these 5: it is not that easy to find good powder and ride it while it is still good (unless you live in Laax or a similar place) :D Skiing perfect powder is indeed not so hard, but I would not say that about all kind of snow conditions (and their combinations within the same slope) that one mostly finds off-piste. A lot of those require expert skills.
Own some Head Core 99 in 184 and they aren't "Meh" all-terrain skis so long as you aren't in 2+ ft of pow. They do, I just I do, stuggle in the big bumps with them as they want to go fast. In Western US, like Vail or Park City you'll have great packed pow groomers or ungroomed pow where they either didnt have time to groom on many occasions and I appreciate the versitility of an "all terrain" (95-105mm) type of ski on these days.
Hanging on to a turn.skiing Pow is about rhythm.like all good skiing ...flow constant movement.The dance with gravity...
exactly...its like dancing , there is no other way.
I aree with all the tips and add an extra one: If you start the turn by leaning inside of of it you lose control and tend to fall in the back of your skis. I do unbuckle my boots loose to feel the weight being centered and also ski a lot with only one ski at a time, it is true that the outside ski is the king on the groomers (90 /10 I would say) but also on powder (here it is more loke a 60/40 ratio). Looking at the outside of the turn while the skis are turning already also helps to stop your shoulders from following the hips and falling inside the turn.
My sweet spot powder ski is a bit less than 100 mm with tip and tail rocker, bidings mounted 1 cm back from ski mounting point (not the ski center but mounting point) and my height or 5 cm more. I currently have an old pair of Blizzard zeroG 98 that weight 1250 gr without bindings are are really impressive in and out of the slopes, they ride incredible and are really light (only front rocker though) I used to have the Rossi Sin 7, heavier but also spectacular, an all time best seller for a reason...
Finallysomeone who gives the correct answer regarding hips vs shoulders😊 Great video!
I was using Carving technique in real powder last wk, and flowing and ripping like never before. And Carving helps in the skied out & hardpacked, even on my old now rock ski Head 99s that don't edge for shit!
As someone on the US east coast, it would be a dream to have these endless fields of untracked powder to practice on!
Then again, as someone on the US east coast, I rarely have to worry about being good at skiing powder anyway 😅
We are lucky to even have snow nowadays, I actually miss the ice at this point😂
You're also lucky to not have to worry about avalanches like what just happened in Idaho last week. 36" of new snow in a 24 hour period and they did avalanche safety evaluations and cleared it for use and not an hour later 4 people were caught in a slide and one person died. Tree wells are a thing too. I stay away from fresh deep powder here in the PNW.
Exactly why 40 years ago after high school I moved to Tahoe! But so glad I learnt to ski in New England! Most of my ski buddies are from New England.
my favorite little ski spot was Hickory Hill. I learned to ski moguls pretty quick. one day we were there after/during 1'-2' snow dump. nothing was groomed. it was just me, my father, and like one other guy out there, and all I could think was "is this what they ski in out west? this is horrible!" I was leaning back, legs burning, etc. that was my only experience with a true "powder dump" in the northeast (skiing in 1' of untracked snow). not that I was any good at powder, but decades later I realized 1' of relatively wet "powder" in upstate NY is nothing like the powder everyone talked about in the Rockies. 😆
Great tips, and competely agree. Equipment actually does matter, need some speed, and keep hips 45% or more downhill(for all skiing). I skied in 2 feet of powder with some all-mountain skis with 75mm waist and had to lean slighly back in order to not get propelled forward. I remember asking people "howdo you ski powder"? I wish someone would have said go rent some wider skis.....
Well as you demonstrated it is not impossible, but it needs a different approach. It depends on your weight also, but you can have some fun with reasonably long and wide all mountain skis.
Are we really discussing pow skiing with European guys? Let’s hear from Western USA guys, with plenty of experience skiing snorkel deep pow. I watched 70% of this vid and learned nothing. Sorry, brutal assessment. 😬
@@Bubbaskidude I can't help it, but was your point that somebody should make fun of your "the world is America narrow view"?
Yes the climate in North America is interesting, but don't get too excited, maybe the conditions you speak of are more frequent, but that doesn't mean it can't happen in Europe. Might I add that Japan is well known for loads of powder, so if you spoke snorkel deep, get about 2 meter long snorkel to go to Japan.
About the video, I agree with the brutal assessment.
Just had over 20 inches of fresh pow in Whitefish. I ski a 92ti Armada declevity and it will eat this coming pow day. Technique over gear.
So, I guess wine I was successfully skiing neck deep powder, steeps, trees, crud 30 years ago I had the wrong skis - it’s never the skis, it’s generally the skier’s lack of technique
Appreciate the tips. Past seasons I’ve squandered power days cause I couldn’t connect the dots and figure out what I was doing wrong. These tips will help with future pow days this, and in , future seasons on pow days .
I'm loving all of this. and to be fair, I haven't skied in 30 years (motorcycle accident), but you mentioned rolling your ankles. immediately I thought, " how do you roll your ankles in ski boots?"
Fair question. Sure if your boots fit well they will hardly move. But you need use the little you got. The fine motor skills form the toes to the ankles to get good balance and influence the bigger movements of the legs.
My biggest problem skiing great untracked powder is finding some.
I feel like most people are trying to initiate theturnfrom the upper body instead of shifting weight and rolling/turning the ankles.
With just skiing, i don't have any problem. For me, it's always the mind kicking in once i start or try to catch some air. But would be very helpful for my goals of nosebutter 360 in pow an 360 double safety on a windlip.
just had first 2 ski days this year always nice to look back on technic to get into it again , currently on 88 brahma works great in most conditions so far (no deep snow yet and they are definetly on the stiff side) realy nice for fast black runs
Great video on powder technique. However, if someone sucks skiing powder because they have 95mm All Mountain skis, they just suck at skiing in general.
Thats indeed the biggest reason. If you can rip a bad ass carve turn and short turn on the slope you will be fine in powder.
Great video, only small addition would be a quick few tips on how to stop quickly. May sound odd but as you say a lot of people don't ski fast enough in powder, bit if your unsure how to stop in powder then it will be a natural sticking point. Awesome vidoe👍
my home mountain just got 50" lol...I need this
Heck yes, Enjoy I´m happy for you!
Sucking at skiing powder because can't ski is on point. Skiing is so fun because it is so dynamic; snow and terrain difference don't change the principles of skiing well. Using the propper equipment for the application of good skiing makes skiing well easier and more fun!
love coming here for tips i suck at powder but i have learned a lot here thank you
So many great lessons in this video and funny edits too. Keep them coming!
I was playing on slalom skis one time and tried to take them off piste for the craic. I'm a very experienced skier, so I knew it was going to be a bad idea but it was just for fun. I looked like a fool and had some ignorant old English tosser try to tell me off.
The point being, its about having fun and playing with it. When you improve, it becomes the most enjoyable experience. So ignore what other people might think and go for it. Enjoy the falls, then get up and go again.
Why do most people I see stink at powder? I never see anyone on a powder day, who's asking...... (Said from somewhere lost deep in the trees) 😊
Main reason, is they do not understand what is happening. Piste skiing is always some version of ice skating with a little more or less top dressing.
Powder skiing is an intermediate fluid between solid and actual water skiing. In fluid mediums, you need to build momentum in order to create float to carry your weight (and proper displacement).
Same principle applies. Once you get momentum, the proper skis (100+ underfoot) begin to rise up in the fluid powder and "get on the step" in boating parlance.
Once on the step, it's soft turns with perfect (or nearly perfect) control, but down in the fluid, you need to bounce to pump power into the skis to switch edges for turns.
Bounce bounce bounce... 😊
When you only get chance to ski up to 6 days a year (like most), you can go years without ever seeing powder and it can be a little daunting, knocking confidence.
Fair point
That's why on weekend powder days we call it "Rookie Powder Day". I do feel bad when I see people stopped all over the mountain not knowing what to do and I'm flying by them! I've averaged over 100 days per season for 11 years.
One more reason, why people suck in da powder. People tend to rush instead of being patient and smooth. That usually leads to some weird body movement. This is extremely important when the snow get wet and heavy.
True
If you can't properly drive a ski on a groomed run, you can't effectively ski powder. Regardless of the equipment you have, if you're not forward on your skis and flexing forward into your boots, you're going to struggle. Slaying powered on a rockered ski is reminisent of driving a fully cambered ski down a groomed slope.
I moved to Wyoming 5 years ago and started learning to ski in powder. If the powder is only a few inches or so, I find it fairly easy. Last year we had an awesome powder year and I was skiing in knee deep powder but not very well. I cannot find anyone who can tell me how to stop in deeper powder. I sure would love to see a video about stopping. The few times I tried it in the deep powder, I crashed and smacked my head pretty hard. Can you do a video on stopping in deep powder? By the way, I was a ski instructor but now I just play! Why do I want to stop? When learning new things, it gets a bit scary and I'm not getting any younger so I just want to stop every so often and check in with myself! Lol! Thank you!
Biggest Reason: You don't get enough powder to practice lol
💯
Still think the best ski ever made was the Atomic Theory from 2012, a true all rounder. Was great everywhere, maybe only not so good if your thing is dropping cliffs bigger than 10-15 foot. But a 95mm twin tip that is directional is excellent in lots of situations. Tiny amount of rocker a tip and that's all you really need. Most folks don't live in resort and defo dont have 5 pairs of planks, nor do they want the inconvenience. This sort of specificity is only likely to turn poeple off the idea of owning their own stuff and learning because of the expense (and inconvenience of 5 different pairs) and lack of multi-tasking.
Excellent video. Regarding equipment...you can have the best set up, but if you have the wrong wax, a dream powder day will be a nightmare.
I love how assuming the title is “5 reasons” I got a lot more than 5 reasons I suck and only one plan to improve is to SEND IT!
Haha love that comment
Good on you for raising avalanche awareness🤙
Focus on your skill and movements first and never let the gear control you, you must be in control! Get powder skiis for the powder days, at the very least get all mountain skiis if you can't get multiple pairs for the different conditions. In the end, it's about the ability to control your body and the gear in unison with the forces and the mountain.
It feels like a challenge because we don't want to blame our equipment, But at the same time multiple people here said that you are more likely to stay too far back if you don't have powder specific skis. So for a skier who is trying to learn but they're using their all-mountain or park ski in ungroomed areas in the resort, it feels like the only way is to either "ride backseat and be bad" or "buy different skis"
Thanks Jens. This season, it is my goal to learn how to ski powder and wider skis. Today I rented the Bent 100's and will be seeking out the powder here at Lake Louise. 1st goal is to simply not suck!🤣
Try even wider. 110, 107.
I have the same and struggle with them in powder. My technique is crap, thats for sure, but they are not helping either.
@StompItTutorials You're right. I loved the Bent 100's everywhere except when I was in deeper powder and trees! The powder was quite sticky, so that didn't help but I did struggle, especially in the trees.
@@BobE_Nagesh you have the same problems as me. I think the problem comes from the camber which makes turning in deeper snow difficult. As a result, tree skiing is a struggle as you need to turn a lot and quick.
This video i searched for years. Great tips man. We have second variant 110 because of ski park. And placement central. (Progresive)
Thanks Jens is was doing a lot of these mistakes!
Mee to.
okay, thank you, on Monday I will try to ski off-piste having this video as the only preparation. 😅
For me the main problem of beginners is speed. They go way to slow and they are sinking. So they cannot turn because the skis become too heavy by behing under the snow. It's like water skiing. If you go too slow it's just not possible. So for powder you need a bit more speed and beginners can be afraid of that...
Yea overcoming the fear of speed is tricky to teach.
This is best power guide I ever seen. thx!!
Well. Ive been skiing since iwas 4-5 and I'm a competent skier. But skiing pow is often a workout for me. Then again I ski everything with Volkl Ledge Skis from 2013. (park twintips) 85mm waist and centraly mounted bindings. Theyre a workout in powder. but good fun.
Why do I suck at skiing powder? Because I usually ski a mountain that does not have powder days, except for this one connector run between groomers. I turned left and POOF! WIPEOUT! I just grabbed my skis and walked over to the trail I was trying to reach because I knew that I would not be able to get started in that powder. Oddly enough, the last time I skied there, that connector was steep and icy.
5:46 I like to call it the acetabulum (socket).
This guy gives a very good clear explanation
Thank you I try real hard to do so.
I learned to ski powder by going faster it allows you to float better and really work on turns
I skied powder back in the day on 200 cm K2 710 Comps, a slalom ski. The newer skis are so much better.
Had the same skis. Worked just fine and forced you to learn proper technique, something that is missing today with most people due to the modern equipment (and the result looks like crap)
The number one reason skiers suck at skiing powder is that most of them are weekend warriors and see a 20cm+ powder day three times a season 😬😬😬
Fair point
I think this might actually be correct.
As a weekday warrior (i'm not about to stand in line with a bunch of people on a weekend) who tries to get into as much powder as I can going through little open glades and things, I just don't ski enough in powder. If there's a section that's untouched I'll ski it, but then it's maybe only a few hundred yards if even, and then right back to piste. I think in order to get better at powder skiing I have to just force myself to hike up and ski back down in powder with no way to get back down except for through the powder.
Trial by fire sort of thing. It's just so hard when stopping on piste is quick and easy, but stopping in powder is a big question mark. If I can't feel comfortable enough to slow myself down, it's hard to get comfortable going faster.
The main reason I suck at powder is because it stopped snowing enough 25 years ago.
Climate has changed, we barely get any snowfall at all (or rainfall), many popular resorts had to close on early 2000s, and we have constant draught and water restrictions.
Sorry for the rant, but I really really really would love to ski on powder again, for many years, so having this video recommended was like a trigger.
Ahhhhhh….iam not a maga Trumptard….and just finished 3 days of deep powder skiing at mammoth…before that deep powder in Utah….next powder in Alaska….get off the couch….and the soapbox…and see for yourself.
Hummmm, last year we got over 700 inches in Tahoe, this year we're at 400 inches! I love global warming! Lol
@@bjbhehir When I said "we" I meant the skiing areas were I live, not in general, sorry.
In the late 90s the weather patterns (climate) changed radically where I live, we have continuous drought for years (major rainfalls happening every 2 to 3 years) and snowfall has become so rare that without artificial snow making, there would be NO open resorts AT ALL. ZERO. For most of the season.
Back in 2018 (since the 2000s) there was a very wet spring and people were surprised about that... except it was the normal amount of rain and rainy days we used to have for the same period every year until the mid-90s!
So, yes, climate has changed, at least it has benefited your skiing so far.
@@georgHit's all good, I get it! Hope you had a fun session!
@@bjbhehir Tank you! Actually, no, snow was worse than usual this season, and when it finally there was a snowfall, the week after it was "spring snow" already 😢
Just bought the bent chetler 110 with pivot look 15 GW looking forward to ski them in Zermatt
Yum!
Thanks for your reply. I feel I know so much about you now. That was a long one
Ever try cutting a ski in half under the boot and bolting a hinge on it? Would make the ski turn much easier. 😁
First time I accidently rode powder after only 5 days of skiing. It was nerve racking while not on powder skis.
I can't afford 5 different skis. Thanks for the info
you don't need 5 skis. you can get wide powder skis if thats all you wanna ski, racing skis if you wanna carve on groomed runs or all mountain skis if you wanna do both
Thanks Fabio, appreciate it my man! ;)
Thank you again for a great video.
Do you ski off piste in hard pack on the big mountain skis ?
Or do you ski in the park when there's no power ?
I enjoy freeride ski in any conditions. I do bad firm conditions often on my wide park skis. But when its bad I prefer to ride the park but I freeride about 2 runs per day on my way home from the park about 1000m vertical.
Great information on how to ski powder. Thanks.😊
I recently purchased the new Backland 100 and I don’t like how it skies. I don’t know why, but it feels somehow weak and short for the length. My worst touring skis so far. Prefer a lot the Dps pagoda tour 112, blizzard gzero 95 or nordica enforcer unlimited 94 eg
I can't help it, but speaking of powder and in most parts you shreded what I'd call a layer of sugar on the top, not powder.
And I know you mean not to sit back too much, but how convenient was the sitting a bit back for you on the drops 8:50 not sitting back nearly got you eating it nicely, 9:00 you got back as you had to.
With any of the skis that are told to be meh or nah, you could still shred the powder, but with more difficulties and you would have to lean a bit back at some point, otherwise you eat it 🤣
Hi Jens! Why dismissing Atomic Bent 100 for powder skiing? Apart from skiers skills, powder skiing ability has mostly to do with where your bindings are mounted but also how long the ski is. I have been skiing deep snow since the 1970s, and for 25 years before the introduction of fat skis they were almost all skiable in powder despite their narrow widths, this fact depending on the skills and the applied technique of the skier. And as for more modern freestyle skis, my favorite ski for a couple of years in mixed deep snow conditions were Scott PS3 twintip in a shorter then skier length and normally mounted bindings.
Please give me some advice, is it possible to set the bindings for piste and freeride skiing to -2, without jumping and park skiing, or should I leave them at 0?
Snowboarding is indeed way cooler!
And noo it's not just true because I try to cope my lack of skill at proper powder skiing, I would never.
How do you deal with low viz/definition - not knowing what's coming up and potential sudden changes of snow? I struggle with the changes and get nervous when I can see 🤷♂️
Simply wide carving in deep snow is not really powder skiing tho, what about tight zig zags that generate so called face shots?
Its all powder skiing. Thats great too with those powder short turns.
jens is #1
@zupiza4456 #1
If you know how to ski powder, there is no bad ski. Only some that might work better. A good skier can ski pow on a pair of 2 x 4's.
Hello. I’m looking to buy a new pair of skis. I want something that will be great at free riding and powder. Would you say the stöckli stormrider 102 is a good choice ? Or should I rather buy two cheaper skis one for powder one for piste ? Could you help me please ?
I bought some Nordica Enforcer 104, I ski on them every day in any conditions. I skied 150 days last year and this year I'm at 108, great ski. Good luck
@@bjbhehir thanks alot
Are the 110s good for piste ? So can you carve them well
Thx for great videos...Regarding your q in the video I missed difference between powdwer stance wich is like on balance board and on pise stance wich is more weight on outer ski. Usually people r used to press more on outer ski on piste but in powder that doesn' work.
No, It's not fine to suck at skiing powder because the times I got to ski in deeper powder. like a few weeks ago in Japan, I end up with skier's toe! Now both of my big toe toe nails are falling off. No more skiing this year... Makes me sad. My skis are Volkl 2021 M5 Mantra skis. Your opinion on them for powdery resorts like in Hokkaido, Japan?
Sorry to hear that. Go paraglide instead :P I was not into the look of that ski 10 years ago and today I dont know what it looks like.
Crazy you have the all mountain category empty. You used to be the Chet 100’s biggest supporter I feel like😂.
I remember someone in Japan once asking me why is powder skiing so hard? I took at look at his skies and they were just bog standard rental piste skies and was like mate you need to switch up, those will provide about as much lift as a stone.
Personally I like all mountain skies with around 90mm under foot. My wife is still getting her ski legs so I need something that can actually turn on piste when I'm teaching her, but they are still fun when I pop off into the side country for a little adventure through the trees. For piste skiing 70mm suits me best as I love the tight carving feeling
Brilliant thanks
I’ve never heard anyone say “powder” so sensually lmao
Where is this hill? It looks amazing to ski on!
It's Laax, in the Swiss alps!