I have watched a LOT of ski-tips videos over the past couple of years, always trying to continue progressing my skills & technique. These few lessons are probably the best and most useful BY FAR!
I did my first red in a long time after a knee injury today and while it felt intimidating I was able to get down in a controlled and fun way! That bonus tip is so true!! I was just say ping to myself the whole time “weight on the outside leg” and it really helped me focus. Thank you for the tips and video!
George, I've just recently come across your vids. Understanding & utilizing fundamentals and adapting them to changing terrain & snow conditions are the key to good skiing, whether a rank beginner or an expert, so I like that you continually reinforce that as a basis for advanced tutorials. Even as an expert skier, I always warm up with fundamental maneuvers - falling leaf, garlands, j-turns, etc. but I rarely see anyone else on the mountain doing that unless in a class, or part of a gate-running crew. People seem to think once they've mastered a skill, that they can 'move on' and will never need to use it again, and their technique shows it.
1) stay balanced on downhill skis 2) balance over middle of the skis -flex ankles and press in front of boot and shins Lean downhill, not up the hill -reach pole plant forwards and down the hill 3) make round turn shapes -spread frictional forces over arc of turn (12 to 6pm 4) Progress progressively 5) control your speed - slow down to turn, not turn to slow down - maintain consistent speed - assess your turn and what you will focus on when skiing - repeat a couple of words to help avoid distractions Shins forwards reach pole plant
I wish I had seen this video a few months ago! I went my first time two months ago and had nearly the same issue you described on progression and confidence. I did a lesson and progressed quickly, after the lesson was over I decided to try a few beginner runs which went well until I got confident and found myself in an area too steep and had a rough tumble and fractured my arm! Just finished going my third time yesterday and trying to keep my pace and stick to mastering the fundamentals.
Thanks for the comment - yep projecting the upper body down the hill certainly isn’t intuitive, but having weight on the downhill ski offers better control in this terrain 👍🏻
Also keep your hands in front of your body. They can be used to balance and steer you out of a bad situation by shifting them away from a possible hazard. It forces your body to follow suit by twisting your skis in that direction. If you keep your hands back at your side then you need additional time to bring them forward to make that maneuver. Critical time lost sometimes.
Thank you for your tips! I dared to go down the Blue: I skied Sunny Bowl on Snow King in Jackson, WY, with your instruction in my head, I finished without falling or any blunder. XOXO
Great tip about the self talk at the end! So many skiing videos forget to mention that! Pick something to work on or remind yourself of the fundamentals while skiing or riding. It WILL make you better at the sport! I'm always talking to myself on the mountain lol
Thanks - this made a lot of difference for me. Before my Eurotest race run I went borderline mad repeating 'high, clean, attack, fight' a thousand times to myself before my run
Leaning forward is pretty scary but key to the whole thing. If you can do it all the time on steep slopes you will notice things becoming a lot more controlled.
Very good assessment of necessary skills and how to properly use them. So many skiers will describe their ability by simply using the color code like I ski blues and groomed blacks. This does not give you information about their skills to link parallel turns, making different turn shapes, apply edge pressure, transition from outside to inside ski to initiate new turns. You did a great demonstration.
Well done! Thank you so much for this excellent, helpful video. I’m saving it, and will take many things that you shared into my skiing today. I appreciate it!
Thank you for this awesome video. I am going to go skiing in a week. And I am a "slope hugger" 😆 leaning towards it. And i zigzag my turns, and I also go down the slope like an avalanche 🙈with no speed control sometimes. Now i am gonna try to fix it, following your tips 👍👍👍
As a ski instructor in Mammoth Mountain in California I replaced "uphill/downhill ski" with "inside/outside ski". Makes more sense to skiers who are trying to improve. Thanks for the video.
I've just finished my first ski trip in the mountains, and with my speed controlled I feel I could do any run. I did some steep red runs and smooth rounded turns gave me the best control.
That point about round turns is critical. If you are doing things right affing smooth roundness to the turn is okay -- you will not shoot to mach speed. It is magical and important for skiing in the deep.
It’s always worth looking at the slope and deciding how you’re going to approach it. This decision should be based on what you’ve scoped from the lift on the way up if you can.
The long reach, so simple but so effective. One thing though, speed consistency is important and all that, but when you look up and see an empty piste... Happy days.
The "city" in 6:28 is Avoriaz? I've already been there bu can't remember quite well and seeing all the streets covered in snow makes me thing about it.
The steeper the slope the lower you squat. And the harder you step stop down the grade. As you progress to less gradient you should stand taller. Lean forward slightly to give yourself recovery room in case you start to lose balance. Condensed turns are necessary in chutes. Many times the rounded turns are not possible.
Last week at a first time ski resort in Japan I mistakenly ventured into a 40 degree sloppy ungroomed slope and I was ready to call on the Rescue team…I slowly climbed down the entire slope sitting down on my butt…After watching this video, I am willing to go at it again…All I need to remember is shins forward and reach for the pole plant….
Not to temper your enthusiasm - but only do it again if you find yourself coming down 25-30 degree slopes very comfortably. Remember: progress progressively 😊
i'm 12 and it was my first time skiing in 5 years and my mum mistaken A GREEN RUN FOR A BLACK ONE and i was even scared to slide on my bum because it was so steep but i got down 😮💨
are your boots centred on your skis? is there a reason for it? I have my Kore 93 2022 back a bit and the toes feel very heavy. Kores are a light ski too which makes no sense
Hey George! Yeah I almost never wear them and cut them all off. Mostly because they’re just a faff! The amount of time spent fiddling with pole straps is far more than the amount of time occasionally collecting a dropped pole - which is increasingly rare as I am so used to not having them. Admittedly that’s not the case for less experienced skiers though. Plus I like to change my grip to different parts of the pole a lot
As a lifelong skier, I can't ever remember seeing a trail which has a "red" difficulty rating. There are green circles, blue squares, and black diamonds (2 or even 3 black diamonds), but no red trails.
rotary, turning, steering skills all the same thing.... get em across the hill enough to where edging can slow yourself down. Violent pressure control... hop turns... are hard and require much practice before they become defensive tactics that might save your life. Fear is the thing you need to address mostly to avoid the unnecessarily violent movements that may be more dangerous than you think..
Cut the music out! I want to hear what your skis are doing on the snow, that helps us understand the technique that we are looking at - silent when gliding, fairly quiet when carving, but noisy when skidding a turn. We're missing all of that! If we mute the sound we miss the verbal instruction. I gave up watching after about 2 minutes. If I wanted to hear driving rock music when watching steep skiing I would head for a Warren Miller movie! ⛷⛷
I may have watched one hundred ski videos but this one sums it all so well. I'm off my chair and leaving for the slopes. Thank you so much!
I have watched a LOT of ski-tips videos over the past couple of years, always trying to continue progressing my skills & technique. These few lessons are probably the best and most useful BY FAR!
There are so many skiing video tutorials but yours are always the ones I come back to. Love the channel
Thanks so much - really appreciate this comment! Cheers, George
I did my first red in a long time after a knee injury today and while it felt intimidating I was able to get down in a controlled and fun way! That bonus tip is so true!! I was just say ping to myself the whole time “weight on the outside leg” and it really helped me focus. Thank you for the tips and video!
Awesome video, I was an advanced skier in my 20s, took 20 years off, came back and had to relearn a lot of technique.
Ain't that the truth. What a great sport to return to.
What a blessing to move & be one with the outdoors & seeing God's creation.
George, I've just recently come across your vids. Understanding & utilizing fundamentals and adapting them to changing terrain & snow conditions are the key to good skiing, whether a rank beginner or an expert, so I like that you continually reinforce that as a basis for advanced tutorials. Even as an expert skier, I always warm up with fundamental maneuvers - falling leaf, garlands, j-turns, etc. but I rarely see anyone else on the mountain doing that unless in a class, or part of a gate-running crew. People seem to think once they've mastered a skill, that they can 'move on' and will never need to use it again, and their technique shows it.
Great comment, thanks for the input 🙏🏻
1) stay balanced on downhill skis
2) balance over middle of the skis
-flex ankles and press in front of boot and shins
Lean downhill, not up the hill
-reach pole plant forwards and down the hill
3) make round turn shapes
-spread frictional forces over arc of turn (12 to 6pm
4) Progress progressively
5) control your speed
- slow down to turn, not turn to slow down
- maintain consistent speed
- assess your turn and what you will focus on when skiing
- repeat a couple of words to help avoid distractions
Shins forwards reach pole plant
Well done.
I wish I had seen this video a few months ago! I went my first time two months ago and had nearly the same issue you described on progression and confidence. I did a lesson and progressed quickly, after the lesson was over I decided to try a few beginner runs which went well until I got confident and found myself in an area too steep and had a rough tumble and fractured my arm! Just finished going my third time yesterday and trying to keep my pace and stick to mastering the fundamentals.
Great tips and awesome to see you recognise what is unintuitive for the beginner or even the intermediate.
Thanks for the comment - yep projecting the upper body down the hill certainly isn’t intuitive, but having weight on the downhill ski offers better control in this terrain 👍🏻
Also keep your hands in front of your body. They can be used to balance and steer you out of a bad situation by shifting them away from a possible hazard. It forces your body to follow suit by twisting your skis in that direction. If you keep your hands back at your side then you need additional time to bring them forward to make that maneuver. Critical time lost sometimes.
Thank you for your tips! I dared to go down the Blue: I skied Sunny Bowl on Snow King in Jackson, WY, with your instruction in my head, I finished without falling or any blunder. XOXO
Great tip about the self talk at the end! So many skiing videos forget to mention that! Pick something to work on or remind yourself of the fundamentals while skiing or riding. It WILL make you better at the sport! I'm always talking to myself on the mountain lol
Thanks - this made a lot of difference for me. Before my Eurotest race run I went borderline mad repeating 'high, clean, attack, fight' a thousand times to myself before my run
Great job demonstrating in clear manner. Very good. Thankyou.
Leaning forward is pretty scary but key to the whole thing. If you can do it all the time on steep slopes you will notice things becoming a lot more controlled.
That last part about your mental state is everything!! Great video.
This video possibly the best skiing advice Ive learned. Very vell made and thoughtful! Thank you !
Very good assessment of necessary skills and how to properly use them. So many skiers will describe their ability by simply using the color code like I ski blues and groomed blacks. This does not give you information about their skills to link parallel turns, making different turn shapes, apply edge pressure, transition from outside to inside ski to initiate new turns. You did a great demonstration.
Well done! Thank you so much for this excellent, helpful video. I’m saving it, and will take many things that you shared into my skiing today. I appreciate it!
Thank you for this awesome video. I am going to go skiing in a week. And I am a "slope hugger" 😆 leaning towards it. And i zigzag my turns, and I also go down the slope like an avalanche 🙈with no speed control sometimes. Now i am gonna try to fix it, following your tips 👍👍👍
Well presented, writes this long-time teacher and steep skier.
Thanks Dave! 🙏🏻
As a ski instructor in Mammoth Mountain in California I replaced "uphill/downhill ski" with "inside/outside ski". Makes more sense to skiers who are trying to improve. Thanks for the video.
Very very nice tips. I will try this winter. I especially think top #3 is very useful to me.
Thanks you for the comment - I hope you have a great time this winter!
I've just finished my first ski trip in the mountains, and with my speed controlled I feel I could do any run. I did some steep red runs and smooth rounded turns gave me the best control.
Best lesson on steps I've seen. Great coaching i plan to use next holiday.
Thankyou! Hope it helps. Enjoy 👍🏻
Really well explained on how to successfully ski steeper terrain. Thank you.
'Rushing the turns, overly reliant on side slip' - damn!!
Thanks!
Thanks so much Robert!
Thanks for this very complete guide!! It will gonna save my life!!
Nice video! The weight transfer and balance is so important. I will try this out.
Thanks!
Thank you Derek 👍🏻🙏🏻
WOW, very helpful video. Super demonstrations.
Just excellent tuition - thanks very much
thank you for the comment!
Good lesson mate! You broke it down very simply. Exactly how I taught my wife
Nice Video. " Zipper down the fall line" is another good mantra to help keep weight forward on the steeps
Brilliant tips. Thanks for sharing 👍
My pleasure! 🙌🏼
Thank you, excellently explained.
Amazing video! Very helpful. Thank you! Looking forward to more videos!!!
Liking the clock face analogy!
That point about round turns is critical. If you are doing things right affing smooth roundness to the turn is okay -- you will not shoot to mach speed. It is magical and important for skiing in the deep.
It’s always worth looking at the slope and deciding how you’re going to approach it. This decision should be based on what you’ve scoped from the lift on the way up if you can.
A lot of tips in this video. Thanks!
Muy buen video, Gracias por tus consejos
The long reach, so simple but so effective. One thing though, speed consistency is important and all that, but when you look up and see an empty piste... Happy days.
The "city" in 6:28 is Avoriaz? I've already been there bu can't remember quite well and seeing all the streets covered in snow makes me thing about it.
Excellent video.
great tips , well explained...
Great video! Thankyou!
The steeper the slope the lower you squat. And the harder you step stop down the grade. As you progress to less gradient you should stand taller. Lean forward slightly to give yourself recovery room in case you start to lose balance. Condensed turns are necessary in chutes. Many times the rounded turns are not possible.
6:30 Mine is simpler, but on steep slopes it reminds me not to lean back or slow down too much:
"Lean Forward, Attack the Slope!"
Where did you film this vid? What ski resort and where is it? Beautiful
Our beloved Avoriaz
Last week at a first time ski resort in Japan I mistakenly ventured into a 40 degree sloppy ungroomed slope and I was ready to call on the Rescue team…I slowly climbed down the entire slope sitting down on my butt…After watching this video, I am willing to go at it again…All I need to remember is shins forward and reach for the pole plant….
I've done that. Its a sensible exit.
Not to temper your enthusiasm - but only do it again if you find yourself coming down 25-30 degree slopes very comfortably. Remember: progress progressively 😊
@@kneerawyes don't try to smash your limits but push firmly, slowly, and steadily. Limits can smash back hard if you try to smash them.
i'm 12 and it was my first time skiing in 5 years and my mum mistaken A GREEN RUN FOR A BLACK ONE and i was even scared to slide on my bum because it was so steep but i got down 😮💨
are your boots centred on your skis? is there a reason for it?
I have my Kore 93 2022 back a bit and the toes feel very heavy. Kores are a light ski too which makes no sense
Which model of K2 skis are you using in this vid?
@@JamesGilshenan wayback 96. Love them
Why does my outside/downhill ski chatter on steeper slope with hard snow? It’s annoying. How can I correct that?
It looks like magic to me lol. I went down a “blue” slope and I kept making so much speed, do y’all have sandpaper under yours skis??😂😂
I looks like you don’t have straps on your ski poles. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks, George (fellow George here)
Hey George! Yeah I almost never wear them and cut them all off. Mostly because they’re just a faff! The amount of time spent fiddling with pole straps is far more than the amount of time occasionally collecting a dropped pole - which is increasingly rare as I am so used to not having them. Admittedly that’s not the case for less experienced skiers though. Plus I like to change my grip to different parts of the pole a lot
@@Avoriazskischool Thanks 🙏
Excellent thank you...
Great videdo. Thank you
Great video, however at 1'55" the spelling of 'Breaking' should be 'Braking', not a Freudian 'slip' i hope !!
haha! Eagle eye
“Shins forward, reach the pole plant! AND thank you God for keeping me alright“
what if instead of soft snow it's icy
O
In my head: chin forwards, it won't hurt that bad.
As a lifelong skier, I can't ever remember seeing a trail which has a "red" difficulty rating. There are green circles, blue squares, and black diamonds (2 or even 3 black diamonds), but no red trails.
Where are you based, Stephen? The reds are common here in the European Alps
SKI THE FALL LINE!!!
rotary, turning, steering skills all the same thing.... get em across the hill enough to where edging can slow yourself down. Violent pressure control... hop turns... are hard and require much practice before they become defensive tactics that might save your life. Fear is the thing you need to address mostly to avoid the unnecessarily violent movements that may be more dangerous than you think..
Cut the music out! I want to hear what your skis are doing on the snow, that helps us understand the technique that we are looking at - silent when gliding, fairly quiet when carving, but noisy when skidding a turn. We're missing all of that! If we mute the sound we miss the verbal instruction. I gave up watching after about 2 minutes.
If I wanted to hear driving rock music when watching steep skiing I would head for a Warren Miller movie! ⛷⛷
Thanks for the feedback, will bear in mind for future videos 👍🏻🙏🏻
We called this how to ski steep in front of really good skiers without looking like an idiot
You have to carry a pack too? On piste? really?
You don’t have to. But it’s way easier to stay comfortable for longer. Bringing layers, water, snacks etc means more freedom, more skiing
you look a bit squatty mate
Haha 😂 thanks
Yeah I'm an ass. You're 10 times the skier I am. Squatting is a habit of mine that I just can't shake
I like to get into the right mindset before entering a freeride zone and I do it by smoking a big fatty😜
Thanks!
Thanks Andrew! Very kind