Originally posted on Jan 13, 2007. I plan to rerecord the videos this summer.
Here is move I started playing with about 11 years ago (2002). I was watching Herman Meier while he was training in Breckenridge. It was amazing. He was skiing short turns. It was very apparent he had a sequence to his turns. He was tipping his feet and legs, flexing his inside leg (ankles, knees, and hips) as he created some flex in his spine, and then WHAM!! he turned his thighs (Circumduction) with such power and zip that his skis rocketed across the fall line. Awesome. I still remember it to this day.
I started playing with the move with limited success. Then one day while skiing down P8 at Breckenridge, I found myself doing it. The turning of the legs while the skis were on edge decambered the ski and loaded it with such force that the ski was rocketing across the hill, and I was moving accurately enough to be dead center over my feet. It was one of the best times I have ever had on skis. I have tried to emulate the feeling ever since.
These days I feel pretty darn good doing it. Adjusting the Duration and intensity of the thigh turn to get my desired results. Have fun with this one. It took me some time to own the move.
I also play with this move in bumps. I turn my thighs on a slightly edged ski. It provides very good shaping through the bumps. Hopefully the skiing at the end of the video will demonstrate it well.
enjoy the video,
JLaw
I ran across your site and the subject instructional videos earlier this week via the Barking Bear Forums and thought I should send you a note.
I am an advanced Eastern skier (old-school 45 yrs, with suspect knees) from Ottawa Ontario, Canada who has been out about 75 times in the last 3 seasons after a 12 year layoff. I decided that my goal for this winter was to make a conscious effort to learn and apply the necessary skills to improve and update my “game” in all areas … primarily carving.
Although I have been quite happy with my progress, I felt that there was something that I was missing with regards to carving my turns. After watching the Big Toe video, it occurred to me that this may be the answer to initiating my turns on the inside ski with ease and confidence. After I watched the Stripes video I thought that this could be the answer to enable me to initiate these turns without major stress to the knees !! I couldn’t wait to try it on the hill. Heck I even practiced those moves whenever and wherever I could … even in supermarket checkout line.
I actually tried it out on the hill Sunday for about 6 hrs at Mont Tremblant (Quebec) and all I can say is what a difference it makes. It really came together out there and the added bonus is my knees feel great ! We are off to Whiteface for four days tomorrow so I am really anxious to keep working this as I know it’s gonna get even better with repetition and practice.
Although there is alot of really great and not so great information available online and in books in the public library, it sure can get confusing. I am a visual learner and the points you brought up in both videos, combined with the demos made perfect sense to me which enabled me to understand what I was doing wrong.
I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for a job well done.
Keep up the great work Jonathan, and take care of yourself and your family.
PS: I will continue to check out your site as you no doubt will be coming out with more great material that will help me and many others.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for the great lesson last Sunday. Christina and I had a great time using what you taught us later that afternoon and on Christmas Day in the fresh snow. It was awesome. It was so simple to always look for the soft snow to turn. We can’t wait to get to the bowls sometime now. Having fun jumping around the web sight. Fantastic stuff. Looking forward to getting back out to ski. Thanks.
Kent
And the winter rolls on…
This winter does not disappoint