How to RIP ON SKIS - The key to Quick Turns

Trying my best to explain the key posture movement which unlocks the ability to make shorter turns on skis - I hope it's useful to you! If you found the tutorial helpful, you can check out the full series on www.alpinetutorials.com/intermediate-skiers
Alternatively, you can check out the opposite of short turns - CARVE TURNS: • The Carving Tutorial -...
Or maybe you're more interested in steeper terrain? • RED & BLACK RUNS - How...
Bon ski everyone,
George

[@meadowlark8197]

Wow that was quite a revelation to me that you‘ll have the rotational separation with short turns and end the separation when you have long turns. Thank you sooo much no one could ever explain me that before so clearly!!!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Glad it was helpful! Hope you have fun next time you ski

[@KennethDuda]

Totally agree, and it makes so much sense when you think about it, for a long radius turn, there's plenty of time for your torso to just go with the flow and turn along with the skis, but for short turns, you just don't have time for your torso to twist back and forth like that, so you need to twist your legs in the hip sockets instead, keeping the torso pointing straight down as your skis turn left and right in front of you... so beautiful

[@oldskier3019]

@@KennethDuda But at the start of a new GS turn, you have to face your upper body down the hill to allow your skis to pass under you and continue on to create the new leg angle that will roll your skis over onto the new edges. In short turns you do Not force and twist your legs to make the skis change direction, you just anticipate the next turn by turning your upper body in the opposite direction your skis are going to create a Snap, leg angle change, instead of continuing to face it down the hill. As your skis are turning to your left, you drive your chest to the right and get off your downhill foot. As your skis are turning to the right, you drive your chest to the left, in the opposite direction and get off your downhill foot. Your skis will snap roll over because of that instant leg angle change. You make turns with the placement of your face and chest, not with your feet and knees.

[@KennethDuda]

@@oldskier3019 makes sense, thanks!

[@dunno558]

Exactly all the isntructors ive met always mentioned face the hill.

[@OnceABustAlwaysABust]

Oh yeah I remember trying this back in March. I unlocked the leg-upper body separation by performing something similar to a hockey stop except my upper body kept on going. Massive faceplant 😂

[@jitterbug1083]

This is really helpful description - I've been trying to watch about short turns this morning and the acknowledgement that different terrains, turns and moments will need different skills - not just one thing. Really helpful thank you

[@AZINAHH]

Going to ski in 8 days. I am still a below average skier. Thanks for this video, can’t wait to try it 👌

[@johnmoses8713]

Man you’re hands down THE best resource, and I’ve looked at sooo many ski tips videos, out here. Videos so clear and concise with the visual too. Thank you so much from an intermediate trying to get better on the blacks

[@Avoriazskischool]

Really appreciate the comment - thanks John 🙏🏻🙌🏼⛷️

[@MrsScarpino]

This was incredibly helpful!! I'm heading out tomorrow and I'm going to be more intentional about facing downhill with short turns and facing where I'm going with long turns. Thanks for a great video!

[@gairnmclennan5876]

Nice videos with super concise advice. Thanks, glad I subscribed!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for watching, hope these videos help you! Cheers, George

[@RebeccaTorn-jk1nq]

Thank you so much for the video. Rotational separation differ from longer turn to short turn. ❤

[@andychase16]

I had some lessons a few years ago and 'Rotational Seperation' was the one technique that was a revelation to me, my skiing vastly improved with this one change. Now when I'm skiing I can still hear the instructor in my head telling me 'rotational seperation'. Great video and I'm looking forward to putting it to good use next month at Avoriaz.

[@oldskier3019]

"'rotational separation'." That doesn't tell you when and how to position your body and why it is necessary. It doesn't Teach it; it just talks about it.

[@bdiscer88]

Immensely helpful. I can't wait to try it.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for the comment - really hope it helps 🙌🏼🙏🏻

[@gianmarcoesposito5236]

Finally I found a great video!!! Well done 👏🏻

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for the comment 🙏🏻

[@sergeikuznetsov5800]

Adorable kids! Nice explanation 😃

[@axelr9075]

Some excellent points not mentioned in other videos I've seen

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks Axel 🤛

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Great video. I rotated upside down and didn't know where Switzerland was? I am better now, thank you.

[@yuurishibuya4797]

Face the Zipper down the hill. I always thought that was dumb as it was so uncomfortable to do it. It all makes sense now. I was doing large turns no wonder body wants to stay still facing where the skis are going. Small turns means more work from lower body. Now I have to work on making sure I don’t speed up, that means engaging the edges correctly and not sliding.

[@user-dt8sh8mm6h]

easy. helpful. fun. quick. it is very uesful for my level. thanks!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for the comment, much appreciated

[@vadergrd]

great detail shorter vs longer turns ... thanks!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Glad you liked it!

[@ShaunEk1]

Nice explanation, thanks. Talk with the kids was fun.

[@Avoriazskischool]

cheers Shaun!

[@darinsmith2458]

This is good stuff.. I am a racer and I did see at the end of your video someone going from edge to edge but I do want to practice more of the pivot than the carve..

[@Avoriazskischool]

Pure carve turns are one end of the spectrum - pivoted, skidded short turns are the other end. The type of turn chosen is dictated by the nature of the terrain/snow/trail that you are on. Have fun 🙌🏼

[@darinsmith2458]

@@Avoriazskischool I will be experimenting this year.. Thank you..

[@davidbeazer9799]

This really is an excellent video! Who am I to say so? Instructor, former ski school director, former racer, former straight ski skier (oldish), 9 ski quiver guy, ski with and continue to learn from top international instructors often.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks David - that means a lot! 🙏🏻

[@jingzhou230]

Best separation video I’ve ever watched 👍

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks so much! 🙏🏻🙌🏼

[@KA-ne2et]

Phenomenal video !!!!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@MrDogonjon]

Quick turning requires the ability to manipulate flat skis during the transition, redirecting the flat skis toward the fall line so edge pressure increases during the latter phase of the turn. Flat ski drills, sideslipping, falling leaf, on snow 360's, redirects (lateral sideslips) set up the progression. Edging skills, traverse, uphill christy, stop christy (edge sets) feed into redirects (lateral side slips) to create better flat ski manipulations resulting in quicker turning. Separation results from turning... separation does not cause turning. You need quick edging and release to turn quickly.

[@Skedawg88]

Separation is a result of rotating the feet, the lower leg, the upper leg or a combination of all three.

[@stevie5903]

Excellent

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@ohyeahfanfan]

Thank you🎉

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks so much 🙏🏻

[@Na-Vse-Ruki-Master-1872]

Thanks!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Wow thanks so much 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@bensimonian1859]

Great explanation of when you should and shouldn’t have rotational separation.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@snipo39]

Of all the videos I’ve seen about making quick turns, this one actually explains how to do it. Great video 🫶

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for the kind comment 🙏🏻 enjoy!

[@davidbeazer9799]

Rotational separation is also tied to lead change (how far in front the inside ski is). Matching this angle with the upper body keeps your shins in the same place in each boot and sends the same message to each ski instead of telling one ski to make “this” radius turn and the other ski to make “that” radius turn.

[@oldskier3019]

None of that teaches how to do it, it just talks about it.

[@davidbeazer9799]

@@oldskier3019 would be happy to discuss further as long as you’re not JB under a different name!

[@alanthew6490]

This is exactly how I learned swing parallel turns in the 80’s. Without carving skis we didn’t really do long radius parallel turns 😂😂

[@lozza123321]

Great video, is your weight still on the outside ski or not as much as on longer turns? Thanks

[@Avoriazskischool]

yes absolutely - whenever turning, weight on the outer ski (unless in deep untracked powder)

[@gogglebro9421]

I know this video is about quick (short) turns, but if I may point out, I think saying to match the blend of lateral and rotational separation to the radius of the turn, while technically correct, is vague if its intended as a practical explanation of how to use rotation (anticipation) in medium to long radius turns. //Marshall

[@gairnmclennan5876]

Short turns as stated in the video shoulders/chest straight down the fall line. This is about 1.5 sec turn rate. Long turns (including carved turns) shoulders stay inline with the ski's more and the turn takes 2-3 seconds to from transition to transition. Short are easier to perform on soft snow and blue /green. Long turns easier on hard pack snow blue/red slopes. Go do it!!

[@Avoriazskischool]

You hit the nail on the head with the first half of this comment, nice one! You do need to have a bit more steepness than green runs to get good short turns going, and long turns can get pretty fast and hard to control on red runs if you carve them at all. But hey - skiing isn't about blanket rules - it's about having fun!

[@OnceABustAlwaysABust]

I thought short turns are most useful on the steeps no?

[@gairnmclennan5876]

@@OnceABustAlwaysABust I can't do them on black runs but with plenty of powder it might be fun on steep off piste. Short turns are really fun and give you a lot of control as to the path you choose, avoiding obstacles is easy. Even the edge angles tuned on the ski will greatly affect what you can do on steeps runs regards turns.

[@OnceABustAlwaysABust]

@@JB91710 bro get a life

[@Avoriazskischool]

@@JB91710 so you can carve down a 40 degree mogul run if you know what the ski needs from you?

[@CommieHunter7]

I can do most of this pretty well; however, I find that constantly turning, I put a lot of tension into my quads to keep the ski edges biting. How can I use less leg muscle energy while maintaining control on rapid turns?

[@cswalker21]

Get out of the back seat.

[@CommieHunter7]

@@cswalker21 I believe that is the problem, just gotta make the adjustment to do that. Once I can feel the "right" position it should fix a lot. Thanks!

[@good2see]

Thx

[@Skyhook77]

awesome

[@olivergilpin]

How much weight to put on each ski and where in the gravity? Something that I keep getting lost on

[@paulhanson7179]

Awesome- I really like those skis too. Seems like they are really easy to turn and release edges. Anyone know what they are?

[@paulhanson7179]

Could those be 2024 Wayback 106- that is very interesting to see on an instructor!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Bingo 🙌🏼 with a Duke PT. Good everything skis. Love them 👍🏻

[@paulhanson7179]

Nice! Thanks for the response. I might get those!

[@biroloztekin6142]

Teşekkürler.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thank You !

[@graysycamore9071]

Great video - those Armada Declivitys wont hurt your turns either...

[@kmichiel]

In a way there is no difference between large, wide turns and short turns when talking about the upper body orientation. In theory that is. Because your upper body is always orientated in the direction you are going, along your trajectory. The big eye on your chest is always looking where you are going. Making large turns, looking kind of across towards your next turning point and when making short turns, looking down the fall line. In practice however, that looks like a difference and, yes, there is going to be more rotational separation.

[@chemilyscad5845]

When would you want to make longer, larger turns? In what type of terrain?

[@KennethDuda]

1:05 "It's important, when you're skiing, that you have to blend the range and rate of your lateral and rotational separation so that it matches the radius of your turns. Make sense?" 😂

[@Avoriazskischool]

Hahaha; and the kid says "I don't understand anything you say and I can't remember what you said"

[@Jaq365]

I'm gonna have that printed on a t-shirt! 😅

[@rajvo7406]

What skis are those?

[@poison28487]

🤯

[@oldskier3019]

What happened to that Jb guy? I was really starting to get into that debate on ski teaching.

[@davidbeazer9799]

I’m beginning to suspect you are that JB guy. If you’re not I would be happy to discuss further. If you are JB you’re so old and set in your misinformed ways that it’s like wrestling in mud with a pig. You begin to realize the pig enjoys it.

[@arobinson4544]

Great video. Knees don’t rotate the foot. That’s the ankle :)

[@nickv3085]

Funny how most videos like this just say “don’t lean back”….when in reality fore aft movement is one of the fundamentals of skiing at a high level.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Good point 👍🏻. It’s because you gotta crawl before you can walk before you can run. For beginner/intermediates - just focus on not leaning back. For advanced/expert - then you can think about fore aft intricacies ⛷️

[@Bushwacked487]

I think you create some confusion when you say turn from your “knee joint”. Your knees don’t rotate, they are a hinge. Your rotation comes from your femurs rotating in the hip socket. That’s the ball and socket joint that *does rotate.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks for the comment and feedback and apologies if this point adds confusion. Whilst the majority of the rotation comes from the ball and socket at the hip, the knee can also add some extra rotation when it is flexed. It is more the just a simple hinge. Whilst sat down, you can lift your feet off the floor and point your toes left and right without moving your femurs. This is a finer movement, but adds the extra ability to steer the skis without using large body parts. But you are right, the majority of the rotation comes from the ball and socket, the knee just adds a little bit extra on top. What is definitely up for debate is WHEN to introduce a concept like this to a learning skier, as I am always reluctant to confuse people with specifics if they haven't yet fully grasped the more important basics which should precede the finer concepts in their learning sequence. Gotta be able to crawl before you walk before you run and all that.

[@joessonguf]

"I didn't understand anything and I forgot" yes

[@Avoriazskischool]

Needs to be made into a t-shirt 😂

[@andrewt7607]

'Promo sm' 🙌

[@Avoriazskischool]

⛷️ 🎉

[@NoFeeArea]

Let's keep this much simpler. Not really very difficult. Keep your upper body and head facing square with the downhill line you are heading whilst twisting your hips and legs to make the turns back and forth. What this does is forces your body to continually reverse from side to side. Like your lower body is spring naturally back and forth. It's really a feeling. Once you get that feeling it gets easier and easier. The old school way to explain this is to keep your upper body square with the fall line while turning back and forth. Of course that would be old fashioned so we need to spice things up to explain the same thing with different terms. Same thing.

[@agenthex]

You're largely muscling the turns, which is in part due to those skis w/ too much rocker made for scrubs to survive down runs too steep for them.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Wayback 106 - not that rockered!

[@agenthex]

@@JB91710 the skis are why they can't close down the edge angle in the fall line, because they start skidding past a certain point. Meaning park and riding is the limit. Though in this, the skier is mostly still "ripping" with rotary motions.

[@robertg1968]

Hello George in the past three years I have seen plenty of skiing tutorials and tips then couple of weeks ago for a pure casualty I landed on one of yours Your ones are amazing and are a perfect match with how I think about a tutorial like these so thank you for your tutorials, great production for each one, right length, consistent and EFFECTIVE SO MUCH!!! Thank you, thank you and again thank you But please .. . if you have time ... I suggest you a better management of the playlists e.g. those videos that are numbered like this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYGrqYRslKaKebssi=JRQOpgn462s9sZTE "Lesson n.7" making a playlist with a rational series of lessons will help the newbie

[@oldskier3019]

Talking about what parts of the body look like doesn't teach a person how to make it look like that. To make a parallel turn, what should a person think about and do that will allow the skis to turn and will create all the things you talked about and demonstrated? Just saying, "Rotational Separation" doesn't teach how to create it and it cannot be mimicked, it has to be understood.

[@JP-qt7yd]

Get ur weight out over the front of ur skis and stay there.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Over the front of the skis? or in the middle of the skis?

[@anthonysears871]

Omg! 😛. Do of of you you tubers have any idea of how to ski from the soles of your feet. Let me think🤔. NOT!!

[@Avoriazskischool]

nope, please educate me?

[@mountainflyhigh]

Good stuff, but gotta call total BS on the concept of turning with just knees and shins. Your knees are almost completely unable to twist separately of your femurs. If they could, we'd all have a lot less knee injuries. Do your chairlift exercise again, and place your hands firmly on your femurs right above your knees, and prevent your femurs from moving at all. You will only be able to rotate your feet/ankles a few degrees. I can even see your femurs rotating in the hip sockets in your example.

[@Avoriazskischool]

If you cannot rotate your knees - please discount that last section of the video and do not try to do so. However regarding 'your knees are almost completely unable to twist separately of your femurs', can you point me to any scientific evidence of this? because I can certainly rotate my knees, even if I place my hands firmly on femurs above my knees as you suggest. I also discussed this with an orthopaedic surgeon who assured me that the knee joint is far more than simple hinge. A quick google, and I also found a study stating 'When the knee is in a position of flexion between 30 and 90 degrees, there are approximately 45 degrees external and 25 degrees internal rotation' - (Zarins et al - granted it's from the 80s). If you have anything to back up your claim that the knee joint cannot rotate, I'd be very interested to see it. Thanks!