Turn shape for rhythm and flow while skiing

Are you teaching or personally looking for more flow in your skiing, pay attention to turn shape

[@sordel5866]

As an early intermediate skier I often find your videos rather abstract and difficult to implement but this one really focused in on where I am currently having difficulties.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Great!

[@dakdak7609]

Ah, that heel weight big edge driven turn is my go to on terrain I’m nervous about. Last instructor (in a thick French accent) told me that he had never seen anyone link a series of hockey stops so well. I think that’s when I went for a beer.

[@RobRikerTechChannel]

I've got to be honest, been watching your videos for a while now and if I'm warming up on a steep run, or if it's really crowded downhill of me, I end up using the Z shape to maintain control. Where I ski, it's a hill about 400 vertical feet in height with 35-40 second runs, pretty short. We don't get much real snow so the hill blows a lot which is essentially skiing on ice. I've gotten used to it and after about 6 runs I'm warmed up and convert to C shape turns. The issue is that they don't groom very often and when they do, it's in the morning, I don't ski until after dinner. One key thing from your content I've learned with Wilson is driving the inside knee and keeping my upper body still and steering with my legs. It was a game changer for me. The last time I went out, one of the ski patrol guys rode up with me and complimented my technique on how I navigated a group of inexperienced riders that were peppered all over the run. Maintaining my speed, around 30-35 mph and easily steering around the crowd. I thanked him for the compliment and attributed your content to the knowledge. He had heard of you and didn't know you had a channel. Keep up the good work!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Nice!!!!

[@davidbeazer9799]

A saying I heard that I like. “First turn is the hardest and if you’re making Z shaped turns every turn is the first turn”!

[@Mole204]

I teach skiing in Vermont. One of the things I always ask is "Do you play a musical instrument?" We then do a run when every turn is the same number of beats. Good skiers have rythm.

[@Skedawg88]

True. Lots o’ ways to turn. Patience turns are good, C shape. Rhythm and flow! Thanks Deb!

[@MaxRank]

My instructor had me focus on placing pressure over the front of my skis and ignore turn shape as a conscious thought. The minute I focused on front ski pressure my turn shape evolved naturally. I cannot skid the rear of the ski for a z shape because the skis design physically won’t let me. Helped with my edge control also. Great stuff Deb

[@markvaldez8602]

Thank you Deb! As a current "Z' turn skier, I'm excited to work on making them into "C" turns!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Love it!!!

[@MrSjGibbs]

One of the first things I remember hearing about shaped skis came from Stu Campbell. He said all the stuff we used to do to start a turn is built in to a shaped ski. You get a nice curved turn entry when the built in turn is used.

[@adventureswithrocket1]

Deb, I told you before and I'll tell you now, you're my bucket list instructor ❤ If you ever come to the Midwest, I am all for taking that lesson from you!

[@lucasroyal6884]

This video really cleared up my thinking about the turn. Thanks Deb

[@skiring9014]

THANK YOU so much. I share with my students!!!! Very helpful! PLEASE keep sharing!

[@nigelsansom2407]

If there's snow..., I will be practising this in a couple of weeks from now in Alpe D'Huez. Fingers crossed for the snow! Thanks Deb, this is another great video which makes me stop and think. I do wonder how come you and your videographer have such a beautiful piste to yourselves though. I'm really not expecting that luxury in France later this month (if there's snow...). 🙂

[@triscuitbiscuit]

Love these tips (and all your other videos). I took my first lesson last week and went again putting some advice from your videos into it!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Great!

[@ricklachaine5406]

I love your videos. Thank you for the effort you put into these. Very helpful. What about on steeper black runs that are more narrow, being very hard pack conditions, or very fast groomed conditions on said black runs? You’re a great instructor by the way :-)

[@josephgdraper]

To teach students how to control speed with turn shape, I do a drill on beginner terrain and repeat it when we progress to steeper slopes: 1. From a traverse, flatten the skis (either by rolling ankles and knees downhill or lengthening the uphill leg and shrinking the downhill leg) and pressure the uphill/outside ski 2. when you are skiing down the fall line, roll ankles and knees to edge the ski and hold it until you turn across the fall line 3. and keep holding it until you slow to a stop or start going uphill. Someone mentioned the “patience turn” earlier, I’ve also heard it called the “trust me” turn.

[@Osnosis]

Another mnemonic is to tell the student to ‘push the mountain away with the outside foot/leg’ during the first ~60% of the turn. Then sink down in the traverse.

[@CSRjr1969]

Hi Deb! Thanks for all the videos and really enjoy both the high level technical and when you bring it down. Can I make a request for future video? We are getting hit in Ontario with multiple years of soft artificial snow surface (granular sugar) . Any tips, tricks thoughts for teaching this turn shape progression to young racers (Z to C to full inside leg driven carved turns) utilizing the challenged conditions? Thanks!!! 😊

[@Rocstoneau]

I’m saving this to reload at the start of the season. Thanks Deb.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Great!!!

[@gspice71]

Thank you Deb!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

You are welcome

[@davidbeazer9799]

Nice!

[@stevedoe1630]

For me, I enjoy the acceleration when the ski flexes and snaps back throughout a turn… the turn shape is just a byproduct.

[@mpsandford1987]

Hi Deb, your videos are fantastic, thank you for putting them out there! I wonder whether focusing on a deliberate transition might help me and others at my level move from the z-shaped turn to a c-shaped turn. I feel like I get to the end of a line across the slope, then jam my skis around a tight angle to start the next line. I think quite a lot of the drills I've done in lessons (like side slipping) are probably meant to teach this (?), but the concept of the transition has never really been explained properly and so the drills are never contextualised. I've watched your transition video with Alain and your recent mechanics video, they're also very good, but a bit too advanced for me! A video pitched at a more basic level about the transition, when it occurs in the turn, how you make it happen, and how you move from the transition to initiating a non-carved turn would be so helpful. Even better if we see you demonstrating it on the mountain! BW, Mark

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Great idea

[@stevegordonson720]

I When I warm up first thing in the morning I'll start with really long turns on an easier slope to get a feel for the edge and staying in the fall line , feeling the acceleration and the ski load , after a several of those , I'll start to a get little more energetic , reducing the radius and quickening the turns. My wife ski's z turns in most conditions , its a fear of going too fast but usually ends up with a loss of speed and balance at the end of the turn. If I coach her she can start to relax and the let the ski go through the fall line slower and round the turns more , but its her safe ski space 🙂. My experience in becoming a better skier eg. going faster /. steeper / bumpier , is learning all sorts of turns and tempos and wanting to feel that flow of acceleration - deceleration as you go through turns.

[@gogglebro9421]

Deb, I'm with Scott about diagnosing turn shape and following what you said, how are turns being made. I'm not judging ski/snow interaction first. How do you start your student assessment?

[@andrewlescht2548]

Agreed, often I start at the bottom, transition of the turn.

[@realityczar5739]

Thanks!

[@death2pc]

Yes! Two of THE most important words : Rhythm and Flow............. Rhythm and Flow...............

[@arnaldosimisschver523]

Skiing nicely, is simple but not easy

[@Skedawg88]

So true.

[@user-fo7ed2pt1f]

What length of ski are you on? 155 slalom ? Thank you

[@RDShimizu]

Great video Deb! Are you living in Taos now? Looks beautiful.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Live in Steamboat. In Taos often😉

[@annegillies1056]

I feel that the Z turn habit is very hard to break once it’s established and has been used for years. My husband has been making Z turns for about 65 years (he is 81). Are there more exercises and drills that can help turn Zs into Cs?

[@radreview8339]

Very helpful ! Thank you ! Can I ask which run is this at Taos ?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Honeysuckleish

[@stevejenkins845]

That’s me absolute pants it in the fall line on mellow slopes I can sort of manage the turn shape. Speed is unnerving for the older guy with injuries a plenty.

[@mathewmatu6094]

I just got a pair of all-mountain skis with a 92mm waist width, and I'm having trouble transitioning from edge to edge compared to my old 76mm skis. Do I need to exert extra effort to get them onto their edges, or should I consider switching back to narrower skis?

[@flamingvipir]

I feel the "oomph" of carving much deeper into my turn with my 99mms than I do with narrower skis, but it's still doable! I definitely need more of the fundamental carving elements to get the same radius of turn - more deliberate rolling of the foot, more inclination via inside leg softening/flexion, and more angulation of the upper body to compensate. The principles are the same, and if you've felt them with your narrow skis, it'll just take a bit of work to feel them on your 92s!

[@realityczar5739]

Letting yourself go back UP hill a bit before starting the new turn, yes? Thank you!

[@GMec78]

What about the S shaped turn like in slalom

[@gogglebro9421]

In this video you're teaching to turn the skis throughout the turn and create the C and ribbon candy shapes. There's no carving here. If a student can steer the turns correctly, would that be an indication to introduce more edging of the outside ski as a next step?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

It all depends on what one wants to accomplish. Teaching edging skills I am be a fun next step. All depends on

[@gogglebro9421]

@@DebArmstrongSkiStrongYou make a good point here that it depends on what one wants to accomplish.

[@dani3lmiklo400]

thanks for advices. slopes so empty why ? :)

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Early morning😉

[@gmoneymac23]

Honest question: I noticed your upper/lower body separation is minimal during this demo. Meaning, your zipper line is, more or less, following your tips. Why? Thanks.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Only as much counter as necessary. I was not making a very short turn, no need for more counter

[@Tennissoccergolfski]

Is this blue or black trail?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Blue

[@Tom-sq2yy]

Where do you find this ridiculously nice empty piste?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Taos New Mexico 😉

[@tonyg3091]

THROWING their upper bodies…😂😂😂 I pissed myself, I see that move way too often…😂

[@Allen-by6ci]

If you ever need an expert in Z turns, I'm your man... wait..

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Ha!!!

[@paulcicchetti3868]

Thanks!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Thank you!!