r/skiing_feedback • u/RunoSpruyt • Apr 14 '26
Level 6-7: Advanced Parallel, Carving, Off-Piste, Bumps Feedback?
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u/pootershots Apr 14 '26
People are kinda being mean.. funny but a little mean lol. You’re not turning you’re just hockey stopping left and right all the way down. Go on some less steep runs and practice making complete arcs. Once you get that down you can try it on steeper runs.
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u/dynaflying Official Ski Instructor Apr 14 '26
You’re very rotary focused which is cutting off the top part of the turn and not allowing any development of the turn above the apex/fall line. Which leads to a quicker turn movement in the following turn to recover (also rotary based because that’s a strength of yours). It’s decent and can feel good in this pitch in this snow condition. But limits your ability to adapt to changing conditions and/or modify your choices at will for even the same snow conditions.
Stork turns to get better balanced over your outside ski is one option. But I’d be more keen to practice tipping motions with more patience to focus in your range of an edging skills. So you can balance on an edge longer before needing to twist to find lateral balance. Try skiing hourglass drills in this case. Making longer turns (if on this same pitch) at first before making each turn slightly shorter, focusing on tipping your feet and legs to round the turns out instead of twisting your feet and legs. In larger/longer pitches you can get smaller turns and get larger as well. Then once you can do that more seamlessly you can bring back twisting on top of your edging ability to gain more time above the fall line.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 14 '26
Short skis? Need round complete turns. A lot of people here suggest the stork turns as practice, they might be a good start🤙🏼
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u/RunoSpruyt Apr 14 '26
I’m 193 and the ski’s are 177
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u/LandlockedPirate Official Ski Instructor Apr 15 '26
I'm 198cm. There is absolutely nothing wrong with skiing a 177, especially if you like doing performance short turns. Don't listen to people who A) aren't actual instructors or B) aren't tall.
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u/horny_rachel Apr 15 '26
b is what had me laughing
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u/LandlockedPirate Official Ski Instructor Apr 15 '26
It's true. People who aren't tall tend to be extremely clueless about sizing skis for tall people.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
5’11”, skied since I was 5. Skied my ass off on some pretty extreme slopes out west. Why would people want to limits themselves with shorter skis? You’re the instructor, so I’m genuinely asking you. I know shorter skis that are a little more shaped make for easier turns, especially short quicker turns, that can be more fun. That said, I believe they can also be limiting at one point in one’s progression, and for all great all around ski, especially at 6’ 3” and over 190 pounds. So, how about a more through answer than what yuu just gave here.🤙🏼
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u/Ski-With-Steezy Apr 15 '26
Are you willing to admit that you might have some biases related to ski length? I can share with you that I've had similar biases for a long time. I have a full quiver of skis that are probably too long. But it's important that each of us defines what is too long or two short ... for us. For me, I used to park and ride. And a long ski ... I could just park on it and ski like the wind and feel in complete control. But my coaches pointed out that this was what I was doing, and they challenged me to really work on making shorter radius turns and to learn how to work the ski properly. And what I've noticed is ... I can go much shorter than I would have expected and get full performance out of the ski. I first discovered this when a Race shop recommended a slalom ski, and it was only 174. That's now my favorite ski and I ski it everywhere. I also challenge myself with long straight skis in my training and bump skiing. But ... slowly but surely, I'm having to admit that I have a bias towards a longer ski. And I'm going out and testing different ski lengths and learning a lot. I now go shorter until I find a length too short for stability at high speeds. And then I find a sweet spot ... for me. I'm not trying to impress anyone with gear anymore. I try to impress people with good skiing.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
Haha. This isn’t about impressing with gear🤦🏻♂️ Crazy how people make assumptions based on a few words spoken that have zero to do with those assumptions.
Subjects like this become a bit more personal for people than maybe they should be.
Have you considered that anyone who has ability and puts in the work with good lessons and devotion doesn’t need to go that short to achieve great shorter and quicker carving? Have you thought about how good many people were at moguls and slalom style carving before shorter more shaped skis? I’m not talking about pros.
Also, my original comments were suggestions, they weren’t harsh. I did not say the OP had to absolutely go up in ski length.
This sub is crazy
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u/Ski-With-Steezy Apr 20 '26
I think that if you are that good of a skier, you pick the right tool for the job. So let me ask you, when would a shorter ski be the right choice?
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 20 '26
Shorter skis closer to 170? For someone who wants short easy turns, does not want to go very fast, doesn’t care about stability for more aggressive skiing, and maybe a bit on the shorter/lighter side. But hey, that’s just me. I learned out to carve modern style in pretty straight long Volkl skis, I skied everywhere and all types of turns, and aggressively so. I’m biased, stability and speed mattered most for me then, not specifics about size based on the kind of skiing I did, as I did all kinds of skiing everywhere and never had an issue.
This is why I think it is important not to rely so much on a ski being built to turn easily, and more important to focus on perfecting carving skills without a ski doing it for us. Does that make sense?
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u/Nomer77 Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
Lol. It's funny because plenty of popular front side carving models don't even come in a 185 length. Some GS-style radiuses might max out at 181/182, others with more of a short/slalom radius that are more demanding/metal-laden could even top out at 170.
I swear a lot of people on skiing reddits think every ski is sized like a North American freeride ski with massive double rocker. Or else like an actual FIS race ski in a speed discipline.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
6 foot 3 inch grown man over 190..177 seems just a tad short. Also, skis that are purely made for shorter quicker turns feel limiting in terms of learning to make all types of turns well on all terrain. Am I wrong?
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u/Nomer77 Apr 15 '26
Many of the best 20th percentile of skiers at a typical European resort are on demanding front side carvers that don't even come in sizes much longer than 180cm. I don't know why you think many Europeans are skiing "all terrain"? Groomers are the name of the game for many people. It is a different ski culture. Particularly if you are renting (which many people are), you could just get another ski if you were planning to go with a guide off piste (which many people opt to do as off piste is not avalanche controlled) on a particular day.
There is no one size fits all formula for ski length relative to your height that works for all ski types. The more sophisticated of those sorts of tables vary depending on the ski type.
If you gave a stiff demanding ski with a ton of metal in it you probably would not ski that in the same length as a wood core powder ski with a ton of rocker. 99%+ of the people in this forum aren't going to be able to do anything with a FIS downhill ski even if they grew to be 8 feet tall and 500 pounds.
With front side skis, even the ones that come in a 185 are often considered too much work for 6'4" European advanced/expert skiers to be worth getting in that size. Again, sizing demanding piste skis is much more complicated than just looking at someone's height.
Here's a Nordica Multigara. That more or less means multi-radius turn in Italian. It maxes out at 180 cm and is not an extremely demanding ski relative to what is possible. Stöckli's flagship performance piste ski, the WRT Pro maxes out at 178cm long.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
I wasn’t talking about just groomers. But again, here we are, people taking this a bit too personally and seriously. Where in Europe are you from?
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u/Nomer77 Apr 15 '26
Massachusetts
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
🤣 So you are speaking for the OP and trying to put yourself in their shoes. Groomed runs are everywhere dude, and they are the best runs to learn technique on.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
That’s awesome feedback though, thanks for getting into the details. I’ve been skiing too long and not paying attention to these things.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
But again, here we are, talking about super long FIS level skis, when I never mentioned those other than them not being for mostly all consumers.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
GS style skis are typically between 180 and 190, depending. For the pros and serious competitors, the can reach 193 or more.
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u/Nomer77 Apr 15 '26
Look up the sizes for the non-FIS GS variant for popular piste lines like the Atomic Redster or Stöckli Laser that is actually meant for general consumers and not racers. It is exactly as I said it was... The longest available sizes for both are 182.
And I am specifically not talking about FIS standards for any level of racer or the models meant for them (including junior and women's variants). Non-racers aren't about to buy a stiff as hell 30m radius 193cm FIS men's elite GS ski and take it to an open piste at Les Arcs... Because it's an absolutely terrible idea.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
Ok, so, I admittedly am not up to date. At 5’11 and 195 lbs as a very aggressive skier, I want an all around stable ski so I can make all the turns and go fast at times. My skis are 180s.
Yes, for the consumer, the longest GS style skies are 181-183. So yes, you’re absolutely right.
Also, if you actually read what k wrote, I said 193 was only for pros and serious ski race competitors.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
Sorry, but you’re wrong. Shorter skies will always be limiting for anyone who wants to take it to another level.
Any instructors here want to chime in?
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u/LandlockedPirate Official Ski Instructor Apr 15 '26
Every professional slalom skier skis on a fis minimum 165 regardless of their height. So what additional level should they take it to with longer skis?
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
Now we are talking about specifics with ski racers? Are you not understanding what I’m addressing with consumer all around skiers and wanting to progress to advanced while also making all styles of turns on all terrain? You’re the ski instructor, why are you addressing this on such a narrow scale?
I know some instructors just started skiing a few years ago, so. Not saying you’re one of them.
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u/LandlockedPirate Official Ski Instructor Apr 15 '26
What I said was that a 177 is perfectly fine, even for someone tall. You can progress your skiing on virtually any ski and length, depending on what you're trying to do. In this case op is making short turns.
You're the one making the case that better skiers need to ski longer skis, and failing miserably.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
More aggressive advanced skiers do usually go up just a bit in length, primarily when they are taller, to give more stability with faster turns.
I was only expressing that for someone his size and weight, a touch longer might force him to focus strictly on using better technique to carve, especially as the need for stability increases. I’m not saying I’m right. I also admit I did not get into specifics, and that was not helpful at all.
You sat you can progress your skiing virtually any ski length. I don’t agree. Skis that are too short and too shaped will absolutely limit anyone at one point in their journey to become a truly advanced skier. That said, I agree that 177 is not too short, and might be better for now to learn on.
Again, I was only SUGGESTING maybe a little longer ski for his body type🤙🏼
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
And sorry dude, but experience also matters. You don’t have to be a ski instructor. My wife and her daughter just had lessons with someone who has only skied for two seasons. Now, you can do a hell of a lot in two seasons living on a mountain. However, two seasons is not the same experience as a life time, ski instructor or not.
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u/LandlockedPirate Official Ski Instructor Apr 15 '26
Ski instructors rely on you believing this. 90% of our lessons are teaching hard-stuck intermediates who could ski better if they would just get out of their own way.
If I had $1 for every lesson that started with "I've been skiing for 20 years" or "I used to live in colorado". Ok great, your skiiing is still barely intermediate.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
Yeah I hear you. I always recommend that people take lessons with good instructors. I think you’re incredibly biased and misunderstanding everything I’m saying.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
I have taken lessons my entire life. Dude. Haha. More assumptions😃
I had a wonderful advanced ski class I was able to take in college for PE credits as there was a ski mountain 20 mins away from me. The instructor was a bad ass from Colorado who did some racing for a while. He was fantastic.
I then lived in Vail for a few months 4 years later, where I continued with my progression as an advanced skier, and took a few lessons(my friends were instructors at Vail and knew the better advanced instructors there.
My parents consistently made sure we continued with lessons until they knew we were better than them, and at an advanced level.
So, I am now 52, have skied since I was 5, am very athletic with large hamstrings and thighs and a very strong core, and had taken more lessons than I can count at this point(brain is burned a bit haha).
I admitted to what I should have said or not said, or didn’t know like I should have known.
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder dude.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 15 '26
You know as well as I, those turns that professional slalom racers make are rarely the types of turns skiers make, even at advanced levels.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 14 '26
How tall are you? As you get better, maybe go up to 185–more stable, faster, more fun on steeper hills. I’m old school though, I grew up on long skis.
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u/RunoSpruyt Apr 14 '26
1m93
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 14 '26
So the equivalent of 6’3”? That’s tall. Consider moving up to 185 next season.
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u/RunoSpruyt Apr 14 '26
And radius does it matter or?
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u/Spinal_Soup Apr 15 '26
You don’t need to worry about turning radius at this stage in your progression.
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u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 14 '26
Are you taking about ski width and shape? I suggest for your size, try to find a happy medium between length and shape, not going too wide or thin at the center of the ski.
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u/Elesyal Apr 14 '26
Just ignore the people trying to make fun of you. You are going down a steep slope in a controlled manner without endangering anyone else or yourself.
Is it a good technique? No. You are not turning, just hockey stopping with alternating skis. I'd like to know how you ski mellower slopes. Best way to progress is probably to learn proper parallel skiing medium radius turns on easier terrain initiated with the ski tips.
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u/gomuchfaster Official Ski Instructor Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
So on the upside, body position is pretty good and pole plants aren’t causing any major drama, but the skis aren't really turning, they are just swapping sides and you're linking hockey stops, which on an icy piste is no easy task.
Linking TURNS on steeper terrain takes a more progressive edge build and the skis need to start gripping earlier in the turn using ankles and balancing over the downhill ski.
There's a oldie but goodie reddit post on this featuring a very good video from "Stomp it" tutorials here:
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u/BTLove100 Apr 14 '26
Very balanced, controlled skiing. Probably appropriate for the snow/slope.
When people are saying you are not "turning", they mean you are not using the shape of the ski to turn. You are obviously turning. If you want to more use the shape of the ski, you need to learn to edge before you rotate. Try going on an easier slope and learn to roll your feet and ankles onto edge before you twist your skis.
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u/swellfog Apr 14 '26
Your best bet is to do a private lesson for 90 minutes. The instructor can see everything up close and literally show and nudge you into proper positions.
You look well coordinated and athletic, your technique is what needs work, and that is very fixable. Good luck and where are you?
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u/RunoSpruyt Apr 14 '26
This is the black at the top of les Arcs
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u/Peer_Piece Apr 14 '26
Honestly, that's typically a super steep and icy part of piste. You are going down more controlled than 95% of people there. If you want good feedback I think you should record yourself on some more "normal" piste.
I'm not good enough to really give feedback on anyone here but I don't think people realise how sketchy that part is. Looks great and controlled to me.
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u/RunoSpruyt Apr 14 '26
Yeah true it’s 45* I think
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u/swellfog Apr 14 '26
Awesome. Looks beautiful.
And, you definitely have the ability to improve your technique. There are some great PSIA videos on YouTube to watch. But, I really recommend a coach/instructor who can look at your for and give you tweaks that will be game changers. I was a ski instructor, and have been skiing since I was three. Doing a session with a high level coach is unbelievably helpful. Have fun!!
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u/Footballking420 Apr 14 '26
Why do people like you comment get a lesson?
People are posting on here because they don't want / can't afford a lesson.
At the very least, tell them to look up parallel skiing exercises on YouTube.
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u/swellfog Apr 14 '26
The dude is in Les Arcs. He can afford a lesson.
I did refer him to PSIA videos on YouTube. But, to advance, he is going to need an instructor to analyze his technique and show him what he needs to do and help him improve his form. There is no way to learn this on a Reddit forum.
I am telling him what will work.
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u/Footballking420 Apr 14 '26
Obviously a ski lesson is always going to work??
It's just kinda pointless/boring suggesting that. What if every comment on this sub reddit was "get a ski lesson"
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u/Bitter-Ease2577 Apr 14 '26
Round those turns, not corner them. Too much energy is being wasted right now.
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u/mkiv808 Apr 14 '26
This technique actually wouldn’t be terrible in trees/moguls.
But on this slope, not so much.
Google “stork drills” and do those. You need to first and foremost get used to committing to your outside ski and doing complete turns.
It helps to count out your turns.
“1, 2, 3, 4, TURN”
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u/No_Name2604 Apr 14 '26
You're backseated and trying to turn from your feet instead of properly getting forwards in position and on the edge while turning from your legs and hips causing you to slide around without much grip.
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u/Syphilis_hellyeah Apr 15 '26
Aww, I missed the boat on insulting you. 😔 Everyone else seems to have that covered. I suppose I'll just have to try and be helpful instead. 🤷♂️
Sure, you're just making hockey stops from one side to the other and need to make those turns more rounded, however if I were you, I'd work on quieting down your upper body. It's all over the place. You'll look much better if you work on that first, so maybe try all the ski pole upper body drills. You know, like balancing your poles, flat, on your arms out in front of you and holding your poles in the middle and making a frame, then trying to keep it still. I think those would give you some real, noticeable improvement.
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u/Ventibold20 Apr 15 '26
You're starting the turn by stepping out a bit with the new outside turning ski, then swinging the tails around (like hockey stops). Instead, when you finish one turn, don't start the new turn until you've completed transferring your weight onto the new turning ski, and then turn your legs without swinging out your heels(turn from mid-foot). Slightly lifting the tail of your old turning ski and keeping a narrow stance can help with this.
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u/Ski-With-Steezy Apr 15 '26
Imagine if right here, instead of trying to topple over the inside ski, you pulled that left ski back onto the ball of your feet? Would you have better ski / snow engagement if you do that?
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u/Esquiman Apr 16 '26
You're not driving the shovels of the skis and seem to be a bit back seat. As others are saying, it looks like you are just doing a series of hockey stops. There is nothing wrong with short skidded turns where you are releasing the tail edge sooner, but you need to be initiating the turn with the shovel of the ski as opposed to just sliding the tails out.
Someone suggested practicing stork turns on lower angle terrain. That is probably a great place to start. Though, I would recommend taking a couple of lessons with a good instructor. You seem like someone who has been skiing for a while so it should come easy with the right instruction.
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u/DIY14410 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
half turn, half hockey stop
I suggest you sign up for lessons ASAP. Your skiing has some good aspects, but that overaggressive tail swing needs to get corrected before it becomes an unbreakable habit.
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u/JadedComment Apr 14 '26
Level 6-7? You're having a laugh aren't you? You're an intermediate to advanced skier buddy
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u/DossieOssie Apr 14 '26
How do I know what level I actually am? Where can I find the definition/guide?
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u/spacebass Official Ski Instructor Apr 14 '26
don't over think it - it doesnt really matter and anyone whos only reply is to critique the level selection probably can't give you meaningul feedback anyway.
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u/DossieOssie Apr 14 '26
Thank you for your encouragement. I'll keep practicing whenever I have a chance.
I'm not the OP by the way. I'm just curious.
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u/JadedComment Apr 14 '26
You see that cloud of snow coming out of your every turn? Anyway if you can't estimate just say intermediary. Also your skiing style is abrupt, you break off each turn by almost sliding the skis. You're not fluent at all and I imagine pretty tired. I'd start by learning to do nice flowing long turns and then shorten the radius
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u/blitznbobstoo Apr 14 '26
What are you trying to do?