The easiest way to carve (video tutorial)
Compact transitions will turn you into a better skier...
There are several correct ways to execute a turn transition on skis. Besides external factors such as, for example, steepness of the terrain, snow conditions or type of ski, the skier's intention plays a big role in this.
Your performance target determines which turn transition to choose from.
What do you want to show? How do you want to ski? What will you emphasise, and what will you avoid?
Personally, I prefer a COMPACT TRANSITION when carving. I like to ski aggressively and at the same time with elegance, striving for a maximum of control and balance.
The video below explains to you step by step how to tackle such a COMPACT TRANSITION. 👇
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With a compact transition, your centre of mass stays low (because it doesn’t rise) which improves your stability. Such an edge change is also more direct because you don't waste time & energy raising and lowering your body's centre of gravity again.
Before each edge change, I load the skis with as much energy as possible. I do this by progressively making the inside of my body lighter, with my inside leg flexing deeply. My outside leg remains extended to balance against centripetal force (=the force that wants to push you to the inside of the turn). Thanks to my stretched outside leg, I can resist this force.
Through the flexion of my inside leg, I can then determine the radius of my turn. After all, the more you bend the inside leg, the bigger your edge angle will become, and the shorter the skis will turn.
By obtaining a high edge angle, the skis are loaded with energy which we can manipulate to trigger a process of deflection at the apex of the turn (fall line). This deflection is what makes the skier move across the hill and creates a catapult effect, hurling you from one apex to the other.
My skis are maximally charged with energy at the apex of each turn, which sets me up for a turn transition that can benefit from deflection. After the apex, I flex my outside leg, so the skis can cross under my body for a compact transition, allowing me to move quickly onto my new edges.
The flexing movement is what sets the skis free again, almost effortlessly. On a sidenote, be careful to always flex the outside leg progressively... The rebound you get back from the skis must swing you across the hill without a sudden disturbance of balance. Remember: energy should always be managed to make your turns more powerful.
In short:
Move from 1 long and 1 short leg, to 2 short legs at the transition, and then again to 1 long and 1 short leg.
Hope this style of skiing inspires you like it has inspired me. âš¡
