Tai Chi Skiing

Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is right, wrong, or
indifferent, talking about skiing. I appreciate that somewhat rare
characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

"lal_truckee" wrote in message
t...
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is right, wrong, or
indifferent, talking about skiing. I appreciate that somewhat rare
characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm plus
straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

Its a minor point and I don't have any links at hand but I don't think Wayne
did ballet on 200c+ skis, did he?

lal_truckee wrote:
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is right, wrong, or
indifferent, talking about skiing. I appreciate that somewhat rare
characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

Yeah, and if they don't have the tails turned up, you may have a torn-up
knee. Don't laugh, an old ski patroller buddy of mine did just that.
Now he doesn't ski anymore and seems like an old man.

Norm wrote:
"lal_truckee" wrote in message
t...
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is right, wrong, or
indifferent, talking about skiing. I appreciate that somewhat rare
characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm plus
straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

Its a minor point and I don't have any links at hand but I don't think Wayne
did ballet on 200c+ skis, did he?

Not ballet, but the rest of the stuff he did. IIRC.

Last few days of the season I was skiing with a young looking guy who
was doing Royal Christies on long skis - you know: turning on the
outside edge of the inside ski with the outside ski held at right angles
behind your butt. Hard to keep up with him, but after awhile I was
getting right into it, holding the outside ski back (but I never could
get it crossways - too chicken.

Turns out the guy was 72, when we finally talked.

Vintage skis are good, like vintage wine, vintage cars, young beer.

VtSkier wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is right, wrong, or
indifferent, talking about skiing. I appreciate that somewhat rare
characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then
you've achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest
presented.

Yeah, and if they don't have the tails turned up, you may have a torn-up
knee. Don't laugh, an old ski patroller buddy of mine did just that.
Now he doesn't ski anymore and seems like an old man.

I'll have to watch out for that; but I don't recall catching a tail when
in the backwards phase of the stunt - sometimes a side edge when coming
around.

Actually I seldom do "spins" anymore (aside: I never heard the stunt
called a "spin" before taichiskiing called them that) not because it's
difficult, but because the overgrooming has taken away much of the
challenge of edge control and angulation, and there's better places to
ski (Ah, the deadly "Off Piste" raises its head - can't get away from it
even in posts completely peripheral to taichiskiing.)

On Jun 7, 9:13 am, lal_truckee wrote:
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is
right, wrong, or indifferent, talking about skiing. I
appreciate that somewhat rare characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Why, thanks for the good comments.


Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

That'll be quite an honor to be among the top ranks; nevertheless, my
previous "trick" skis were Rossi DV9 at 193cm, guess that won't do,
eh?

Thanks for the thread,
IS

On Jun 7, 11:00 am, VtSkier wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is
right, wrong, or indifferent, talking about skiing. I
appreciate that somewhat rare characteristic.

Thanks, taichiskiing.

Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.

Yeah, and if they don't have the tails turned up, you
may have a torn-up knee.

Yeah, but the turnup tail is more for skiing backward than for
spinning, and the turnup tail has little to do with or helping
spinning.

Don't laugh, an old ski patroller buddy of mine did just that.

It is no laughing matter; to get caught on the [tail] edge while spin
backward always causes a bad fall. The trick/secret of spinning lays
on where and when (somewhere between 180deg to 270deg, depends on the
speed) to switch the edges. And it is better to move/rotate the body
(de-edge) first before spinning the skis. Forcing a edged ski to
spinning is courting a disaster.

Now he doesn't ski anymore and seems like an old man.

Sorry to hear that, nevertheless, don't we all look like an old man
now?

'later,
IS

taichiskiing wrote:
On Jun 7, 11:00 am, VtSkier wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:
Offhand comment -
Let's not lose sight of the fact that taichiskiing is
right, wrong, or indifferent, talking about skiing. I
appreciate that somewhat rare characteristic.
Thanks, taichiskiing.
Now, about those spins: it ain't real unless you're doing it on 200cm
plus straight skis with no turnup in the tail. Do it thusly, then you've
achieved something on the fringes of what Wayne and the rest presented.
Yeah, and if they don't have the tails turned up, you
may have a torn-up knee.

Yeah, but the turnup tail is more for skiing backward than for
spinning, and the turnup tail has little to do with or helping
spinning.

Don't laugh, an old ski patroller buddy of mine did just that.

It is no laughing matter; to get caught on the [tail] edge while spin
backward always causes a bad fall. The trick/secret of spinning lays
on where and when (somewhere between 180deg to 270deg, depends on the
speed) to switch the edges. And it is better to move/rotate the body
(de-edge) first before spinning the skis. Forcing a edged ski to
spinning is courting a disaster.

Now he doesn't ski anymore and seems like an old man.

Sorry to hear that, nevertheless, don't we all look like an old man
now?

'later,
IS


Yes, turned up tails are for skiing backwards, however at some
point during a spin, whether or not you are actually moving in
reverse, you are in danger of catching your tails if you don't
have twin-tips.

My friend is a fat old man who can't get up out of a chair
very easily. He was such a cool guy not that many years ago.
His wife is still attractive and still skis like the instructor
she was 40 years ago. Feet tight together, very old school,
and VERY graceful and competent, though inactivity and high
blood pressure have taken their toll.

On Jun 8, 11:29 am, VtSkier wrote:
taichiskiing wrote:
......

My friend is a fat old man who can't get up out of a chair
very easily. He was such a cool guy not that many years ago.
His wife is still attractive and still skis like the instructor
she was 40 years ago. Feet tight together, very old school,
and VERY graceful and competent, though inactivity and high
blood pressure have taken their toll.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe they should really go out and ski more. I
ski every day as my daily exercise the past season, and I had my best
high blood pressure readings (below 130) since I started keeping track
of that number.

Unfortunately, now I still *have to* bump along with my rollerblades.

'later,
IS

When I first posted my skiing clips on the 'net, some people has asked
me if I learned the skiing from John Clendenin, because the bashing
tone, so I snapped back, John Clendenin who? No, I never met the guy.
Run across a link to his Aspen Method site the other day, (but I
believe it is down for the moment,)
http://www.aspenmethod.com/ski_instr...our_words.html,
and interesting to find there are some similarity in our views in
skiing, the following overview is what I lift from his page, and see
how we compare.

"Overview

At Camp with the Camps, we first introduce the concept of drifting on
soft edges."

That's my "slipping edges," if I'm not mistaken, given the "similar"
meaning in "drifting" and "slipping." "Slipping edges" produces
"slipping turns."
Actually, it is the first time I read a description of how to use the
edges (the direction of the edging force is given) instead of just the
term "edging" in the whole skiing industry.

"We learn to control our speed with turn shape avoiding the hard
ridges and troughs."

Yes, that's the "line-skiing."

"While drifting we find early centering on the uphill foot (little toe
edge)."

My "inside ski turn," partially.

"We use the pole touch to cue tipping and committing our center of
mass to our new intended drift (momentum). Pole touch is most
functional when our torso is facing and connected with our path of
momentum."

Oops, no "pole touch," nevertheless, square the torso to facing the
fall-line before the turn serves the same function.

"General debunking of mogul myths, or what we look for in all-mountain
skiing:

We encourage a stance that is as narrow as functionally possible."

Ok, feet together.

"We look for hands held comfortably in front of the torso (as if
holding a breakfast tray); not way in front or with hands held up
(with poles in a vertical position)."

Without poles, I hold my hands high, like holding a [big] picture
frame to view the scene in front of me. When properly executed, the
"scene" should not change much, even when traveling sideways.

"We encourage a tall stance in the boot; not pressing or resting
against the tongue of the boot."

I stand tall in the boot, push the shins against the tongue of the
boot, and push the boot to move/control the front part of the ski and
tip. And I "lean" on the tongue of the boot to rest my legs.

"Initially we encourage finding early balance on The up-hill ski; not
relying and hanging onto the big toe edge of the downhill ski (unless
for an Intended weighted release)."

Again, "early weight transfer," to "inside ski turn."

"We teach ski snow contact with avalement, absorbing terrain with the
whole body."

Right, absorb and extend through the moguls.

"We encourage soft, that is progressive, edge awareness; not hard (or
habitual) edges."

Yah, use edges only as needed--flatboarding.

"We use our four movements concept to create awareness of accurate
syntax. For example; "re-balance" not "weight shift"; edges defined as
big toe edge of downhill ski and the little toe edge of the up-hill
ski; NOT left or right or inside/outside.

"re-balance" not "weight shift"? Are they not the same?

Though John Clendenin and I may use different languages to describe
our skiing methods, but given the similarities mentioned above, we do
ski quite the same. Guess all high level skiing merge in the end.

Nevertheless, didn't find the link to his skiing videos to really see
how he skis, anybody got the link?

tia,
IS