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History Of Snow Skiing - A Close Look At The Last 20 Years
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If you look at the history of snow skiing over the last 20 years you will discover that the skills that have been taught have produced some major terrain limitations for recreational skiing. It is the unintended consequences of the last 20 years of our skiing history. To be a better skier you should understand what has been going on and what you can do to overcome the limitations.
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Do you ever wonder why
you have so many near-collisions on groomed runs?
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Have you noticed that 80+% of skiers spend most of their time on just the small 20% portion of the mountain that is groomed? Have you experienced standing on the side of a groomed run and being "buzzed" by a skier zooming by within a few feet of you at Mach 5 ... even though the run was 100 yards wide? Have you attempted a mogul run and quickly decided that it was time to get back to the comfort of a groomed run? Do you wonder why groomed runs are so crowded at many popular ski areas? We have a theory that explains what is going on. And that theory is rooted in the history of snow skiing and how the last 20 year history of snow skiing has dramatically changed the character of recreational skiing.
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Do you know why the last 20 year history of snow skiing
has made it harder for you to ski mogul and powder terrain? |
The history of snow skiing has its roots in racing and, over time, virtually all of the "heros" of the sport have been racers (e.g. Stein Erickson, Phil Mahr, Hermann Maier, Sarah Schleper, Bode Miller, Janica Kostelic, etc.). These racing "heros" have defined the standard for being "the best in the sport".
In the early 1980's the best racers discovered that they could go faster if they put their skis on edge and applied pressure to bend the ski. By doing so the ski produced less friction because it had less lateral displacement. The metal edge of the ski bit into the snow and screamed in an arc down the hill like a train on railroad tracks. This new technique became know as “carving”.
Recreational skiers from all walks of life decided that they should learn to carve so they could emulate what the "best of breed" of the sport were doing. This proved to be a daunting task, however, because it took a lot of practice and a lot of strength to bend a ski the way the experts did.
In the early 1990's, however, the game changed. Ski manufacturers came up with a brilliant idea. They designed a new type of ski which, for all practical purposes, was bent when it came out of the factory. All a skier had to do was tip the ski on its edge and then stand on the ski and the ski would easily bend and create an arc shape in the snow ... just like what the racers could do. This new type of ski had a name: a parabolic ski ... or what we now refer to today as a shaped ski. The era of easy carving had arrived.
As the history of skiing shows, carving became the rage and everyone got on the bandwagon. The industry found a new marketing concept with an exciting and fresh concept for skiers. It involved new equipment, new techniques and a new reason to take a ski lesson. Today, virtually all skis are shaped skis and the many have the word "carve" or "carver" on the graphics. Instructional articles on carving fill up the pages of ski magazines. Skiers show up at ski schools with the goal of carving better. Ski resorts spend millions of dollars preparing groomed runs. Over the last 20 year history of snow skiing, masses of skiers have become proficient carvers.
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We have become a nation of carvers and groomed run skiers ...
who find it difficult to ski moguls and powder |
The significance of all of this snow skiing history is that, when you look at the history of snow skiing in the USA, we have become a nation of carvers. And, as a by-product of our downhill skiing history, whether intended or not, we have become a nation of groomed run skiers.
How did this happen? When you look at the history of snow skiing it should not be a mystery. Remember, that carving is a racing technique ... a technique to produce increased speed. But, where do racers race? Answer: on smooth, groomed race courses.
Could it be that carving is a technique most appropriate for groomed runs? Could it be that the industry emphasis on carving during the last 20 years has produced a nation of carvers who ski well on groomed surfaces but run into trouble in the three dimensional terrain found off groomed runs? Could it also be that skiers, using carving techniques on prepared runs are skiing faster ... sometimes faster than may be appropriate for their skill level and their corresponding ability to control their speed?
And, that might be a good reason to think about the recent history of snow skiing, how this snow skiing history has limited our ability to ski the entire mountain and recognizing the advantage of learning a different and more appropriate technique to ski off groomed runs.
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Don't be shackled by snow skiing history -
you can become a confident mogul and powder skier in just 3 days
and
escape the overcrowded groomed runs
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To learn how to get off over-crowded groomed runs and to become more proficient skiing moguls and powder you can do three things:
First, go to the left side of this page and sign up for your FREE weekly Mogul and Powder Skiing Tips email Newsletter. The tips in this newsletter tell you how to become proficient in skiing techniques that will overcome the limitations imposed by our history of snow skiing and over-emphasis on carving.
Second, learn more about Aspen's unique mogul and powder ski lesson program. Download our PDF color brochure and get more details on the only program in the country specifically targeted to aging baby boomers who want to learn how to get off of over-crowed groomed runs and safely ski the entire mountain.
Third, take the most important step and sign up for the 3 day Aspen-based Bumps For Boomers mogul and powder skiing clinic. You can read more about this program and how it will open up the entire mountain for your skiing pleasure by giving you hands-on teaching techniques that will overcome the limitations from our history of snow skiing.
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While you are here, discover how you can make a
dramatic improvement In your skiing ...
by using the navigation tabs on the upper left of this page. |
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