Specific question about skiing switch..

A

Armanzoid

Active member
Its driving me nuts and i almost got it down but my carving is not up to par. When carving you slide one ski downhill to make the turn, do you need to slide the other one uphill or keep it where it was?
 
It is just like regular riding. Just look over the shoulder you want to turn and press hard. I feel it takes more pressure than riding regular, that could depend on your binding mount though. I do find that my outside ski does tend to slide up, but this is just natural with me. I do it going forward as well.

Just relax, don't think about it to much, and act like your riding straight.

 
2 key points-

1. There is always a lead change between turns. One ski will be in front of the other - should be your uphill ski, but when skiing switch this is sometimes difficult.

2. To accomplish a great lead change and allow your switch skiing to look smooth and effortless you need to alternate what shoulder you are looking over.

Find a rythym between using a shoulder turn to start your rotation and lead change between turns - It takes a little while, but once you get it right you can CARVE switch like nobody's business...

 
I never thought about the shoulders, i think thats been my problem. Cause I almost always look over right, and i could lead my right ski easily, but then i would have problems going the other way.
 
Spend sometime on big fat smooth cruiser trails just rolling from edge to edge switch...big shoulder turns and creating some big angles with your lower body.

Watching a great switch skier is fun, it just confuses the general public...and the same can be said about watching someone doing a highspeed reverse snowplow (it just makes the general public laugh)....

too bad more skiers don't spend the time to truely learn how to turn their skis
 
yes. i learned this way.

i also used to look over one shoulder. i learned how to over both and then when i went back to one shoulder, i could ski just fine.
 
I disagree, it does not look smooth to keep looking over both shoulders. When i hit jumps switch i look over my left because i spin left, for regular switch riding i look right. First Figure out what shoulder you are more comfortable looking over. Then try focusing on staggering your skis, when i am looking over my right shoulder i stagger my right ski 3-4 inches further downhill than my left. When i carve a left turn i will stagger the other way. This helps keep you balanced and it sets my hips better for turns.
 
I'm not the greatest switch rider, but lately I've gotten really comfortable carving, just not at super high speeds. In the beginning, i did the lamo reverse snowplow, but soon got out of that and would ride switch on semi-flat straits. Eventually I got comfortable doing that, and began to experiment with turning. I just guinea pigged it, and started leaning to the side i wanted to turn and felt waht my skis wanted to do. After winding up on my ass many many times. I started to get the hang of shifting my weight from foot to foot, and like it was said above, it's just like making turns riding normal. I only look over my left shoulder, and consequently,  when I turn to my right i can't lean as far over, but even that's getting smoother. Nothing makes me happier (yeah i'm an asshole) than when I see some gaper trying to make parallel turns, but still wedging a little, and then i pass by them carving smoothly switch.  
 
yeah just cruise some groomers to get it down. its sooo easy, once you just get the hang, you will be able to bomb shit. switch your head when you are turning.
 
i find looking over only one shoulder great if the trail is semi-busy or im heading into a jump, but for just carving, alternating shoulders is wayyy easier. My skis are staggered switch so that the outside one is a good 6 inches ahead of the inside one (opposite of skiing strait). Trying to look over my left shoulder and stagger skis with the right foot ahead is just awkward. Carving switch is easy if you alternate shoulders.
 
honsetly, i can ski switch pretty good and I dont alternate which shoulder I look over...I just do whats comfortable.
 
shoulder alternation is key to actual carving, but ill always be more comfortable looking over my left, and thats the way i spin switch.
 
Yes, and Yes^ to the post above.

You really should be able to look over both shoulders and ride switch...it's definitely the proper way to carve out big high speed turns.
 
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