Technique for the chopped up powder mid-day

03gade

03gade

Member
Hello all,

I know there's a ton of articles and videos about skiing powder and chopped up powder, but I want to ask about it in a detailed manner.

So I just got back from a pow day and the front of my thighs are sore, to which the remedy is "don't lean so far back." But don't you HAVE to lean back to some degree to get some float out of your skis, especially when the pow gets chopped up? I read about the whole bouncing up and down technique to keep your weight balanced and float better...which seems to work in untracked pow but not when you are skiing through chop. I feel like you have to sit a bit back seat just to keep your tips up and absorb going from fresh pow to tracked out stuff and back.

I was on sick day 110s but i feel like even on a ski like that if you just drive forward you are still going to bury the tips.
 
13779840:eheath said:
Absorb bumps/chunder with your legs, charge hard and let the ski do its job.
Click to expand...

I second this. It's often easier to ski through the crud when going faster rather than slower especially with a charging ski.
 
^yep

takes a bit to get used too, you kind of have to let your knees go a little loose while also staying forward at the same time.
 
Alright, well next snow storm I guess I'll just go faster. I just moved out west so I'm new to powder skiing. It's been an interesting combination of fumbling my way down the mountain, then getting to the cat track and then having no problem arcing turns.
 
Flex your toes up in your boots to keep your tips up. There's also a technique to leaning juuuuuuust slightly backwards. But going fast helps almost always. Seriously.
 
Candide said that to ski through bumps you have to be like a kangaroo, which is basically what has been said. The thing that is making your legs sore is when you try to slow down too much. So stay comfident and don't slow too much, but sking chopped/bumpy powder will makes your legs sore anyway.
 
topic:03gade said:
Hello all,

I know there's a ton of articles and videos about skiing powder and chopped up powder, but I want to ask about it in a detailed manner.

So I just got back from a pow day and the front of my thighs are sore, to which the remedy is "don't lean so far back." But don't you HAVE to lean back to some degree to get some float out of your skis, especially when the pow gets chopped up? I read about the whole bouncing up and down technique to keep your weight balanced and float better...which seems to work in untracked pow but not when you are skiing through chop. I feel like you have to sit a bit back seat just to keep your tips up and absorb going from fresh pow to tracked out stuff and back.

I was on sick day 110s but i feel like even on a ski like that if you just drive forward you are still going to bury the tips.
Click to expand...

Should never lean back in any condition unless it is flat, centered stance will always be more powerful in chop.
 
keep your hands up, in front of you ... like you are going to fight someone ... in fact, you are fighting someone, you a fighting the chunder... this will help keep you in a more balanced body position, so you don't feel like you have to lean back so far
 
I usually just stay crouched and keep my center of gravity low so I don't flip over. Then I just try to pop off of big chucks so I can get air and not be constantly getting bumped around on the ground. It s a good leg workout.
 
Tired legs are pretty normal after a full day of skiing, especially if you're riding cut up snow for the second half of the day. I only skied two hours this morning and I'm plenty tired, but it's also the fifth day of an 80 inch storm cycle, so pretty shot from the previous four days too. Talk about first world problems...
 
I strongly believe that 6-12 inches of tracked-out crud is the most difficult kind of snow to ski. it tires you out like crazy and is nearly impossible to look good through an entire top-to-bottom run

staying forward really is the key though. every once in a while you gotta go backseat to save yourself when you get moving too fast, but you can stay at a controlled speed by really flexing into the front of your boots and picking a good line. you'll nosedive a lot at first, especially if you don't have the strongest legs/ankles, but it gets (a little) easier over time

also, properly-fitted boots go a long, long way. if there's ever a time when i notice my boot's instep is a little too big for my foot, it's midway down a crud run towards the end of the day
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I truly thought if you don't lean back your skis are just going to sink in. I'll charge harder next time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top