HOW TO SKI IN ALL CONDITIONS | 5 Turn Types

Summary

Ski instructor Yusuke shares five key turn types every versatile skier should master to adapt to changing snow conditions: carved medium-long turns for groomed corduroy, rhythmic short turns to control speed on steep narrow runs, dynamic mogul turns using the hips to absorb bumps, stivot turns combining steering and carving for speed control on groomed steeps, and playful powder turns using the ski design and vertical momentum to float through deep snow.

Takeaways

• 😀 There are 5 main turn types a versatile skier should master: carved turns, short turns, mogul turns, stivot turns, and powder turns.
• 👌 Carved turns allow you to control speed on groomed slopes. Avoid moving your upper body downhill too quickly.
• ⚡ Short turns help control speed on steep/narrow slopes. Remember to flatten skis to create enough steering angle.
• 🤸‍♂️ Mogul turns require using your hips to absorb bumps while keeping ski tips in contact with the snow.
• 🔀 Stivot turns combine steering and pivoting. Tip skis to grip snow then carve out the turn.
• ❄️ Powder turns use the ski design and momentum to float through deep snow. Avoid turning skis too much.
• 🤝 Comment to share other turn types for improving versatility.
• 👍 Hit 'like' and 'subscribe' if you find the video helpful.
• 🔔 Hit the bell to receive notifications about new videos.
• 🗻 The versatile skier can adapt their technique to suit different snow conditions.

Q & A

What are the 5 main turn types that skiers should know?

The 5 main turn types discussed are: carved medium/long radius turns, short turns, mogul turns, stivot turns (a blend of steering and pivoting), and powder turns.

When would you use carved medium/long radius turns?

Carved medium/long radius turns are good to use first thing in the morning on nicely groomed corduroy when you can go fast and feel in control.

What is a common mistake people make when trying to carve turns?

A common mistake is moving the upper body downhill or inside the turn too quickly, causing loss of pressure on the outside ski.

When would you use short turns?

Short turns are good for steeper or narrower terrain where you want to control your speed and stay in control going down the hill.

What should you focus on to make good mogul turns?

For good mogul turns, focus on actively using your hip joint to tip the skis downhill and extend your legs back from the hip joint when hitting bumps.

What is the key to a good stivot turn?

The key is steering slightly at the start then carving the second half of the turn. Sideslip exercises can help improve edging and carving skills.

What skis work best for powder turns and why?

Powder skis with wide tips, narrow waist, and wide tails work best to let you float on top of the powder and sink vertically into it.

What common mistake do people make in powder?

A common mistake is trying to turn the skis too much, when the surrounding powder resists the skis turning too far.

Where is the presenter Yusuke based?

Yusuke is based in Wanaka, New Zealand and Niseko, Japan.

How can you improve as a versatile skier?

Ways to improve include mastering different turn types for different conditions, using proper technique, and being open to feedback and new ideas.

Outlines

00:00

😄 Introducing the Five Turn Types for Versatile Skiers

The speaker Yusuke introduces himself as an examiner and technical team member for NZSIA based in New Zealand and Japan. He shares five turn types that versatile skiers should use - carved medium/long radius turns for nice smooth flow on groomed corduroy, short turns for steep/narrow terrain to control speed, dynamic mogul turns for bumpy/tracked out terrain using hip joint flexibility, stivot turns combining steering and carving for good speed control on groomed steep terrain, and playful powder turns using ski design and momentum to float through deep snow.

05:02

😃 Tips for Mastering Each Turn Type

For carved turns, focus on stable upper body when changing edges to keep pressure on outside ski. For short turns, make a steering angle to grip the snow before turning too quickly. For mogul turns, absorb bump impacts by closing hips but open hips to keep tip contact. For stivot turns, start with sideslip to grip snow before carving the second half. For powder turns, use momentum and ski design to float instead of over-turning.

Keywords

💡turn types

The video focuses on teaching 5 main turn types in skiing: carved turns, short turns, mogul turns, stivot turns, and powder turns. Each turn type is suited for different snow conditions and terrains, allowing a versatile skier to adapt their technique as needed.

💡carved turns

Carved turns involve using the edges of the skis to grip the snow and create clean arcs. They are best suited for groomed corduroy early in the day when the snow is smooth. Common mistakes include moving the body downhill too quickly.

💡short turns

Short turns are rhythmical, small turns used to control speed on steep and narrow terrain. They require patiently gripping the snow before twisting the skis. Common mistakes include turning the skis too quickly without establishing grip first.

💡mogul turns

Mogul turns are dynamic, athletic turns used on bumpy, mogul fields. Good mogul turns require active use of the hip joint to absorb impacts while maintaining ski tip contact with the snow.

💡stivot turns

Stivot turns combine steering at the start with carving at the end for speed control on groomed steep terrain. Mistakes include turning the skis too much or too little, losing the carved feeling.

💡powder turns

Powder turns utilize the design of powder skis allowing a floaty, playful feeling in deep snow. Mistakes come from trying to turn too sharply rather than using the skis' momentum through the powder.

💡ski design

Understanding ski design, like the rockered tip and tail and narrow waist, is key for certain techniques like powder turns. The design helps the ski float and maneuver in soft snow.

💡edge control

Properly engaging and controlling the edges of the ski, through angulation and weighting, is fundamental for most turn types. Lack of edge control leads to slipping and loss of control.

💡alignment

Keeping the body aligned over the base of support (the skis) is important for balance and control. Letting the upper body get too far inside or downhill is a common mistake.

💡adaptation

The overarching message is that skiers must adapt their technique by utilizing different turn types to match the variable snow and terrain conditions.

Highlights

We need ability to adapt ourselves to whatever the condition when skiing

Carved medium to long radius turns are good for nicely groomed corduroy early in the day

Common mistake carving is moving upper body downhill too quickly, losing pressure on outside ski

Short turns are good for steep, narrow terrain to control speed

Common mistake in short turns is turning skis too quickly without creating grip

Tip for good short turns is flattening skis to create steering angle and engage edge early

Mogul turns use active hip joint to tip skis, common mistake is not extending legs after bump impact

Stivot turns combine steering start with carved second half for speed control on groomed terrain

Powder turns use ski design and vertical/lateral momentum, mistake is turning skis too much

Powder turns float on wide tip/tail and sink on narrow waist using leg flexion

These aren't the only turn types, share your thoughts to help others improve

Carved medium to long radius turns are good for nicely groomed corduroy early in the day

Tip for good short turns is flattening skis to create steering angle and engage edge early

Stivot turns combine steering start with carved second half for speed control on groomed terrain

Powder turns float on wide tip/tail and sink on narrow waist using leg flexion

Transcripts

We need ability to adapt ourselves to whatever  the condition that we are skiing on, whatever  

the condition that mother nature gives you ,so you  can make the most out of your day on the mountain.

G'day everyone ,welcome to beautiful  Treble Cone, my name is Yusuke,  

I'm an NZSIA examiner as well  as a technical team member.

I'm based in here Wanaka New Zealand and  Niseko Japan. Today I'd like to share with  

you the five different turn types that I  believe the versatile skier should have  

in their pocket that they can pull out to the  conditions, wherever mother nature gives you.

So the first thing we're going  to be looking at is our carved  

medium to long radius turns. We like to use this turn type  

first thing in the morning on the beautiful  corduroy when it's really nicely groomed,  

you can go fast and get the control and feel the  force on your outside ski and feel the nice flow.

So when we try to carve the turn, the common  mistake is often we move our upper body  

down the hill or inside of the turn too quick  and we lose the pressure on the outside ski. 

So to improve your carving turn, the focus  will be nice stable upper body especially  

when you're changing the edge from the one set  to the next set of edges, make sure your belly  

button the center of gravity is over the  base of your support which is your skis.

So the short turn looks like nice rhythmical small  turns and we like to use short turns when you're  

on the steeper terrain or the narrow terrain  the way where you want to control your speed  

going down the hill, and the short turn will  be successful by making a nice steering angle  

at the start of the turn, be patient to grip your  outside ski before you twist your skis too quick. 

Mistakes we tend to make is that we turn the  skis too quick as it's called short turns then  

we tend to make the turn too short that we don't  create the nice grip at the start of the turn. 

Tip to make a short turn good, is to make sure  you flatten the skis because the ski naturally  

gets the angle as you are on the steep terrain,  so you need to flatten the skis in order to  

make a steering angle of your skis to  engage your outside ski early in the turn.

Mogul turns look like very dynamic athletic  rhythmical short turns over the bumps,  

we like to use this turn type when  it's very bumpy mogly or tracked out,  

and what makes this turn type successful is that  active use of the hip joint especially when we  

want to tip the skis down the hill. The common mistakes we often make  

is because we get a lot of impact as you hit  the mogul and then you forget to extend your  

legs back especially from the hip joints. So my tip for mogul turn is to make sure you  

when you hit the bump we need to absorb  the impact closing your hip joint but as  

you go over the bump, we want we don't  want to lose the contact of the tip  

with the snow, so we open our hip joint so we can  keep the tip of the skis contact with the snow.

All right so this turn type called stivot turn,  it's made up word of the steering and the pivot  

turn. So what this is is that you're going to make  a little bit of steering at the start of the turn  

and you want to carve the second half of the  turn and this turn is really good when you're  

going down a nice groomed terrain, you're in high  speed a little bit steep but you can get a good  

speed control at the start, and you can shape the  turn in the size you like. The common mistake with  

make, is we turn the skis too much or we don't  turn the skis and the skis are too flat that  

you're sliding across the hill too much and you  don't get that nice carving feeling at the end. 

My tip will be to do some exercise like  side slip to tip the skis to grip the snow  

and get that nice feeling of side sliding to grip  

and then put that into the top of your  turn as you're moving across the hill,  

side sliding a little bit tip the ski and carve to  get the nice dynamic feeling of the carving turn.

So this turn type we are looking at is a powder  turn, it's a really nice floaty playful turn type,  

obviously we don't have powder here today but you  know i'm from Japan so I wanted to share this idea  

with you today arguably my favorite turn type. This turn type can be successful if we have a  

good understanding of the ski design why the  tips wide, narrow waist and the wide tail,  

especially on the powder skis if you look at  them, and also use that nice momentum through  

the powder. So common mistake what we often make  is that we try to turn the skis too much as the  

powder around the skis resists your skis to turn  too much but gives you nice sinking and up and  

that motion, so we tend to turn too much and that  makes us unsuccessful in powder turn. So in the  

powder turn as i said it's a nice floaty bouncy  turn we want to use the wide tip and wide tail  

to hold the snow and the narrow waist to sink down  so we ark vertically as well in the snow as well  

as laterally, and use that nice momentum going up  and down and use the nice flexion of your legs to  

come up on the ski up on the snow, feels the  good flow that makes your powder turn successful.

So all the turn types that I shared with you  today are not the only turn types that you can  

make yourself better skier the versatile  skier there are many other ways to make  

yourself a good skier and if you have any good  thoughts please comment below we'd love to hear  

your opinion as well, and if you like this  video please hit like and subscribe and hit  

the bell mark as well to get the notification and  hopefully I'll see you skiing powered in Japan