Demos

[h.harb]

Helluva said:

Exploring new extremes of those movements will take your skiing to new levels.

HH said:

All you get from "Exploring", is lost! And these people are so lost; they don't know where or how to get back.

I'm afraid "Exploring doesn't ever get you there". They have been exploring for decades and still can't ski.

It takes commitment, to real movements, that produce excellent skiing, and this isn't it.

[HeluvaSkier]

I'm afraid "Exploring doesn't ever get you there". They have been exploring for decades and still can't ski.

It takes commitment, to real movements, that produce excellent skiing, and this isn't it.

Have to agree there. The PSIA video shows little to no use of the skis... no ski performance at all. It would seem to me that this would occur to someone... maybe my expectations are too high. It wouldn't be the first time.

My comment was focused less on exploration and more directed at practicing correct movements in order to increase a skier's command of them. As you say, it takes commitment - part of which is pushing the boundaries of one's current command of real movements.

[A.L.E]

Cheer up PSIA it could be worse................golf cart anyone?

[Rick H]

I played the video and when it finished it said REPLAY. Nahhh I don't want to watch it again. Once was more than enough!

[h.harb]

Right Rick! Replay? For what reason, to figure out what movements don't work, and the ones not to use in your skiing.

This is what happens when you use a concepts based system, rather than a movement based system. PSIA is concept based. They think the concept of steering, rotary movements, edging (which they don't teach) and pressure control: blended correctly, directs skiers to expert levels. I think we just saw how expert you can become with perfection of these concepts!


PMTS is a movement based system, so we evaluate the movements a skier makes and we change the wrong ones , improve the OK ones and refine the good ones. Everyone knows where they stand and knows the next step, and has an idea of the outcome they want based on the instructors' skiing and the way the PMTS skiers in the advanced PMTS groups ski. All you have to do is come to a camp to realize it.

So we have the instructors that ski the way you want, the students that have achieved what you want and the progress that shows where you are headed. We have no concepts, we only have proof, facts and results, thanks for tuning in, HH.

[h.harb]

Come on ALE you are cruel picking on BASE, you mother nation, like that.

[A.L.E]

The Poms should have stuck to ski jumping, they were good at that.

[h.harb]

The Pomie ski instructors know about as much about skiing as Lucas "Prince of Darkness" knows about electronics. But the Swedes were very bad as well. I'm amazed at the Swiss, it was terrible. The French have a very affected style, where they lean in and swing the arms alternately. Very strange. All this makes the Canadian guy look good.

[h.harb]

So everyone on the Demo Team has a wedge entry, WOW, have we been teaching the wrong thing?

Perfect demo, the second guy is fully extending and the others are wedging, the American System in a nut shell.

The US Demo Team is not alone in the wedge skiing. It's an epidemic in all the National Demo Teams.They don't know how to ski parallel or make parallel short turns, it's as simple as that. Why would anyone want to take a parallel learn to ski lesson, from someone who can't make a parallel turn?

The reasons for this way of skiing are obvious; they all have the same teaching system. They all teach biomechnically the same methods. If you start with a wedge Christie and perfect it, you own it. All these countries do this. Sure they have different names and emphasis, but basically a wedge turn is a wedge turn and isn't it amazing how it sticks with you for the rest of your skiing life. Add in a little steering and rotary movements and you are demoing turns and movements like the ones posted here. And these are the best skiers in their respective nations at hiding the wedge.

The only system in the world that doesn't show this kind of wedge skiing or fall into this trap is PMTS. We don't teach a wedge, wedge Christie, steering or extensions. Aren't we thankful for that?

[serious]

What is the criteria to get into the national demo team?

[h.harb]

1. Sucking up for a long time.
2. Kissing ass is also important.
3. Coming to a major ski area, bowing and kneeling a lot to examiners.
4. If you are a girl, being flirty or perky.
5. Always telling the examiners they are right about what you are doing wrong.
6. Always telling the examiners they are making great turns. I think that comes under sucking up.
7. Oh yes, always tell the examiners or trainers that their last clinic was so good, you had a huge breakthrough in your skiing, even if you didn't understand a word he said.
8. Go to every clinic available.

That's how the organization works. I usually got a D- in these departments.

Please feel free to add other requirements.

[am-i-ghetto]

I’ve heard you need to be able to describe ideal teaching terrain for specific skills using the names of trails found at Vail.

[h.harb]

And the daily menu at Two Elks. And don't forget your $20 for a cheese burger.

[A.L.E]

I watched all those various Interski country's team demos on Youtube.

I know we continually criticise TT methods but it's still a bit of an eye opener to have such a comprehensive confirmation presented from these videos that ski school organisations around the world will by default produce crap skiers. Their best efforts are on display at Interski and most of them could only be described as crap "experts". There may be a few exceptions amongst the hundreds but it's clear from these videos that they have the same flawed basic movements. As a general picture they are all extending to release, skiing square and rotating upper bodies into the turn showing precious little CA, wide stance with heavy weighting of the inside ski, leaning, low inside hand and high outside hand producing no CB. Not to mention pathetic tipping and free foot managemnt. Sorry, I know I'm just stating the obvious to everyone on this forum.

Thankfully there were a couple of Koreans to ease the pain.

Just imagine the contrast with a dozen PMTS experts and Harald coming down the hill. The crowd of full cert ski instructors and examiners would of course recognise it as great skiing but they wouldn't be able to figure out the differences. In fact they would be thinking, "that's how I ski".

[h.harb]

In this day of DVDs, internet, You Tube and communication speed, you can't bu----it any more.

You can no longer fool those that don't want to be fooled.

Epic is still being fooled, many instructors are still being fooled, but skiers who want the real thing done right, can find where it is and see it for themselves.

I love the Internet, it has brought truth to skiing. I don't have to describe why TTS methods don't work, I can show them. I don't even have to show them, they show it every time they get on video and it goes up on the Internet. I don't think you'll be seeing anymore Epic Ski camps on You Tube.