Develop early angles while testing skis!

 

You can't cheat in "Pure Carved Turns" if you know this simple rule!

I often show my students how to determine if they are pivoting, hip thrusting, or extending too much into the new turn by showing them this very simple "tell".

This is a completion of the turn at the bottom of the arc that requires bending and or retraction of the feet and knees to link pure carved turns.

In this frame, the transition to the new edges has begun; the retraction is not yet complete of the lower or outside leg to match the knee bend of the upper leg.

Now the retraction is complete and during that process, the skis go flat to the snow.

Now we are at the "CRUX" of the matter. This frame tells you if you are truly carving or faking. If the tails of the skis go uphill at this point you pushed yourself out of the previous turn. Other reasons for the tails of the skis going uphill are, you used too much hip thrust to counter or you pivoted your feet while the skis were flat. If the tails follow the tips without a spray coming off the tails you have tipped your lower body properly into the next turn with your skis set on new edges and you have angles for the new turn.

The result is a purely carved turn with only two circular edge lines showing an arc in the snow.

 

Keep the uphill leg bent in transition, extending is the biggest errors skiers make!