Do you ski with style?

[East Coast Scott]

Or are you a robot

“I can clearly see somebody skiing with style,” legendary freestyler Glen Plake tells me when I call him one afternoon. “It sticks out like a sore thumb.” Most recognizable by his one-foot mohawk and his role in classic ski films like Blizzard of Aahhhs, Plake built a nontraditional career in front of the camera instead of on the racecourse, demonstrating equal prowess hotdogging down mogul fields and skiing freaky-steep big mountains. He is both icon and iconoclast, one of the most expressive athletes in one of the most stylish sports. But he says skiing isn’t the creative endeavor it used to be. “I think we’ve lost a lot of style,” he says. “Everybody looks like robots.”

Approaching Outdoor Sports with Steez and Flow

Fitness comes and goes. Allow Glen Plake to make a case for prioritizing style—that elusive athletic skill that endures.

www.outsideonline.com

 

[fatbob]

Sure - the movement of a big rusty tractor is stylish right?

 

[crgildart]

I believe the proper technical term is "steeze"

 

[ELDoane]

Funny you should bring this up. I seem to attract folks (to include today!) who want to "correct" my skiing and improve my technical abilities. Sometimes I smile and nod, other times my pride gets the better of me and I take a run with them to carve a few out and show I can do it. Every conversation starts the same. "You're a really good skier and I love how graceful you look out there. But, if you only (widened stance/toppled more/drove knee/yadda yadda) you'd be better." I always ask, "what do you mean by better?" I never get a good answer.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working on carving harder and getting cleaner on low snow days when I'm bound to the groomers. But, it's no substitute for finding that zen like state where you're just flowing with the hill. For me, that's out in the trees. For others, it's in the gates. That's why I love this sport. There's a million ways to find that flow and a million of us to each try our own way there.

I'm no pro, never pretend to be. But I think sometimes we run the risk of turning skiing into some sort of spreadsheet pursuit of ever improving numbers or ratings for their own sake. I've oft been labeled as a soul skier for my views on "correct" skiing. Sounds good to me. Plake is right on. We come this way once. What's the unique mark you want to leave on the mountain? More importantly, are you open to the mark it will leave on you?

 

[scott43]

Reminds me of "round is a shape, right?"

 

[newboots]

So well said, @ELDoane!

I would love to ski with flow, and style. Some day! My ex partner always complained that people lacked creativity in their skiing. He thought it came from “too many lessons.” Easy for him to say; he learned to ski at 4 by trying to keep up with his many older siblings and cousins! He did have quite a recognizable style, though. The only people I ever saw ski like that were him and his sister (PSIA III).

 

[tomahawkins]

My daily goal: Cheers from the lift without big air or excessive speed.

 

[fatbob]

So well said, @ELDoane!

I My ex partner always complained that people lacked creativity in their skiing. He thought it came from “too many lessons.”

There's definitely an overcoached style out there - usually seen IME in people who have learnt in later adulthood and taken lessons quite seriously (and possibly who are by the numbers type learners).

But the predominant style on slopes is usually undercoached self taught heaver.

 

[Scrundy]

Yes I do ski with style, always wear the most up to date jackets and pants and they even match. I even match my skis to my cloth, makes choosing the right skis easier.

 

[crgildart]

It all boils down to actual pole plants or side tippy taps..

 

[Bad Bob]

No style, no class, no skill; just a big grin.

 

[MattSmith]

I prefer to ski with Styles...

 

[Wilhelmson]

People tell me I look like Michael Jackson skiing so that’s good enough for me.

 

[fatbob]

People tell me I look like Michael Jackson skiing so that’s good enough for me.

Like a paedophile?




(sorry - too good a set up)

 

[Tex]

People tell me I look like Michael Jackson skiing so that’s good enough for me.

Can you ski backwards but make it look like you are sking forward?

 

[Tony Storaro]

Well, you need to define "style" first.

There is many dancing styles. There is Lord of the Dance and then there is Keith Flint from The Prodigy. I kinda subscribe to the latter.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Reminds me of "round is a shape, right?"

Or-Thank God for Tyson Fury! At last I can say I have a body of a boxing champion!

 

[jt10000]

Nobody wants to ski moguls or groomers anymore

Everyone’s skiing these big wide skis.

When people talk like this I can't help but wonder if it's more a reflection on their world and contacts. Everyone? Nobody? Really?

 

[Nobody]

Someone once told me I was skiing with "aplomb". Whatever that means...

 

[ThomasD]

If I have a style it's probably most noticeable when I'm in the trees. That's when I'm less concerned about any given technique and instead just using everything in the toolkit as the situation dictates.