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How to carve like Ted Ligety?

Tony Storaro

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IMHO, a 157 FIS will be more fun at SL speeds (quicker, livelier, feel faster), if you have the discipline to keep them at SL speeds then by all means get 157, but if you know will ski them at GS speeds on occasion, being too lazy to go change them out for a more high-speed suitable ski, best get the 165.

On the other hand if you do ski the SLs at high speeds, especially a shorter one, you're much more likely to end up hooking into the woods at high speed and dying when you hit a tree.

I have absolutely no intention to drive 157 ski at GS speeds. I need short skis for the days (vast majority so far this season) when it is so crowded that going at any real speed is a no no. These will be used for developing (to quote @KingGrump ) Mad Skillz :ogbiggrin: In the crowds the only way to get anywhere close to real carving is short radius ski. The shorter-the better. 12 meters is good, 11.5 will be better and I am already thinking-is there such thing as 3 meters radius. It is that bad.:roflmao:
 
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Tony Storaro

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If you think you needed a 165. Read this post by ScotsSkier.

Am I stronger than a woman World Cup skier? :geek: What kind of question is that? OF COURSE I am! I can take Lara Gut under one arm, Mikaela-under the other and walk a mile to the nearest hot tub if they promise to give me some …ahem…carving lessons…:ogbiggrin::ogbiggrin:
 

KingGrump

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I advise against skiing SL skis at SG or DH speeds, but you do you.

No one should be going SG or DH speed on a open public slope. It's totally irresponsible behavior. And gross stupidity without a full set up of B nets. :nono:
 

François Pugh

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Am I stronger than a woman World Cup skier? :geek: What kind of question is that? OF COURSE I am! I can take Lara Gut under one arm, Mikaela-under the other and walk a mile to the nearest hot tub if they promise to give me some …ahem…carving lessons…:ogbiggrin::ogbiggrin:
You might want to choose the 165 if you weigh a lot too. You are typically not on ice or an injected course on those crowded days, and you may appreciate the bigger platform.
 
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chilehed

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Interestingly your description is very similar to tournament style waterskiing (thread on this shortly) It's all about edge change from the cutting edge and being able to decelerate coming into the buoy or your flat fast and end up finishing the turn down course which makes you late the rest of the pass ending up in not running all 6 buoys

Here is Regina Jaquess the GOAT (in women's category)! Slo mo to see it happen. -32 off is a sick short line length and that's what she comes off the dock and and it only gets shorter each pass . Shorter the line the more difficult, harder the whip and the more punishing. Keep in mind the boat is on a cruise control and does not slow down at all. It's game on

Watch for the edge change -before the wake crossing your looking at the bottom of the ski (cutting edge) at the wake she releases the cut and now your looking at the top of the ski. The ski never goes flat. If you have ever skied the course you know this is very difficult to do. Can anyone tell us how to do this??

Oh my, that is absolutely MAJESTIC skiing! Look at how relaxed she is... gorgeous.
 

James

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Don’t forget WCup men had to be forced by rules to go to 165cm, minimum. Also, afaik, Zenhausern who’s like 6’7”, is on a 165.

There was a brief period in the early 2000’s. where WCup Sl was kind of a mini gs. Then ski length, and course sets I guess, changed.




 

Tom K.

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To the original question of how to carve like Ted Ligety, I'll add "be younger and more flexible than most of us on Ski Talk". :(

This season, especially, I notice that back and knee OA are limiting my "lowness" a bit, damn it -- despite rigorous stretching, core, and strength work. Sigh.
 
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cragginshred

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No one should be going SG or DH speed on a open public slope. It's totally irresponsible behavior. And gross stupidity without a full set up of B nets. :nono:
In Col other tourists mountains yes, however If you watch any of my YT vids you'll see mid week we have the local Mt to ourselves
 

KingGrump

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In Col other tourists mountains yes, however If you watch any of my YT vids you'll see mid week we have the local Mt to ourselves

I am at TSV all season. There are usually no one on the trail here neither. I still would not go 10/10 unless the trail is B-netted. There are lots of blind spots and unaware skiers out there when you least expect it. All you need is a minor F* up and someone goes home in a body bag.

Always remember it's a open public slope. If you can't stop at the end of a turn, you are skiing out of control and a hazard to the general public.

It's like driving 150 mph on an "empty" road in the middle of the night. BTDT. Doesn't make it right and/or smart. If you need speed that bad, track it.

1675958485354.png
 

François Pugh

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No one should be going SG or DH speed on a open public slope. It's totally irresponsible behavior. And gross stupidity without a full set up of B nets. :nono:
Not skiing fast is by far the safer option.

However, as far as I'm concerned you can ski as fast as you like so long as there is nobody in your spill zone. Empty slope - go for it, just don't wine about getting hurt if that happens. Your call. Call the tune; pay the piper.

Taking someone else out is a completely different thing. If there's a potential for a collision with another party, you need to shut it down, as regrettable as that may seem.
 

James

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Very interesting. Should be longer An hour just on the equipment.

Interesting that when they went to 35m, he softened his boots so he could flex more. I do remember doing freeze frames where he’s way out head by ski tips.
He also went from 2-4mm binding delta to flat to get more toe pressure. Technique wise, nothing much different, he thought the skis aligned pretty well with his technique. So really no changes.

Actually interested to check out the goggles. His partner went to MIT for business, and they worked with a lab there on lenses.
 

geepers

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Very interesting. Should be longer An hour just on the equipment.

Interesting that when they went to 35m, he softened his boots so he could flex more. I do remember doing freeze frames where he’s way out head by ski tips.
He also went from 2-4mm binding delta to flat to get more toe pressure. Technique wise, nothing much different, he thought the skis aligned pretty well with his technique. So really no changes.

Actually interested to check out the goggles. His partner went to MIT for business, and they worked with a lab there on lenses.

Also:
The work he put in to increasing strength and fitness for the 35m skis.
Willingness to share info with others - unlike some athletes he refers to.
Changes to GS courses from his day to today - now straighter, less offset.
His positive thoughts on CARV.
 

markojp

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No one should be going SG or DH speed on a open public slope. It's totally irresponsible behavior. And gross stupidity without a full set up of B nets. :nono:

But hyperbole and self-affirmation/aggrandisement are so much more interesting to share with the casual, certainly lesser skilled skiers here...
..
:roflmao:
 

Nobody

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I advise against skiing SL skis at SG or DH speeds, but you do you.
I would advise against skiing any SL skis at any speed higher beyond their intended one by project.
Last time I did, early morning on an empty slope, I hit an ice cookie and found myself literally shot in the air and head first into the safety net, which protected me from going headfirst into the woods btw. The cartwheeling into the net was spectacular, for those (friends who were skiing with me) who saw it, whereas I did not enjoy it in the least.
 

James

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Also:
The work he put in to increasing strength and fitness for the 35m skis.
Willingness to share info with others - unlike some athletes he refers to.
Changes to GS courses from his day to today - now straighter, less offset.
His positive thoughts on CARV.
Well he works for Carv…

He’s more technical and a tinkerer than I thought. Though, I really know little of these guys.
I would’ve liked to hear more about developing as a junior. I get the sense he was driven by skiing all over, and did lots of free skiing.

Also would be interesting to hear the changes in slalom from the early 2000’s to when the 165cm rule came in.

Or, get Bode and Ted to sit down, then Bode can be like , “in my day…” or “you had it easy…”
 

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