Ski (stance) width and tail wash question

[bluefish]

Let me say I recognize without video to demonstrate the two questions I pose may be difficult to answer but I shall ask anyway! Skiing with my daughter this morning on soft packed powder after this weekend's late season 36" dump in Maine, she noted my skis tend to be narrower than my pelvis width which she surmised may prevent me from creating greater angulation on my skis than if my ski width were a little more in line with the width of my pelvis. I would welcome discussion on this point and any suggestions for wider ski width drills would be appreciated as well.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

 

[Noodler]

Foot distance while skiing?....

I've heard two main ideas from instructors: a) Hip width apart b) Approx. one boot width apart (so close to hip width, but tighter it seems when standing this way) Which one do other instructors recommend?

www.skitalk.com

 

[KingGrump]

Ski width is the width of your ski. Usually the width of the ski waist. What you are referring to is your stance width. Lateral separation.

Too close of a stance usually are remnant from the old straight ski days.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

Most skiers have excessive "push" at the bottom of the turn. Left over from the often used windshield wiper turns during their beginner/intermediate days.

 

[dbostedo]

What you are referring to is your stance width.

I added "Stance" to the thread title to help with that.

 

[bluefish]

Yes, thank you for the correction in words. Stance width. Is tail wash due to not finishing the turn?

 

[KingGrump]

Yes, thank you for the correction in words. Stance width. Is tail wash due to not finishing the turn?

The tail washing out could be due to several reasons.
The most likely is too much push on the tail. Overloading the edge grip. That is usually accompanied by weight being back at the bottom of the turn. A more neutral stance and allowing the ski to travel "forward" more to finish the turn will help. It's often in the turn shape.

 

[freeskier1961]

Does not allowing ski to travel forward load the tails?

 

[Bad Bob]

Increased pressure on the inside ski can be a common reason for the outside tail to wash out. Can go hand in hand with weight back at the end of a turn and or rotation of the upper body in the bottom 1/2 of the turn.
That should be just as clear as mud.

 

[geepers]

Weight too far forward can also lead to washing out of the tails.

Just out of interest... your daughter seems to be making good observations of your skiing. Is she a ski instructor by any chance?

 

[stevo]

she noted my skis tend to be narrower than my pelvis width which she surmised may prevent me from creating greater angulation on my skis than if my ski width were a little more in line with the width of my pelvis. I would welcome discussion on this point and any suggestions for wider ski width drills would be appreciated as well.

Need to see photo or video to say anything useful. I doubt your width is too narrow though if there is any space between your legs and feet.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

Since you said the edges are washing out after the apex, I would not label that as tail pushing per se, that is ineffective edging late in the turn. Tail "pushing" in my view usually happen above the apex.

Some ideas have been given so far, but photo or video is really needed to say definitively why your edging in the second half of the turn is not sufficient, there are various different things that could potentially cause that outcome including loss of balance to the inside and other reasons.. my money would be on the liklihood you are out of balance to the inside, but that can happen also as a result of particular movements happening or not happening, so we'd need to see video to really diagnose the reason.

 

[bluefish]

She is a U16 ski racer. I'll see if I can get some video up.

 

[Rod9301]

Let me say I recognize without video to demonstrate the two questions I pose may be difficult to answer but I shall ask anyway! Skiing with my daughter this morning on soft packed powder after this weekend's late season 36" dump in Maine, she noted my skis tend to be narrower than my pelvis width which she surmised may prevent me from creating greater angulation on my skis than if my ski width were a little more in line with the width of my pelvis. I would welcome discussion on this point and any suggestions for wider ski width drills would be appreciated as well.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

Your feet should be fairly close together, this will prevent you from putting weight on your inside ski.

 

[KingGrump]

Does not allowing ski to travel forward load the tails?

Not if the skier moves forward with the skis.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Ski Stance, loaded question. There are several good threads on this but in short.

Wide, stability, motion limited, reaction limited.

Narrow, nimble, reactive, potentially unstable.

Sometimes what appears to be a wide stance is actual very narrow.

The trick is finding the best stance at a particular moment and not being limited by a preconceived idea of an ideal stance.

Here is a good example of different stances doing the same thing.

 

[dj61]

Let me say I recognize without video to demonstrate the two questions I pose may be difficult to answer but I shall ask anyway! Skiing with my daughter this morning on soft packed powder after this weekend's late season 36" dump in Maine, she noted my skis tend to be narrower than my pelvis width which she surmised may prevent me from creating greater angulation on my skis than if my ski width were a little more in line with the width of my pelvis. I would welcome discussion on this point and any suggestions for wider ski width drills would be appreciated as well.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

Problem may not be stance width but the lack of vertical separation. How independent are your legs when you ski? Tails washing out often indicates that you are too far forward towards the end of the turn.

 

[bluefish]

Too far forward in terms of ?

 

[dj61]

Too far forward in terms of ?

in terms of your ski tails washing out?

 

[bluefish]

Yes, just want clarification on what "too far forward" refers to exactly.

 

[GB_Ski]

Let me say I recognize without video to demonstrate the two questions I pose may be difficult to answer but I shall ask anyway! Skiing with my daughter this morning on soft packed powder after this weekend's late season 36" dump in Maine, she noted my skis tend to be narrower than my pelvis width which she surmised may prevent me from creating greater angulation on my skis than if my ski width were a little more in line with the width of my pelvis. I would welcome discussion on this point and any suggestions for wider ski width drills would be appreciated as well.

Second, she noted my entry into the new turn was clean but past the turn apex my tails were washing out suggesting I am tail pushing. Not sure if this is a braking mechanism learned someplace in the past or something else. I would also welcome discussion on this point. Thanks!

Narrow stance is easy to diagnose. Your tail could be washing out because you are staying too forward (the classic: crush the boot tongue). So, by the end of the turn, your skis aren't tracking the carve initiated by the tip because of lack of force. To fix that, simply relax your shin pressure and let the entire ski follows the tips.

 

[dj61]

@bluefish exactly this