Why do so many powder skiing videos look like stem turns?

[Magikarp]

I don't get to ski a lot of powder but I've always wondered about this. Below is an example. Is it just the perspective of the video or the nature of the terrain?

The few times I have been fortunate enough to ski powder, I feel that you can get away with slightly poorer technique and that maintaining speed matters more.

 

[mdf]

I think it is because it is narrow, not because it is powder.

 

[cantunamunch]

I think it is because it is narrow, not because it is powder.

We should set @LiquidFeet on them

#correctthinking

 

[Jilly]

Liquidfeet (and myself) would need to see the rest of the body to determine for sure what's going on.

But, yes the pitch of the slope is rather steep. I wouldn't call it stem, but lack of edge control. Watching the video on Instagram the downhill ski on both turns wedges out.

 

[Tony S]

I don't get to ski a lot of powder but I've always wondered about this. Below is an example. Is it just the perspective of the video or the nature of the terrain?

The few times I have been fortunate enough to ski powder, I feel that you can get away with slightly poorer technique and that maintaining speed matters more.

View attachment 181826

You're just not watching the right videos. For starters, anything POV is suspect out of hand. (And utterly useless, as Jilly points out, for technique analysis.) There is no quality gate on YouTube.

 

[Rod9301]

It's the lack of control of the inside ski, ie it should be edged and held back, and the turn initiated with tipping the old downhill ski.
Doing this will make sure the skis are parallel.

 

[KingGrump]

That's powder?

 

[François Pugh]

Well, you may not see what the body is doing, but you can see the skis. The outside ski is coming around, I assume to control speed. Looks like the inside ski is being very lazy. Maybe he or she just has a lazy inside leg habit; maybe too tired to bother moving it; maybe deliberate snow plow for speed control; maybe he spent too many days in a gliding wedge.
Would be a great line to bomb, IF you had a spotter at the exit.

 

[Bad Bob]

Won't diss anybody's skiing in powder. They are skiing and I am not. From that angle you cannot reference their SEG and that is all that really matters (Sh($ Eating Grin).

Will be very envious though.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Below is an example. Is it just the perspective of the video or the nature of the terrain?

I could easily be perspective. The skis could be parallel but look wedged. Like so...

 

[Tony S]

I could easily be perspective. The skis could be parallel but look wedged. Like so...
View attachment 181844

Huh. Seriously? This never occurred to me.

 

[fatbob]

That vid has nothing to do with powder and everything to do with consequences of the terrain. Sticking the turns way more important than perfect textbook visuals.

 

[Tony S]

That vid has nothing to do with powder and everything to do with consequences of the terrain. Sticking the turns way more important than perfect textbook visuals.

True.

 

[Castle Dave]

Check out my wife's skis close together forming a single platform. Her body provides angulation much like an airplane banks a turn. This was necessary because the powder was bottomless and had nothing to edge on.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Huh. Seriously? This never occurred to me.

POV videos often show slightly wedged skis. I've wondered if the lens creates that effect

 

[cantunamunch]

POV videos often show slightly wedged skis. I've wondered if the lens creates that effect

I don't think I can create that with my phone even with my big additional fisheye lens on it; I don't see the telephone poles in your graphic as wedging at any time so I am highly favouring @Tony S ' original diagnosis of 'POV video *retch*'

 

[François Pugh]

I could easily be perspective. The skis could be parallel but look wedged. Like so...
View attachment 181844

Maybe you would see that, if the skis were a few miles longer.

 

[mdf]

Not perspective, but lens distortion. (Google barrel / pincushion) But then I would expect the skis to look curved.
So I think the stem is real, and it's just fear rushing the transition. [Not claiming I wouldn't do the same thing in that chute, but I'd try not to.]

 

[cantunamunch]

But then I would expect the skis to look curved.

I agree with you -


but we might not notice subtle curve of a bent ski against white background, especially since skis have...whatever the opposite of entasis is.

 

[Rod9301]

That vid has nothing to do with powder and everything to do with consequences of the terrain. Sticking the turns way more important than perfect textbook visuals.

Speed control would be easier with controlling the inside ski. If you don't, the hips are not aligned properly, counteracting not happening.