realskiers

While on the topic of skiing well off piste (and I will add the disclaimer that everyone knows that I am a dedicated PMTS student), I will say that that having a quality SRT turn that holds up in all terrain is what every good skier has. I will also say that it is clear that Harald Harb does not need to teach you for a skier to have a quality SRT. There is an amazing ridge in Montana where I ski. It has 40-45 degree pitch in areas. The lift that gets you back to it gives a great view to the ridge for 8-10 minutes. Every time I sit on that chair I watch the skers coming down. Those that ski it well have a SRT that enables them to stay in motion and control their speed in this difficult terrain. Those that don't have to stop alot or do long traverses to bleed off speed. I can also tell you that when you have a decent SRT, the whole experience of skiing off piste changes.

Again not saying that HH is the only place to learn a SRT, but I will say that I think that this is a major flaw in traditional ski instruction in that they aren't tecahing a parallel SRT that holds up in all conditions. I have a good friend who is a PSIA level 2 and a pretty solid skier. But when he gets in steep terrain he has to traverse much more becaiuse he has never developed a SRT that he can use in difficult terrain.

Many of the people being talked about are actually teaching some form of a quality SRT. I think JC clearly is (no direct experience) and possibly some of the others being mentioned (I have no first hand experience).

The only point I would make is if you are skiing off piste and you can't make solid SRT's then getting one that works and holds up (from whatever instructor or book you choose) is definitely the fastest way to improve. I work on them every day that I ski. I always work on them on easier off piste terrain first and try to dial them in. Then I go to dark blue terrain and work on them .Then I go to black terain and see how they hold up and then I do my best with them in double black terrain. If they are not holding up I go back to where they will hold up. And I always ask, what is breaking down. It usually comes down to the most basic flaws like rotating my upper body to help initiate the turns in steep terrain. Again we see this in all good skiers. They don't rotate to initiate turns and they have solid SRT's in all conditions.

Again with my bias, I do think that Harald Harb has put together a great set of drills and exercises that tecah and refine the SRT until as he says it is "bulletproof". But clearly Harlad, and Drills are not for everyone and that is what makes every horse race.

Now maybe if Ron and Gary make it to Montana this season we can all have some fun making SRT's together.