With regards to looking at video of other skiers.
MA = Movement Analysis
It is literally the analysis of movements being made. The best coaches I know for a variety of sports MA the top athletes to see what they are doing. Intent doesn't come into play unless you move from MA to providing feedback.
I agree with that perspective. And Jim's, where he points out that if you post video of your skiing in order to demonstrate "how to" and publicize your "product", then others analyzing your skills should be expected.
Now, whether one agrees with the MA done, is where differing paradigms come into conflict.
The Section 8 guy looked smooth, but even I could see his backseat position in some of the video. I know I am almost never in control when I feel that happening to me.
To be fair, the snippets of video were so short, it was hard for me to really get a clean look at his turns.
There are times when he is aft on his skis, but it is not the same as 'getting in the back seat'...in fact, in the bump video he states that he intentionally pushes his feet in front of him for part of the turn. 'Backseat', to me, refers to when the skier has lost some control of his skis and cannot catch up with them due to a diminishing level of balance. The canadians (section 8 and other videos I've seen) seem to favor pretty dramatic fore-aft adjustments through turns in off-piste/ bump terrain. As you note, he remains smooth, and I'd say he has no trouble skiing a tight, fairly dynamic line in steep and bumpy terrain and is generally 'aft' and has little trouble reining in his skis through the belly of a turn. ' 'Bushwacka would say he needs to open it up even more for us to really know what his technique is about, and maybe he's right---but I'm impressed with the level, speed, and line chooice his displays in these videos.
More Pointedly, 'Being Backseat' means you are out of balance (and hence less control), being aft is a conscious move and implies being balanced over a different part of the ski (and it's a position that usually describes a phase of one turns and not a whole approach to skiing--certainly not in these videos).
Eric Deslaurier, in his Ski the whole mountain book, has a couple of great photos where he points out the a skier may look aft but relative to the pitch of the slope and depth of snow, is actually more centered than the casual eye can detect.
There was actually a debate recently over on Epic comparing the SVMM mogul guys vs. some CSIA level 4 guys in moguls-the SVMM pointed out that they felt the Cannucks where all to aft and back seat during too much of their turns in moguls, the CSIA guys argue that progressive adjustments to fore aft balance (where Aft is as ok as Fore depending on intention) enabled them to ski a more dynamic line. And that the 'forward at all costs' was limiting in bumps and off piste terrain.
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