Ha, you know, the only place I have ever heard the term athletic applied pejoratively is on this and one other forum. Who knew doing something Athletically was such a detriment? Jbotti, I don't understand what has put you on the defensive here or why your are so nettled by these posts. I haven't championed or criticized anyone's technique or style of skiing. I am not holding up any model of skiing to defend and promote over all others.
In fact, I am trying to get passed the endless debates and desire to criticize that pervades all discussions of skiing on many forums (but exists almost nowhere else in the ski world). And, I think, the majority of respondents here undertand that. If you don't like the videos presented or the basic notions of the discussion, well, then why watch/ participate in this thread at all? No one is forcing you.
Now, about this style of skiing, I had a few thoughts:
1. Some might say that, sure these guys are having fun, but it is in spite of their style of skiing. I'd say, the sort of fun they quite specifically seek out is made possible here because of their style of skiing. The way they approach skiing makes quite a few things possible. There is hacking your way through tougher than average terrain, and then there is the actual ability to PLAY within that terrain...these guys are an example (and by no means the most advance or capable example) of the latter.
2. Fun. Ok, I'll confess, I probably have the same knee-jerk reaction many here do when someone says 'I don't need technique, what's important is that I am having fun.' or something to that effect-'It's all about how much fun your having'. My initial response probably sound similar, I think, 'Man, skiing like that sure doesn't look fun to me' or, if I am feeling more generous (and sanctimonious) I say ' Well, with some hard work, focused training you could really increase the amount of fun that is capable to you.' And mostly, I think that claims of Fun are really an excuse to allow laziness in one's skiing development.
Except when I watch guys like this ski. Those who aspire towards a free-ski jibber model, really are maximizing fun and I am not sure that if they avidly pursued another style of skiing that they'd get more of the sort of enjoyment they seek out of skiing. I patrolled with a young guy named Justin for a while, and he never just skied a groomed run, he'd pop off 360's, find every lump and bump to pop off of, could on a dime, while skiing fast on steepish groomed runs, launch a 180 and ski switch for long segments (I have spent time trying to ski switch, it's not easy to do well, and it is fun). And he skied dang fast. He could carve, but he sure didn't seek that sensory experience out very often. He was a good sled runner, too. He really did maximize fun, and he had a clearly defined idea of what fun is: The Ability to play on any terrain, in any condition.
I also understand that many of us aren't really seeking high-level play as our goal. In truth, I suspect many of us (myself included) really don't work at skiing because it's 'fun' in any nominal sense, but rather we strive to gain competency (and hopefully one day 'mastery') that allows us to ski with a style/ technique we find appealing. The pursuit of this induces a certain elan when it has moments of success, and in the end, we seek to make our ski experience more fulfilling then fun.
Neither goal is more noble, or more worthy than the other. But depending on which you strive for, your skiing will reflect certain stylistic choices.
I am away for the weekend, but here are a few more videos
First Up: A quick blurb from the Meatheads (hey, Bushwacka, do you ski with any of these guys??). So let's say the guys in the first video really were great athletes, and they dedicated themselves full time to mastering that approach to skiing...this is how'd they look and how they would ski....I think you can all see why not having any biases against any movements are of value here. And, as our dear Bushwacka often points out-this sort of east coast terrain is harder than what that guy in the New Zealand free ski video was skiing---but look how much more control and yes,...wait for it.... FLOW (!!!) these guys (and gal) have. I love the Meathead films:
...and Here's one more of someone we all know, dare I say, he is the Godfather of this style in many ways. And he really, really does love the playful aspect of skiing. And he just recently narrowly escaped death when an avalanche crushed his tent while sleeping (a very tragic event I am sure most of you are aware of). Yep, It's Mr. Plake. I know it's become cache to slag on his skiing in some quarters, and I am sure we'll hear the dreaded 'Athletic' word used again to describe his style (God, Forbid, applying athleticism to skiing). But here is a fairly recent video of Mr. Plake: Just skiing along. I love the way he just slithers through the trees. I really love the 'Austrian style skiing' segment (that ankle flicking is very hard, and those that can do it, really can ski anywhere!). From after the 1 minutes mark :Look how much he gets out of skiing what is basically a green wrap-around cruiser. And how much play time he puts into every moment...and the foot-ballet stuff is just wonderful, I wish I could do it.
Again, much as I started saying in the beginning of this post, We all know about Glen Plake's very sincere, very powerful and very infectious love of skiing. I say that infectious, three decade long enthusiasm is because of his style of skiing, and not in spite of it.
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