Message #21408

[Liam]

Even Deslaurier says there is a time for hopping...now, he does build a " pedal-hop" turn that uses similar mechanics as HH (early weight shift, etc) but you have to pivot in the air at some point.

To say you'd 'never' need this is funny, maybe a true master like HH, sure (but I'd still bet there are some chutes, in some conditions he'd hop).

Now, you could eschew skiing steep challenging and narrow terrain until you have rock solid faith in your brushed carve skill 'in all conditions at all pitches.' which is what the PMTS advocates often advise.  But then again, that'd probably take you...what 5-10 years (how often do you ski, what is your off season training regimen)-but you'd miss 5-10 years of exciting skiing.

There are plenty of runs that have 100-200ft of sketch-narrow lead-ins but then open up to a more moderate pitch and serve up some of the best snow on the mountain (ski stauffenberg's next time you're at Taos as the text book example of this).  There's is no reason to gyp yourself out of great adventures because of an unreasonable bias against moving your feet in a particular manner in order to navigate the occasional 100 feet of tricky vert once in a while!

PMTS is a great basis for skiing and making all manner of ski turns, but to pursue it as an end in and of itself undermines the real reason to ski.

Here's my advice, while working 98% of the Time on Your Bullet-Proof Short Turn-spend  2% of your time learning these other useful maneuvers---if you own them, you will never-ever be in trouble on any mountain anywhere in any condition or piste (on resort of backcountry):

1. Bullet Proof Side Slip (facing both ways, also master falling leafs)

2. Bullet Proof Kick Turn (you can't believe how useful this is)

3. Bullet Proof Hop Turns: 2 Kinds
    a. Hopping edge change (which is Harb-approved)
    b. Full Hop with air pivot

remember, hopping gracefully and staying in balance in real tricky situations ain't so easy--the full hop with pivot can be a pedal-hop if that suits you.

Check out the Section 8 ski videos on Youtube or just on the Section 8 ski site.  Tobin is a great no-nonsense skier with some great tutorials.  Here's one on old-school hopping:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vREBYOCUCj0&list=PL2FC5F6E4FD38696C&index=5

And here's a great video of Tobin showing the versatility of an unbiased use of turning mechanics...got video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFK2rGL_Wmo&list=PL2FC5F6E4FD38696C