This video tutorial from Big Picture Skiing provides a detailed progression for skiers aiming to master the art of carving. The central theme revolves around the concept of “progressive edging”—the skill of gradually increasing the ski’s edge angle throughout a turn to create clean, powerful arcs without skidding.

The Core Concept: Progressive Edging

The foundation of effective carving is progressively increasing the ski’s edge angle as you move through a turn. This action bends the ski, causing it to tighten its turning radius and control speed without the need for skidding. The primary tool taught in the video is the “in-rigger” exercise, where the skier slides their inside foot flat across the snow. This drill isolates the outside ski, allowing the skier to safely feel and practice progressive edging at slow speeds.

A Four-Step Progression to Perfect Carving

The video breaks down the learning process into manageable steps, focusing on one skill at a time:

1. Mastering the End of the Turn: The progression begins by focusing only on the finish of the turn using a traverse or “J-turn.” This allows you to feel the ski grip and bend without worrying about speed control or turn initiation.
2. Carving the Top of the Turn: The next, and often most difficult, step is initiating the turn cleanly. The goal is to roll the ski onto its edge rather than twisting or skidding it. The in-rigger drill is used here to practice a smooth, carved entry into the turn.
3. The ‘Long Leg, Short Leg’ Dynamic: As you begin linking turns, the focus shifts to body mechanics. Effective carving requires a strong, long outside leg and a soft, short inside leg. This shortening of the inside leg, similar to a pistol squat, is essential for achieving higher edge angles and smooth transitions. The instructor notes that hip and ankle mobility is a key factor here.
4. Transitioning to Parallel Skiing: The final stage explains how to move from the wide in-rigger stance to a narrow, parallel one. As your carving improves, the forces generated make the inside ski feel light. This allows it to be brought in effortlessly to match the outside ski’s edge angle, leading to symmetrical, high-performance turns.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The ultimate goal is to build enough force on the outside ski through pure, progressive edging that the inside ski becomes light and easy to manage. The progression emphasizes mastering the outside ski first, as this is the foundation for everything else. By breaking down the skill and using drills like the in-rigger, skiers can build the correct sensations and movements needed for powerful, fluid carving.

Mentoring question

The video breaks down carving into distinct steps, from the end of the turn to the beginning, before linking them. How can you apply this ‘isolate and then integrate’ approach to another complex skill you’re trying to learn, either in sports or your professional life?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=iK4ECXkwqMY&si=ngmOMkiSbcppewUz