BushwackerinPA - you've discovered the magic of pure carved turns! On a flat slope you do seem to be accelerating at the end of the turn for two reasons (one has been listed above). A skating step turn is basically a non-skidded turn.
1) You are not skidding (mostly) and thus when you are in the fall line you accelerate. Your momentum at the end of the turn is preserved, so if you carve perfectly, you will accelerate every turn you make ... just as a dropped object continues to accelerate over time (32 ft/sec^2) .
2) You do get a little kick from rebound
There is a third thing ... you can practice this running on flat skis on a nearly level surface. Stand tall, and then dive your upper body down and forward (sort of bend at the waist, and also flex forward at the ankles like you are trying to pressure just the tips of your skis), then straighten up. Repeat over and over with a rhythm of about one dive every 2 seconds and you will feel your skis build speed as you do this.
Now try to do the same motions at the end of the turn (or begining of the next) ... as you change edges move not only over but forward ... imagine you are surrounded by a box or someone drew a square in the snow around you. You are in the middle of it. If you are going to make a right turn, you want to try move over to the right AND forward like you are trying to stick you hands (or chest or both) into the right corner of the box. It will do the same thing. More importantly, though, it will make a good edge change in balance so you can be efficient and carve the new turn from the top.
That is why you see Bode Miller do all the arm waving.... he is tring to huck his upper body into the corner of the box not only to stay on his toes but also to get that little speed boost.
The real trick is to pure-carve on steep terrain. You must angulate a lot (your inside hand may touch the snow a little) and be willing to accept the speed (control it by actually going uphill). You may also find that the faster you go the more you must break at the waist (your inside knee might touch your chest a little). And always ski with your feet very far appart. And try to also carve the INSIDE ski as well (shin bones parallel with each other as much as you can) and pull the inside foot back ( also helps you not kill yourself when you start going fast).
I LOVE to carve! When I am on groomed runs I like to exclusively carve when I can I love pulling G's! People say I am a fast skier ... but not because I want to go fast, but because I am always carving because I like the feeling. The speed is a byproduct of the turn.
Have fun with it!!!!!!!!!
