Go here and look at some of the photos. Notice how these racers only let the skis run out front of their hips when the skis are flat and crossing the fall line in between turns and how explosively they get their hips forward and down the hill when they commit to the turn. It is the opposite of what most people do and why so many of my intermediate level lessons are all aimed at overcoming skiing in the "back seat."

Ron LeMaster Images

.. ummm actually - they are just not extending up during next turn initiation, but almost doing a "compression" turn, which is faster going from edge to edge. This is done in most non-speed events especially in slalom. If you don't extend the inside leg so much and stay low with a breaking waist this is the position you naturally assume in the turn transition.

They are not in the back seat because they continue to pull both inside and outside legs back to keep up, so as they transition they stay ahead of the skis. interesting how some a-framing comes just before flat skis because of inside ski holding up maybe more than 50% of body weight for early edge change.

It took me a while to break my old habit of skiing in a "proud position" and break at the waist a bunch, but on todays skis it definitely feels better 'cause it seems I can unlock my hips a little more (but that is why I was told to do it).

- tho lately i'm not even using my hips much heh - i love banking my turns almost 100% in decent snow it feels really cool and you can make some serious trenches with you center of gravity between your inside and outside skis instead of up over the edge of the outside one!

Crush:

I think you and I are saying the same things in different ways. It didn't occur to me that my comments would be construed as saying these racers are going "up and over" at the transition, as they are not. The point is really a simple one - good skiing requires that you move your a** down the hill, not hold it back...

.. it's even more interesting go start going back before 2000 and seeing how they extended up more - actually a very cool time machine ...

my a$$ ?! oh you want me to ski backwards ! k - i'll do *that*! heh -