Ski Television:

Short-Radius Turns

There's something about this kind of short-radius turn, where I feel just my feet and lower legs turning, that reminds me of my grade eight graduation picture. You know what it's like... you're sitting in the auditorium, waiting for your picture to be taken. Boring, right? And you've got your hands like this, and you're waiting, and then the photographer says "Hey! You, the short kid in the front, with the glasses! I want you to turn your feet the other way. Yeah, now turn back the other way."

And, you know, every now and then when I'm making short-radius turns, I just have a flash of remembrance of that moment. Just my feet and legs turning back and forth like that. Maybe that's something you can relate to, you see? Just try to turn your lower legs below your knees, and your feet. You leave your butt planted in that imaginary seat, and just turn your feet and legs back and forth, and that's what it feels like.

It's just the feet and the legs turning back and forth. I feel like I could put my butt onto that auditorium seat, and just turn my feet and legs from side to side. At first, when you do this, really focus on turning. Don't edge too hard, because if you edge too hard it tends to bring your body along, and you want to keep your body facing down the hill. Once you have the feeling of turning your feet easily back and forth, you can add some edging and pressure, to make the skis squirt a little bit more. But what you don't ever want to lose is your quickness and agility, and you'll have much better quickness and agility if you can develop the ability to just turn your feet and legs back and forth. It feels to me like sitting in the auditorium of grade eight, and turning my feet and legs back and forth to keep that photographer happy. Maybe you can relate to that... I hope so!