by h.harb » Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:04 am
The term "Balance Turn" came about because so many skiers are un-balancing themselves when they change from one turn to the other. Like the Super Phantom, which I coined because most people were lifting and tipping, after they pushed the new outside ski to the big toe edge. It became necessary to elaborate that the "Phantom Move" was and meant, releasing off the big toe edge, without any movement of or with the LTE ski. So that became the "Super Phantom". Basically, hold your CA, transfer to the angled LTE ski.
The "Balanced turn", term, first came about because I was watching so many race teams wasting lift tickets on public runs making terrible turns. They mostly free ski with side cut turns, hip dumping and rotation. (a side cut turn is just a hip dump, without much lower leg tipping) These are not movements you can make if you want a "Balanced Turn". The distinction between the two is pretty obvious. Balanced turns are what the World Cup skiers are making. Unbalanced turns are what most US development skiers make.
You transfer to the new ski, which, BTW should be on it's LTE, and uphill, shift your balance over to it, "all of your balance that is" and this also means you don't extend, push or rotate.
A balanced turn then develops further into an arc that can be a bullet proof turn or a fully committed carved turn. The end of the turn is your point of proof or "Check Point". You have to be standing on the outside ski and it has to be bent into reverse camber. In this definition, it's a high end turn and arc. However, you can make and practice balanced turns on flat terrain as well. Most accomplished PMTS skiers already make this their bread and butter arc. Side cut turns are useless in steeps, bumps, and chutes.