Attacked by another So called Pro Skier for My Comments

[skijim13]

I belong to this site called Elite skiers and someone posted a picture of a old time skier in a narrow stance. I commented that this a great stance for today and go attacked by a Level III skier at Snowbird. I pointed out why a narrow stance is correct and the key essentials needed to make a good turn. This is the response by the person, "Sorry Jim, you are mistaken. Are you certified? You won't pass even level I with what you believe. Counter rotation ("I explained counteracting, which is the turning of the hips and upper body into the direction of the turn and it benfits") is old school. Now we favor an aligned stance. If someone picked you up by your shoulders, you feet would hang directly below your hips. That's a natural modern stance and the strongest position. Structural strength comes from skeletal alignment, not counter rotation. It is not a matter of putting someone down, it's a matter of understanding the sport. Like I said, it's fine to have your personal beliefs, but it's not OK to spread false information to those who may actually want to improve their performance. Do some more study and talk to some current pro's if you really want to learn the sport". Another reason not to take a lesson from a Pro PSIA skier.

[NoCleverName]

Proper response: "Thank God for the Internet where I got your advice for free instead of having to part with $100 to listen to this crap in a lesson".

[DougD]

If someone picked you up by your shoulders, you feet would hang directly below your hips. That's a natural modern stance and the strongest position.

Absolutely correct. If you want to stand still on a stable, non-moving surface, that's the natural, strongest position. Ten-HUT!

[skijim13]

Doug that is exactly what I told him yes for a static position it is correct but once moving things change.

[NoCleverName]

Doug that is exactly what I told him yes for a static position it is correct but once moving things change.

Yes, I invite him to try out his stance on a sailboat beating to windward.

As an aside, someone might object that on that sailboat you maintain a fairly wide stance, to boot. But that's not exactly accurate. In fact, you're generally shifting your weight predominantly from one foot to the other ... the wide stance has more to do with the fact that forces are delivered to you in an unpredictable manner, so you need your feet in position to take the majority weight.

[blackthorn]

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is real.

[skijim13]

I learned an important lesson on facebook, it is not worth your time to argue with dumb people on facebook about skiing. I got pulled into this discussion with a level III ski instructor who got very nasty and rude and attacked me with comments on a facebook forum. I have decided from this day on not to go down to their level and waste my time. The whole discussion started with me liking a photo of a skier with a narrow stance.

[milesb]

Don't let it use up too much of yourself, unless you enjoy the conflict

[NoCleverName]

Of course you can't "win" such an argument (in the sense that the L3 disavows the PSIA and repents!)

But it does serve the purpose to potentially enlighten lurkers that there just might be another way to ski. In a sense, they are giving you a forum and an opportunity ... which isn't easy to come by on the Epic Fail site. But don't waste too much effort: I've found that just the well-chosen sentence or two can make your point and cause the opposition to expend a lot of energy vomiting up a few hundred words. That's great fun!

[geoffda]

You should have asked him if he'd seen the latest videos from InterSki. If I were a member of the PSIA, I'd want to be keeping a very low profile right about now...

[Max_501]

I learned an important lesson on facebook, it is not worth your time to argue with dumb people on facebook about skiing. I got pulled into this discussion with a level III ski instructor who got very nasty and rude and attacked me with comments on a facebook forum. I have decided from this day on not to go down to their level and waste my time. The whole discussion started with me liking a photo of a skier with a narrow stance.

When a Level 3 starts throwing their qualifications around as the reason why they are "right" just mention HH's qualifications. You know, little things like ex-WC racer and ex-PSIA Demo Team member.

[HeluvaSkier]

When a Level 3 starts throwing their qualifications around as the reason why they are "right" just mention HH's qualifications. You know, little things like ex-WC racer and ex-PSIA Demo Team member.

Also, when you ski circles around the L3 and every other PSIA instructor the L3 knows... they tend to be very quiet.

[mardale]

("I explained counteracting, which is the turning of the hips and upper body into the direction of the turn

Is it?

[milesb]

Good catch! I'm sure he meant it some other way and we don't want to be Captain Pedantics, but it is important to get stuff like that right so newer readers don't get confused.

[skijim13]

You are correct I meant in the opposite direction of the turn
thanks