Mechanic wrote:
First for Piggy. What I think you are saying is that to ski that run slowly you must make short turns. Turns shorter than the ski can carve. To accomplish this you pressure the front of the ski untill the tail washes out and skids around shortening the radius of the turn. What I would do would be similar but with a few significant differences. Rather than pressure the front of the ski I would remain centered and use the pointy feel to create the amount of brush that I want to use in that turn to go to the point I want. Because of the way I am creating the brush I feel that I have much more control over it than I would if I made it happen your way. I can turn it on and off at will, I just can't do that if I use your method. Now, a question. On that same slope what if you wanted to make GS type turns at a snails pace? What would you do?
Here is my delayed reply: One small correction (just to be clear) about lateral brushed turns, the brush is not major contributor to speed reduction (it is simply a side-effect). There is just not enough energy that can be dissipated by brushing action of ski tail that does not want to stay in trucks. Do not take me wrong, it will make a difference between winning and loosing a race, but in overall picture this is not major contributor. The curvature of the arc carved by the front of the ski is the main contributor.
Think of a skier doing straight down (no turns) pulling a light sled which brushes his tracks. Magic keeps the sled from bumping up and down and flipping over. He will still go very fast, would he not?
The benefit of such lateral ?semi-?carved turns is that they provide unbelievable control, allowing me to control speed in situations where many other skiers have to rely on their experience in skiing fast (well developed over the years of practice
).
It is possible to reduce or eliminate the brush (obviously within limits) and create carved turns with radius shorter than factory specified ski turning radius. This has been discussed in other threads. There is, however, a limit how short radius you will get this way and if you go shorter then you will start brushing.
As for snails and GS turns, I think you would not be able to make them either. If you make long radius turns you will go fast no matter how you are shaping the turns (with lateral or rotational forces). True carved turn will be faster, but then short radius lateral brushed turns are likely to be faster as well when compared to similar radius ?rotary?/?pivoting? turns.
Conservation of Energy is a law of physics, not just a guideline. You cannot balance out too much with a rotational torque or your knees will get damaged. What you are describing is more an action to shape the turn (If I understand you correctly) and this will not impact speed reduction dramatically (but will make a difference in GS race).
Mechanic, I am not qualified to comment, criticize you skiing. I have simply explained what works for me. My understanding is that what you are doing is not PMTS, it is an interesting reading though.
John wrote:
I think Piggymurderer in an earlier post suggested that the external femur rotation occurs if it's not tipped with the inside leg. That's what I feel in my infamous doorway test anyway.
John this is plain name calling, how could you!
My understanding is that femur rotates always when you tip, this is how our bone structure accommodates for the foot inversion (tipping). The point is that if you move you hip in the same direction as you tip (or rather let the hip move were it wants to move) the effect on the stance foot is not rotary, it is lateral. The stance foot will want to tip to the big toe side rather then twist.
Think of this that way: Tipping you free foot is a lateral movement of the foot, still it causes femur of the free leg to rotate. So why would you assume that femur rotation in the stance leg HAS TO result in rotary movement of the stance foot? Obviously it does not, it can result in lateral tipping movement as well.