Super Phantom or High C turn ?

[jean-pierre]

Hi Harald,

Good to hear from you once again. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us. As a new ski season is about to start in Canada, I would like to clarify a few things about PMTS before hitting the slopes..

For steeper slopes, it is still not clear to me which of the 2 between the super phantom move or the high C turn one should choose. In fact, I am not even sure that I fully understand the difference between these 2 moves.

For the high C turn, you mentioned in previous posts that before initiating the turn, you should "show" the bases of your skis to the top of the mountain. As for the super phantom, it looks to me that you "hold" the uphill ski (the future stance ski) on the LTE and wait for it to turn. Obviously, you are not going to show the base of that ski to the mountain.

Any comments ? (Comment from Jay or others are more than welcome)

Wishing you all a great ski season,

Jean-Pierre

[Harald]

Hi JP
Welcome great to hear from someone from my home Province, I hope you are getting some colder weather for snow making. I never raced at Sutton, but I did often at Bromont and Orford.
The Super Phantom has many levels of quality and development. If you are an expert SP skier you don?t stay on the little toe edge but for just a fraction of a second. In fact, you don?t move your CG or balance toward it. You just use it as a new Dh ski steering blocker. With this type of Super P you can easy achieve High C turns. Have a look at this page on the Carver section of our web site; you will see me upside down to the slope. I used a Super P for this release. Look for the bases facing uphill.

http://www.harbskisystems.com/carver.htm

[jean-pierre]

Thanks Harald for your reply. Your answer is very clear. Just can't wait to try this in December..

I also have 2 other quick questions.

I quote a reply you did about ice carving last winter..

"Carving on hard snow and while you are in a carved turn, encountering a patch of slick stuff, can be challenging even for the best skiers. Everything has to be perfect and you can?t relax the lateral pressure of the foot and ankle against the inside wall of the boot. This is the real essence of the edge hold on really slick polished snow. The foot and ankle have to exert their movement capability inside the boot to the side of the boot wall. "

My question: About this inside wall boot pressure while ice carving, is it OK to feel as if the ski "digs" its "side" edge into the snow/ice instead of pushing the "base" edge ? A clarification may help me to further understand this concept..

My other question is about the two-footed release drill from the "Expert" DVD # 2. When I tried it last year, the skis slipped sideways instead of the tips dropping downhill. I now think of two possibillities but cannot try it before winter: Maybe my CG was not forward enough or I was not aggressive and persisiting enough with the tipping of the free foot..

What do you think ?? Thanks for your patience and generosity..

Any chances that a certified PMTS instructor would be give lessons in Quebec or in New England soon ??

Looking forward to reading your new book due this late winter..

JP

[Harald H R]

JP very good, we often try to convey the idea that holding and carving on ice isn?t about pushing the edge into the snow. Many skiers fight icy snow or edge hold because they have been told to push on the ski. I try to avoid the pushing idea. As you probably know we speak more about balancing on the edge. If you think about it, to balance on the edge, the edges have to be up. The skis must be tipped, not pushed into the snow. In fact, if you try to push, it eliminates edge hold as the skis become difficult to tip. You are ?right on? about using the ankle in the boot. Without the ankle pressuring the side of the boot, true carving on ice is not available. A correct footbed and boot are part of accessing that capability.

You analyzed the other part of your post correctly. More tip pressure will drop the tips down hill into the releasing process. Try the falling leaf exercise; it will give you a clear sense of how the ski behaves when flattening the edge angles.

[jean-pierre]

Thanks Harald for your prompt reply.

Too bad there are no PMTS instructors in the N. East...

I 'll have to go to Colorado one of these days !!

Regards,

JP

[Max]

Too bad there are no PMTS instructors in the N. East...

Check here:

http://www.harbskisystems.com/inaccres.htm

Looks like you've got instructors in CT and VT. I thought there was someone else out there too. Joe maybe? Can't remember.

[trtaylor]

Contact Glen or Joseph at Northeast Ski Systems.

Tim

[Guest]

I can personally recommend Glen Scannell. SKiied with him as part of a boot job he did (that was probably the best money I've ever spent on skiing --- and some of the shortest, too!). Both his skiing and his boot fitting exhibit the elegant simplicity that are the signs of a master.

I thinks he's still around Bartlett NH (just north of N Conway near Attitash).

[NoCleverName]

I neglected to log in. Above post by me.

[Harald]

Thanks to the Eastern contingent for stepping up and supporting Joe and Glen. It always comes off more powerfully if skiers step up rather than always me being the one to recommend and support the PMTS instructors and Harb alignment pros.

Joe and Glenn are PMTS accredited to the Green Level and they exhibit abilities beyond that in their skiing and boot fitting.

Joe worked with us last season in our Dumont,? Skunk works?, Harb Skier Alignment Center. You are in good hands with Harb trained Alignment specialists.

Thanks

[jean-pierre]

Thank you all for your feedback about Joe and Glen !

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

[Joseph]

I too recommend Joseph and Glen, They're great! They are super great skiers and are really really cool. Just kidding folks. Seriously though, I just recently finished building the North East Ski Systems web site. You can access it at http://www.neskisystems.com We are gearing up for a big year here. Both Glen and I will be skiing full time in the Northeast. I am going to be planning a few road trips following the success of my PA/NY trip in March of 05. We are also working toward offering PMTS camps starting in the winter of next year. Feel free to contact us any time regarding our business, availability, PMTS/equipment questions--anything you want! North East Ski Systems is primed and ready to offer skiers in the East the best coaching and best alignment services, all in one convenient location--wherever you want (withing reason of course). Thanks to those of you that have already enjoyed skiing with us, and to those of you who haven't, both Glen and I look forward to skiing with you soon. Joseph

[midwif28]

Joseph- great web site. The equipment section is particularly useful for those of us who can't figure out the difference between rotary/lateral boots. (even after reading Haralds section. I need a class on boot anatomy, Iguess.) A nice, concise section on skis too!