Opinion
Ski tips from Dan Egan: Floating between turns
Published
8 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Dan Egan EBS Contributor
The moment between turns is magical. It’s a time of detachment from what was and what will be; a feeling of weightlessness generated by the energy of the last turn mixed with a freedom of floating through time and space.
If you want to learn to float between your turns, you must digest a few key truths about skiing:
Have a game plan. Descending a snow-covered mountain requires strategy and tactics, and these take preparation, planning and execution. Pushing off the top of a run with a game plan of where you’re going will add purpose to your skiing. Once you understand your destination and why you are going there, your confidence will build allowing you to arrange your body in proper skiing positions throughout the run.
Skis are designed to accelerate. The main function of turning is to change direction, not slow down. Every time I tell skiers this they look at me in disbelief, but its true. Technology is built into skis to absorb and control energy, and redirect skiers across and down the slope. Once you believe this you’ll enter into a new level of freedom on the mountain.
Stand perpendicular to the mountain. Between turns, standing at right angles to the slope you’re skiing will unlock your body from the cage of apprehension. It will place you in control and place you in a position to work with gravity rather than fight it.
To slow down, plan ahead. Deceleration happens over a series of turns. If you want to slow down, remain in balance and gain control, and practice slowing down over a series of three turns. This will introduce a whole new understanding to your run.
Ski the mountain in sections. Get in the practice of saying, “I’m going to start here and end there.” Then regroup and do it again. By skiing the slope in sections, you’ll feel more relaxed and confident going from point A to point B and the quality of your skiing will reflect this newfound confidence.
Try these simple steps on terrain below your ability level, and focus your attention to what is happening between your turns. Self-evaluate to determine your level of freedom. If you start to feel a release of energy and a detachment from the slope you’ll slowly start enjoying the feeling of time and space between turns and enter into a new dimension of the sport.
Extreme skiing pioneer Dan Egan has appeared in 12 Warren Miller Ski films and countless others. Today he teaches clinics and guides trips at locations around the world including Big Sky, where he’ll be teaching Dec. 14-15, March 3-5 and March 10-12. Find more ski tips from Dan Egan at skiclinics.com/education/skitips.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
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Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m. on April 24.
Jacob Rountree is an alternative/indie songwriter living in the stunning alpine of Montana. Contemplative yet playful, his lyric forward style is reflective of his love for philosophy, poetry and quantum physics.
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
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(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd