Help in Skiing Powder and Crud

I'm hopeless in powder. Everyone else is having so much fun and 'woo hooing!" I'm boo hooing! Looking forward to giving these tips a try. Very clear, straight forward, and manageable content. Now...here in NE PA.....I'm might have a wait.....

Another excellent video. Great that you emphasized the "outside ski pressure boots bias" even when feet are close together forming the platform. When I was new to powder, I would get my feet together just like the ski videos I had watched everywhere, but assume 50-50 weighting and wondered why it was so hard to turn. 😅

Love these vids!! Super and applicable advice. As an east coaster I remember my first time in powder out West and almost immediately I became a powder snob. I had lots of practice skiing icy moguls which helped me in powder. Getting that bounce and load sensation is key! If only I lived in powder heaven…. 😂❤

Always enjoy and learn from your videos. Could not agree more that feeling is so much more engraining to the learning process. Thank you!

Hi Tom, another great video per usual. One question I've always wondered is, when skiing a narrow slalom/gs ski in powder or crud does one have keep more pressure/guidance on the inside ski in order to keep it tracking with the outside (as compared to skiing on groomed terrain)? I suppose this could also apply to any situation where the floatation of a given ski width and length isn't sufficient to keep you planing on top of the snow. I keep a one ski quiver and my favorite terrain is offpiste and moguls, so I've always been scared off from buying something like an SL ski due to this.

Excellent thanks Tom.
Any thoughts on the speed required to maintain momentum or is that on the day, as is steepness or snow type dependent?

Best video you've ever made.

best powder skiing video I've found yet

Great video! Any tips on how to deal with that crud on freshly opened runs that a mix of frozen enough to float on top of and just unfrozen enough to sink into? Feels like I'll be skiing it and all the sudden one ski will sink in while the other continues to float or one will get pulled in a different direction than the other and I'll end up crashing.

Great video. Some random thoughts. 25 years ago Lito Tejado Flores did a similar long video talking about the downward pressure at the bottom of the turn creating its own powder bump to turn on. Plus I found in Japan skiing 10 cms of light powder over the day before’s ruts and bumps that I had to weight the downhill ski more than the 50/50 advice we were all given. Finally staying light on both skis recalls Lance Armstrong talking about “dancing on the pedals” on mountain climbs. Sure he was full of juice but it’s a mindset that helps me in deep stuff. Many thanks

Thank you . I'm glad I happened to see your video. I'm ski race coach, I have found skiing powder difficult.
You did a GREAT job explaining it.😂
Merry Christmas 🎅

My key thought to help with creating the platform is telling myself to "finish the turn". I would guess the hardest concept for new powder skiers is to ski on both skis close together rather than riding the outside ski through the turn. And please send us some snow in Colorado ASAP, we're a bit dry at the moment!

Thank you. I'm taking a season off to heal my patellar tendonitis/osis. I can't wait to get back to skiing. At first I was depressed about not skiing. But now I feel absolutely positive I'll be skiing 24/25 with no injuries. I plan to focus on removing my bad habits when I get back to skiing. Lack of upper / lower separation is my nemesis

Super helpful. Thank you ❤❤❤

@Tahoe it is pow one day and crud the next.

Even after decades of skiing, your video is helpful and on point. Thanks

Thanks for the video! In the powder, is the weight distributed the same as skiing on the groomer? Front at the initiation of the turn and heel at the end? I always feel the tips of my skis sinking down in the powder when I go forward until I feel the shine pressure.

Great tips. Nothing better than powder skiing!

Another amazing video. Thanks for doing this and for doing it for free. Some of the best you can find on YT. Happy new year!!

Great vid Tom!! Did I see a few Highlands shots in there??

this is a great video, and whether it was on purpose or not, you did a great job at conveying that turning is a crucial part of skiing, even when one isn't completely necessary. I'm gonna bring my 88 underfoots next time there's a pow day and figure out how bad of a skier I really am lol

Thank you for showing the “ouch” mini crash caused by the missed hit on the bump and valley hidden under the snow. I have been there more times than I can count. Learning to “build mileage” anticipate and ski more w feelings is hugely helpful advice.

From Holland, going to the Alps for skiing powder is always tricky. I simply dont get enough powder days to really practice enough. But I'll surely build in those sand exercises and trampoline jumps to prepare. I think that's another big part of it: develop the muscle and coordination for skiing like this.

Great video I been skiing a long time but always struggle with crud and powder.

this is excellent !

Great video!
A Swiss ski teacher told me once to pole plant in powder and keep the inside of my hands facing forward and down the mountain. Game changer!
You know how a ski teacher can tell that the season is over?
He has to undo his pants by himself!

Great summary. Thanks.

There is pow on a previously groomed run with a solid base. And there is untracked snow built up over the early weeks on nothing but the raw mountain.

It would be interesting to know if your approach changes and if so, how? I find the latter tougher and don't have any different ideas on approach. But after seeing this I will think more about the platform and make sure I find it. Yes.

still figuring this out
Out side foot loading....I thought both feet needed to be balanced other wise u get inside sinking.
The way he describe it I hear is 80-20 but if I did that inside ski gets drag back. yes yes do less if that happens.
my take on it
its heavily dependant on snow condition.
if its light fluffy you'll get less force acting on you. keep feet under body more until your speed moves you through snow creating the push back


The heavier the snow the slower you can go to allow the skies to drift away from underneath.
there is a minimum speed for each snow condition at this point ski underneath body is recommended

if you going really fast you don't sink
🤔

Question on the theoretical side.

How much of the lift in powder skiing comes from the actual snow creating a base, vs. bending your skis which then push you up when your time the weight shift?

I've joined Tom's Big Picture online program and it has helped my skiing tremendously. I have great respect for his internet teaching method.

Strong legs helps, keep doing those squats folks

I'm curious where this was filmed? thanks! super useful tips

Staying light and commitment to downhill to cut through the crud is important.

Definitely one of the best videos I've seen on how to ski pwoder1

Great, great explanation! Thank you.

How do you get video of yourself without hiring someone to ski down with you holding a camera? I assume that's very expensive

Outstanding

excellent

I love the trampoline comparison. I use that every time I teach a student to ski powder.

Also, I love watching really good skiing. It's so satisfying and this is excellent skiing!

Love this video. I assume there is almost no tippong/edging? Foot to foot is coached often for moguls and notary turns. However here the focus is more bounce and moving feet together wirh downhill foot pressure? Correct?

best video on how to ski pow， detailed and right on key points！

Finally some practical advice and exercises to try. Thank you!

Great video thanks!

I love the 'Feel ' approach

Excellent!

Great video Tom. I can see me jumping down the Northy sand dune into the lagoon just to get used to those movements before Japan.

Excellent!! 👍👍

Love your stuff Tom ❤️

So you are planting your pole right next to your plarform, not in front of or behind but just beside your platform, yes?