how can i improve?

[Mister Moose]

The dark clothing makes it harder to see the subtler aspects of what's going on... and what you want help with is not what's going on in this picture, since you have it pretty well together here.

A photo is just a slice of time, wheras skiing is very dynamic, it changes constantly.

Get 20 photos 1/4 second apart as you initiate, steer, and finish a turn, now you got something to look at.

[Vinny Vincenzo]

Lose the Johnny Cash outfit.

[Hal U. Dewin]

taken on mousetrap, just above the bowling alley

your poles seem a bit long. slightly shorter may facilitate an improvement in your hand position.

What about those of us who can't change the fact that our poles are too long?

[snowsprite]

Hands forward, and shorter poles might be good (this is from a fellow pole-dragger by the way).

BTW..you did good in lowrider for a first run.
:)
Sprite

[panelman01]

Drinking always helps....

[2knees]

What about those of us who can't change the fact that our poles are too long?

tape it to your leg, johnny wadd.

[Mtn Man]

there's probably a lot more qualified people there to critique your positioning than us few hacks here.

I resemble that remark....

I'll be the first to say not to follow my techniques. Never really had formal training, it's all from following really good skiers....

You need a steeze rag in that pic.....

B)

[Cityskier]

taken on mousetrap, just above the bowling alley

your poles seem a bit long. slightly shorter may facilitate an improvement in your hand position.

What about those of us who can't change the fact that our poles are too long?

[KevinF]

I am by no means an expert in analyzing skiing from videos or still photos. As others have said, post some info on epic if you want and see what they say. A couple rambling thoughts here to get you warmed up for what the Epic people are going to say though:

1) What are you trying to do? This is the key question that unfortunately still photo analysis doesn't tell us anything about. i.e., are you going with short turns or long turns? Your upper body does seem to be facing straight down the fall line, which is a good thing -- if you're making a very short radius turn. If you're making a GS-sized arc, then there's really no reason to be twisted up to that degree.

2) How soon after this picture is taken do you expect to start your next turn? Again, this is fairly related to the first question regarding "what are you doing?". Your skis are on a really high edge angle. That you can achieve that is a good thing. Whether or not you want to be there at the time this photo was taken is another thing entirely. i.e., maximum edge angle generally occurs just after you're out of the fall-line, and from that point on, edge-angle is gradually decreased until the new turn starts. You are waaayyyyy out of the fall-line in that picture. You're in a good position if you intend to hold onto that turn for a while yet, and a bad position if you need to turn the other way quickly. But, if you intend to hold onto that turn for a while yet, then there's no need to be facing downhill as much as you currently are.

3) I see a lot of snow spray coming off your skis. I don't know what the snow conditions were like that day, how tightly you were trying to turn, etc. Snow spray late in the turn to me means that the skis are sliding sideways, not slicing forwards. Again, if you're trying to crank a tight turn, then yeah, you're going to slide a bit and there will be some snow spray... But that leads to the "why are you on such a high edge angle in such a tight turn?" question. And if you're cranking a high-speed GS turn, then the skis should be slicing more and sliding less, so we come to the question of "well, why aren't they?", and to answer that, we'd have to know what happened when this turn began.

You might want to take a look at some of the pictures on Ron LeMaster's web site: http://www.ronlemaster.com/images/2005-2006/index.html. Frame by frames of world-cup racers. Look at the edge angles those guys are creating. Truly extreme angles that us mortals are not capable of achieving, but look where they start to back the angles off in preparation for the new turn. Look at their upper body orientation with respect to the different sized turns they're making. Again, they have a talent that us mortals can't comprehend, but it might help put some of my ramblings above into context.

[Mister Moose]

I am by no means an expert in analyzing skiing from videos or still photos. As others have said, post some info on epic if you want and see what they say. A couple rambling thoughts here to get you warmed up for what the Epic people are going to say though:

1) What are you trying to do? This is the key question that unfortunately still photo analysis doesn't tell us anything about. i.e., are you going with short turns or long turns? Your upper body does seem to be facing straight down the fall line, which is a good thing -- if you're making a very short radius turn. If you're making a GS-sized arc, then there's really no reason to be twisted up to that degree.

2) How soon after this picture is taken do you expect to start your next turn? Again, this is fairly related to the first question regarding "what are you doing?". Your skis are on a really high edge angle. That you can achieve that is a good thing. Whether or not you want to be there at the time this photo was taken is another thing entirely. i.e., maximum edge angle generally occurs just after you're out of the fall-line, and from that point on, edge-angle is gradually decreased until the new turn starts. You are waaayyyyy out of the fall-line in that picture. You're in a good position if you intend to hold onto that turn for a while yet, and a bad position if you need to turn the other way quickly. But, if you intend to hold onto that turn for a while yet, then there's no need to be facing downhill as much as you currently are. Disagree. Edge Angle does not necessarily gradually decrease, can remain high during most of the turn, and can be released rapidly as you move to the new edge/turn/position.

3) I see a lot of snow spray coming off your skis. I don't know what the snow conditions were like that day, how tightly you were trying to turn, etc. Snow spray late in the turn to me means that the skis are sliding sideways, not slicing forwards. Again, if you're trying to crank a tight turn, then yeah, you're going to slide a bit and there will be some snow spray... But that leads to the "why are you on such a high edge angle in such a tight turn?" question. And if you're cranking a high-speed GS turn, then the skis should be slicing more and sliding less, so we come to the question of "well, why aren't they?", and to answer that, we'd have to know what happened when this turn began.

You might want to take a look at some of the pictures on Ron LeMaster's web site: http://www.ronlemaster.com/images/2005-2006/index.html. Frame by frames of world-cup racers. Look at the edge angles those guys are creating. Truly extreme angles that us mortals are not capable of achieving, but look where they start to back the angles off in preparation for the new turn. Look at their upper body orientation with respect to the different sized turns they're making. Again, they have a talent that us mortals can't comprehend, but it might help put some of my ramblings above into context.

Having skied with you a little, I'd ask not so much about your form in that photo, but what happens next, as KevinF pointed out. Are you interested in linking your turns more together, where one transitions into the next seamlessly, without hesitation?

Ron Lemaster wrote an excellent book, the multiple image photos get his points across really well. He also breaks down the dynamics of skiing, balance and turning in a detailed, slightly technical way. Highly recommended.

[Geoff]

Cool. I just found some shots of my wife on that Sharpshooter web site.

[tyrolean_skier]

E is looking good in those pictures Geoff. It's been a while since I've seen you guys.

[skiadikt]

yeah e definitely looking good geoff ...

steve just compare your picture to see some of the things you can improve upon. body position, hands etc. again no matter what any of us say, the road to improvement is through lessons & clinics.

[G-smashed]

Try photoshopping the Sharpshooter logos out of that photo. It'll look a lot better.

[icedtea]

get a snowboard