In this two‑hour carving workshop at the 2015 Austria Interski event, the instructor (Speaker A) guides participants through a series of drills designed to help them feel the edge of the ski and develop a true carving feel. The session emphasizes keeping the upper body as a solid “block,” generating pressure through the legs, and using specific pole grips and positions to cue turn initiation and exit. Exercises vary with terrain: on flat sections participants place their hands inside their legs to increase leg pressure, while on steeper parts they hold poles behind the knees, pull outward, and maintain continuous snow contact. The instructor repeatedly stresses that the torso should move with the curve without rotating, and that the knees steer the skis. Participants (Speakers B and C) respond positively, noting regained confidence, enjoyment, and the usefulness of particular drills such as the “hand‑behind‑back” exercise. The workshop concludes with the instructor encouraging continued practice of the highlighted drills.
Chapters
Now we do exercises to feel the carving. We do not discuss about maybe this is carving or not. We want to feel the carving, the skiing on the edge. This is the main thing. So we make these different exercises. It depends on the slopes we are. When we are on flat slopes, we make exercises for We put our hands to the inside of our legs, of our seats. This way we ski and we make pressure in our legs. Pressure in the legs. The aim for the upper body is to have it as a block, to, to have the torso and the shoulder like a block. So we do not move this way, we have to have the shoulder and torso as a block. We take our poles like this with a wrist grip. And then nothing else but pull outside. Just pull outside and you are blocking. This is the only thing. You make the turn, you start to turn, and then pull out. Start to turn, pull out. Okay? Please, distances between Woo-hoo! Shoulder is blocked, the whole upper body is one part. We need this for the strength of the coming up from the knees. Yeah, that holds. The direction of the upper body is going with the curve. We do not do like this. This is a position. This position is And bring your arms straight forward. And now you're blocked. Get forward and hold on the block. But for duplets, it's fun. This is the, the thing we need. Once again for the, for the legs. To steer with both knees. We put our, our poles behind the knees and hold it here, grip here. And this is the position. I cannot leave this position. So start a few, 3 or 4 turns here, and then up the mountain. Okay. Next exercise is again for the upper body to keep it in the right position. Uh, it's turning with the skis but not over the skis and And we do not rotate. We have it outside the curve, it's the body, but it turns with the ski. Take our poles like this. Take it behind and then always snow contact. When the ski turns, I turn with the skis. Okay? Always have snow contact. From here to down, first part of the, of the hill, we hold our poles like this, but we do not grip. We just hold it. Or you can do it this way if you want. Okay, and at the second part, second part of the heel, we do again the exercise with this and pull out so you can see the difference, what's different. Okay. I hope there were some exercises who made fun for you. I hope some of them you will practice in your special training. And I hope some of them you will, you will keep because they are very effective. This is the aim of the workshop and I had fun with you, I had fun with my skis. It was really a nice, nice 2 hours. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
And, uh, so did you enjoy that workshop?
It was very good.
Yeah, what did you like most?
Lots of fun. I like getting my confidence back, going fast, carving.
Cool.
On the skis, and I really like that exercise where you put your hand behind your back.
Yeah, yeah, cool.
Excellent.
I guess that was the goal of his workshop, wasn't it? Carving, carving, getting the feel for it through various exercises.
Interesting, the equal weight on both feet. Oh yeah, not having a separation. Yeah, different to the Aussie style, but good. Let's try new things.
