Fix Your Short Turns with Alex Hackel

We're here with Tom Gelly, world-class ski instructor, and he's going to be teaching me the short turn.

There, don't break the turn.

Okay, I like that. Nice.

Okay, okay, okay.

One, two.

One, two. Yeah. Speed is just okay.

Now you know.

Carve last bit.

That was good!

Right on, okay!

That's a hell of a lot of fun! Yeah, sweet!

Okay, quick bit of context here. Last November, Alex Hackl and Carv invited me to make a video where it was a challenge between 3 different instructors to see who could level up his skiing by the most SkiIQ points in only half a day. I was given short turns, someone else was given moguls, and someone else carving. Now you'll find the results of that at the end of this video, but what I really wanted to do in this one was pass on the information that wasn't included in that video, so you can actually help improve your own short turns. So all the detailed information, the drills, the things that actually helped Alex, former X Games medalist, super awesome skier, improve his short turns and really start enjoying them. So that's what this video is about, stick around to the end to see who actually won that challenge, let's get into it.

Quick question, what is a short turn?

Well, I think the simplest way to describe it is just tempo. Faster than 50 beats a minute, like 50 turns in a minute and faster, you're in short turn territory.

And why would somebody want to do short turns?

Well, you typically use it a lot on steeper pitches, narrower sections, and then I like doing it sort of taking it beyond just like a functional thing and actually trying to have a style and energy and capture rebounding forces. So there's many reasons.

And what would you say your expectations are when you teach somebody? So I have no background short turning. When you teach somebody who's never attempted short turns, what would you say is—

Well, I would first say short turns are, I think, one of the hardest turns to get good at because it's kind of hard timing. Like, you don't just stand on the edge and roll it over like a carve turn. You have to kind of steer it, pressure it, time it. So expectations, one, it is tricky with the timing, so you'll feel really inconsistent. 2, it takes a long time. And 3, it's a lot of work on your legs, so we're gonna be tired. Oh, can I say something?

Yeah.

Yeah, well, I'm kind of wondering, like, why have you, like, never tried a short turn? Do you almost look at it as sort of like, there's no point, I can just go fast here, or?

No, so I didn't even realize that there was a difference between long turns and short turns because I just I thought that a turn was like a turn.

Yeah.

Uh, but I, I've done a lot of short turns out of necessity, right?

Yes.

And the way I look at it is like, for example, if you're in a couloir.

Yes.

How are you ever gonna execute a long turn?

Yeah.

So I've done a lot, but I've never put any theory into how you execute them.

Yes.

So I'm definitely looking— I think this could definitely help my freeriding capability.

Yep.

And I would say I just looked at them maybe as, uh, novelties. Yeah, like when I see somebody do like really good ones, I look at it, I'm like, oh, like that looks cool, but like that's like a novelty.

Yeah, you don't need— like a lot of the time where I do it, you don't need to do it there. Like you said, the couloir, you need it there, and you've learned your short turns through necessity. But today's a bit different because we're kind of like, we've got this carve ranking thing, and so, you know, there's a bit of a style and a certain technique that we're having to kind of be boxed in by, and that's constraining the kind of short turn I'm going to teach you.

That sounds good. Yeah, the way that I look at it is like the best painters, for example, or like in my free skiing, because I've been a park rat my whole life and this whole thing is about getting out of that box, but you kind of have to know how to do it properly to then bend the rules.

Yes.

Because if you don't learn how to do it properly at first, then you don't know where you can bend and where you can't bend them.

Yep.

So I feel like that's like Why you learn how to do it in the proper or novel way is that you then develop habits to then freestyle later.

Yes, yeah, and I would also argue, like, I ski a lot in Australia and places that are busy, like today will get a lot busier, you can't just go carving everywhere. Short turns can be really fun, like the really precise ones, and you don't need much space, and often when the runs are scraped out, you can find a section Which is still smooth and have like a great time. So it's one in there, it's like, oh, carving's kind of done for the day, let's, let's hit some short turns.

As an Australian skier, an East Coast of America skier, I think we can both appreciate having to enjoy some bad conditions and getting unorthodox a little bit.

Absolutely, yeah.

So now our first goal is we're going to establish a baseline. So he's going to show me how a short turn should look, then I'm going to do what I would naturally do. We're going to get our carve, we're going to see where our short turn ski IQ is, and then we're going to see how much we can improve that in one day. Show me how it's done, Tom!

All right, okay, Alex, let's see your short turns, mate.

I feel like I feel like, uh, you know, like at the car parks where you're like selling cars.

Well, look, I think there's some things we can definitely work on and improve. Like, you've got a lot of good fundamentals. I mean, you're a pro skier in a lot of areas. It's like just now honing in certain skills.

All right, let me see what our baseline we're working with is today. Short turns at 138.

Yeah.

Okay, okay.

So that's pretty good. That's pretty good. That's pretty good. So there's our baseline. If you click into view details there, Yep, so you know how I talked about turn tempo? See, 69, so like 69 turns per minute you're doing.

Okay, so that's, that is a short turn.

That is definitely a short turn, that's quite, that's quite nice and fast. You're creating more grip. So see the early edging's at like 50%, so maybe we get there, we'll see if the other stuff helps. You're pretty parallel with your skis, edging zone is good. Yeah, I think some of it's going to be, it's going to be really refined stuff. So let's get into it, see if we can help you out. So my plan is like to maybe work on 2 feelings, maybe 3, with some drills, so you're like, okay, that feeling fits right here in a short turn, and then we just practice and try and put it in, see what happens.

Sounds great.

So I think step 1, let's work on your upper body, like pole planting. So the first exercise is actually going to be the no pole plant short turn.

Okay.

So your pole plants at the moment are like coming in, coming in hot and lots of movement. So I just want to remove it altogether. And then you're going to try and make some short turns again, where basically you just keep your hands in what I'm going to say is like a triangle. So if you, if you picture like your nose and your 2 hands, you imagine a triangle is there. Don't break the triangle.

Okay, the Holy Trinity.

Exactly. So if you're doing this, And this, can you tell that we're breaking it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it needs to be like, like it moves together, the triangle doesn't break.

So see if you can make the sort of same tempo with short turns. You might want to go a little slower.

Okay.

Just don't break our triangle.

Okay.

That's all I want you to do, and I want to find out what you learn from that.

Okay, okay. Alright, so we got a triangle here, okay? And we're gonna do short turns and we're not breaking this.

See, the triangle stayed fairly consistent. Could you— you could see that?

Yeah.

In my demo?

Yeah.

How did it feel for you trying to do that? What did you—

I felt like a fish out of water.

Totally, right?

And then also I felt like, holy cow, my body's working. Like, it felt like I had to like really think more and I had to really work more.

Perfect, right? So without me having to tell you this is how you do it, I've just taken away all these extra movements because what you don't realize is sometimes you're coming down, you're out of balance, and your pole plant hits hard, and that's what's saving you. A really good short turn, your pole plant, you don't need it for that. It's, it's almost just like the tempo thing. It's like the tak.

Tak.

Ah, it's your last self-defense kind of thing. Not— you're using it really— that's why you discover that.

To collapse.

Yes.

Instead of like— it should just be like— Should be your feet there.

Yes, exactly.

You're like aiming to get them there.

Yeah, so you just felt your core working, your feet, legs, everything, right? Like balance. So yeah, we just do a little bit more practice of this, and then we just bring I'll just teach you the pole plant, which just comes from the wrist.

All right, sounds good. Should we get back to the chairlift?

You can use this terrain. Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm not done.

I thought I was going to get off easy.

No, use— I'm a big believer in use every piece of terrain. Like everyone here is just straight lining.

Yeah.

Yeah. So get a bit of speed. You're not going to finish your turns as much. The main thing I want you to do is just a tempo. Keep the triangle. I'll show you. I'll just give you a quick little demo away, then you go.

So I like that nice little— that's smooth. I feel like nobody will understand how freaking— that's hard. That's like way— that looked so mellow, but that's hard.

Hey.

I just got one thing for you here.

What did you say?

I got one thing.

Okay, cool.

So keep sliding, keep sliding. Uh, you don't need to— like, like the triangle doesn't need to move that much either, right? Yeah, yeah. So even here in a small snowplow, real little one, just like turn a little, turn a little, turn a little. Yeah, just keep the triangle in the middle. Just turn your feet. Yeah, ready? Keep going. Don't tilt that. Now don't move it. Just keep it still. Just your feet. Just your feet. Just turn your ski. Turn your ski.

That's it.

Yeah.

Can you find this is just a challenge even right here?

Oh yeah, this is a huge challenge. I'm like, uh, This is the most I've thought about making a turn in a long time.

Awesome.

Okay, cool. I think it's pretty like— it's fun doing it on suboptimal terrain.

Totally.

Yeah.

I could feel early edging was like bigger because you have to— when the terrain gets less flat, you have to really think about like the edging more.

You do. Yes, yes. So that's why it's like it's constantly changing. Left side. Yeah. So you— I just want you to build reps And when you feel like the frustration is you can't correct this, ask me for help.

Okay.

Or if I feel you're just really off, I'll stop you.

Okay? Okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But just, uh, yeah, you got to be really aware of your hands.

Okay.

Yeah, it's just because at the moment you're really aware of your feet and everything, but this is all over the place. That's why we're just trying to see if you can just keep it in a consistent Perfect.

That spontaneously felt way, way better. Uh-huh.

Why?

Uh, it just all worked better. Like, when I stopped overcompensating with the body, then the turns, I could just feel them more and create a rhythm, I guess.

Yeah, totally. Can I give you one thing to try when you practice here?

Of course.

And I think we're almost ready to move on. You, you had a really narrow triangle.

Yeah, I noticed. I was like, uh, I don't know.

Yeah, yeah, which is okay. That's really hard. I just want you to try and stretch the triangle.

Okay, okay.

Just see what the difference is. Yeah, that's it. So here's narrow. I'll do a couple narrow, then I'll stretch it.

Okay. Narrow. Okay, so we're gonna go narrow and then we're gonna stretch it. Yes, that actually is fun. That's pretty damn fun. And you can feel when it— something happens, you're like, yes, right?

You're like Yeah, that's the fun part in short turns, like this trampoline rebound, and if you keep your arms quiet, you let that build up and your feet rebound, but if you're— yes, you miss it if you're a bit messy. Did you feel the difference wider?

Yeah, wider just felt a little more balanced.

Totally, this is like a tightrope, right? This is hard, that's a good challenge, this is just easier, so out here.

So we want almost like a little past shoulder.

Hey, if you're enjoying the way I teach and want to get similar results, I have a whole platform that is dedicated to a system of teaching you to ski better, carving, moguls, short turns, everything to do with skiing, even getting ready for the ski season. So check that out, there's a link in the description. Back to the video.

Yeah, so it's like a wide triangle. Do you reckon you're ready to add just a pole touch-in or what?

Hey, let's do it. I reckon we try and then I'll probably discombobulate it, but we'll, we'll kind of cross that bridge sometime.

Okay, so right, we're going to put the cherry on top of stage 1, which is fixing your pole planting. Okay, so now you've got this triangle wider hand position, things are more steady. The pole plant or pole touch just needs to be kind of like your wrist. Yeah, yep. One thing, like, hold the pole like you mean it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because if you do that, now you're strong. Now hold it like you did before.

Okay. I was just thinking, I don't even think my poles are the same size.

Yeah, yeah.

So let's—

we'll fix that. We'll fix that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I think we should make them a little bit longer too. Okay, so hold them like you mean it, stretch them out, and then you're just going to, like, a little wrist movement, just touch them. Touch. And that's just your timing. So rebound, touch, rebound, touch, rebound, touch.

So, okay, so if I'm turning here, I'm rebounding and I'm touching here, then I'm rebounding, I'm touching here.

Just the same place you normally put the pole plant.

Okay.

It's exactly the same place. It's just now instead of the whole arms moving, it's just your wrist, or just do a little touch.

Okay.

Yeah, if it's right, you should feel even steadier again.

Okay.

Quiet but steady. We'll see if it's too much. Let's give it a, give it a crack.

Uh, well, wait, where do you say?

Should I go 115? Oh yeah, so yeah, I've got like, I reckon you go 115. I'm about 112.

Okay. Yeah.

But you're taller than me, aren't you? Yeah, and also I'm kind of transitioning a bit different, but for you, 115.

Perfect. We now have 2 of the same size speed poles.

It's gonna help.

It's so funny when you don't think about something.

Okay.

Just start with the triangle, no pole plant. As you start feeling like you can mentally handle it, yeah, just add the pole plant in.

Yeah, yeah.

So start without it and then add it in.

Okay.

How do you, how do you feel you went?

I don't think I've ever been more disciplined in my upper body in my entire life. I feel like it was definitely like you're saying, it feels robotic.

Yes.

But it definitely felt like I was able to keep that upper body All in one place.

Yeah. Yeah. And you just feel then it made it more consistent?

Yeah, it was just— it would feel like what I think it would feel like.

Yeah.

Is if you're in a band and you're just a guitar, then it's hard to keep— but then you have the drums.

Yes.

And then the drums, and then that gives credence to the vocals to keep in time.

Yep.

And I feel like without the poles, or it's just one more thing helping timing the rhythm of the band.

Totally.

Yes.

Long explanation.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think you should Like, what was great about the run before, why you felt so good, is you did something hard and you had that whole T-bar ride to just kind of just not think about it. And then you came back to it, more actually did it better.

Mm-hmm.

So I think just practice, get some reps in. Sweet! Cool, let's go. And you remember, use this bit of terrain if you can.

Oh yeah, it's never over with Tom. It's never—

no, I got a short period to, to win this thing, so my best effort.

It definitely feels easier in a mini snowboard. Super flat skis, mini, and you can kind of do this.

What does the snowplow do? Just—

it means— can you feel how it's really— you're getting your edges caught? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here you're already on your edges. Oh yeah, you go 1, 2, because the hard part is— yeah, so you got the rhythm in and just one foot Outside foot, outside foot, outside foot, outside foot. There you go.

This is like a mini short turn.

Yeah.

Can you feel though now you're building reps?

Yeah.

And here you don't have to worry about speed. It's just okay.

Now you know.

Yeah. Already better. Yeah.

Already better. I'm pretty impressed. Like, I feel like, I don't know, like It's going pretty well. Like, I feel like we already see some noticeable—

I can definitely see some noticeable changes. Can you feel it's tiring?

It is. It's like every muscle in the body is working.

Yeah.

All right, we got some good news. You want to know where our short turn Ski IQ is right now?

What?

143. So we're up 5 points from baseline, and we're not even at level 2.

Awesome.

Okay, so the best one Was the last, not the flat, but before we got to flat.

Yep.

Uh, that one had the 143, and then above that was like 141, like the one that I did.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I could see that lower pitch. There's like moments I was like, yes, you really had it. Like, you had your hands really still, you put the pole plant in. Um, yeah, which is pretty good for what, that's like one lap practice, really.

Yeah, I was saying, yeah, last year I did the, like, the general Carv IQ, and I think I just, like, off the bat got a 148. And then I think I trained for 2 days of trying to, like, one day listening to all the Carv App advice, then one day with a ski instructor, and I got to a 151. So going from 138 already to 143, and I think we can squeeze a couple Put more points there!

I think we can. So should we jump to step 2?

I would love to.

Okay, seeing where you're at, like sometimes you have to in the moment go, do I stick with what my original plan was or do I, do I change it? Um, and I, I think I'm going to change the order. Level 2, I want to work on a little bit of early edging because I don't know if you notice in my turns there's kind of like loopy round shapes.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, there's a purpose for that. That really helps you kind of be really smooth, just like going up a jump progressively instead of like a wall. The early edging is designed to give you a bit of a smooth entrance to that edge set, which you're already pretty good at. If you weren't good at the edge set, I'd do that. So let's work on the early edging.

Perfect. I'm very— I'm a weird person to teach because I'm like got very low level of some things and then very high level. It's a weird combination.

It is, but it's fun. Yeah, yeah, because actually it's more challenging to me, and actually the bit you're at is more fun.

But I'm pretty gassed up on early edging because I feel like that's gonna help like everywhere. And if I have to say, all yesterday my Carv app was telling me I need to early edge, so this is, this is my opportunity.

This is your opportunity. What I want you to add into your skiing, if I just do it with one leg, from the end of this turn, the start of the next one, I want you to feel like you kind of change your edges But you do it just with your leg, okay? And you don't really turn the ski too much.

Okay.

Right, because usually in a short turn, the focus is you finish and you're turning really quick, okay? You're changing the direction. I want you to let a little bit of that go in, but I want you to try and like get your knee into the turn before like the edge set moment.

Okay.

Okay, okay, yeah, so just like, like that movement there. So we're just going to go across the hill Practicing that a few times. Right foot, left foot. So I make sure you get it, and then we're just gonna have a crack at putting it in. I'll just show it. It'll be like this. Here, that. Here, that knee roll. Could you see that?

Yeah. So like, yep.

Bingo, bingo! Other side, so we do both, both ones. All right, so out this move. Any questions about that? Like, what are you feeling like? Do you want to check?

My only question is just how, how does this get into the main thing? Not in a bad way, I just This is feeling pretty good.

Okay, cool. Okay, one question I have for you is, in a short turn, do you think you'd be pressing on the ski when you do that, or do you think you'd want to be light when you do that?

That is a great question. Um, I would— in my head, short turns got a lot of Gs, so you'd want to like really press into it. But I'm assuming that's what you think I would say, so I'm going light.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just because of the interest of time, Go light.

Okay.

It's like, I do, I do this movement in the air, and if you're getting the sweet rebound, right, you feel that G-force bounce in the air. Most people just stand and do nothing and they turn and they wait till they're on the ground. In the air, you're doing this move so you land prepared and into it.

Ah, okay, okay.

Light bulb just went off.

So I'm not landing like this, I'm positioning my ski like this so then when I land, I'm already shot into the next one. Now that's something I can hang on to. Yes.

So why don't you just do one more each way?

Okay, okay.

Now knowing you're like, why the heck am I doing this? I'm doing this because actually it's gonna almost be in the air.

Ah, okay, okay, okay. I like the air. I like the air.

Yeah, can you feel that makes more sense now?

Yeah, yes, I like airtime. Yeah, no matter how big or small.

Okay, so I'm just going to get one more lap and then he's just going to have a crack at it. Yeah, try and land on the edge, in the air, on the edge. Like that one. Yeah, so like notice and feel it.

So how do we put it all together?

Yeah, okay, so you need to come up with like the most simple thing because you're doing like 60 turns a minute. Okay, so why don't you just say to yourself, I'm just going to try and roll my knee in the air. Roll my knee in the air.

Okay, so we don't even think about the hands?

No, no, no, no, just too many things. You'll definitely screw it up then. Okay. So I'll go down and, uh, then you have a crack at it.

So you told me Like in the air, we're doing like that shoot. We're doing the shoot.

Yeah.

But like when I watch you, you don't get in the air.

It just feels like it. Like air.

It's like that where you have no weightlessness.

Yeah, exactly. Just no pressure. Just like do it with no pressure and then come in and it should feel like you smoothly land into the edge set instead of just like cha cha cha like foot cha.

That sounds that sounds great. So is that a short turn or is that a long turn?

No, that's a long turn.

Okay, okay. All right. So we're going whatcha whatcha. Yeah. You make it look easy.

I've done a lot of them. I've done a lot of them. Uh, any questions?

So kind of, I don't know. I feel like, uh, I get the theory. Yeah. And then on one turn I could feel like what I feel like what should happen, which is like—

That's it.

But I couldn't get it consistently.

Yeah, this is one of the hardest parts. I'm still working on it. If I was to say do it better, Tom, I'd try and do it earlier, but it just means like the turn, like you probably felt, it was like, whoa, you get whipped. It's putting like a mini carve in. Yeah, it's hard. So I just say don't be hard on yourself. Just go again.

Alright.

Yeah, so to keep it super simple, you don't have to be airborne, just be light.

Just be light.

So if you don't get airborne, don't try and jump, just be light, roll your knee in the air.

Alright, light, and we're gonna roll our knee.

Yep.

Yeah, okay, we're getting pumped. I felt this time— yes, I can see where I start to overcompensate, then I start to jump, and then things get weird. But there was a couple where I could feel the shape of the turn. Because I could feel when I came in like that, it almost felt like a snowplow in a weird way, in a good way.

Yes.

And then it brought— like, it was super consistent. And then when I was able to do like 2 or 3 back, I was like, oh yeah, I see this, this brings me— and then I started overthinking it. Then I was like, where's my poles? Where's my triangle?

I know. And I would just say, like, for the people watching, like, sometimes, like, in the past as a coach, I'd have like tried to jump in and now go And also, Alex, fix this. Don't don't do that. Like sure, you weren't in a parallel position. You're a bit snowplowing, but you just felt something new. I trust in the process of well, the limited time we got, a little bit more practice. It's going to come in. So I think all I'm trying to say is like when people practice, they don't like messy, and so they stop. Embrace the messy.

We're getting messy.

Getting messy. You're getting new feelings. We're on target.

Perfect.

So you can do it in a snow—

I was gonna say, I know you're not gonna let me take this off. I know this is—

Use the snowplow. I'll show you how I would do it. So good thing with a snowplow is you can have like lots of weight on one foot, move the other. Hey, can you feel that?

Yeah.

That's the best snowplow short turns you've done yet. Yeah, let's get you some speed.

We've created our own category.

Bingo!

So when it catches on the edge like that, you pressured too early.

Okay.

See, if I roll it and I press it, I get stuck, but if I'm kind of light And then put the— yes, there you go. Oh, too early, too early. Bingo. Light. There, there.

This takes so many muscles.

The pressure is way later than you think. Way later than you think.

Yeah, it's like you gotta like think for one second. Think like, oh, I'm about to do it, and then think, hey Stefan, well, I'm learning how to— I'm learning how to ski. So like one of my goals skiing is I want to like improve my freeride skiing.

Yeah.

So what I learned when I transitioned to freeriding is I'm pretty damn good at jumping off shit.

Yes.

But that there's a lot that goes into getting to the things you need to jump off of, getting to the other thing you need to jump off of. I know what you're saying.

I got a good answer for you.

Okay.

Okay, I gotta get— because, okay, so big part of big mountain skiing is flow. Yeah, so you could come into a section with a big long, uh, like slot, like power slide, right? Or side slip. Imagine, so someone did that into a technical section They came in and they just kind of side slipped their way into the drop and went off. Imagine you came in and the terrain suits it, and you came in and you just went bang, bang, bang, bang, slide, bang, bang, off. Imagine you change the tempo. No one's doing that. No one whacks in some sweet short turns and then a massive one and then sends it.

Yeah, it's true. It shows control, and especially before cliffs, you want to shut down speed, but a lot of ways that is commonly done in freeriding is by basically doing like glorified, basically hockey stops.

Yeah, exactly.

You basically just hockey stop, hockey stop, and then you do get worse scores because you're— you don't seem as controlled. Whereas if you could like instead line up like 4 like check turns instead of you like did like 4 super graceful short turns, which also would kill your speed, put you in angle, then you would look like way more controlled.

Exactly. So you're working on the early edging, this kind of move to the edge so you can land smoothly. When you were getting it right, you also allowed your leg to move out a little.

Oh, okay.

Sometimes you get caught, you know that feeling where you kind of roll and then you, you're like, you're stuck?

Yeah.

That's because you haven't kind of like brought your feet to the side. You know, you picture those racers and they're always jumping from side to side.

Should I be bringing this ski with me or should I be keeping the— Absolutely. Okay, okay.

They've both got to do it together. Yeah, yeah, that's why they're like Yeah, yeah, it's easier to feel the outside. That's why the snowplow is good. But absolutely, both mirroring. But all I'm saying is, like, in the air, just roll the ankles and knees, see if you can land smoothly. But you're allowed to kind of move your feet out to the side.

Perfect. Okay, I've lost it.

That was good. So that was pretty good. How'd you feel?

Top section, top part, great. Then I thought too much and I lost it. Yeah, yeah, but maybe it's because it flattened out a bit, or—

I reckon it was the flat.

Okay, okay.

You felt some great turns and you had no juice. Yeah, squeeze. Try again on the steeper bit. All right, your turns are way loopier.

Oh yeah, we need that. I need a little bit of loop.

Yeah.

Was that fun?

That was super fun.

Yeah, that's a pretty decent pitch there, hard snow. Like, what did you, what did you feel?

I felt like that time, like, there's moments I had my Peaks and valleys. Yeah, but in the moments I felt like just a good flow and just like the skis were rebounding and then I was kind of able to place them there, then get back on that angle and place it. And it's really weird because it does feel like you're jumping.

Yes.

Because there is that moment where there's— you have no gravity on the ground.

Yeah, yeah, that's the really fun part. And as you get better, like The ones you felt really good when you had that weightless moment, you remembered to move your feet out, roll your ankles in the air, and then the next one was just—

Definitely. I almost think this is me coaching me, which could be wrong, but I almost think I'm almost trying to skip to step 3 by putting in the other stuff. So maybe this time if I just purely think about just fucking shoving those ankles—

I agree.

Yeah, yeah.

The only way, the only way you learn something is you've got to put everything else aside. You've got to give it 100% focus. I agree. Do you want me to go first to just give a bit of— just so you're like, I'm just trying to mirror Tom?

Yeah. Okay.

Okay.

Wait!

All right, Alex, come on.

Yes!

I rocked it. There we go.

Yes!

Yeah! That's a really fast tempo.

I was gonna say, mate, I think I'm going 100 or something.

Yeah, my only thing would be like, just go back up there and just give yourself the space and time, because the ones you did, your feet— the difference was like your feet went out like this far versus when you gave yourself time, they went this far. Yes, if you're in a rush to finish the turn, you Like where's the space to put it in there? But sorry to put the the the name. That was sweet. You're you're using your edges way more. Could you feel that?

I feel it. But it's so funny. Like okay, it sounds so dumb, but a type of skiing that I do that I'm pretty famous for is called swerve ski.

Yes.

And one of the unofficial moves swerve ski is incredibly high tempo.

Uh huh.

And that just made me feel like. I don't know, like, I don't know how to put it, but like, just like, I don't know, it's a crazy feeling.

You'll be able to check on Carv what the tempo was. You'll be able to see like what, how many turns per minute that was. It'd be interesting.

Oh, whoa, 144. I don't know when that came in.

Okay, we're up again.

Look at that, a 90 tempo.

Oh my God, so let's see.

I think, you know, it calculates your best 8 turns. So mine's 85.

Oh my God.

Uh, let's have a— can you check your early edging?

85, that's not that much early edging.

Oh, we're up, we're up 11%.

Wow.

Okay, where's my early edging at? 73.

73. Okay, so I'm 12% behind the master of this, but you're up, you're up. But I'm up 11, so we're somewhere, we're getting there.

Yeah.

I'm pretty happy to say like step 2, for the time constraint we've got, okay, okay, let's put it— put a wrap on that one. And step 3, revisiting like a little bit of warm-up of the no pole plant, a little bit of the, uh, the edging drill, just to remind yourself, okay, those are the feelings. Just almost switch off and just like you did there.

Yeah, switch off. And we're not done, we're not done.

But you know all the little things, I'm rolling I'm moving my leg out. I'm kind of playing with like the pressure buildup.

Okay.

Kind of feels a bit pedally.

If it was the same temperature as yesterday, I'm like 4 degrees hotter.

Yeah.

With how much we're working.

You'll feel it tomorrow, I promise you. If you're getting that feeling of like ramping up, not stepping on the pressure straight away, I was wondering, is there anything in freestyle skiing that's similar to that?

Definitely. So I would say like the kind of the takeoffs, it's really easy to like when you're gonna do a trick and you might be spinning a lot to think like, okay, that means that on the takeoff I have to set really hard. Yeah, but the base of every good trick is like patience on the takeoff. What I had to learn growing up was like how to like wait just a little extra, get up, and then go. And it's like the same thing, we want like early edge, let it build, and then go. Because if you think too much too early, then you're gonna screw up your trick.

These are race boots, really stiff, uh, narrow. You have to grind and punch to make them fit. And I did all this work and I put a video on Instagram about that, like how I do it. And so I'm showing all that, and at the end there's like shots of me just with my calves, bare calves. They can see them.

Mm-hmm.

And the video, I look at it like a month later and it's at over a million views. I'm like, what the hell? Like a boot grinding video? And I look at the comments and there's all these people going, dude, how do you get your calf muscles like that? Bro, why is no one talking about this guy's calf muscles?

You gotta be iron for calves. You did. We gotta look at these things. You gotta show me.

It was it was the bodybuilding community were like, check this guy out. Look at his calf muscles. And I'm trying to explain how to fit a boot.

That's jokes. That's so jokes.

Step three. Like I'm gonna create a corridor for you to to help like ease your mind about thinking about your short turn because remember the short turn tempo was like. Really rapid. Yeah, so I'm gonna try and help you like reduce that by doing a corridor down here. All you're gonna do is go— each of your turns just has to kind of be outside of the edge of it. There's our corridor, the wall. Your turn's gonna be out here, out there.

Pressure's on. I think I got this. All right, if I get a 1:45, then I don't know what I'm doing, but that would be pretty crazy. I got a little distracted at the beginning. My brain thought of 10 things at once.

That's alright, I'll do it again.

Okay.

This is very normal. So corridor round 2.

Okay, what— why does it feel like I have so much forward pressure?

Well, I would say one thing, this is the best pitch for your turn. Can you feel there again you're trying to juice it?

Yeah.

Yeah, so here we get more gravity, it's just easier.

Ooh.

I feel like I've came a long way, but I still feel a little like everywhere, so hopefully we solve that. Yeah, I feel like that was way better.

That was just like— I haven't seen many people progress in a short turn that quickly.

So I feel— yeah, I don't know, I feel like the ingredients were there, nobody ever just put the cookbook in. Totally. Should we check and see if we—

let's check, let's check.

There's some times where you pray to the carve gods.

Yeah, this is that moment right now. This is that moment. This is that moment.

A 142!

142!

All right, we're cutting that.

Cut!

Can I just say, do everything you're doing, but now you have permission to go faster. Faster tempo. This is the— because it will— it is harder to do everything faster, so carve will score that higher.

Okay. Is that actually— it is actually looking better, like all content. Way better.

Can you see it? Oh, 100%.

Yeah, I guess. Yeah, yeah.

So we're judging by like aesthetics, you look like you can short turn.

Oh yeah, yeah.

Carl's not going to pick up your other upper body. Night and day. Okay, yeah, yeah. Wait a second, choose the best snow, choose the best snow. I feel like you want like no funky fall line.

I think right here.

I agree, I think right there is pretty nice.

All right, we got less because you went pretty rapid.

Like, you started well and you went faster, and then you just went faster, faster.

All right, I have a feeling we go back because in my head I'm just thinking sensor, sensor, push, push.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you got a little bit too over, like, eager to—

yeah.

So if we go up, yeah, and I follow you, I have a feeling my tandem ones could give us the best one.

Yeah, let's find out. Practice time.

I forgot, I forgot.

One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two.

That's so jokes with the calf muscles.

Yeah, right.

That is insane. We're up six IQ points. Hence, the last thing left to do is do some short turns in tandem with Tom and see how far I've came.

How is it following? Does it help?

I think it's way easier because, okay, the tempo, I don't even gotta worry about that, right? Yeah.

I'm gonna push it a little.

Push it harder?

Yeah, I'm gonna push a little harder. Whoa, right on! Okay, that's a hell of a lot of fun. Yeah, sweet.

Awesome.

How is that?

It's honestly fun. It's, it's like nose butter. It's like it's its own type of skiing.

Yeah, like it's got its own challenge in it.

Hey, you're enjoying Trying to figure out exactly its own challenge and then its own like enjoyment. Like for example, that feeling of a long carve—it's like when you're in that max G, how good that feels. Yes. And these are like how good it feels when you just get that shape, that turn, and the little bounce like from one side to the other.

Definitely. Hey, I think you've done really well. I've put in my best with a limited time. Let's see where it gets, but it's been a pleasure teaching you, Alex. Thank you. Oh, let's hug it out.

Dude, you've been more than amazing. You're, you're, you're professional. Like, thank you. So easy, and I appreciate you did a great job, like, giving me space, but then also making me feel like you were on it and on top of it. And I like your, the flatland training. Yeah, yeah.

Well, it's like this, I want this prize, so I was like, I'm gonna use every inch of this hill to try and help.

This is the Aussie, the Aussie. Shall we see what the, uh—

Yeah, let's have a look, let's have a look.

146! Oh yes!

Which run was it? Was it that one or the one before? Yep, it was the last one. Here's the last one.

Wow.

Yeah, we pushed it a bit.

Dude, we got 2 IQ points up there!

Yeah, look, 84 tempo. Okay, so that was good. Not too high, but still high. Yeah, what about early edging?

A 71!

71 early edging!

What did we start at?

It was like 50.

Wow!

Yes!

Awesome!

All right, so we're 8 points. That's a lot. That's— wow. Yes, sweet!

Hey, well done you!

Well done you, right? All right, well done. I'm gonna go grab the award and—

That was a really fun day with Alex, and I'm honoured to take home the win on that challenge. Hey, before you go, a couple of things. One around frustration. Notice Alex was frustrated at points. This is not a negative thing. It's actually a really positive sign when you learn anything new. So, embrace that. Know that on the other side of it, is a breakthrough, just like Alex got. The second thing is to utilize drills and all bits of terrain, so if you can break things down into pieces so you can make a progression or steps to anything, you make it far easier to achieve than the whole big, like trying to get early edging in one go, for example, use these little drills. So if improving your skiing is something you're really into this winter, I've built a whole system and an app, bigpictureskiing.com is where you find it, And I've got in there tutorials on carving, moguls, off-piste, short turns, even preparing yourself for the upcoming winter with body prep exercises. So I've tried to build a holistic system that just helps you fix all little pieces that make up the big picture of skiing. Hey, I hope you've enjoyed this video, I'll see you on the next one.

Thanks for watching.