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Back again on the Tenguhara slope, continuing from yesterday. It’s about an hour’s hike from the Shizen-en area. From there, we switch into ski gear and begin our Step Soulful session.
The remaining snowfield is fairly shortーabout five turns from top to bottomーbut
the snow is good, the surroundings are quiet, and there are no hazards.
An ideal environment. So we use step-cutting to climb back up again and
again, skiing the same section repeatedlyーthe usual pattern.
When you keep skiing the same slope over and over like this, it naturally reveals what works exactly as intended and what, despite your intentions, somehow does not. And since I’m skiing alongside you, Step Soulful allows us to observe each other closely.
When I see a point where O-san is trying to do something but getting stuck,
I tend to offer adviceーperhaps a little forcefully at times. For someone
aiming to ski in a B-tele style, the key advice is remarkably simple.
Become the B-tele icon.
In other words, become “pointy-kneed.”
Once you achieve that pointy-knee position, the crossover is essentially already done. The edges release smoothly, and the skis naturally begin to turn. This reflects one of the advantages of free-heel skiing and low-cut boots: the ability to build a straight rotational axis.
Furthermore, if you create a strong extension and twist before the crossover, the unwinding of that twist can generate a movement that is even closer to a spin than to a conventional turn.
And if you gradually enlarge that spin, it starts to resemble a turn.
Well thenーthat, in a nutshell, is the structure of the B-tele approach
that I practice.
And for O-san’s breakthrough, the movement shown in the video below is probably the most effective exercise.
After all, look at those kneesーthey’re pointy, aren’t they? (laughs)
And the one thing to practice every single day is “Futon Telemark.”
Please give it a try!
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