SofaSkiSchool Video?

What do people think of this little vid?
Looks like Klaus Mair sells his own DVD at the website.
I like his dynamic images and good editing of the video segments.
$35 usd.

Comments?
I always love to hear the US vs. European teaching debates...

I think it looks like marketing...

I had the opportunity to work with Max (Swing) at Aspen and try out the Edelweiser skis. Like this instruction video, Max took the poles away and advocated an active sliding forward of the new inside foot to initiate a turn. A pronounced up and forward motion often accompanied that and it does indeed lead to a very strong carve. While some of the movements in the technique might be unorthodox, at least in modern US skiing, they are fun to experiment with, and as an old school skier (54 years old), I can relate to the origins of these moves and their effects on modern, deeply side cut skis.

Edit: Lonnie, we aren't too concerned about the marketing aspects of the posted video. If we get picky, the logo is a clear pointer, but I don't think (hope) that marketing is really the point of the thread starter. A repeating pattern of the same promotion, and you'd get a different answer.

I agree it's marketing....I was more interested in his technique drill techniques...somewhat different than many instructors I have seen trying to show the same theories to students....I dunno if anyone would really pay the $$ for it...nice little demonstration of controlled carving turns though....

I agree...Max stayed with us for about 10 days last week or so exposing the skis to the East Coast and I got to watch him up close and personal with his no-poles - "cab forward" stance movements. Very cool to watch and definitely inspiring as a new technique to master. He turned heads everywhere we went when he made his turns...completely different look and impression than we are used to here in North America !

I may have some tiny video clips of Max making some turns...I will see if I can produce a minute or two of him if the footage is tolerable. I think everyone should try different techiques...I know I fall into terrible old habits and never think outside the box...gotta fix that....

10-4.

The problem the guy in the video is experiencing isn't that he's not weighting the outside ski. He never engages the edge so he can't weight the outside ski. He starts with a skid and never hooks up that edge. No platform to stand on so he spreads his weight.

Here is a little bit of Max:

What I found interesting about the initial clip was the incongruence between his initial explanation and how he actually demos his stuff. I almost didn't watch it through because my first reaction was, how is this guy going to carve a turn with such crappy leverage (knees inside of hips/center of mass). But as soon as he starts skiing you can clearly see that he moves the center in first for strong leverage and then adds "knee" angulation as a finisher.

There are only so many ways you can turn a ski. It's just physics... It's all about angles, leverage and structure. If you create weak links you'll have weak skiing.

Cheers,
Adam

I dont quite understand.... IHMO this guy clearly cuts clean arced traxs and without any initial skidding. He never hooks up that outside edge??? I cannot do a frame capture but if you look at 4:55 you can see that he is going fast and his outside ski is hooked up, his shoulders are levelled and he is well angulated. Offcourse he is weighting his inside ski a lot too but not to the extent that he could not ski properly! On the contrary, this guy ripps!

When I started looking on Youtube for techniques to improve my skiing, back in January, I found a number of clips of him there. I was impressed.
I like what he's doing. He's an excellent skier. Many people don't explain what they're doing, very well.
I'd love to hear from anyone who took classes with him, to find out what they think of his approach.
After all, there were great teachers long before there were cameras, and how something is captured by a camera is not the standard for judging a teacher - their effect on their students is the measure.

tdk6,

I swear that I was looking at someone else who had major flaws. This guy is exceptional. Those short turns at the end were mighty fine. I'll try the instructional tips he presents.

Where's the other clip?

You can do a search for Klaus Mair on Youtube and find him.

Very solid skiing. He doesn't say anything about how his short turns relate to the teory of the large turns. I'd have loved to hear how he skis those instead.. Btw. What are those skis? They look like they have an insane sidecut.. Anyone got info? Cirquerider, you said that you tried the skis..?

The Edelwiser skis are in the post by ExoticSkis; and yes, if you have never tried a custom constructed wood laminate 14 meter radius ski, you don't know what you're missing.

What am I missing? The side cut radius of 14m is nothing dramatic as speculated by Grook....

I don't know that you are "missing" anything. The flex of the skis and their construction work with the shape to give the most solid carving feeling I have experienced in a ski. I am not an authority on carving skis and indeed, have experienced too few of them to provide a valuable opinion; but I am very impressed with how easily these skis can hold a turn, no matter how much pressure you put to them.

Building your own skis is cool enough but I dont understand how you can make them hold together with the edges and stuff considering all the punish they take.

The guy in the first vid has a couple sporty transitions getting his point across in a demo. The vid of Max was a lot of fun. Makes me want to work on the ol' Reuel Christie

Yeah. I don't like the outside knee focus very much - in my experience if you tell people to push their outside knee in and make sure the inside knee keeps up, they'll end up in a weak stance with their outside knee out of alignment with the line of force through the stance leg, because the internal leg rotators are so much stronger than the external ones. Ouch!

I guess that's why, in the later drills, he has the focus on pushing the inside leg forward. I don't like that much either, but at least it creates some hip counter and angulation.

Simon

If you are refering to the Edelwiser skis, they aren't "Homemade" or constructed by the skier. They are manufactured to the specs of the retailer, Edelwiser, with your personal topsheet design. Multiple choices of ski dimensions & length. Then your own topsheet of your own design or choice.

I appreciated his start with safety & clearly looking up the hill for potential collision. He carried that through which is pretty important if you are going to carve on down the hill at speed.

As well as his point of correct body position & basics first before tipping. Like a good traverse position & some counter, body forward.

I've read & heard many ways about getting the ski up on edge. Ankles turned in towards the hill, knees, toes, etc. They all work, as for the most part without any interfering factor (such as the girth of a horse if you are riding) where the toe, or ankle or knee goes, all the parts of the leg seem to laterally go also.

Similarities with the video of Max that was posted are the top part of the turn, no poles, & that daring hand upon the snow, as well as their obvious enjoyment of the carve & speed. Makes me want to gather snow & make snowballs (the hand on snow part).

What you are missing is there is no "cheese" in the skis. Sorry, ya had to be there on the lift when that came up, won't mention the well known brand of ski's of cheese I had on either !

Garrett, depending on which mile of countless you are currently on, location etc., send Swing a pm. He willing offers a 3 hr Eurocarve lesson on those Edelwiser ski's. You two may be able to hook up this season. Have some fun !

Okay, I've gotta be done now. I don't usually post in the T&A section & I've exceeded my limit today !

Sofa Ski School & other videos

I know this thread is a few months old but thought I would post this for others like me looking for ski video\DVD.

I have returned to skiing after 13 years (money, change of hemisphere, marriage, ski bum to a job etc), where the ski’s are no longer 205 cm long and the style has changed, so with this new tech age I thought I would swap the ski training books for DVD (and still take lessons of course). Goal is to get down the blacks, steeps, off piste's with more grace - will have a go at most things.

I have tried \ trying the following DVD’s:

Breakthrough on Ski's III by Lito Tejada-Flores and
Warren Smith-ski academy DVD 3 & 4
Sofa Ski School, on order

Breakthrough on Ski's III by Lito Tejada-Flores

Lito uses the same techniques as Harold Harb (read about it on his web site) and promotes the use of phantom edging, a technique many of us older skiers learned on.

I like this technique as it suits the less flexible and may be sustainable as you get older (according to the old guys down the local ski shop anyway). However, from the ski lessons I have had recently I have been told this is no longer suitable for my new ski's and not to lift the leg, keep ski’s wider etc (Lito and Harold Harb disagree, so make your own mind up) You need to find an instructor who promotes this though if you choose to stay on this technique. The debate still goes on
http://www.psia.org/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=56&posts=1&start=1

I had read Breakthrough on Ski's book about 15 years ago and thought it was excellent, so decided to buy the DVD, however I was somewhat disappointed.

I found the screeching music a bit annoying and the DVD had very few drills. When I watch a ski instruction video I don't just want to watch expert skiers perfectly coming down hills, I want tips and tricks on how to project the body forward etc I tend to sit back now and again. I also thought the video was a little short. I did email Lito but did not get a reply.

As mentioned I was a big fan of Lito’s \ Harbs technique, however if you also take lessons you need to find a ski instructor who will teach you this – hard to find in New Zealand so far.

Would I buy another DVD of his if he released a new one – yes, in my early days of skiing his book made me an expert in that style, and I would spend more in the ski slope café on a weekend than his DVD costs. Still a legend
********************

Warren Smith-ski academy

Uses the new ski style - A very well presented DVD, on how to ski Steeps, Moguls, Free Riding and Carving with a numerous of sub sections in each with drills and still shots with body angulations pointed out. Still no substitute for a lesson though, but good to use in conjunction and has lots of great tips.

Sofa Ski School, on order

I have ordered this video and will update when I have received it, however I have watched a section on you tube and tried one of his drills and could relate straight away.

What I liked about his style of teaching is that he doesn’t tell you how it should feel or look like but gives you a real drill of pushing you hands against your knees forcing a turn (as opposed to being told to do a hockey stop – never played hockey so how would I know what that is?).

Once you do this a couple of times you actual get the feeling of when you are carving and when you are skidding and what your body should be doing, pushing you to get down further – like the Max from Sugar bush vid on you tube. Ideal for someone trying to make the switch from the narrow style of old to the new style taught by a number of instructors in New Zealand. It maybe that he is on the same wave length as me, as I have had instructors i really relate to and others I can't

Note: as New Zealand ski season runs from July to September (maybe October) we get a lot of ski instructors from Europe in their off season, all lesson I have had from them have advocated the wide stance, both ski’s on the ground technique.

The above is just my opinion, others will vary

When I started skiing, I snagged all of Lito's DVD's etc. They seemed credible... Paying attention to those was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made wrt to skiing. What a disaster. Even back then a bunch of the info was dated & off base. I spent a couple of years unwinding (mostly) some of the bad habits I picked up partly due to these.

At best, and charitably described, the info on those is outdated - even the one regarding shaped skis. Run away...

SofaSki DVD is a win

After watching the OP YouTube video several times, I caved in and bought the DVD. Watched it. Verdict:

I like his crystal-clear presentation without resorting to terminology (that would confuse little kids during instruction); he just speaks plainly and demonstrate right after... backs up what he teaches. The stillframes in the video incorporating alignment illustrations were of great help... sure beats having to explain angulation with words. The organization of the chapters and extras like "what am I doing wrong" and drill sections were easy to navigate and cuts right to chase. The music was good but ambient and never called attention to itself. Overall, this video is incredibly easy to comprehend, free of dogma, and I recommend it as a resource for virtually anyone looking to improve their skiing... or teaching for that matter.

Thumbs up to Klaus Mair!

PS: I'm positive he was on some Nordica ski in the DVD...

K Maier video

is incredible. Though I acquired it from him after the ski season ended, it still is the best demonstration I have ever seen. Now I have yet to try it out live, so this is armchair assessment, it really is a thing of beauty, succint, distinct in its clarity and he makes it look so easy. There is a reason I guess every North American ski coach/expert I have met who has said, in terms of technique and grace, Europeans are unmatched.

For anyone in the learning stages as I am, Klaus Maier's video is a worthy addition to your DVD collection. Too bad he does'nt sell it on ITunes, which would be a smart business decision for him because then it would be portable onto most folks' ipods and iphones.

Trust me, all the other videos I have seen in comparison are really quite pedestrian, no offence intended to any of the experts, but in terms of an instructional video, I have yet to see better. And I am working hard on my skiing, a day and a slope at a time.

Ummm this guy is awesome, critique all you want, few people in the world can ski like this let alone on this site......nuff said.

According to Klaus Mair in his YouTube comment:

"On all the clips I am skiing on the Nordica Dobermann SL-R-WC with a 11,5 meter radius. "