An up and back move is different from an up and forward move.
Up and back moves the skier up the hill. In that context it would be as Ashski described a braking (arrests our momentum and introduces an opposite momentum) move most here would try to eliminate in their everyday skiing. In other words since it stops our downhill momentum it isn't viewed as a contemporary skiing movement. That being said we see this "old" move all the time as skiers use a variation of this called a checking maneuver to control their speed, or facilitate an edge change. Rebound from the skis is the result of this checking maneuver and in the past it was common to see this in a slalom race. One of the most famous pictures of Phil Mahre's slalom wins demonstrates this very vividly. Fast forward to today's slalom racing and it is rarely seen in the same hard edge set way, which would explain why modern teaching pros try to eliminate it. Although I would say if you know what to look for you will still see it being used every time a racer's skis converge. A recovery and line adjusting move if you will. This is why I feel the rotary push off move (RPM) still has validity within the context of specific situations that call for the outcome it produces.
A very common but often overlooked variation is the hop turn used by most freeriders when they are setting up above a cliff. This is a very valid modern use of this maneuver since the alternative is to ski into the rocks, or off the cliff directly below them. Not exactly a positive outcome and as many of those skiers will tell you they don't have enough snow to shape a turn on. They are jumping from one patch of snow to the next and arresting that downhill momentum is a matter of life and death, literally.
As I mentioned earlier we keep suggesting to our students RPM's are such a bad thing. In reality the RPM is just one tactical choice available and in certain situations the most effective and appropriate choice. A few weeks ago I was out with BB and Annie Black playing in some of our lesser known tree lines. I was trying not to use any RPM's until I noticed both of them using more than an occasional RPM to stay in their chosen line. It pointed out how limited my thinking was that day and how I needed to open up my playbook and use whatever worked best to produce the intended outcome.
So what about up and forward? The ILE move is one form of this. Airplane (a corkscrew like edge change in the air) turns are another. Reaching turns are a third. Actually unless you are doing a retraction turn most transitions involve some variation of an up and over move. In retraction turns the up move becomes the extension and reaching to the side with the legs although some here would say it is the feet moving away from the body more than the body moving up and away from the skis. To me I see all of these as options. I use a little of both at times, I reach with the feet at times, and I reach (project) with the body at times. Although I really don't plan that far ahead to be honest. Like all technique decisions,when freeskiing, I try to make those choices on the fly. Tactically I have a clear focus on where I want to go and that is my strongest focus.That being said, I should point out that I spend the majority of my ski time doing demos for my students and trainees. Add to that I use most of my free time working on something with BB, Bobby Murphy, or Annie. So I really don't just go out and just ski very often. When I do, I shut off the techno-babble narrator and just make turns.
So Rick, IMO why you teach "up" has two answers. The simple answer is that "up moves" facilitate edge changes and linkage. The more complete answer is that it represents extending, which is half of the fundamental movements of flexing and extending. Otherwise know as our pressure control and management skills. IMO a wider range of motion in this arena facilitates better balancing skills in a wider variety of skiing situations. I apologize if I started to ramble and I'll get off my soapbox. Obviously, I feel strongly that RPM's have gotten a bad rap and no move is intrinsically good or bad. Use your entire playbook and learn when those moves are appropriate and you will never get stuck looking down a slope wondering how you're going to get down it.
Edited by justanotherskipro - 4/5/2009 at 02:47 pm
