Dirty skiing?

[fatbob]

Tricia wrote elsewhere:

Clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happy?


Can you teach the dirty element or do you just rely on people left untended for a period of time to develop enough of their own dirt that it isn't a problem?

I'm thinking stuff that comes into the tactical like billygoating down a slope of dubious quality and highly variable snow in preference to doing "nice" groomer turns or the numerous ways you can tackle soft spring bumps from the highly techical to the spray 'n pray.

 

[SBrown]

 

[Philpug]

I'm thinking stuff that comes into the tactical like billygoating down a slope of dubious quality and highly variable snow in preference to doing "nice" groomer turns or the numerous ways you can tackle soft spring bumps from the highly techical to the spray 'n pray.

When I think of dirty skiing, the first thing I think of is John and Dan Egan, they can billygoat like no others.

 

[Monique]

Can you teach the dirty element or do you just rely on people left untended for a period of time to develop enough of their own dirt that it isn't a problem?

I'm thinking stuff that comes into the tactical like billygoating down a slope of dubious quality and highly variable snow in preference to doing "nice" groomer turns or the numerous ways you can tackle soft spring bumps from the highly techical to the spray 'n pray.

Yeah. You can teach this, or at least coach it or guide people through stuff like this. I've had lessons with all of the above. Especially when trees and rocks are involved.

 

[Bad Bob]

It has been really good, speaking as an older soul, to see more people approaching side and back country. It has always been a major part of our sport, but was kind of overshadowed for several decades. Boot packing and a little pioneering has to be one of the more satisfying forms of skiing. It can be taught to an extent, or it is not difficult to exposed to expose someone to.

In the days of yore, during an extended programs I would often take a class on a little boot-pack up a ridgeline and take them through some rock strewn traverses into some gentle un-skied bowls that dropped back to the area. Every trip out there with "virgins" was a treat to see their horizons open and their looks of amazement. In many a seminar I would suggest this to other instructors; to expose their students different sides of the sport.

This probably hasn't changed much, but it can be as fun for the instructor as the class. It can be taught.

 

[crgildart]

I think the personal idiosyncrasies beyond pure uniform technical perfection which result in something useful or at least cool looking is what we call style..

 

[Guy in Shorts]

When I think of dirty skiing, the first thing I think of is John and Dan Egan, they can billygoat like no others.

Most every hardcore New England off trail fan learns to survive with the dirt. Love to seek out the dirty lines as it means that the groomer has left the snow alone. Best dirty lines are often saved and preserved behind closed ropes. After skiing a lap on some punchy rotten dirty snow and your buddy says boy that was ugly lets give it another shot then you are becoming a fan.

 

[Monique]

Best dirty lines are often saved and preserved behind closed ropes.

Please don't try that shit out West.

 

[KingGrump]

Does jiggy count?

Sign at Crested Butte Jan 2016.

In my experience, skiing funky & jiggy stuff (dirty skiing) keeps me light and clean on my feet. The skills and feelings gained are directly transferable to my groomer skiing. Better groomer skiing in turn fuels my "dirty skiing." I like to think of it as circular rather than bi-polar.

 

[4ster]

Tricia wrote elsewhere:

Clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happy?


Can you teach the dirty element or do you just rely on people left untended for a period of time to develop enough of their own dirt that it isn't a problem?

I'm thinking stuff that comes into the tactical like billygoating down a slope of dubious quality and highly variable snow in preference to doing "nice" groomer turns or the numerous ways you can tackle soft spring bumps from the highly techical to the spray 'n pray.

I think you can teach the tools & tactics for "dirty" skiing but one needs to tap into their unconscious competence to actually pull it off .

Over the years I've come across many clean technical skiers when dealing with perfect corduroy or other stellar conditions but when confronted with variables I often have to ask "where's the beef?"! Or in this case "Can you get dirty?"

Lately I've been hanging with a lot of dirty skiers...

 

[4ster]

Even dirtier...

 

[Mendieta]

In my experience, skiing funky & jiggy stuff (dirty skiing) keeps me light and clean on my feet. The skills and feelings gained are directly transferable to my groomer skiing. Better groomer skiing in turn fuels my "dirty skiing." I like to think of it as circular rather than bi-polar.

Yes, thanks to you and others in Pugski and otherwise, I went from hating and avoiding anything other than corduroy, into embracing, enjoying, and even seeking, at times, the "bad snow". I believe that's one of the secrets to unlocking the mountain (something I haven't fully done, but I am so much closer now than a year ago), and you own potential as a skier.

For most of you, who have been skiing decades and are experts (whether you admit it or not , this is perhaps obvious. For the rest of us, it's good to hear it loud and clear. Thank you!

 

[MountainMonster]

Volcanic base grind, Mammoth late June 16

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Please don't try that shit out West.

My bad, just my callous East coast outlook coming thru. What I meant to say is always follow the rules. When you put in the time on a daily basis paying attention to all the little details you can develop a MRG skiing standard outlook. What good would it be to know that snow that fell overnight was deep enough to allow you to skirt 150 yards thru the trees popping out on this sweet 10 foot wide carpet of wind packed powder dropping down into the canyon if I couldn't use that knowledge. Given the choice between being responsible and edgy it is edgy that often wins.

 

[Monique]

My bad, just my callous East coast outlook coming thru. What I meant to say is always follow the rules. When you put in the time on a daily basis paying attention to all the little details you can develop a MRG skiing standard outlook. What good would it be to know that snow that fell overnight was deep enough to allow you to skirt 150 yards thru the trees popping out on this sweet 10 foot wide carpet of wind packed powder dropping down into the canyon if I couldn't use that knowledge. Given the choice between being responsible and edgy it is edgy that often wins.

I'm sure skiing culture differs from place to place. But when east coast skiers come to the west and carry that mindset with them, they sometimes die or put ski patrol and SAR teams at risk. It's happened enough that I have a real allergy to casual mention of rope ducking.

 

[mdf]

Itis not just culture or mindset, it is an objective difference in the level of risk. Western ropes are a lot more serious. Unfortunately some Eastereners visit and don't understand that.

 

[Monique]

Itis not just culture or mindset, it is an objective difference in the level of risk. Western ropes are a lot more serious. Unfortunately some Eastereners visit and don't understand that.

Yes, that's what I was trying to convey. (There's a reason for the different culture/mindset.)

 

[Mendieta]

I had the sad experience of being, with my son, at the same Tahoe area during a storm, where a couple people ducked a rope, one of them was swept by a huge avy and couldn't be rescued. A tragedy for the person, their family, and it could have been a tragedy for those involved in the attempted rescue.Very sobering.

 

[crgildart]

Retired those skis after that trip. Bases were still decent but cores were getting floppy

 

[Don in Morrison]

Early freestyle mogul skiing was about as dirty as it gets, to the point of having been described as "a series of linked recoveries".