Art of the arc

I’m not a skier who loves to make short, skimpy turns. Instead, I love the long, sweeping kind that remind me of giant slalom; the types of directional changes that keep you on edge and capture your attention for a lasting moment. I’m talking about long radius turns that feel like they are endless, fast, generate some G-force, link seamlessly to each others and smoothly blend in the terrain and all its natural obstacles as they unfold; they’re not just bi-dimensional, they fully define a true volume. I find these complex arcs to be the apex of the entire skiing experience. In my opinion, all slalom-type, “wedeln” or any kind of short radius turns are an abortive form of skiing that don’t do justice to the full potential of a pair of skis and the individual that stands on them. Sure, they can be useful many times, but they’re just a mean to an end, and should never come to define how we ski. The long arc maximizes the slope expanse, invites suspense, uncertainty, velocity and lasting sensations to the party. From the get go, nothing is ever gained and in its best form it always is a cliff-hanger. The purely carved arc on groomed hard-packed snow barely qualifies; the main reason is that there's little edge adjustment required inside the curve. I prefer the long-radius turn executed on crud, cross-tracked and bumpy runs where not only the skis need to be permanently steered, but also where finding the right path adds to the art; in that instance, adjustment is constantly needed and requires the skier’s undivided concentration, both in terms of edge dosage, speed management and visual acuity to anticipate a path for the arc as it unfolds and links to the next one. The bottom line is that, if you ski with me, don’t except to see an excessive number of turns. After all - as I’ve said before - mine (and yours) are all numbered!