Scot Schmidt is arguably the Godfather of American freeskiing. Scot definitely is a skiing icon whose effect on our sport will always be felt. Skiing and ski gear has come a long way since this video, but there is still something mesmerizing about Scot’s style and grace on skis.
Cheers, Scot and thanks for the hip check lesson.
Scot
Ha, I never realized it was Scot not Scott. Just fixed it, thanks.
hahahaha
yea that mistake happens
helllll yeah.
added bonus; ridiculous late-80s/early-90s effects that, even though they have no place in ski movies, are none the less rad.
Hip check and jump turn extraordinaire.
Great post!!
Studying his skiing back in the day (like North Face Skiing Extreme IV – 1987), compared to peers, he was one of the first to really use both his skis independently. I remember just watching those slow-mo turns and it helped me figure out how to ski pow (on 210 GS skis).
On skinny skis, his hip check was almost today’s slarve. It was a tool which let him ditch speed when needed (post cliff, or just skinny skis and speed would have wrecked you).
Amazing to think what he could have done with today’s technology in his prime.
For me what makes him the best ever was just how much better he was compared to the other skiers of his time. His speed, turn radius and smooth airs were superior. I’m not sure if I can say I think one skier is dominantly the best today, yet alone so unquestionably head and shoulders above the rest.
Totally agree, Schmidt’s smear turn was today’s rocker slarve.
Number one reason that the one piece will always be cool.
Is it just me, or is he getting way more face shots on those skinny skis than we do on modern fat and rockered gear? I mean, look at like 2:50….we’d be on top of all that but he is slicing right through it. This video kinda makes me question my wide skis.
I mean seriously – why are we so crazy about gear that helps us float on top of the pow? Don’t we want to get down in it? WIll there be some innovative, entrepreneurial ski company (founded by a kid who grew up with nothing but modern gear) who stops and says “I know! I”m gonna invent a ski that is skinnier so that when it’s blower we can sink down into the fluff rather than float on top of it!”
Another great point seen at 2:50 is his great use of inside leg turning.
Essential to getting ALL the gear going in the same direction.
Thanks for posting, great memories of the time before North Face began showing up as the preferred outer gear of the inner city.
of course you sink more with skinny skis, the technique is different too, much
harder then, now its just like water skiing…anyone can do it.
Grew up idolizing both Scot and Glenn Plake. It’d be impossible for me to say either one really gave more to the sport. Hitting the mountains the way these guys did, on real skis, not the new fat crap, showed true skill and talent. I feel sorry for today’s youth, who know nothing but shaped & fat skis. Can proudly say I’ve never used fatties, and parabolics felt like cheating. I’ll never trade in my old school Salomon X Wave, K2 Edge, or Atomic ARC skis.
Yeah, I’m never getting rid of my circa 1983 Dyanastar Omeglass Equipes or my old Rossi FP’s either. They make awesome Shotskis.
OMG, my Omeglass were the lightest skis I’ve ever owned! Loved them!
Yeah, fat skis suck. So do round wheels, those square ones were so much better…
Dumbass
right on!
remember the soloman bump skiis…what were they called…. they were blue and orange….ah man on the tip of my toungue…. used to break like 4 pairs a year! hahah loved them tho and the warrenty always gave me new freebies!
The Mark IV?
Much of 1:45 on is at Big Sky, yeehaw! 92 days until the lifts spin…
What an amazing athlete. On straight skis. Wow!
he has one of the best fingers-line-all-feet-sticks of all time………..for his time he was “the man”! All this chatting about face shots though is such a joke! face shots are way lame……..I’d way rather float, go fast, and surf pow than “get in it”……to each his own though. Have fun!
To Thew ………you are a tool bro! Unbelievable comment. I am still laughing…..
Favorite skier ever! Thank you for this
The new fat skis are awesome because so much more can be done on them in back country deep pow. Notice how much cliff hucking has increased in size,
Are there any Scot Schmidt fans here? That”s like walking into an AA meeting and asking if anyone there likes booze…
arguably….nah….he is the godfather.
he is the man.
he showed us the way…showed shane the way, jamie the way, he showed the way for our best of the best. for the tup guns of us.
he is the man.
i like how the old vids show the crashes on the film as is different form now where you can see 3 bobmb holes then they stick it… cmon, show skiing as it is. we all crash and if ya dont “your not trying hard enough!”
thanks UN and THANK YOUI Scot.
can never get enough off his stuff. send it.
think snow.
its around the bend….
peace
Do you know how to screw up great ski footage, match it with a painful soundtrack.
Im not braggin, but I slayed a lot of those lines before schmidt did. Cool tho that he followed in the Dubbs footsteps.