No matter how good of a skier you think you are, there’s always room for improvement. There’s also almost always someone better than you that you can learn from. Alex Hackel is a two times X-Games medalist. Hedvig Wessel is both an Olympic mogul skier and a Freeride World Tour medalist. Both of these athletes are almost certainly better at skiing than you, but they’re still aware of where their technique needs some work, and where they’re able to help others improve.
It would be an incredible privilege to get ski tips from an Olympic skier or X-Games medalist. But, since the chances of that actually happening in my life are fairly low, YouTube videos will do the trick.
In a brief lesson with Hackel, Wessel covers putting pressure on the outside foot, pumping up and down to initiate and exit turns, and the idea of thinking hip forward. A brief summary is definitely not enough for you to understand her tips. The carving lesson begins at 6 minutes and 9 seconds (it’s still worth watching the full video).
I don’t want to bash Hackel’s skills in anyway, especially since he is definitely a better overall skier than me, but it is kind of funny to see where the professionals struggle with the sport. I’m pretty confident in my ability to carve, though I still believe I can take a lot out of this video.
I’m not confident in my ability to do a nose-butter 360, especially since I’ve never actually done a nose butter 360. But you can bet I’ll be thinking about Hackel’s lesson when I’m on the mountain next. Will I land it? Almost definitely not, but maybe I’ll at least get a little bit closer.
Related: Tips To Successfully Raising Skier Kids (Positive Reinforcement)
Image Credit: Alex Hackel via YouTube