Teaching hips for high performance skiing

Debbie is all the passion when it comes to conveying knowledge to the great mass of the people. So special to watch her now, almost 40 years later, as I remember her winning the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in my city in 1984. Time flies so fast, I was a fourteen years old boy.

This is really interesting, because this guy's a level 3 PSIA instructor, and clearly already really good. It shows how subtle it can all be, and how hard it is to judge for yourself exactly what you're body is doing when you start getting to an advanced level.

This is quite the best instruction I have ever seen. You explain the subtle dynamics so brilliantly well. Those analogies are so clever.

Hands down, this is the best technique content I've seen out there. Extremely well articulated. Deb, you will always be a PNSA legend. Thank you!!

Deb! What a great video. I had a real breakthrough today skiing because of it. Your emphasis of having the outside heel behind our hips in order to better leverage pressure to the tips during initiation of the turn was incredible advice!!! This morning I followed your advice and--BAM!!!!-I became a carving MACHINE! Just as you said, being able to leverage powerful pressure to the tips shortened the turn and gave me so much more control and precision. And, by the way, your demonstration of that in your kitchen with your baby wasn’t only incredibly effective, it was adorable too! Great frickin’ video!! I’m a big fan. I wish I could have a personal lesson from you. But I’m grateful you put these instructional videos out. Keep it up please!

I must have watched this 5 times already. I still can't quite describe how incredibly insightful this was to me personally, something just clicked in place...Amazing content thanks so much for sharing all of this with the community.

deb. this is the best ski lesson! i practiced it today at breckenridge, the three elements that you demonstrated: driving the knee, strong outside leg, and outside heal behind the hips. somehow it all clicked, and the technical synergy was amazing, probably the best carving that ive done. (although, thats not saying much.) your lesson was an epiphany. thanks!

I chased Deb down Taos many years ago and thought I could catch her, hah then with teaching from Jean and Taos ski school and a day with Deb ,,, now I rip and carve! She rocks!

Deb, your content this year is so spot on! Taking cues to help me progress my skiing and to help follow along with my U8 son’s coach and understand what he’s saying and how to help my son apply. Great stuff, thanks so much!!!

Hope you get to make more videos with Scott! He's a great communicator, which makes it easier to learn things both from him being so good at describing what he is experiencing, and from your instruction. Great video.

PSIA L2 training for L3 here, this is exactly what I am working on! This couldnt have been better timed for me. Amazing content as always!

This is EXACTLY what I've been struggling with. Deb makes it so clear, so logical, and (I hope) so attainable! Thank you, thank you!!

This was great! Deb thank you for a wonderful set of directly related instructions for driving the outside hip and inside knee forward. Seeing your highly aware, advanced student ski in response to your coaching communicates beautifully to the viewer. Thanks!

This video is fantastic. Love the ski conversation you are having. More Deb and Scott videos!

Deb, you are awesome. You exactly hit the nail on the subtle difference that I wanted to learn on this video.

Great video and love how you keep it real with Nilo! Really appreciate the focus on good movements starting at the feet. That's been my jam for years and having someone at your level putting a spotlight on it is great affirmation.

Deb’s videos are my go-to before and on my skiing trips. They get me excited to go practice. In about an hour. Woohoo!

Wow! His skiing at the end is completely different.... and so much better. I love your videos Deb!

The more I see of Deb the more I realise she is a genius. Never misses a trick. A really wonderful human. ❤ Seriously considering booking up a visit with some lessons to iron out a few faults.

OMG! I just watched an older video with you (Deb) and Tom Gelle where you talked about "driving the hip" and "powering the hip" and I was trying to figure out what it meant and right on cue, a video which goes into detail about it appears in my feed. So awesome!. Thanks so much for the detailed progression going over hip position in the initiation-to-apex portion of the turn. I can't wait to get back on the slopes to try this out.

Excellent tutoring! Subtle changes that make such a big difference. Thank you for making it so clear.

Thanks for this validation of where my skiing has gone. I am continuing to learn even in my late 70s, and it is such a thrill to explore the tip of the ski coupled with driving the inside knee. Thank you.

Awesome, will be taking this knowledge to the mountain next week. You could see clear progression in that last run with those tighter turns.

Kudos. That is an awesome and totally relatable video. The essence of advanced skiing on film. Outside leg binding behind the hip, lengthen laterally and drive the inside knee. There it is! Now I’ve just got to do it. Thanks Deb

Great video! Thanks for incorporating the dry land examples so I can practice the muscle memory feeling before heading to the hill. Added bonus a Nilo cameo.

This is one of the most realistic and detailed instruction video for intermediate skier. simply amazing.

This!! Very reminiscent of our most recent clinic and the conversations following that on how the alignment and flexion of the hips was limiting my ability to manage pressure both vertically and along the length of the ski! Thanks Deb!

Hey Deb! I watched this video when you first released it but wasn't really getting it. So, I forgot about this video and went skiing some weeks later. I discovered that by changing the way I engaged my hips my carve improved. Since then, I've been watching this video and I believe I get it now, even if I'm not quite doing it yet. All your videos are helpful and I'm sure all your subscribers agree! Thank you!

Great video as always. I think all these buzz-phrases like "dropping the hip", counter-rotating, etc. all came from a lack of information dissemination from the World Cup level athletes and coaches down to the lower age and lower level coaches so we, as he said, looked to the magazine covers and watched videos and tried to mimic those movements without understanding of the entire process. But I think that barrier is slowly being broken by people like you! Modern technique truly is somewhat modern since the inception of shaped skis and the form has continually adapted and been refined over the last couple decades, and I think your videos are truly breaking down misconceptions regarding which technique to apply at what time and why and for how long and what works and what doesn't and blah blah blah.

I love when you gave Scott side by side live coaching. I wish more instructors would do this.

Fantastic video. Every advanced and expert skier can learn from watching this!

This is a great video because it shows why ski racers look different than expert casual skiers. You can become an expert instructor & carver - but that doesn't mean your technique was optimized to extract 100% of the available power. Gravity is a powerful force & for everyone that isn't meassured against the clock, it provides more than enough energy to develop an expert looking style - racers find postions that look like hockey players to generate additional power.

Really incredible teaching. That technique is hi level stuff but like an elite secret just shared with us. Deb, you're an amazing teacher. Thank you.

It's funny what grabbed my attention was the Taos sign on his element and then I saw the Taos jacket. I was fortunate enough to have my first real ski season at Taos mountain in 2021 and it was the best mountain. Wish I could have you as my ski instructor deb. I will definitely be watching these videos

i really benefited from whenever you have focused on driving that inside knee in previous videos (not sure which one). It’s a powerful concept. I think by purely skiing from the feet/ankles up, driving the inside knee as edge angle increases, and maintaining separation, you can have a very solid platform on which to keep pushing your limits of edge angle. It isn’t overly complicated, but all the movements sort of feel and work together, and the deeper you go into edge angle the more support/technique you need, so there’s sort of a natural progression. Thanks so much again for these videos deb. Great things to think about out on the hill.

Great content and delivery! As a retired ski instructor that takes winters off to free ski now I miss the coaching that us PSIA instructors got. My training now happens on KZhead then I try to translate that information to my next day out. What is missing is the feedback from trained eyes and I am left with relying on my own impressions of how I’m skiing. All in all I know that watching your videos is putting my brain in the right place, my hips?, well my turns feel great most turns and I’m having a great season so that is all good. Without solid coaching a skier can only advance so far, investing in ski lessons can head off a bucket full of bad habits and get a skier on the right path. Any skier with the good fortune to take some laps with you Deb will certainly move their skiing forward.

I tried this today and it works. Got good leverage on the ski tips and better control. Thanks!

I will be watching this video probably for a month to really understand it and try to integrate it in my skiing. Such a great detail, i love this videos :) A hug for Campiglio

Another terrific video Deb. I do a bit of Masters coaching and this video addresses two of the common mistakes I see: parking the hip inside and skiing squauty. I love the idea of the heel of the outside leg behind the hip and how driving the inside knee is such a key move. And, the baby is beautiful.

Very nice Deb; heel piece behind hips visual and the why is great. Length for strength, weighted ski hip drive forward vs sink down. Fantastic; thank you.

love the format and the content, having a good skiier who can articulate what he is or is not doing really makes is useful. The pushing the car bit is GOLD! and of course the inside knee too!! Thank you, I am leaning so much from you.

New to this channel and loving the content. I went through the (UK) BASI / ISIA system some time ago to improve my personal skiing, this and the other videos have really helped my understanding on performance skiing. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Oh! It just hit me what youre saying with dropping the outside foot and pushing off with it. That pushing the snow bound truck metaphor did it for me. Thanks!

Awesome video Deb! That will be myth busting for a lot of people! 💣🤯

This is the video I didn't know I was looking for to understand some key carving aspect! Brilliant thank you

Great video! The right timing of release after pressure build-up is something that I am looking for.

Awesome Deb. This forward movement is something I am working on. Feels so solid when getting to the new outside ski in transition and getting this Ski Strong forward position. I was able to hold a carve on steeper terrain than I had been able to before. Wondered if I was on the right track. The results say yes. This is video is a 2nd witness! More more more Deb. Thanks!!!!

Awesome!! I think this is one of your best videos. I was working with a Level 3 candidate on this very thing this last weekend!

Ready to give it a go this morning! Great coaching ⛷

Damn, you truly are the greatest ski instructor I have ever seen here. And I've sure watched a ton of videos...

New to the channel, and the content is amazing. Deb breaks down her instruction into concise, easily understood, and actionable lessons. Thank You!

This video is a great example that Deb is truly coach that the pros go to for coaching. As the 23-24 season is approaching I am going back over Deb’s training videos for skills to work on when the lifts open. Skiers should notice that Scott and Deb are skiing on very low angle terrain similar to what’s available in the early season. Looking forward to more great coaching videos 🙏🙏⛷⛷

What an excellent BREAKDOWN of the progression of the turn! I love how Deb emphasizes the key points and shows her excitement when the pupil “gets it”!

Your videos are so valuable, the more I rewatch them the more I connect the dots

Great video as always! I think my outside heel is a little bit more behind my hip (not just the heel binding) and my outside ski is a platform to push thru the turn in the same time with a up an forward movement of the hip (atacking the tip of the ski). The analogy with the sprint position is perfect. Thanks Deb! 🙂

The nuance here is amazing. So much to glean from this.

I’ll be back on the slopes in a week … will try to put some of this lesson into practice. Great stuff!

So Awesome. I rewatching your Ankle Flexion video and seeing how both hip and ankle movements work together. Big White, Canada.

good turns! your instruction, that power in the turn comes when the heal piece of the outside ski is behind the hip of the outside leg while the inside knee is driving is very helpful. a good technical ski and boot combo helps a person carve. i have a quick 68 mm waisted head race carver, combined with a head race boot, that allows ankle flexion. they give a quickness thru the transition and a rebound at the apex. a quick balanced transition at the fall line, and solid rebound at the apex are two critical points in the turn.

Deb, thank you! Great content! Explanations, analogies, examples. Everithing at a very high level! Much Love and respect from Romania! 🤗

You are an incredible teacher. It totally clicked at 3:54 ! Thank you for freely sharing this.

Thanks! Always love your video and recommend to all my ski dad friends…my wife and spent some time watching this with our u16 daughter tonight and used your example from the kitchen scene to demonstrate the power differences I. The stance. I think it may have even resonated. Thank you Deb, we’re big fans.

A big thank you right from Romania :) It really is a game changer. I watched the video a day before going on the slope and focused on each run to follow these tips. My mistake was the squat position. I feel I just made a huge technical leap forward. I feel like driving the knee somehow naturally moves the outside ankle behing the hip. In any case that knee drive gives such more stability and confidence and only now I fell like I’m carving because both skis are on edge. Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of the season! It’s a pleasure watching your videos.

have been watching this video more than 10times, everytime will have deeper understanding...unbelievable amazing

Really helpful and insightful video. As a human movement scientist this analysis speaks volumes to me. Thank you!

That was a great tip. Can wait to practice this weekend!!! Yhank you again😊

Love from a old racer from bend oregon. Awesome work Deb

Great short video. I am going to practice these techniques today in Australia. Very well explained. Thank you.

Heel behind the buckle! Brilliant. Why didn’t anybody tell me that before. Excellent vids!!

This video is gold. It makes so much sense.

Look at the baby! Love these Deb!

Thank you for this excellent video, I learned something new today and I am going to teach my daughter in Feb when we are in Austria.

Very good tips and easy to understand coaching. This session is good for me because i have the same tendencies than your student. I am a perfectionist and in any sports but skiing is my main one. I teach myself for years after my college racing days and was doing most of what you teach by instinct because it works. I have since started to stand more centered drive my inside knee more conscientiously and boy does it make a difference. I dig trenches now !!! Still squat a bit too much sometimes….a constant battle with this one.😂

So many big things and subtle things here. I often struggle watching skiing videos, when the most “dramatic” it looks like their butts are in the backseat. Maybe sometimes it is and sometimes probably the angle of the video. The things you are discussing make so much more sense! More for me to work on Deb. Thanks as always for your superb lessons:).

Deb, thank you so much for this video and with the context of someone who already carves smooth turns. This is one of those habits I have to break out of when I'm rusty or tired, and I've tried to get family and especially my dad at 75, to make a regular action. I grew up taking lessons on 5 day family trips each year in the Rockies. I could handle all different shapes of turns and work my way through most terrain, but when I finally skied on my own in college befriending and following a few strong locals I quickly found just how much more stable they were skiing through rough or irregular conditions. In trying to keep up and figure out what they were doing I modeled what I could, kept practicing and experimenting, and some searching and reading to finally get more certain of what actions produced that significant gain in stability and confidence through irregular conditions. It can be hard to convey to someone who already feels very comfortable in easier or more consistent conditions. I've already forwarded this to a few. 👍👍

And another great movie from Deb’s channel, perfect 🎉

Thats very interesting...even tho I ski with a long outside leg Ive always felt that there was something else. I will be trying this movement out for sure. Great content as always!!

Wow, I told myself before my big ski trip this week to turn off YT and only focus on the few things I had thought through, only to find myself not standing on that outside leg as powerfully as I had hoped. This video was what I was missing. Always next season. So grateful for the on-point advice!

Going to try it in 3 weeks. Thx Deb and Scott!!

Deb is the G.O.A.T !! God blessed you and thank you for all this free videos.

OMG! That is amazing, looks so powerful! Can't wait to try this at slope

Deb! Still at gold level! Hey! A run down of skis boots, model and length and weather would be informative when doing these exercises for us mortals.

I love the crunchy sound of the snow.

Great video! Love the biomechanics explanation of the movements. I see so much analogy with Sprint mechanics to be more powerful to drive the edges while maintaining the ideal posture. Definitely going to experiment more in my ski turns. Thanks Deb!

What a great teacher!

This is amazing. I'm a ski instructor in austria and have the same problem as him. I'm working hard to get rid of that habit but it's not easy to get rid of old habits. Same as with me leaning my upper body too far over. When teaching I always look out to not do that but when free skiing or pushing hard I always come back to that. Since I'm working towards doing the highest level one day it's a must for me to get rid of those habits even if I ski pretty good other than these small details

Brilliant and really helpful! And the baby is so cute!

Awesome! Thank you so much for posting this. Refinement at this level depends on hyper sharp observation-on the fly, not on a sofa with a video!- and a deep understanding. Lucky Scott! Driving the pinky toe skitip. Love it! 😉✨

I don’t think I’ll even be able to ski this year Deb. But watching your videos makes me feel like I’m still learning! Thanks

Love it this is great content, you always do such a great job of relating body positions.

5:30-34 is what I’ve been focusing on, and what absolutely let’s me Retain maximum energy upon exit, and take that Turbo power into the next turn even Hotter! The drive motion with the outside fist on the release is the finish. It’s very subtle, and it’s definitely ground up. Exactly like a perfect punch! This might not be correct but I loosen my boots up so I can get more ankle flexion and really let that outside leg get long and behind my hips as far as possible. Spring theory 😊 Thank you for everything DA🤙

Video request: could you do a video on the step-by-step process for carving? I am trying to transition from skidding to carving. I find lots of great vids (like this one!) on drills, advice, etc. on one part or another of carving. But when I get on the slopes to practice, I'll start skiing and find myself asking "what's the next action?". I would love to be able to answer that question for myself. Lots of doubt if I'm doing the right thing right now, I find it hard to piece together a sequence of events in carving from videos, articles, etc. Thanks in advance. Btw, I love your videos and your energy. You're (almost literally) like Prometheus, bringing the good stuff down from the Olympians to us mere mortals! Thanks for showing us the secret sauce

What a great lesson about where that inside and outside leg need to be positioned so that entering and exiting a turn happens at the right time.

Great vid! Was working on this very move in Snowmass a couple of weeks ago! Wish I had more time on the slopes coming from N.O.!

You can't manipulate G forces (other than slowing down or speeding up) but you can manipulate your body. Thank you so much Deb for your expert analysis of high level skiing. I learned to love the unweighting at he back 3/4 of the apex. For that spilt second feeling of releasing your outside ski to transfer to the other ski in the next direction. You can manipulate your skis to a neutral angle to make your skis flat while you move your mass forward to engage the up hill ski to the down hill ski. It's not natural just like a roller coaster.

I can’t wait to try this on hill! thank you so much!!

Just rewatched a couple of videos to prepare to teach a strong skier today. Can't wait to get on the mountain!

Hi Deb, just wanted to say that you're an awesome teacher. I'm from the Netherlands and learning to ski at age 30 in Austria. Still trying to master the basics, but I love watching you teach quite advanced skiërs.

Your comment “don’t mess up what you get for free “ is an incredible way of looking at the world. Thank you

Thank you for your informative videos! They echo what my ski instructor tells me 👍