Why it's (almost) impossible to ski like Ted Ligety

Everyone talks about the ‘art of the turn’, but at Carv, we’ve made it our mission to go one step further, and turn that art into science.

We teamed up Ted Ligety, 5x world champion, to analyze his magical turn over 7 days in Sölden, Austria. What we found in the data changed the way we look at ski technique forever.

By marrying Carv's cinematography with our unique data science, we present to you, the art and science of the perfect turn.

Resort: Soelden, Austria
Skier: Ted Ligety
Ski: Head Kore 87

Creative Director: Alex Jackson
Content Lead: Mark Davison
Filmers: Jimmy Williams, Mark Davison, Bolko Targosz, Luke Bredar
Editors: Mark Davison, Andreas Torner, Jordon Tiernan, Jimmy Williams
Graphics: Jack Sirkett
Color: Simon Perason
Sound: Stu Rolls, Jesse Peterson
Carv Team: Jamie Salter, Charlie Bickerton
Thanks to: Sölden Ski Area, USA Ski Team, Ted Ligety

Music License: MB01RGAEKUN4SSW

[theemeraldbee]

Absolutely incredible video. Thank you so much for the insight into how you guys really have worked for this project. It instills hope for the future of new ways to understand skiing. Bravo.

[stefanschneider]

I've been to Sölden, I've skied this slope freshly prepared and as a former ski instructor I guess it looked quite well too. But that's what amazes me when I see good racing skiers go down a steeper slope: They just don't slow down, instead they seem to get more comfortable. I'm glad you took him into this kind of terrain to show the difference. Steep, icy, bad visibility, everything agains them, that's when they really shine, that's where you see the difference!

[dlacorte]

This is possibile carv’s best marketing video. Explaining how to interpret carv data with such a great example is massively important to sell their product. Well done.

[simonshusse]

If you’re watching this from a ski resort about to hit the slopes tomorrow, hit thumbs up. This was amazing content, I’m sure you agree.

[Landwy]

If you look at Ted's bindings in the video he is not using a race plate which puts yout foot on a higher level...somewhat analogous to high heels. However with high heels, only the heel is elevated. This elevated footbed will allow you to get higher edge angles, but make the skier more "tipsy." Slalom skiers definitely used race plates whereas some downhillers won't use them because stability is more important than a very short duration high edge angle turn. A downhillers skiboot will also tend to softer and not as forward inclined as much.

What Ted can do which an old guy like me can't do is keep the uphill ski leg almost pressed against his chest, the downhill ski leg almost straight to resist G-forces and still be flexible. So you must have strength and enough flexibility so that your hip almost or can touch the snow, and strength along with ski rebound to power out of the turn on your heels and float into the next turn and really bend the boots and skis into a more forward weighted position.

Why Ted was so successful in GS is when there was the 35 meter FIS rule for skis, nobody could figure out how to bend the skis enough to make a short carved arc, including Ted. So he invented the stivot which is still used today, especially when a racer is late in gate timing in GS, or the course setter is trying to make everyone DNF. The stivot is a pivot of the skis in a skid to get them pointed in another direction without losing too much speed.

I would like to see Marco Odermatt put Carve in his boots. He is known for applying a really high force and edge angle just above the fall line of the turn. Ted's carve graph was well rounded, and I suspect Marco's graph would be more pointed than Ted's.

[bearclaw]

First Carv video that made me think I should get the system. If I can get 10% closer to Ted's skiing I'll be all set!

[AlvarHugosson]

It would be great if CARVE offered data downloads so that the users could see their turns in graphs and not just numbers. It would help tremendously to interpret the numbers that CARVE gives.

[undrellx]

Wow.. beautiful to watch Ted go through his paces.. the smoothness of his graphs was really amazing.. but thats exactly what it looks like from outside the boot also.. we all probably know we're not doing something right, if we think about our skiing. The most insightfil thing is Ted saying how Carv captured how he feels. We probably dont think about how everything feels enough..

[paulodfontes]

Loved the video. As someone that started skiing as an adult and is still trying to build up my confidence and skills I am excited to see how Carv helps me do that. I did get it at the beginning of this season, hopefully it will keep improving alongside myself for the next few seasons. Keep it up!

[scarface]

production quality of this video is off the charts

[InspirationalSkiing]

I love this docu-style video that explains the difference between regular skiers and someone like Ted. Awesome! /Janus

[Brady_Simmons]

Whoever does this video production is extraordinarily talented. Well played.

[daveroche]

The most difficult thing about skiing is affording to do it.

[ricardoabc]

By far the best content from you guys so far. Gorgeous video and hopefully compelling for anyone who loves carving but hasn’t got Carv. I’ve used for 2x seasons and it’s massively helped me. Currently at ski:iq of 133 so some way to go to Ted’s level… 😂

[Nazrahnas]

Always love watching Ted ski! :) I am 42 years old, ski instructor and Ted has been a great inspiration to me for many years! I grew up wanting to ski-race professionally, but being born in Denmark it was extremely difficult for me to achieve, and as such I didn't. But my love for skiing has endured, and next season I will most likely be working in St. Anton, Austria, but if not, then I will head back to Utah (where I was exchange student in 1999), go to Deer Valley and see if I can find Ted :D

[n-da-bunka]

GREAT content! Ted's edge angle is similar for both uphill and downhill skis but it's his PRESSURE on each ski that is THE key as this data shows. Like the normal person he uses his inside ski to temper/balance BUT he keeps it VERY parallel withOUT placing excessive pressure on it. This takes a LOT of strength that few non-olympic athletes have ANY possibility of replicating. One thing you can't see from this is Ted's weight transfer from forward to rearward which is also one of the keys to these long powerful turns. You will likely find a VERY similar result if you were to have Mikaela Shiffrin replicate these tests.

[МихаилХороших-еы]

Absolutely amazing! Thank you very very much CARV!

[paulmccormack]

Really interesting and enjoyable video I've used CARV for 2 years now, my son bought it for me as a Christmas present ! The improvement in my skiing has been amazing. I don't think I'll reach Ted's levels, but at 67 years old I couldn't really expect to !
However I enjoy my skiing much more, paradoxically I'm much slower over the ground but have way more control and confidence. I'm told I look better too !

[soccernoodlex]

Absolutely incredible content. Thank you for this, it deserves millions of views… if only skiing was more popular

[melwtan]

Great video. It’s nice to be able to compare how you do with other people you admire. Really enjoyed the breakdown of what a person can aim for. I just got a pair but forgot it at home when I hit Whistler this weekend… but I’m there every weekend anyways but would have still liked to have them to check out the off-piste (we just had 1 metre of snow in a week!). CARV was less interesting when it was just on groomers because we just don’t have as nice groomers as in Europe. A lot of the terrain in Whistler just ends up being bumpy as people chop up the run.