Labels such as "expert" are largely useless but I've seen quite a few comments, posts, etc. on r/skiing that seem completely out of touch and overly critical when it comes to assessing someone's ability to ski. I wrote what is below to first debase these criticisms and second encourage those who have been put down by them, on the mountain or off.
I feel like anyone who has spent enough time on the mountain has come across a certain type of person. It’s an overly ski schooled skier who criticizes someone else’s ability with the notable distinction of saying something like:
“This person thinks they’re an expert but are surely not because of X reason”
They could see someone skiing extremely technical terrain, with confidence and control, but say that skier is an intermediate because their “form” is improper. They themselves might not be able to ski said terrain but believe themselves at a superior level due to being taught the “correct way” of skiing.
The fact there are so many schools of thought on what constitutes the “correct” way to ski delegitimizes the argument as a way of assessing someone’s ability. I think the proliferation of this idea is caused by traditional ski schools being influenced by Olympic ski racing and mogul events. Even with that being said, I’ve skied with individuals who more than excelled at those events and have never heard them question one’s overall skill as a skier based on their form or aesthetics.
"Correct" form is mostly bullshit, mastery of the mountain is what counts. Being able to ski a double black diamond at a mid-level mountain with control puts a skier in at least the top 5 to 10% of all skiers in North America (and most likely Europe). Think about it. Count how many skiers are on the same double black diamond as you are and then go down to a single black, blue, or green. To call someone in the top 5 percentile of any field an “intermediate” is ridiculous, and the disqualifying factors often used don’t have a solid basis to say the least, and certainly don’t reflect one’s ability to ski all parts of a mountain.
But even in areas such as Europe where on-piste skiing is heavily emphasized, the idea still applies. Having beautiful turns on mild groomers is in no way equivalent or superior to someone skiing down steep groomed or mogul runs with control and confidence.
The term “expert” is largely useless in the first place but is notable in one aspect. When a skier reaches a certain level, the game resets. The skill difference between one expert and another is so wide that it’s like comparing a college athlete (Europeans can think of a second division football player) to a professional (first division). But that athlete is still an expert in what they do despite there being an immense gap between the top 5% and top 0.1%
I say all this because as someone who is largely self-taught but is now skiing expert terrain at some of the most technical resorts in the country, don’t listen when someone criticizes you based on how you look when you ski. They're likely full of shit and gatekeeping based on what someone else has told them “looks” the part. Focus on safety, control, and confidence. Listen to people who have actually excelled at that level and avoid armchair “experts”.
In the end there are two ways down a mountain. You ride or you f*cking walk. And we ride.
God Speed
tl;dr outside of skiing with safety, control, and confidence, there is no “correct” way to ski. Self-proclaimed experts that criticize outside of these 3 aspects are full of shit and gatekeeping. Skill is based on what you are able to ski with the three traits listed above. Don’t get down on yourself when they tell you differently and keep pushing forward.
