François Lyotard was the first to develop the concept of the postmodern conditions. According to the lyotardian conception, skiing postmodernity is conceived as the difference due to the conditions of modern skiing. These conditions, currently conceived as metanarratives, i.e., beyond ‘narratives’, would constitute the entirety of modern skiing and restricted our way of harnessing and enjoying the snowy mountain.
Postmodern meta-narratives are critical of the conditions that defined modern skiing. These modern skiing conditions, interpreted at the time as totalitarian, have lost their practical value and are meaningless today. In their place, new conditions have emerged to replace the old ones.
The conditions or ‘narratives’ of modern skiing comprised the utilization of ‘straight’ skis, the primacy of aesthetic skiing with the skis together, an upright and structured upper body position, the marked vertical movements of unweighting at the start and loading at the end of each turn, eccentric movements, the preference for rounded and controlled skidding, the utilization of movements from the knees upwards, and the implementation of effective performance.
Today, it is rare to find skiers with these conditions of modernity, which have been replaced by radical parabolic skis, functional stance, concentric and lateral movements while maintaining a constant load, the emphasis on skiing from the knees downwards, carving turns, and efficient performance.
Postmodern skiing determined the fall of the skiing conditions of modernity, which have been fundamental in the development and use of the activity. From the technique with the skis together and the weighting of aesthetic skiing with broad movements, the focus shifted to the functional, to prioritizing the minimum necessary effort, to emphasizing the efficient, and to employing a variety of devices for sliding.
To summarize, postmodern skiing represents the liberation of the ‘narratives’ of modern skiing.
