My very best...

[Rodbelan]

Meet Denis Vezina, tele instructor... He is the best I have seen; smoothest, most elegant lead change...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXQTS_8Ph0

I've seen good skiers with balls, wit and agressiveness... But Denis has it all; + he's a sort of zen master...

Who's your best?

[Jesse]

Smooth!

Any vids of him in powder?

[Rodbelan]

I don't know! Not in his youtube channel at least...

[Matt J]

I've skied with this guy and he's pretty incredible...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIFk1jCqn3U

he was involved with a couple of films so I don't think they release a lot of random footage on youtube, here's a little from park city

http://vimeo.com/34649232

he shreds pow too - sometimes switch

[James]

Pretty impressive skiing. Very smooth and efficient. I would like to see him on something that was not hero carving snow . Not so sure about Matt's first video. It always makes me cringe. I am not a big fan of the modern free ride form of throwing your hips and lead change in to each new turn. It makes for a lot of skidding and very Z shaped, windshield wiper turns.

As far as the best that is an instructor that would depend on doing what. I would say Greg Dixon out of Bachelor could lay a much bigger trench with a whole lot more angulation then the video above. Ann Shorling of Jackson is probably the best dynamic short radius skier I have seen. Ross Matlock is a pretty impressive powder skier. IMHO all around the best skier and instructor I know is Charlie MacArthur out of Aspen. He is a level 3 snowboarder and a E3 Examiner and past National team member for both alpine and tele. The guy is not human. He is also one of the best stand up paddlers I know. When ever people piss on that sport I pull out a video of him stand up paddling a class 4 river with no effort.

[RobRoyMeans]

Dickie Hall is high on my list.

[Rodbelan]

I am not a big fan of the modern free ride form of throwing your hips and lead change in to each new turn. It makes for a lot of skidding and very Z shaped, windshield wiper turns.

I agree. But those guys are great cause they fear nothing... But I prefer the precise lead change with very round arcs...

Here is Russ Matlock in a Interski workshop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l67chDvAoz0

Dickie H is a great skier and a pioneer. I've got (almost) all of his vids. But he is not exactly in that precision I am looking after. Speaking of pioneers, I really like (what I know of) Steve Barnett: although we do not see him very much in vids, I saw once a segment where he was skiing crud on skiiny skis with a sense of balance coming from another world... very impressive.

[freeheelwilly]

Dickie Hall is high on my list.

Of course he is! You do realize that there's a great big world outside of NH and VT, don't you?

Rob (and I really have no idea what made me think of this), remember when you suggested that a person could get by ski-bumming at Mammoth by heading down to Venice and "selling a few canvasses"? Of course I had weeks of fun with that - because I'm an incurable ass - but you honestly have one of the more interesting ways of seeing things that I've ever encountered. I alternate between dismissing you as a complete loon and standing, mouth agape, in awe of something beautiful and inscrutable. I'm glad you're here.

[cesare]

<sniff...> That's the nicest thing you've ever said to anybody. </sniff...>

[freeheelwilly]

<sniff...> That's the nicest thing you've ever said to anybody. </sniff...>

I benefit from low expectations.

[James]

That is a good video of Ross. It shows his personality which is probably his biggest strength. Here is my favorite powder tactic from a couple other great instructors. Scotty McGee and Craig Panarisi from Jackson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yLN-miMWB8