Okay so in the driving techniques thread I was silly enough to mention the off topic technique known as the Scandinavian Flick and was then asked to describe it.

A google search yields a number of results - two of which I have partly copied below into this post. What I think I have thought this technique to be does not exactly match up with either of the two sample descriptions. The latter example might be partly written tongue in cheek and describes an introductory move that I think would be more likely to induce the off road excursion that is being warned about as a danger.

There is a lot of discussion and varied opinion about this technique which I seemed to remember being thought as having some value in the early rally days for Z drivers who wanted to get the rear of the car moving or avoiding problems with understeer on the approach to a corner.

I am certainly no expert here and will not bore you with the terror and helpless laughter I have inflicted on spectators, officials and navigators in my rally experiences. I think the best I can offer for any contribution from myself on this topic is the Google search.

SAMPLES

Scandinavian flick

The Scandinavian flick is a technique used in rallying. The technique involves the driver brielfly turning the other way to the corner ahead, for example: if your approaching a left hand corner you'd turn right, and then turning with the corner. This technique is used to help the driver get round corners that had an increasing radius, but it is also used a show off as the result of the flick involves the car oversteering quite heavily.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavian_flick"

http://www.tcsracing.org/scandinavianflick.htm

Scandinavian Flick

This technique is only possible using a vehicle NOT equipped with ABS brakes and preferably with a manual transmission. It is best performed on a slippery surface such as gravel or snow.

The general purpose of a Scandinavian Flick is to allow the vehicle to turn through very sharp corners without dropping off a great deal of speed.

NOTE : This technique requires the largest combination of sheer stupidity and balls our team can imagine. If you can master it, we take our hats off to you. It's not so much the skill involved, or though that is part of it, it's more the fact that if it goes wrong it's likely to go wrong big time. This is definitely a try at your own risk procedure.

The basic procedure for performing a Scandinavian Flick is to put your car into a four wheel drift with the nose of the car pointing in the opposite direction to the corner you wish to take. While continuing the slide select a new (usually lower gear) and turn the wheel in the opposite direction (usually full lock). At the point when you decide you need to turn, release the brakes to stop the slide, the back-end of the car should slingshot around and you should be pointing in the direction you want to travel, you then need to apply suitable amounts of clutch and throttle to regain traction and take off at speed in your new direction.

The procedure can be broken down into the following steps :

........... MORE Information in link address above

For good video footage I can recommend Hannu Mikkola in "The Flying Finns" driving a Mark I Escort??? http://www.dukevideo.com/Cars/DVD/Rallying/Rallying%20History/Flying%20Finns%20,-s-,%2012%20Hours%20in%20Argyll%20DVD.aspx and Ari Vaatanen in "In Car Manx" driving an Opel. I have seen instructional rally videos depicting this technique but cannot remember the titles.

And I though you were referring to a european movie you just saw

This is very similar to the Pendulum turn, only a little bit faster.

A great write up of the Pendulum (which should be tried first, if you're inexperienced) is here:

http://www.tcsracing.org/pendulum.htm

There is a a series of corners at wakefield park in goulburn, which makes you(forces you almost) do a scandinavian flick if you aren't smooth with your inputs. there is a longish left hander quickly followed by 2 closely connected sharp right handers.

Ive found in my 240, that even the merest enthusiasm on turn in or under brakes can see the tail step out like a valentino rossi braking pass which can be gathered up fairly easily. The few times I have gone for the bigger directional changes have resulted in the car pretty much on full opposite lock through the two right handers- combined with brown stains in undies.

*used to find the scandinavian flick much more useful in FWD cars for that same corner.

It's used in drifting a bit. One thing to note is it may help to dab the brakes lightly to get more weight on the front wheels to help with the turn. ie to combat under steer. Someone put the nice new Ford turbo 6 demo car into the wall at Queensland raceway. He turned to the left a little, then when he whipped it back to the right for the corner, it kept going straight......into a wall.

Sounds like the way my 72 Pinto took EVERY corner... whether I wanted it to or not I came out of nearly every turn with the front wheels pointed in the opposite direction from the turn... trying to keep them AHEAD of the rear wheels.

Man that car sucked, but it sure taught me a lot about driving!

Pinto... Bob Glidden once said the Pinto would drive better ( and more aerodynamically) if it were going backward.

The Scandinavian flick is the same stuff we practiced in shopping mall parking lots during the winter. I used it once to get around a corner getting out of Church. I could only wonder what all the old ladies around me were thinking as I pulled the break handle, then steered furiously to get the back to flick around the back of the school....:eek: All at slow speeds, of course.

We never thought of this technique as a racing maneuvre, nor knew the name- more of a thing to show off, or scare your date, in the

winter.

BTW, the same technique is used (sort of) when you ride a bicycle. You steer away from the turn, which makes you lean into & turn into the turn, but it happens so fast you can't tell.

Rauno Aaltonen's driving lessons. - YouTube

rally professor rauno aaltonen about scandinavian flick