I want to ski better damn it! How can I?

Okay... So here is the deal. I wouldn't say I am the chronic intermediate, since I can make my way down diamonds and etc. I can ski the crud, the groomed and a pow day is nice. Yet I can tell my form is off and I feel that I can do better. My goal for next year is to try to ski the bumps, or the trees... But with limited time (family, work and etc), I feel like I just never get to that next level. I drool at some of the TR's where people are hitting the woods and pow stashes, I watch in awe some of the bump videos, and picture myself being able to do something more than just what I am now. What can I do to make myself better? I am tempted to bite the bullet and take a lesson to get better, but I have also read... ski more you will will get better too. I am a chronic upper intermediate skier and I want more!

Bostonian said:

I am a chronic upper intermediate skier and I want more!

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welcome to the club!


my advice would be to get some "expert" lessons. go to a reputable mountain and sign up for the advanced GROUP lessons. i bet you find the class empty and you end up with a private or at worst semi-private lesson for the cheap price of a group. this has worked for me several times. i sign up and for $40 i got private lesson on more than 1 occasion.

Bostonian said:

Okay... So here is the deal. I wouldn't say I am the chronic intermediate, since I can make my way down diamonds and etc. I can ski the crud, the groomed and a pow day is nice. Yet I can tell my form is off and I feel that I can do better. My goal for next year is to try to ski the bumps, or the trees... But with limited time (family, work and etc), I feel like I just never get to that next level. I drool at some of the TR's where people are hitting the woods and pow stashes, I watch in awe some of the bump videos, and picture myself being able to do something more than just what I am now. What can I do to make myself better? I am tempted to bite the bullet and take a lesson to get better, but I have also read... ski more you will will get better too. I am a chronic upper intermediate skier and I want more!

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I am in the same spot that you are, and it's frustratingly simple but the only solution is to ski more. I did take some lessons, and they don't do much good if you can't get out on a regular basis and practice.

A few years ago (before my son was born), I was around 30 days a year, and I could see substantial progress. Last year I got 6 days, and this year I'm at 7 so far, and I can say without a doubt that my abilities are regressing.

As you said - ski more you will will get better. Also hook up with people who will push you a little out of your comfort zone. Not dangerously so but a little out of it.

i'd look into one of the weekend 'camps/clinics'....i wouldnt recommend going out with people who are better than you..just 'cause they can ski good, doesnt mean they know how to teach....

Bostonian said:

Okay... So here is the deal. I wouldn't say I am the chronic intermediate, since I can make my way down diamonds and etc. I can ski the crud, the groomed and a pow day is nice. Yet I can tell my form is off and I feel that I can do better. My goal for next year is to try to ski the bumps, or the trees... But with limited time (family, work and etc), I feel like I just never get to that next level. I drool at some of the TR's where people are hitting the woods and pow stashes, I watch in awe some of the bump videos, and picture myself being able to do something more than just what I am now. What can I do to make myself better? I am tempted to bite the bullet and take a lesson to get better, but I have also read... ski more you will will get better too. I am a chronic upper intermediate skier and I want more!

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Felt the same way after my day at Magic...was hard to see people slaying the mountain when I couldn't get though more than a few turns at a time in the chopped up powder.

I've posted threads similar to this in the past and it usually boils down to the following

• Ski more
• Ski with others better than you
• Get in lessons (on occasion)

Besides skiing a lot obviously...

Lessons aren't just for beginners, advanced lessons can really help pinpoint the fine details for big improvements, weighting angulation proper pole plants etc.

But I think the fastest way to improve is always try to ski with people better than yourself. Not so much that you're flailing but enough that you're skiing a little faster, ,a little steeper, a little gnarlier than you might otherwise.

SKIQUATTRO said:

i'd look into one of the weekend 'camps/clinics'....i wouldnt recommend going out with people who are better than you..just 'cause they can ski good, doesnt mean they know how to teach....

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Exactly! Very often taking it to the next level will often involve a bit of going back to work on some core fundamentals that might be currently missing from your repetoire, fundamentals that may very well be what is holding you back. This is where an instructor becomes handy for most folks

Just following someone who is better than you, unless they have the ability to first diagnose what you may, or may not be doing wrong, and then be able to articulate what you need to do, in a way that connects with your learning style, might very well be pointless and just further reinforcing what is currently holding you back.

Secondly, you mentioned the desire to get better in both bumps and trees. Even though both of those things tend to involve shorter radius turns, try and focus on just one at a time as your progressing, as what it takes to rip both bumps and trees does have some distinct differences, and trying to focus on too much at once very often becomes problematic for most folks.

I agree with the smelly guy. ski with people better then you.


then again, i ski with people far better then me all the time and i'm not out there killing it either but still, good advice.

Bostonian said:

Okay... So here is the deal. I wouldn't say I am the chronic intermediate, since I can make my way down diamonds and etc. I can ski the crud, the groomed and a pow day is nice. Yet I can tell my form is off and I feel that I can do better. My goal for next year is to try to ski the bumps, or the trees... But with limited time (family, work and etc), I feel like I just never get to that next level. I drool at some of the TR's where people are hitting the woods and pow stashes, I watch in awe some of the bump videos, and picture myself being able to do something more than just what I am now. What can I do to make myself better? I am tempted to bite the bullet and take a lesson to get better, but I have also read... ski more you will will get better too. I am a chronic upper intermediate skier and I want more!

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So as you see here - yes what you said.

2knees said:

I agree with the smelly guy. ski with people better then you.


then again, i ski with people far better then me all the time and i'm not out there killing it either but still, good advice.

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Agree with all this. Mileage is important, but just reinforcing old bad habits won't make you better.

I try to ski with 180 at least twice a year for a few hours each time. Just skiing, no questions or advice.
I used to get intimidated, but now I can keep up and hold my own. Getting a few "nice turns there" feedback from him makes my whole ski season.

Lessons and skiing with people better than you are fine. But really you just need to ski more. I'm far from the best bumper, but I think I can ski them pretty well. I only learned by throwing myself down bump course repeatedly when I was younger. I still pick up new things just while out skiing and observing others. Maybe it's just me, but I think I have enough sense of whats going on with my skis and body that if I see someone skiing really well I can put myself in their "boots" and emulate them. Sometimes it works and I have a break through.

#1 is mileage.

Skiing with better skiers and or lessons will both help but without mileage you will not see significant improvement.

Also, and I may take some heat for this one, I feel it is important to challenge yourself, ski over your head. You aren't going to get god enough to ski the the whole mountain without skiing the whole mountain. I have seen many a skier with perfect looking form on a groomer fall to pieces in more difficult natural terrain.

One thing you could try for learning bumps is to ski with shorter skis than you normally use. That would make it easier to react to the quick pace until you get the rhythm of it. I've been trying to ski the bumps a little this year and I can tell that the lack of quickness of my skis is slowing my progress.

You could also seek out uneven snow and the little jumps you often find along the sides of groomer trails. Hitting stuff like that would improve your balance and probably help in the bumps and trees.

crank said:

I have seen many a skier with perfect looking form on a groomer fall to pieces in more difficult natural terrain.

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Why didn't you say hi?

I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I will definitely take a lesson to improve on some core areas. Also in terms of skiing the bumps, are 178's too long of a ski to hit them (that's what I am skiing on right now)? I hope to get out a few more times this year, but overall, I just got to make more time for skiing it sounds

Bostonian said:

I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I will definitely take a lesson to improve on some core areas. Also in terms of skiing the bumps, are 178's too long of a ski to hit them (that's what I am skiing on right now)? I hope to get out a few more times this year, but overall, I just got to make more time for skiing it sounds

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Come on up to Cannon and ski with a few of us!!!! Just PM one of us regulars. We are always willing to ski with newbies. Just pack the beer!!!!!

BTW, my Palmers are 179cm and are awesome in the bumps. Hell, now that I think of it, I use to ski 215cm in the bumps years ago.

Bostonian said:

I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I will definitely take a lesson to improve on some core areas. Also in terms of skiing the bumps, are 178's too long of a ski to hit them (that's what I am skiing on right now)? I hope to get out a few more times this year, but overall, I just got to make more time for skiing it sounds

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178 is fine. spring is bump season. what seemed so difficult in january with frozen bumps suddenly becomes easy with smashed potato moguls. go out on a sunny warm day, ski them as fast as you can and dont worry about crashing, it wont hurt.

drjeff said:

Exactly! Very often taking it to the next level will often involve a bit of going back to work on some core fundamentals that might be currently missing from your repetoire, fundamentals that may very well be what is holding you back. This is where an instructor becomes handy for most folks

Just following someone who is better than you, unless they have the ability to first diagnose what you may, or may not be doing wrong, and then be able to articulate what you need to do, in a way that connects with your learning style, might very well be pointless and just further reinforcing what is currently holding you back.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.
I was self-taught many years ago on straight skis, with help from the instruction tips I would find every month in Ski and Skiing magazines. I also learned by trying to keep up with my older brothers and their friends. I thought I knew it all. Then, one fine day, shaped skis were created and swept the industry. I had to go back to the drawing board, learn new movements, and forget the old muscle memory. Lessons really helped me understand the new way of skiing.
One suggestion if you take a lesson- tell them exactly where you're at, and what your goals are. Ask for an instructor who trains the other instructors- these are usually full timers and have those shiny gold or silver pins. Many instructors are very good, but if your goal is to get to the top then you want a top instructor. After all, you're paying good money. You may have to call in advance to reserve a time slot with one. After the lesson keep practicing the tips/drills they gave you.
As far as bumps go, don't go straight to the top of the mountain. Look for an easy blue run with a bump field. I think it's crucial to learn how to control your speed- going too fast is counterproductive. Follow behind good bump skiers to find their line and learn how to see a line. There's no one way to ski bumps, there are many legit approaches- so don't get discouraged if you can't rip a zipperline right away. When you master the blue bumps, move up to an easy single black. Re: your 178s- it depends on your physical size- but keep in mind, the only part of the ski that matters when you're pivoting off the top of a bump is the part that's underfoot, sort of like a fulcrum. The skis pivot easily in that position. And never lean back.
Trees- again, start out easy. Find a blue run with widely spaced trees. When you feel comfortable, look for tighter trees on the same run. When you master that, move up to a single black with easy trees, then onto tighter trees.
Build your confidence/ability on easier terrain, then take it up a notch. Worked for me.

Bostonian said:

I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I will definitely take a lesson to improve on some core areas. Also in terms of skiing the bumps, are 178's too long of a ski to hit them (that's what I am skiing on right now)? I hope to get out a few more times this year, but overall, I just got to make more time for skiing it sounds

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Not too long. Practice short snappy rotary turns on the flats while maintaining shin pressure at the front of your boot. If you can't turn 'em quick on the groomers, you ain't gonna in the bumps.