Are you an expert skier?

[Riverskier]

I would say advanced. I can ski the whole mountain (Maine mountains anyway) competently. Some stuff I think I ski pretty damn well, but hesitant on ice, and just ok on steep bumps and trees. I am amazed the way some people tear it up in those areas, and they are the ones I consider experts.

On a side note, anyone else happy with their ability and really couldn't care less if they improve? There is plenty of room for improvement in my skiing, and I am only 34. That said, I go out and have a blast every day on skis and really don't care if I ever get to that next level.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'm a top 20 skier at Killington any day on the mountain.


EDIT: This is a mock-post for those new to these boards.

 

[millerm277]

Advanced isn't a label anyone really uses (outside of a ski forum). People call themselves intermediate, and then they call themselves expert.

I'd define expert as being able to ski actual expert terrain well in most conditions, and to survive in pretty much any conditions. Why? Because an intermediate can't. Therefore that's the cutoff.

 

[MadMadWorld]

For me, I can't really categorize what makes someone a great skier. I just feel like you know it when you see it.

 

[ScottySkis]

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

I'm addicted to it and would say I'm good but not great.

 

[drjeff]

Based on the initial 4 categories. I'm quite comfortable calling myself an expert in the gates, powder and bumps (am I worthy of skiing in a Warren Miller flick in any of those 3 - nope. Can I hold my own my most of the folks on the mountain on any given day in those 3, yup).

Now when you add that 4th category, parks into the mix - I'm a beginner! :lol: I limit my park exposure to skiing along the sides of the parks at Mount Snow while my 7yr old son hits a bunch of boxes, rails, and jumps. Maybe a few times a year, I'll make a week effort at heading a bit up the walls of the superpipe and try and not crash :lol: But after 35+ years of skiing, and being in my 40's now, the idea of having to endure a bunch of crashes off of boxes, rails and bigger jumps to gain my park proficieny isn't too appealing to me!

 

[Nick]

Pretty much my definition of expert is to ski any terrain in any condition. With that definition I'd say I'm pretty close.

I'd agree. I'm not perfect (far from it), but I feel comfortable on skis in any situation that any resort (in the Northeast at least) could throw at me. I can't even remember the last time I was on a standard marked trail and got even the slightest inkling of nerves tingling from the trail itself or thought, "Am I going to make it down this?".

Now, that said, on those trails i occasionally may hit some features on the sides of the trail, or push myself (carving more, bumping faster, jumping higher), and I don't always succeed there or I do get nervous there. But basically, yeah, I will ski anything, anytime.

Now, out west, would I huck, say, Corbett's? Extremely doubtful. I could see myself pussing down like others and making it but I've never been there. Not much else really makes my palms sweat.

 

[Nick]

I'm a top 20 skier at Killington any day on the mountain.


EDIT: This is a mock-post for those new to these boards.

:lol:

 

[Nick]

If you get to a trail that's partially roped off and there's an orange sign that says EXPERTS ONLY and ski down it without giving it a second thought, then, yeah, you're an expert.

Yeah that sign would have to say something like "70% CHANCE OF DEATH AHEAD" for me to even think.... should I do this?

 

[Nick]

I'm an expert lift rider. I can do it better than most.

Well, when it comes to lifts I guess I'm a beginner. :lol:

 

[bdfreetuna]

I'm a top 20 skier any day at Butternut.

 

[wa-loaf]

I've called it an overused term but frankly I don't even know what it means anymore. Skiing has such a wide variety of specialty requirements I wonder just how many are included in the qualification of "expert".

Racing - Obviously at a minimum there's slalom, giant slalom and the downhill. Do we have to be within some number of second(s) margin of Olympians to be considered an expert?

Powder - Is it floating on or through snow of any depth on any marked trail or glade? Do we also need to perform in the woods and be able to land a cliff drop from some 10s of feet? Can we just straight the cliff or do we have to also flip while hucking? Is a simple cornice drop enough to be an expert?

Bumps - Is it making it down a black diamond mogul run in control? Do we need to hammer the zip line at a certain pace to qualify? Does it have to be a timed and judged competition course where pulling inverted aerials off of both kickers is a requirement?

Park - If you can hit every feature and every jump are you an expert? Do you have to spin on each rail or box, throw corked maneuvers off the jumps, take off and land switch to be more than an intermediate?

These are just 4 specialties I came up with quickly which might be considered in an all inclusive expert skier. Are we just intermediates if we can't do at least these 4 without embarrassment or serious injury? Are there experts which only perform a few or none of these? For those striving for continual improvement, just where is the "expert" bar set? If it's set low, are there more levels above or below "extreme" to achieve?

People in these categories are Specialists. Specializing in a subset of skiing. Being an expert you should be able to ski comfortably and confidently in most conditions. I think Park and stuff like aerials is so specialized to not even really be considered skiing. You don't need to excel in any of these categories to be considered an expert.

 

[kingslug]

Well I haven't killed myself yet, and considering some of the hairball stuff I've slid down..guess that makes me...something?

 

[Scruffy]

Originally Posted by Cheese

I've called it an overused term but frankly I don't even know what it means anymore. Skiing has such a wide variety of specialty requirements I wonder just how many are included in the qualification of "expert".

Racing - Obviously at a minimum there's slalom, giant slalom and the downhill. Do we have to be within some number of second(s) margin of Olympians to be considered an expert?

Powder - Is it floating on or through snow of any depth on any marked trail or glade? Do we also need to perform in the woods and be able to land a cliff drop from some 10s of feet? Can we just straight the cliff or do we have to also flip while hucking? Is a simple cornice drop enough to be an expert?

Bumps - Is it making it down a black diamond mogul run in control? Do we need to hammer the zip line at a certain pace to qualify? Does it have to be a timed and judged competition course where pulling inverted aerials off of both kickers is a requirement?

Park - If you can hit every feature and every jump are you an expert? Do you have to spin on each rail or box, throw corked maneuvers off the jumps, take off and land switch to be more than an intermediate?

These are just 4 specialties I came up with quickly which might be considered in an all inclusive expert skier. Are we just intermediates if we can't do at least these 4 without embarrassment or serious injury? Are there experts which only perform a few or none of these? For those striving for continual improvement, just where is the "expert" bar set? If it's set low, are there more levels above or below "extreme" to achieve?

People in these categories are Specialists. Specializing in a subset of skiing. Being an expert you should be able to ski comfortably and confidently in most conditions. I think Park and stuff like aerials is so specialized to not even really be considered skiing. You don't need to excel in any of these categories to be considered an expert.

I agree with you that two are specializations: racing and park. An "All Mountain" expert should be very proficient in bumps ( maybe not Johnny Mossely level, but able to zipper and take the non- zipper route with aplomb ) and powder.

 

[jrmagic]

I agree with you that two are specializations: racing and park. An "All Mountain" expert should be very proficient in bumps ( maybe not Johnny Mossely level, but able to zipper and take the non- zipper route with aplomb ) and powder.

I will agree that they need to be very proficient in bumps but don't agere that they need to be able to hit the zipper line as that is based on rotary turns. I've seen quite a few people ski bumps very gracefully while carving their turns more traditionally.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I thought I was an expert until I skied Squaw Valley and was quickly put into my place

 

[KevinF]

I know the "any conditions, anytime, anywhere, any speed, any everything" mantra is a popular one to define "expert", but it's just not realistic. Nobody can be that good in everything.

Debbie Armstrong won Olympic Gold a couple years ago but when she decided to become a ski instructor she realized there was a whole lot that she didn't know. I'm pretty sure that anybody who can win a gold in the Olympics qualifies as an "expert", but by her own admission, there were things about skiing that she was ignorant of.

There comes a point where everybody falls apart. Whether it be unfamiliar snow conditions (powder vs. ice vs. bumps) or narrowness or steepness or whatever, there's something out there that will cause an "expert" in one condition to look hopeless. Every sport produces its match-up problems. For a while, Roger Federer could destroy anybody in the world in tennis except Rafael Nadal. It's not that Federer played badly -- it's just that Nadal's game matches up perfectly to beat Federer.

Sport is about overcoming your weaknesses so that you can find another challenge. But you're dreaming if you think that you'll ever run out of challenges.

 

[sugarbushskier]

When people ask me what type level of skier I am, (which by the way doesn't happen very often), I just tell them that I've been skiing since I was nine and leave it at that.

On any given day I can usually handle any type of terrain or snow, but I've also been skiing long enough to know that there are good days and some not so great days. Any day is better than being in the office, but there are some days that are just plain better than others. There are days that start off awful and end up great and vice versa. I've skied with other "experienced" skiers who have had bad days, yet it doesn't make them a bad skier. This past weekend wasn't one of my better weekends, but it was still fun and next time will once again be completely different. That's what makes skiing so enjoyable as every day is unique!

 

[SIKSKIER]

I would never put a rating level on myself.I like letting others do it.I just say I've been skiing Cannon 60 days a year for 35+.

 

[witch hobble]

This is sorta like "hot or not?"