MadMadWorld
Active member
I take it as a compliment any time someone asks me if I can critique and I am always happy to offer up advice. But I have also learned to keep my mouth quiet when I don't get asked!
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I want to ski better damn it! How can I?
- Thread starter Bostonian
- Start date
I take it as a compliment any time someone asks me if I can critique and I am always happy to offer up advice. But I have also learned to keep my mouth quiet when I don't get asked!
bigbog
Active member
Ditto on the lessons...
Aside from little drills to change your normal motions/balance...and I know the amount of whining that goes on between wanna-be instructors over on Epicski, but in their Skiing Analysis forum...you can catch a few of the better skiers talking here and there about distinct issues to be used as well as avoided. If you can begin to integrate those positive moves in with your skiing...you can feel the difference, often immediately. Back in the old days..:lol:. you'd see quite a few turns in the old DVDs/VHS tapes...to listen to and watch. Nowadays it's a couple jumps, a couple hundred yards of straightlining and then you're into pulling the ripcord..or stretching out the basejumping costume...(*Although I love most all of that bc stuff...all EXCEPT plowing through untracked with snowcats)
Aside from little drills to change your normal motions/balance...and I know the amount of whining that goes on between wanna-be instructors over on Epicski, but in their Skiing Analysis forum...you can catch a few of the better skiers talking here and there about distinct issues to be used as well as avoided. If you can begin to integrate those positive moves in with your skiing...you can feel the difference, often immediately. Back in the old days..:lol:. you'd see quite a few turns in the old DVDs/VHS tapes...to listen to and watch. Nowadays it's a couple jumps, a couple hundred yards of straightlining and then you're into pulling the ripcord..or stretching out the basejumping costume...(*Although I love most all of that bc stuff...all EXCEPT plowing through untracked with snowcats)
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goldsbar
New member
READ. And not on the Internet. Lemasters is good, Harb is good, I'm sure there are other good books.
Take lessons after reading so you understand what they're trying to do. Lessons vary by instructor. Some can actually be detrimental. My best lesson ever was an all day group lesson at Jackson Hole. I found the smattering of hour long lessons I took over the years to be somewhat of a waste. YMMV.
Don't just cruise. If you're on an easy runout, practice carving. If that's easy, practice one footed carving which is never that easy. Seek out "ice" and practice counter until you can grip like you're on perfect groomers. You'll actually come to appreciate the predictability of ice.
Take lessons after reading so you understand what they're trying to do. Lessons vary by instructor. Some can actually be detrimental. My best lesson ever was an all day group lesson at Jackson Hole. I found the smattering of hour long lessons I took over the years to be somewhat of a waste. YMMV.
Don't just cruise. If you're on an easy runout, practice carving. If that's easy, practice one footed carving which is never that easy. Seek out "ice" and practice counter until you can grip like you're on perfect groomers. You'll actually come to appreciate the predictability of ice.
powhunter
Active member
Bumpsis
Well-known member
What I found to be the quickest way of becoming better was to ski more challenging terrain. I've noticed that every time I went out west and really challanged myself with steeps, moguls, crud, even if I did not take a lesson ( which I would, usually), when I came back east, I was a better skier. Yeah, you can practice some skill drills at any old slope, but you'll always be limited by what the tarrain has to offer. You can't learn to ski steeps by just putting in the milage at, say, Sunapee. In order to improve, ski more difficult terrain. The skills and confidence you get from that will translate into being an overall better skier.
Even with limited time, it is quiote doable to do a quantum jump in skills and confidence, but you trully have to commit to your goal.
I don't know if this still exists, but Taos used to have something like a ski boot camp for exactly skiers like you. Proficient enough to manage a tougher terrain but not really being able to master it. This program was a 5 or 6 day in duration, sort of like a small group lesson one day after another but more like a boot camp. I read about this in one of the ski magazines. It sounded really good. Considering that this was at a kick ass mountain like Taos, proigress was assured.
So even if you can't do that (go for a week long trip out west), just focus on getting better at skiing bumps. Spring skiing is best for that. Absorb all you can (vids, instructional DVDs, watch good skiers) and just try, try, try.
Cornhead
Well-known member
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Great advice Bumpsis. The program at Taos is called "Snowsports Week". I've skied in New Mexico two of the last four seasons, Taos, Santa Fe, and Pajarito. I was contemplating a trip this year, but chose to ski VT instead. I was going to participate in the Snowsports Week if I did go, for several reasons.
1) I think a little instruction would do me good.
2) Taos is a kick ass mountain as you said. I've never been anywhere else where there's a sign at the lift saying "Don't worry, we have easier ways down the mountain. " as Al's run stares you in the face. I wouldn't mind being with someone knowledgeable while poking around. Their terrain is 51% expert.
3) I'd be there solo. You ski with the same people all week. I'm sure there's a sense of comaraderie amongst the group. Might even make some friends. I'm looking for one in Utah, I've got one in New Mexico, soon to have one in Colorado.:wink:
As you said, there's no better way to expand your comfort zone, than to challenge yourself and ski terrain that pushes your personal envelope, whatever level you may be, and ski as much as possible.
1) I think a little instruction would do me good.
2) Taos is a kick ass mountain as you said. I've never been anywhere else where there's a sign at the lift saying "Don't worry, we have easier ways down the mountain. " as Al's run stares you in the face. I wouldn't mind being with someone knowledgeable while poking around. Their terrain is 51% expert.
3) I'd be there solo. You ski with the same people all week. I'm sure there's a sense of comaraderie amongst the group. Might even make some friends. I'm looking for one in Utah, I've got one in New Mexico, soon to have one in Colorado.:wink:
As you said, there's no better way to expand your comfort zone, than to challenge yourself and ski terrain that pushes your personal envelope, whatever level you may be, and ski as much as possible.
riverc0il
New member
Lessons are a great place to start. But unless you are ready to commit to improvement (and really commit) then you might as well not bother. A lot of people might disagree with me on that. But if you aren't ready to bust your butt and get at least 30 days on the snow and dedicate a good portion of those days to working on technique improvements with intent, you're just wasting your money.
You need lessons to dial in the fundamentals. Square up those shoulders, get your weight forward, get more aggressive with driving downhill, angulation on the groomers, etc. Once you have the basics, it is all about time on the hill. But until you have the basics, you aren't going any where. So get the basics and then ski. A lot.
Skiing with others that are better than you is great. But really what you need to do is watch good skiers and try to copy them. When something feels really good, you need to work on getting that feeling dialed in more and more.
So, yea... lessons for fundamentals, watch good skiers and imitate, and ski a LOT with intent to become better. If you commit, you'll get there. But you have to want it.
It doesn't take long to get good. 10 years ago, I was just starting to attempt skiing bumps and powder. I hit my prime 3 years ago or so. Essentially, I went from never skied a bump to being able to ski anything in about 6-7 years. It doesn't take much, you just have to have the fundamentals, commit, and get out there and go for it. When I first started skiing with from_the_NEK, I couldn't believe how long the dude had been skiing and he was already killing it. A lot of dudes on this forum stepped up their game in such a short amount of time. Pretty cool stuff.
You need lessons to dial in the fundamentals. Square up those shoulders, get your weight forward, get more aggressive with driving downhill, angulation on the groomers, etc. Once you have the basics, it is all about time on the hill. But until you have the basics, you aren't going any where. So get the basics and then ski. A lot.
Skiing with others that are better than you is great. But really what you need to do is watch good skiers and try to copy them. When something feels really good, you need to work on getting that feeling dialed in more and more.
So, yea... lessons for fundamentals, watch good skiers and imitate, and ski a LOT with intent to become better. If you commit, you'll get there. But you have to want it.
It doesn't take long to get good. 10 years ago, I was just starting to attempt skiing bumps and powder. I hit my prime 3 years ago or so. Essentially, I went from never skied a bump to being able to ski anything in about 6-7 years. It doesn't take much, you just have to have the fundamentals, commit, and get out there and go for it. When I first started skiing with from_the_NEK, I couldn't believe how long the dude had been skiing and he was already killing it. A lot of dudes on this forum stepped up their game in such a short amount of time. Pretty cool stuff.
this.
Lessons for fundamentals. Ski 30+ days a year to get to the next level.
IMO, you could spend 15 days a year taking lessons from Bode Miller and you won't improve as much as you will skiing 30 days a winter and watching high level skiers and trying to copy what they do.
In specific regards to bumps, watch a good bumper and try to copy what they do. Get in a good bump stance and let it rip. At the start, you'll make it two bumps, get thrown off balance and crash. Don't give up. Eventually you start to figure out where you are screwing up and start creating muscle memory. You make it 5 bumps before crashing, then 10; so on and so forth.
I haven't taken a lesson since the 4th grade. I'm not as good of a skier as half the people in this thread, but I can ski with all of them competently. I got there by spending hundreds and hundreds of days on snow over 29 years of skiing.
Other than that, make sure you've got decent equipment (especially boots) and make sure you are in decent shape. Physical fitness is the single most important aspect of my skiing these days.
riverc0il
New member
This is the biggest piece of bull shit you've ever wrote. No need to feign modesty :lol:
One other thing I forgot is plain old physical fitness. I attribute part of my technical decline in recent years to putting on weight and not running. Building up your leg muscles, core strength, and cardio will help you more easily attune your body and mind to technical challenges.
mondeo
New member
My wrist begs to differ.
mondeo
New member
No one's mentioned video yet?
Video.
Video.
hammer
Active member
What you are saying does make sense, but I think I speak for many in saying that unfortunately it's difficult to commit to that much time on the slopes each season. I've had to manage my expectations as a result.
I also started skiing at a later age (late 30s) and while there are those who have progressed after a later start there has to be an advantage of learning at an earlier age. The example I always mention is my now 19YO son...he gets out just a few times a year but I'm still struggling to keep up with him.
SkiFanE
New member
I started at 5yo. Didn't start in bumps until after college, but by then I had the fundamentals and it just took perseverance, watching others and experimentation, also needed to ditch my pride - you fall alot in the beginning.
gmcunni
Active member
I'm with you hammer - just because you can't put in 30 days (even 20) doesn't mean you can't improve. YES, more skiing = faster results (assuming you know what to be working on, hence the multiple suggestions for lessons) but even at 10 days a year you can improve your skiing technique year after year if you work on it.
LOL - my 18YO son constantly tells me he's a better skier than me, i disagree. one of us is delusional.
drjeff
Well-known member
I have this love/hate relationship with video. I have found that there are sometimes when I have this mental image of what the mechanics of my turn looks like, and then the video DOESN'T back up what I think I'm doing that it can actually mess me up more than it can help me. Basically it will cause me to go from thinking about 1 or 2 basic fundamental things to thinking about far more fundamental things as i'm making my turns, and for me that's NOT a good thing.
Other times, it is a help as a way to reinforce that what i've been trying to work on IS working. That's just my own experience though. In cases liek that it will allow me to just keep focusing on those 1 or 2 things i'm working on, while just letting the other 100 or so things that also need to occur just happen naturally
Jake's not as good as you..................yet
If his Spring Semester class attendance vs. ski slope attendance at UVM is anything like mine was when I was a student there, plan on this being the last season you are better than him. :lol:
lol. I have an 18-year old son at Champlain College. He beats me down most runs but he is not yet better than I am on really sketchy stuff or bumps. That will not last for long though.
Lime WM said, "One day you kids will ski as good as you. Just for one day and then they'll be better."
Lime WM said, "One day you kids will ski as good as you. Just for one day and then they'll be better."
St. Bear
New member
I'm not sure I agree with this. Like I said in my earlier post, I was under 10 days last year, and this year I should be just over 10 days. Conceptually I know what I want to do. Hell, I was starting to do it a few years ago. However physically it's difficult because I don't have the muscle memory or confidence to make the right movements in dynamic situations (bumps, trees, etc.), and that can only come with time.
As far as fitness, obviously it's important. However, there is no exercise that will get you prepared for skiing as well as skiing will. I consider myself a very fit person. I go to the gym, run on a regular basis, and play rugby during the spring and fall, but I can't ski bell to bell like I used to.
drjeff
Well-known member
Real ski muscles it seems can only really be worked out effectively by skiing. I've tried most every dry land training exercise recomended by most every ski training program over the years, and there's just a few ski specific muscles that will always be sore after the my 1st few days on the hill each season
gmcunni
Active member
my ski plans for next 4 years are a mess. UVM (my top "we can ski together" school) isn't high on his list. he got into the engineering school but they don't offer the major he really wants, computer system eng, only a EE with a CS concentration. He's leaning towards other schools with his preferred major. not that he really wants to ski with me anymore anyhow.
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