Plans for Improvement

[dmc]

Nice!

I'm jaded...I don't get all hyped up buying our season passes anymore, but planning a ski trip of this kind really gets me going.

Soooooooooooooooooooooon!

Should be good... I liked the one I took there a few years ago... we stayed at Joe Dodge lodge... One day class - one dayfield..

nothing like being in the ravine in mid-winter...

 

[salida]

Should be good... I liked the one I took there a few years ago... we stayed at Joe Dodge lodge... One day class - one dayfield..

nothing like being in the ravine in mid-winter...

I was thinking about doing getting some training this winter too. Which organization are you going through? IME? I could certainly use some of these skills.

dmc, as you said, I too this year need to work on my skills. Watching some video of me skiing steeps/chutes from last winter, I skied them well, and even went big off a couple of cliffs, but with not much speed. It is really something I want to work on this winter, keeping my style while skiing things quicker and more fluidly. It has a lot to do with fear I think/fear of falling somewhere where the consequences are more than a broken arm or bruised ego.

Let me know if you guys do the avy certs.

-Porter

PS Jim, I'm looking to do gos/tucks/great gully late winter trips with a few folks around here, but was also thinking about a Lincoln trip...

 

[YardSaleDad]

Go ski with JimG. at Hunter.

And while you are there have Keith Holmquist @ the Pro make some custom footbeds for you.

 

[dmc]

I was thinking about doing getting some training this winter too. Which organization are you going through? IME? I could certainly use some of these skills.

It's a private class... We had enough to fill it with my buds so we booked it..
If there's any extra spots I'll let ya know..

the first time I took it was with the AMC at Pinkham Notch...

 

[riverc0il]

posture posture posture. always be thinking about your posture. the mental aspect is important, it is easy to let posture slip but you can't even for a second.

 

[dmc]

Idmc, as you said, I too this year need to work on my skills. Watching some video of me skiing steeps/chutes from last winter, I skied them well, and even went big off a couple of cliffs, but with not much speed. It is really something I want to work on this winter, keeping my style while skiing things quicker and more fluidly. It has a lot to do with fear I think/fear of falling somewhere where the consequences are more than a broken arm or bruised ego...

Unless it has to do with riding big lines - I really have no interest in learning... I'm pretty confident with my skills.. I just need all the mental skills...
I ALWAYS come back from a trip out west and think... "Man - i shouldn't have backed off of that line"

 

[mattchuck2]

If you're having problems being in the back seat, put a $100 bill between your Shins and your boot cuffs . . . If you don't apply constant pressure to your cuff, you'll be out $200.

 

[riverc0il]

If you're having problems being in the back seat, put a $100 bill between your Shins and your boot cuffs . . . If you don't apply constant pressure to your cuff, you'll be out $200.

and mattchuck2, who will be skiing right behind you, will be up $200. :lol:

 

[hammer]

1) Pick a comfortable slope; ski a run.
2) Next run on the same slope, hop up and down as you're skiing and turning. Make sure that the tips and tails of your skis are coming up off the snow an equal distance.
3) Next run on the same slope, shuffle your feet back and forth on the snow as you're skiing and turning.
4) Next run on the same slope, alternate picking your left and right foot up off the snow; as with the hopping, ensure that the tip and tail of the ski you are picking up come off the snow an equal distance. Take 2 or 3 runs using this drill and try to alternate feet more and more quickly each run.
5) Now go ski alot the rest of the day.

That'll fix your back seat issues. You're not going to be able to do any of these drills, especially the ones where the tip and tail must come up an equal distance, unless you are centered on your skis.

This looks like a good thing to try...thanks.

I take it I should expect to fall at least a few times until I get my position right...

 

[hammer]

Had a lesson a week ago (private for the cost of a group lesson...sweet:smile and the instructor had me do "railroad track" turns as a drill...any opinions on these? I thought that they were very helpful.

 

[tcharron]

Had a lesson a week ago (private for the cost of a group lesson...sweet:smile and the instructor had me do "railroad track" turns as a drill...any opinions on these? I thought that they were very helpful.

Holy crap, after looking up what these where, I found this site.

http://www.skinet.com/skinet/videos/article/0,26958,1424162,00.html

I'm going to start a new thread, but I wanted to at least share it for this one as they seem to have alot of videos that we'd both find helpful.

 

[hammer]

Thanks for the link.

 

[dropKickMurphy]

Had a lesson a week ago (private for the cost of a group lesson...sweet:smile and the instructor had me do "railroad track" turns as a drill...any opinions on these? I thought that they were very helpful.

Had the same experience in a group lesson a few years ago. Definitely a major "A-Ha!" moment for me, feeling for the first time the arc that shaped skis will carve simply by passively riding them on edge. That lesson has been the foundation of most of the improvements I've made since then.

From my experience, there are a couple of common gear issues that impede the progress of many intermediate skiiers. First is boot fit. I bet that 90% of skiers who are stuck at the intermediate level are wearing boots that are too big. A visit to a great bootfiter like Jeff Bokum or Paul Richelson can be the best investment you'll ever make in your skiing ability. The second issue is keeping you skis tuned. When you're stepping out of your comfort zone, you really want to be sure that your edges are nice and sharp.The combination of perfectly fitted boots and freshly tuned skis will give you that extra level of control that you'll notice on the steeper slopes.

As for keeping your shoulders perpendicular to the fall line, it's sometimes easier to focus on your eyes. Keep your eyes on a spot in the distance, your shoulders and upper body will follow. Allowing the feel of your feet and your peripheral vision to react to the immediate stuff, while you keep the situation of the entire slope in you view, is key to feeling comfortable and confident.

One more thing that I've personally found very helpful is to treat myself to a solo day once or twice a year. I'll take a day off from work and book a day bus trip through one of the local ski shops like Crossed Sabers in Raynham. On the ride up, I'll pull out the Elling book, pick a couple of skills to work on, and study the drills. I just find it much easier to focus and perform the drills when I have the day to myself. Obviously, I like to do most of my skiing with friends and/or family, but I do find that the occasional solo days are where I tend to make the most progress in my skills and confidence.