Sunday River 2007-03-17

[uphillklimber]

Resort or Ski Area

Attitash

Date

May 26, 2021

Snow Conditions

1. Powder

x

 

[SteveFoy]

If it's any consolation, a LOT of experienced skiers struggle in deep powder. Consider this a wake-up call. Sure, wider skis would have helped, but it's probably more of a technique issue (or lack thereof!). The snowplow technique guarantees failure in powder- it just doesn't work. The key is to keep you weight back on the skis and make slight S-turns. This means you're basically going straight down. Stick to green trails and you should be able to plow through the powder and keep your speed in check while barely turning. If you wipe out, so what? You're falling in powder on a green trail- almost impossible to get hurt. Besides, everybody falls in deep powder skiing- it's part of the fun. I would say the biggest mistake people make in powder skiing is trying to ski the same trails they normally ski using the same technique they normally use. Just stick to the beginner trails, go straight down, and work on slight S-turns.

 

[Skier75]

If it's any consolation, a LOT of experienced skiers struggle in deep powder. Consider this a wake-up call. Sure, wider skis would have helped, but it's probably more of a technique issue (or lack thereof!). The snowplow technique guarantees failure in powder- it just doesn't work. The key is to keep you weight back on the skis and make slight S-turns. This means you're basically going straight down. Stick to green trails and you should be able to plow through the powder and keep your speed in check while barely turning. If you wipe out, so what? You're falling in powder on a green trail- almost impossible to get hurt. Besides, everybody falls in deep powder skiing- it's part of the fun. I would say the biggest mistake people make in powder skiing is trying to ski the same trails they normally ski using the same technique they normally use. Just stick to the beginner trails, go straight down, and work on slight S-turns.

Thanks, that's what we ended up doing....headed to some green trails for practice. It was a lot of fun, even when I fell, didn't hurt. I ate some snow pretty good. LOL It was pretty funny. Man, didn't I feel like a beginner again! My quads are still feelin it. Not really hurt, but can feel the muscles tighten.

What do you mean...how do you make slight S-turns?

 

[snowmonster]

What do you mean...how do you make slight S-turns?

I try to steer with my feet. Keep my weight distributed evenly, that is, not putting weight on one ski as I would do on hard snow. It seems to work. After a few runs on the greens and trees of the greens at MRG last weekend, I was turning in the powder. Have to keep moving though because when you stop, it's a struggle to free your skis from all that pow. That's my powder-newbie tip.

There's this thing they also call weighting-unweighting that the books talk about to make turns but I still have to get my mind (and body) around that concept.

Hope to ski with you one of these days at the "Rivah." Usually there on weekends because it's the li'l snowmonster's favorite mountain.

 

[smowler]

I know I'm a newbie here, BUT it wasn't powdah at the rivah on sahtaday. Well, 10" of NE powder with 2" of slab on top, and the slab was what killed you, and me, and many others.
I skied Jordan & Oz from first chair, and got first tracks on Rogue, Tin Woodsman and Eureka. On the steeps I was able to keep my tips under the crust and make turns OK. The lower angle sections were much tougher, as it was too easy to get one tip up, one tip under and get instantly torqued around. I was toast by 10, but met some buddies and kept at it. OZ improved all morning as the slab got broken up and the skiers built up some nice, soft mogul lines. Around 1 the sleet turned to freezing rain and an icy crust started coating everthing, and that was a day. Wasn't champagne powder, but still one of the best days this season!

 

[SteveFoy]

POWDER TIPS:

I don't understand the physiology behind it, but for some reason powder skiing really works the quads. The better you are, the less you tax those muscles, so maybe overusing the quads is a side effect of poor technique. When skiing in powder your skis are basicaly floating over the soft snow and you don't have the control you normally feel. There is a definite sensation of being slightly out-of-control. It can make you feel giddy and when you fall and end up half submerged in deep snow, you can't help but laugh. As an adult, it can really bring out the kid in you! Turning requires more patience than what you're used to. You carve the skis, wait for them to respond, and then follow them. Think of it as riding your skis. You must avoid trying to force the ski to turn. Some people try so hard to force their ski through the powder that they actual twist their boot right out of the binding. Instead of sharp well defined turns, your powder turns are much more subtle. They tend to have an elongated S shape, or even less than that, just a line with a small wiggle. You control your speed mostly by altering the line you take down the trail. Note that powder skis are flexible, not stiff. The general rule is longer, narrower, and stiff for hard conditions, while shorter, wider, and more flex for soft conditions.

CRUST TIPS:

I've never done this successfully. I've always found it nerve racking and frustrating.

 

[snoseek]

you already have an e.c. all mountain ski so why go with a ac3?. go wider for powder (think 90+ underfoot) and you won't regret it.