Sure wish I could ski better...

[curlyfuzzie]

At nearly 52 years old, I am solidly in the Boomer generation. I have been skiing since high school almost every year, but usually not more than 12-15 times a season, (mostly weekends) except a couple of wonderful, rare seasons when I went out west for a week-long skiing vacation. (Bliss!) In all those years, I’ve never been able to break out of being a chronic intermediate skier.
So today, I decided to take one more outing before putting away the skis, and headed out to Gore. To my initial delight, we had a 4-5 inch fresh snow dump last night. When I got on the slopes, though, I had a heck of a time, and really struggled through the heavy powder over solid hardpack. After three runs, I was exhausted and aching, and packed it up. OK, I’m well aware that I could be in better physical shape, and should lose about 30 pounds. But I watched with envy as other skiers carved thru the muck with apparent ease. So graceful and in control! Darn it, I wish I could ski like that! Why can’t I? I’m kind of in a Catch-22 situation… if I could ski more, I might get to ski better, but I don’t ski more, because I don’t ski well enough to handle or enjoy varying conditions and terrain. When conditions are groomed packed powder, I can enjoy even the occasional black diamond. If it’s “icy” (very hard pack), I can ski blue squares with little difficulty. Powder? Moguls? Spring Snow? Fuggedaboudit. Can’t do it. Have tried numerous times… even took some specific lessons. Got close one season with some one-on-one lessons with a cute, patient young instructor before Brodie closed… (I still miss Brodie :sad
Is there any hope for an ol lady to ever become an all (or most) terrain skier? Would it help if I took some intense private lessons? Or is it just that I need to get out on the slopes more? I met a lady my age a couple of weeks ago on a snowboard, obviously just starting. She said she took up the snowboard because skiing was too tough on her reconditioned knees. Would I be better off learning to board? My mother skied up until she was 73 years old, and also never really got past the blue square groomer stage. I want to do better, in years and ability. Any advice?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Well what skis were you on in the crud? A really strong skier can power through crud on tiny slalom skis but a wider all mountain ski could help there. Getting in better physical shape would also be a plus in terms of stamina..as well as lessons. Better skiers ski more efficiently so if you get better..you won't get as whipped. Anyway the snow you recently skied in is challenging and requires alot more agility than groomed hardpack. If you want to get better at skiing..then ski alot..it takes me several days at the beginning of the ski season..just to get back into it..it's not like riding a bike..you need to keep working on it..

 

[Greg]

Ski more. That's really the bottom line. I've progressed more in the past two seasons than in any other. I skied 35 and 40+ days respectively. Not a lot by some standards, but a lot for me. Also, try to work through those "funks" like you had today. Take an extended break if you need to, but don't just pack it in. Often times you can break through those tough times and the day will take a complete 180. Also, hook up with some ski buddies that have similar goals. That will make those tough days more enjoyable and you'll be progressing without even knowing it. Plus you can give each other feedback. Finally, have fun!!!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Curly where do you live??? Don't put away the skis just yet..get out there and ski more.

 

[JasonE]

I'm with you, Curly - I definitely do not like spring conditions. It is just too hard to ski in, I don't find them enjoyable. I skied week before last with my parents, and they did 7 runs and could have done more, and I only ended up doing 3 and wished I'd only done 2 by the time I got to the end of the 3rd run. It was horrible. I just can't make my skis go through the mush.

I've got decent equipment - my skis are short (150's) but they are very wide. I'd had them waxed and sharpened 2/3rds of the way through the season. I've been out 28 times so far this season, but I've seen a dramatic decline in the last few weeks. Back in December, I was averaging 6 to 7 runs per outing. January and February I averaged 10 to 12. March I averaged 3 runs per time out. And it's all because I just physically couldn't do any more, I was in too much pain.

Give me a 25 degree day in January over a 40 degree day in March any day!

 

[bvibert]

Get more miles and ski with someone who's better than you. It's worked for me. So did loosing some of my extra 'baggage' (around 80lbs).

 

[ckofer]

Some of it's conditioning, some of it's gear but another aspect is learning to relax in deeper snow. If you're used to "keeping the brakes on" while skiing groom and icy stuff, you wear yourself out too quickly in the powder/crud/slop. Today had exhausting condtions for certain but fighting the piles is futile.

My $0.02 anyhow.

 

[curlyfuzzie]

Curly where do you live??? Don't put away the skis just yet..get out there and ski more.

Heh. Only reason I dragged the skis out today was the snow kept me from getting my warm weather obsession, my motorcycle, out on the road! :lol: Time to practice for the summer!

I work in the Capital District NYS, live out toward Cobleskill. I think next season, I'm getting a season night pass somewhere, probably Jiminy, where I can head out to ski right after work a few days a week... I also need to get serious about getting in better physical condition. Getting old is a beyotch...

Thanks for advice, all... keep it coming, I'm taking notes! :grin:

 

[Greg]

I work in the Capital District NYS, live out toward Cobleskill. I think next season, I'm getting a season night pass somewhere, probably Jiminy, where I can head out to ski right after work a few days a week...

This has been huge for me. Probably 40% of my "days" are actually nights. Night skiing is a great way to log the miles and you can get in a lot of vert at Jiminy. They also have a pretty long season so you should get a fair amount of time in there.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

The quick answer is, yes, it's possible to break out of the rut, even after years of hacking. What worked for me were intensive (all-day) clinics.

I'm 41 years old, and skied plenty, for years. And was always stuck in the advanced intermediate rut. Always figured I'd be there. Always fought the idea of lessons. Took one here or there, never got much out of them. Skiing a lot last year helped quite a bit, but what really put me over the hump was taking ASIA clinics this year -- 8 days in total -- combined with lots of practice on what I'd learned. Now I'm skiing fairly effortlessly all over the mountain as long as conditions are good -- maybe not so much yet on the double blacks when it gets icy, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. But this is fact: the difference in my skiing is unbelievable and if you'd told me at the start of this season that I'd be skiing anywhere close to this well I'd just have laughed my ass off.

One thing I like about the clinics over shorter lessons is that a clinic instructor has you for long enough that he can get into what Ron LeMaster refers to as "deep coaching." IME, shorter lessons, usually taught by less-experienced instructors, never get beyond the "shallow coaching" stage -- the instructor may make a couple of suggestions or give you a couple of drills to try but doesn't have the time to get into the underlying fundamentals of what you're trying to get to. And understanding those fundamentals, for me, seems to be the key to improvement.

For a somewhat different perspective on why standard lessons don't work and what you can do about it, read what Lito Tejada-Flores has to say here. Even if he suggests a different approach, he still feels that it's never too late to become an expert skier.

Anyway, even though clinics worked for me they might not for you, but it's something to try. I'm a firm believer that a good instructor will get you over the hard spots if you're willing to do the work and apply what they teach. I've been pimping ASIA because it's ridiculously, amazingly cheap -- 25 bux/yr to join plus about $200 (yes, that is correct) per two-day clinic including group instruction, lift tickets and (usually) a Saturday night dinner. And they seem to get really good instructors -- all of mine have been examiner-level -- who've served with the program for a long time. PM me or look at www.asiaski.com for more info.

Whatever you choose to do, don't give up hope -- it is possible.

 

[curlyfuzzie]

The quick answer is, yes, it's possible to break out of the rut, even after years of hacking. What worked for me were intensive (all-day) clinics.
... I've been pimping ASIA because it's ridiculously, amazingly cheap -- 25 bux/yr to join plus about $200 (yes, that is correct) per two-day clinic including group instruction, lift tickets and (usually) a Saturday night dinner. And they seem to get really good instructors -- all of mine have been examiner-level -- who've served with the program for a long time. PM me or look at www.asiaski.com for more info.

Whatever you choose to do, don't give up hope -- it is possible.

That sounds interesting... you don't need to be an instructor to take part in the ASIA clincs?

 

[OppositeGeorge]

That sounds interesting... you don't need to be an instructor to take part in the ASIA clincs?

Nope. As long as you're a strong intermediate you should do fine. They offer instructor certification (I did Level I this year) but that's by no means a prereq for any of the other courses.

 

[tcharron]

Nope. As long as you're a strong intermediate you should do fine. They offer instructor certification (I did Level I this year) but that's by no means a prereq for any of the other courses.

Interesting. I was considering doing this via one the ski area programs, but I really like the look of their program. Wish it was offered at some smaller areas besides Okemo.

 

[deadheadskier]

Got close one season with some one-on-one lessons with a cute, patient young instructor

I'd say go with what works and repeat often

 

[2knees]

ski with people better than you are. Its the fastest way to becoming a better skier.


Or, nice troll. :lol:

 

[LongStep]

At nearly 52 years old, I am solidly in the Boomer generation. I have been skiing since high school almost every year, but usually not more than 12-15 times a season, (mostly weekends) except a couple of wonderful, rare seasons when I went out west for a week-long skiing vacation. (Bliss!) In all those years, I’ve never been able to break out of being a chronic intermediate skier.
So today, I decided to take one more outing before putting away the skis, and headed out to Gore. To my initial delight, we had a 4-5 inch fresh snow dump last night. When I got on the slopes, though, I had a heck of a time, and really struggled through the heavy powder over solid hardpack. After three runs, I was exhausted and aching, and packed it up. OK, I’m well aware that I could be in better physical shape, and should lose about 30 pounds. But I watched with envy as other skiers carved thru the muck with apparent ease. So graceful and in control! Darn it, I wish I could ski like that! Why can’t I? I’m kind of in a Catch-22 situation… if I could ski more, I might get to ski better, but I don’t ski more, because I don’t ski well enough to handle or enjoy varying conditions and terrain. When conditions are groomed packed powder, I can enjoy even the occasional black diamond. If it’s “icy” (very hard pack), I can ski blue squares with little difficulty. Powder? Moguls? Spring Snow? Fuggedaboudit. Can’t do it. Have tried numerous times… even took some specific lessons. Got close one season with some one-on-one lessons with a cute, patient young instructor before Brodie closed… (I still miss Brodie :sad
Is there any hope for an ol lady to ever become an all (or most) terrain skier? Would it help if I took some intense private lessons? Or is it just that I need to get out on the slopes more? I met a lady my age a couple of weeks ago on a snowboard, obviously just starting. She said she took up the snowboard because skiing was too tough on her reconditioned knees. Would I be better off learning to board? My mother skied up until she was 73 years old, and also never really got past the blue square groomer stage. I want to do better, in years and ability. Any advice?

Non groomed surfices require you to be more assertive/agressive while skiing. I like to think as me vs the mountain. They make it easy when they groom you can lay back and ski. When you ski in the mush it takes alot more energy and I like to think of it as me attacking the mush. When you fear the chunky stuff it can scare you and wreck your mindset. I found this to help me.

 

[Bumpsis]

Here are a few things that perhaps may be worth your consideration and help you break out of the intermediate rut.

Weight loss and physical training.
First of all, if you say you could benefit from weight loss (30 lb ?), you are so right. This will make a HUGE difference. Even if you drop half of that and keep it off, you'll be much better off. Solid, advanced technique really rests on strong legs and really well conditioned core (back and abdominals).
I'm the same age as you are so I know for a fact that loss of strength is a problem. We lose muscle mass AND strenght as we hit late 40s and early 50s.
If you ski just weekends, you have to do some strenght training between ski sessions. Isometrics are ideal building up strenght (i.e sitting against the wall). Hitting the weights is just as important. Aerobics are good for your general health, but not quite as beneficial as strenght training. If you're short on time and have to choose, go for the lactic acid.

Technique improvement.
The advice already given by others, such as increasing the frequency of your ski sessions is valid but for some, perhaps not possible or practical. I would love to get out more often, but just like you, if I log 12-15 sessions a season, I did well. Even if you increase the frequency of your ski sessions but keep doing the same things that you have been, you'll not improve. You need to change you approach to skiing.

The trick that works for me is being mindfull whenever I ski. Ski not just to ski, but ski with a goal of trying to improve a specific element of my technique. This can be as small and detailed as paying close attention to how you accomplish your edge change and follow your pressure spot (riding the edge of your skis) through a carved turn. Really focus and see what you feel. You can't change an old habit you don't actually really know what you're doing. It's a bit of a Zen excercise - you have to be IN the moment 100%. Listen to your body, feel your postion and try to internally "see" your self skiing. Getting someone to tape you, may also be a good idea, so you you can perhaps pick out what needs to be worked on.

Find some books on techniques or instructional DVDs and focus on whatever pointers that make sense to you. Mentally visualize yourself doing these before you get to the hill. Visually, memorize a sequence and practice it in your head a few times a day. Visualization is a very powerful technique and it actually helped me greatly to put a ski tech tip into practice ( very useful in many other situatins as well, outside of skiing).

When skiing, look for good skiers on the moutain and try to follow them. Sometimes, if you just surrender your control and pick up somebody else's rythm, even for a short while, like just a few turns, you'll force yourself out of your typical movements and habits. You'll probably be a bit out of your comfort zone, but if you stay focused, you may discover a new way to push the boundry of that zone.

When taking lessons, which, I realize, may seem like a waste of time and money, try to take away just one of two elements from that lesson and practice just that. Once you have enough of these elements well in hand put them together. For instance, to be comfortable in heavy, spring snow, you've got to be able to keep up your speed throughout the turns. So identify what makes you least comfortable about excuting a high speed carved turn, break this down into specific elements and practice it.
If you are taking a lesson, tell the instructor what specifically you'd like to work on and insist on it. It's your money.

Getting invloved in a racing program is a great way to push your boundries. Having to turn where the gate is and doing it at a good speed, will give you the opportunity to pick up some new skills and drill them.

If you are really determined, look for a ski trip out west that offers a week long instructions. Taos has such a ski boot camp. I never took it, but I always though that I could really benefit. I do take lessons when I'm at kick ass place and the conditions are challenging (ie. steeps , moguls, or likely, both). Just be absolutely certain that you're in shape for it. Otherwise you'll you'll just suffer, drop a wad of money and not learn much.

Finally, read the article that was linked to in one of the previous replies - it makes a lot of good points.

I hope that this posting will give you some food for thought.

 

[Skier75]

Some good advice here. My husband and I are in the same boat. Pretty stong intermediate skiers and can ski some blacks, even double blacks, depending upon snow conditions. Now when we went skiing at Black Mountain one weekend with about a foot of new snow, we thought great let's do it. I couldn't believe how poorly we did, very disappointing, that here we are with all this great fresh, soft, fluffy snow and we did all we could to ski some greens! We both were backseating way too much and we knew it, but couldn't seem to get away from it. Ended up calling it before noon.

I have to say if it wasn't for my ex son-in-law a few years back we wouldn't(at least I wouldn't) be further along a better skier than I was then. He definately had some good tips to get me to at least a stronger intermediate because he was a better skier than I. I keep trying to get out of that back seat and stay over my toes, but sometimes I can't help but to get in that defensive mode. We do see more improvements as the season goes on, but we also struggle with the deep powder and would love to be able to ski more effeciently with that. Guess practice makes perfect.

Maybe next year will be better. This year started a little rough for me. New skis to get used to and that fall I took, made for a rough start. Got to keep on it though. I'll be keeping an eye out here for more info. Oh, also, I love to watch the really good skiers on this board with the videos. by watching what they do, I try to incorporate their movements in my skiing...doesn't always work, but it helps. I'm envious of those who make it look so effortless and would really love to do the same.

 

[Greg]

I'm faaaaaar from a good powder skier, but one thing I do know, and this holds true for deep slushy spring snow, is you gotta just let them run a bit more. Making sharp turns almost slows you to a stop on all but the steepest terrain. Then you need to muscle the skis around through the deep powder or heavy spring snow to initiate the next turn. If you do this each turn you're going to fatigue quickly. Stay centered, relaxed and take a more direct line down the fall line. The snow is soft so don't worry about wiping out. Also, don't shy away from terrain that's steeper than you're accustomed to. It's easier to maintain forward momentum with a bit more pitch.

 

[o3jeff]

Stay centered, relaxed and take a more direct line down the fall line. The snow is soft so don't worry about wiping out.

That was my exact thought two weeks ago and now here I sit with a sprained knee ofter taking a spill. My lesson learned was if you are going down, just go down and don't try to save it cause you are only making your fall more enjoyable for the people on the lift.:-D