Anyone going for a new level this year?

[Skisailor]

I'm hoping to take the exam this season but it won't be until late. We have an ~April 8-9 L3 exam at Big Sky. So the idea is to train hard this season. And in all honesty, I started practicing the tasks in my spare time last year. So I'm not starting from scratch.

That said, I truly WILL be relying on Ursula's eyes. If she thinks I'm ready in late March, I'll go. If not, I'll hold off and keep training for next year.

 

[marymack]

So I was awarded a partial scholarship for my exam from PSIA-e....guess that means I'm committed...welp!


In other news...boots. I am in need of some new boots. Not only have mine packed out a bit, but they were probably a half size too big to begin with. I got a pair of touring boots last year that would let me get out and try the sport but in all honesty, they were probably not the right boot and I let the sales guy pressure me into getting them. In an ideal world I would get one pair of boots to both tour in and train/free ski (I think I'd keep my old boots for teaching in until they are truly too soft/roomy.) Is ski boot technology "there" yet, or will a boot with hike/ski mode never be as stiff/performance oriented as a regular alpine boot? I have a boot fitting appointment scheduled for Thursday. When I went last spring to see about getting new boots I was told they didn't have any boots in stock that would work for me (I was just looking for an alpine boot, but they didn't have any performance + wide calf boots) so heres to a more productive session this time!

 

[liquidfeet]

There is a machine that some bootfitters have which stretches the cuff to accommodate a wide calf. If you choose a boot that fits your wide calf, but the clog (bottom portion of the boot) is too big, either up-down wise ("volume"), or width-wise, then you'll have very little control over your skis. Get a bootfitter who can stretch the cuff and choose a boot that fits your foot, heel, and especially ankle.

Here's the website of the guy who makes the "Ultimate Cuff Stretcher."
https://www.southernski.com/boot-stretcher.html

 

[marymack]

I was not able to get a boot that had hike/ski mode, but liked the Technica Mach1. They did have to order it in a stiffer flex for me, but Technica redid their woman's line and now has a plastic calf portion that gets heated and fit to your calf.

 

[liquidfeet]

Oh that's perfect then. I have the Mack 1. Good boot, and it fits me more closely than any previous boot. The model I have doesn't have the moldable cuff, though. That's an excellent design feature.

 

[marymack]

Resurrecting...I'm about a month out from my exam now...yikes! We took some video during our level 2/3 prep class on Tuesday night. Its dark, and there were plenty of "technical difficulties"...like when the camera was handed off to another instructor who proceeded to video his face for the next 3 minutes (edited out...but caused me to be missed when doing dynamic parallel). I'm most concerned about my wedge-cristie turns starting at 4:26. When I come by the camera, you can clearly see my tails are sliding together when I match....I'm not exactly sure what is causing this but "over turning my inside leg" was brought up. Any other thoughts or ways to fight this?

Open Parallel @ 7:02: I see a weird "wiggle" in my skis....like a quick feet together feet back apart, I'm not sure what happened at that moment, maybe I just hit some funky snow but could be indicative of not releasing my edges at the right moment? (also, watch me almost get taken out by 2 snowboarders at 7:22....they actually felt much closer than the video shows)

Skating down the fall line at 8:40
Leapers at 11:04 and 12:27
Railroad tracks at 15:44

 

[liquidfeet]

Best of luck, Mary!

For those little wiggles you mentioned in the wedge christies, (I looked and I can see them) what worked for me was pulling/sliding/holding the inside foot backwards throughout the turn. This tightened my control of both of my feet in all my turns - like magic. (I'm hypermobile and have had all kinds of unwanted wiggles and wobbles in my skiing as a result). I passed the LII skiing second try several years back. I'm still holding/pulling that inside foot back, and it keeps delivering.

As I pull/slide/hold back the inside foot, it doesn't go very far (a couple of inches if I've forgotten - at most) before it refuses to continue. The felt tension at that refusal point is what helps delete the wiggle-wobbles, every turn, everywhere on the mountain (for me). I seek the refusal point, and hold it there. Maybe this will help you too.

 

[SkiBam]

I'll second the pull-back-the-inside-foot suggestion. It works well for me too.

 

[Skisailor]

I'm "thirding" it. I would just make the subtle distinction between pulling it back - an active movement - and holding it back; just not letting it go forward.

I had the problem of a diverging uphill tip for awhile too. Things that helped:

- holding the inside ski back a bit
- becoming generally more aware of the little toe edge of the inside ski
- making sure my weight was fully committed to the outside ski

That last one seems a bit counterintuitive, but if your weight is even a little inside the turn, that uphill ski may have more weight than it should. You lose full contact with the outside ski and they diverge.

Hope this helps!

 

[liquidfeet]

At the start of a new turn, sometimes pulling the new inside foot back is enough to start the turn. The "pull" is necessary with the start of each turn (instead of just holding it back), because you're switching from the old inside ski to the new inside ski.

 

[Skisailor]

At the start of a new turn, sometimes pulling the new inside foot back is enough to start the turn. The "pull" is necessary with the start of each turn (instead of just holding it back), because you're switching from the old inside ski to the new inside ski.

I agree that pulling that foot back is a move skiers can make, but disagree that it is "necessary with the start of each turn". I never use that particular move, for example.

Edited to add - I would be wary of using that move in an exam because actively pulling the new inside foot back introduces a hip rotation which is something that examiners generally have a problem with.

 

[liquidfeet]

I was talking about the comment that IF one is doing it, then it's a "hold" instead of a "pull." If you are doing it, you do need to pull it when the new turn happens. Because that was the ahead foot before. It's just a matter of mechanics.

If you don't use this, then it doesn't apply.

The foot pull-back, if it introduces a hip rotation, is being done wrong. When done correctly, it doesn't involve the hip, just the foot. So no need to be wary of it at all. Just don't rotate the hip along with the foot.

 

[liquidfeet]

Bump.
Any progress reports on certification prepping and examming?

 

[marymack]

Thanks for the reminder about closing my uphill ankle. Absolutely something I've heard before for my regular skiing so makes perfect sense that I need to be doing it in wedge cristie turns too! Made a huge difference. Next weekend I head to steamboat for the week and then the following weekend is my exam! Weekend of March 3rd.

 

[liquidfeet]

Best of luck! March is not far away.

 

[marymack]

Well, here we are a few weeks into March and I realized I never got back to updating this post! Well I took the exam at Pico in about the BEST ski conditions you could ask for and....I passed! All three modules! Exam tasks were: wedge, wedge christie, open parallel, medium radius turns, leapers, straight run to hockey stop, skating down the fall line and free run. My best tasks were the skiing at ski level (wedge, wedge christie, open parallel). One examiner gave me 5s on those 3 tasks. All 4s and a few 5s so very happy with that. Biggest comment was that I need more counter...which is funny because I'm often told I counter too much so I must have been over thinking it and need to find the sweet spot. Looking forward to training for the teaching exam next spring! Thanks for all the support and the reminders about standing on the uphill leg, I think that was what was getting my in my lower level tasks!

 

[SkiBam]

Yay! Congratulations!

 

[liquidfeet]

Congrats! That's a big deal!!!!!!!!

 

[Skier31]

Fabulous!

 

[Jilly]

You go girl!!