Hey everyone + out of control?

[solituder]

Hey everyone, I'm new here so thought I would just say hello!
Secondly, I've been sort of reading around on here, getting some info, and I was wondering if anyone could help me out on something:
I've grown up boarding, but last season I started skiing and definately have decided to start doing that instead. I only skiied about 3 days during the season, but I progressed really quickly and I feel decently confident; I can handle blue runs, fell maybe a total of 3 times combined over the 3 different times I skiied, I like to cruise pretty fast, and it's definately coming alot more naturally to me than boarding.
So ANYWAYS, here's my question, I promise I'm getting to it...
I often find myself feeling out of control; I catch myself from falling, and get back in control, but I HATE that I often feel so out fo control! Is this something that will just come with more experience (obviously), or can you think of maybe some specific beginner type mistake I'm probably making? Thanks for reading this huge post ladies! Shout out to Utah haha...

 

[cwmscm]

you may be leaning back too much or you have your weight back rather than forward. Have you taken any lessons? Even one does help.

Cheers!

 

[gardenmary]

I'm guessing by your user name that your home mountain is Solitude!

I would echo cwmscm - if you haven't taken a specific ski lesson yet, do so. Take a series of them. Snowbasin, above Ogden, offers a Snow Divas series every year. They have the 09-10 dates posted - on their website, click on "Snowsports Learning Center" and then on "Special Lessons". These are by women/for women clinics at special prices. Solitude may also have something like this.

I've never boarded, but I would bet that a few lessons would be a huge help to you. FWIW, my experience of skiing so far - and I'm just getting comfortable on blues - is that I'm constantly dancing on the edge of control, and that's the fun part. The key is to stay in control! More time on the hill (and my boots canted correctly) has been really helpful, but good lessons are priceless.

 

[solituder]

no, i've never taken a lesson! I know I really should, I just am sort of afraid to...there's kind of this stigma growing up here about taking lessons...but that Skiers Divas thing sounds pretty cool I will definately check into that! I'll also keep in mind the leaning too far backward thing, because I've had friends tell me I'm struggling with that. Thanks everyone!

 

[ski diva]

A stigma about taking lessons? That's a new one on me! Take one -- think of what a downer it'd be to miss out on the season if you crashed and hurt yourself because you were out of control. Seriously, lessons can get you up to the next level faster than anything else. No stigma in that!

 

[gardenmary]

no, i've never taken a lesson! I know I really should, I just am sort of afraid to...there's kind of this stigma growing up here about taking lessons...but that Skiers Divas thing sounds pretty cool I will definately check into that! I'll also keep in mind the leaning too far backward thing, because I've had friends tell me I'm struggling with that. Thanks everyone!

If we were going to be in Utah long enough - or if I lived there - I'd definitely do the Snow Divas. I did a women's ski clinic weekend here in SoCal last February and LOVED it. Plus, if you've never skiied Snowbasin it's a great excuse to go. Maybe if you take lessons on a different mountain (and away from Park City/Canyons area) no one will know you - so maybe no stigma!

I actually have the opposite problem - I tend to lean too far forward, but into the hill. But I'm getting better, and less afraid of the steeps (well, what I call "steeps", that is!).

 

[geargrrl]

A stigma about taking lessons? That's a new one on me! Take one -- think of what a downer it'd be to miss out on the season if you crashed and hurt yourself because you were out of control. Seriously, lessons can get you up to the next level faster than anything else. No stigma in that!

I'm with SD, why would there be a stigma on wanting to improve? I suppose if one's peer group is too young and cool to do it, well maybe that's what its about, no offense meant to OP. I think you'll find that that most of us feel that hiring a pro to show you where you need to improve is the fastest way to getting better!!

 

[solituder]

Just to clarify of you guys, what I mean about a stigma is that by the time you reach my age (sophomore in college) and you've lived in Utah (at least my area) your entire life, it's expected that you should know what you're doing on a mountain. I guess it's hard to explain...sorry guys. but thanks for all the tips!
Oh, and to the previous replier, yes my home mountain in Solitude

 

[ski now work later]

Just to clarify of you guys, what I mean about a stigma is that by the time you reach my age (sophomore in college) and you've lived in Utah (at least my area) your entire life, it's expected that you should know what you're doing on a mountain. I guess it's hard to explain...sorry guys. but thanks for all the tips!

stigma, schmigma, be safe and be smart, take ski lessons and clinics! you'll be a much better skier if you do.

 

[SkiBam]

The thing you'll learn about skiing is that you never achieve "perfection" - which, I think, is what keeps it fun and challenging. Everyone, no matter how advanced or whatever their age, can benefit from good instruction.

 

[vanhoskier]

The biggest threat to your progression may be the development of bad habits that you don't know you have. While your progression on skis, because you are young, and because you live where you live, may be faster than, say, a middle-aged woman on the east coast, you still may pick up some technique problems that may deter you from reaching your full potential.

Take a lesson, and who cares what your friends may say!

 

[Christy]

Definitely sign up for lessons before you develop some bad habits that stick. Even the best skiers in the world have coaches that help them improve. Experienced skiers go to clinics even if they don't take a regular lesson. I was a serious horseback rider most of my life and took lessons the entire time--everyone did. etc etc. I think as you get a little older you'll find that there isn't really a stigma--that sounds like a cocky teenager thing to think its a badge of honor to not take lessons. If nothing else do it for the skiers that have to share a slope with you--being out of control as often as you describe, you might be a danger to others.

 

[Acrophobia]

Oh honey, no.

The combination of pitch + population makes blue runs dangerous. You shouldn't be on them until your technique is dialed. Periodically losing control = your technique needs work.

As for taking lessons, look at it this way: only tourists ski the groomers. Your goal as a Utah skier is to progress to the point that you can ski off-piste. The most efficient way to get to this goal is to take lessons.

Anyone who says that taking lessons is uncool is an idiot.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

I think that there is also a difference in the perception about lessons amongst skiers and riders. Riders are far less inclined to take lessons after they learn to ride -- culturally, it's just not part of the discipline. Skiers are very different -- call us anal, neurotic, teutonic, whatever. We take lessons and talk technique forever. Riders simply ride. For that reason, I love to switch back and forth between the too.

One reason for being out of control may simply be that you are on terrain that is too steep or pitched for the skill level that you have. Whether or not you take lessons, keep yourself on the terrain on which you are always in control and only after that is boring, dull, and easy, move up!

 

[dloveski]

Solituder,

I don't know why this is so, but I 'get' the 'lesson' phobia. As a fellow Utahn (and a four-year Solitude Host) and much much much older than you, the same attitude towards lessons plagued me as well during my early ski years. Like my husband and kids figure (who started very young) skiers just ski---kind of like skiing through osmosis in the school of hard knocks.

I took one lesson as I started skiing and faked it the rest of the time. Boy, can I get down anything (can you say slide slip). But as my ski life progresses, I'm now unlearning some bad habits and fixing these.

Lessons are a help, but also is time on skis. Ski with good skiers you trust. And take lessons. Brighton (my current Host gig) offers four-week ladies clinics with female instructors. Come on up this winter and try it out. I ski at Soli also, so I'd love to ski with you at B-ton or Soli. It's a journey, don't expect to get there overnight. But the journey is a blast.