That's great progress! And I totally get the issue with crowds. I don't like anything steep, but at least the terrain is predictable--people aren't, and they make me much more nervous. If something is a little steeper but uncrowded, I can just take my time. Otherwise I'm constantly dodging falling beginner snowboarders!
-
Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.
Help Needed: I am afraid of the bunny hill.
- Thread starter floatingyardsale
- Start date
Iwannaski
Angel Diva
@floatingyardsale … I was thinking of you this weekend. I’ll share my story because I think it’s very resonant with the “afraid of the bunny hill” vibe.
Scene: standard Sunday ski morning at my local hill. Husband hasn’t been to the hill yet this season (has skied, but not at our pass hill). We ride up lift together to the top of the hill that is my STANDARD WARM UP.
It’s ice.
I say, “oh, I’ll be there in a minute, go ahead” and pause, and watch him go on. Contemplating my poor life choices. You see, last time we skied, it was SUPER slushy, so my friend and I had waxed everything on Saturday because the last outing had been SO SLOW. But now my super slidy skis are making me anxious. What if I didn’t get the wax off? Will I be able to use the edges at all?
I make one turn and CAN NOT not wedge. Like … my pizza is pizzaing hard.
So, I pause.
It’s super icy.
I carefully inch back up the slope to the flat part and pause. I CAN NOT get myself to try to go down, because I know I can’t actually wedge down the ice (like, what’s the point) but I also can’t convince my body to go. I’m sure people thought I was nuts, because at this point, people have made it to the bottom and are riding back up. Eventually, my husband gets off the lift, after having waited for me for a while at the bottom.
He is understandably concerned. I tell him I’ll be fine, and that I probably just need to rebuckle my boot.
He’s not 100% sure, but I send him on his way anyway. Re buckle my boot, and head down. Slowly. Which, guess what? I can do because I can use turns to control my speed!
It was fine. In fact, I would say I did a lot of good things on Sunday. But that start was ROUGH. And I thought of you.
Man, are our brains powerful for both good AND evil, or what? And this was after no issues skiing this season.
Scene: standard Sunday ski morning at my local hill. Husband hasn’t been to the hill yet this season (has skied, but not at our pass hill). We ride up lift together to the top of the hill that is my STANDARD WARM UP.
It’s ice.
I say, “oh, I’ll be there in a minute, go ahead” and pause, and watch him go on. Contemplating my poor life choices. You see, last time we skied, it was SUPER slushy, so my friend and I had waxed everything on Saturday because the last outing had been SO SLOW. But now my super slidy skis are making me anxious. What if I didn’t get the wax off? Will I be able to use the edges at all?
I make one turn and CAN NOT not wedge. Like … my pizza is pizzaing hard.
So, I pause.
It’s super icy.
I carefully inch back up the slope to the flat part and pause. I CAN NOT get myself to try to go down, because I know I can’t actually wedge down the ice (like, what’s the point) but I also can’t convince my body to go. I’m sure people thought I was nuts, because at this point, people have made it to the bottom and are riding back up. Eventually, my husband gets off the lift, after having waited for me for a while at the bottom.
He is understandably concerned. I tell him I’ll be fine, and that I probably just need to rebuckle my boot.
He’s not 100% sure, but I send him on his way anyway. Re buckle my boot, and head down. Slowly. Which, guess what? I can do because I can use turns to control my speed!
It was fine. In fact, I would say I did a lot of good things on Sunday. But that start was ROUGH. And I thought of you.
Man, are our brains powerful for both good AND evil, or what? And this was after no issues skiing this season.
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think I've mentioned it before but one of the judges on the FWQ when my son was competing told me to say out loud "Just do it!!" or "Just F#%*ing do it !!!" in situations where you're scared or aprehensive and you know you can do it but your stupid brain is saying "Nooooooo". Something to do with linking the right and left brain together. Sam Smoothy used to roar right before he'd drop in when he was competing and I really think there is something in it, its worked for me in the past ... not the roaring just the saying out loud thing. Give it a try next time and see if it works xx
skibum4ever
Angel Diva
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Give it a go and let us know xx
floatingyardsale
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Aww, you're amazing. And yeah the technique of "f*ck it" works -- just still a little afraid of speed, and I don't trust my turns to control it, and I don't trust myself to just ride the edges down the hill yet.
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Magnatude
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I did a women's instructor clinic a couple of years ago, and our coach said she uses a similar technique, before going down something gnarly, which she described as "hulking up". Eg, standing on a cornice or whatever, and basically going quite guttural, making assertive grunts, and then going for it. Thinking of The Hulk, I guess. I find it works quite often!
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I love this description !!
snoWYmonkey
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I just sing Mamma Mia, very quietly, with a major Oh $hit tone of voice.... 
floatingyardsale
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well, I got the 15 degree bluebird day with good soft snow and I had a blast! I had the kids with me, and although it was a holiday weekend, the mountain was wide open so it didn't feel too crowded. The new chair at Snowbasin is amazing, and we were skiing with my kids (shredders) and one of their friends (kind of the opposite of a shredder) so it was a low key day where I could work on some turns. Definitely pushed a 10yo out of her comfort zone but I don't think she hates us.
I think I've forgotten how to do short turns to control my speed, but I could remember how to get forward. But I have a lesson booked in 10 days that should help with some of the nerves. I need to stop muscling the skis around!
I think I've forgotten how to do short turns to control my speed, but I could remember how to get forward. But I have a lesson booked in 10 days that should help with some of the nerves. I need to stop muscling the skis around!
contesstant
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Let me know when you want to hit Snowbasin during the week.
mustski
Angel Diva
It's called getting "gripped" and it is completely irrational! I don't know how common it is, but I still experience it regularly and on runs that I know I can ski. It's like I'm frozen and my limbs are just stiff! I hate it, but there it is. I've been skiing for over 40 years (on and off) and I still get gripped.
Singing has always helped me. I had an instructor when I was a teenager and just beginning. It was an all girls class, and he used to have us sing "The Joker" by the Steve Miller band. Whenever we got tentative, he yelled "LOUDER!" To this day, that stupid song calms me down! I also sing Broadway tunes!I just sing Mamma Mia, very quietly, with a major Oh $hit tone of voice....
Knitjenious
Angel Diva
Jumping on this train to say my new thing when I am getting in my head on a tricky or steep area is to loudly and firmly say out loud "COMMIT" right as I start each turn. I probably look like a crazy person to the people on the lift, but it helps me keep a rhythm and avoid lingering in a traverse and ending up stuck over on the side with little room to turn.
skibum4ever
Angel Diva
@mustski … this simultaneously makes me feel better and worse.
Thank you for sharing it though, and explaining the reality. It’s actually astonishing how overwhelming the feeling was. So I’m glad to know it’s not a personal quirk, but really a thing that can happen.
I got "gripped" the other day at Mammoth on a slope that never gives me any trouble. I had intended to ski a different run but the wind was so strong I just couldn't get to it. When I finally made it down I took a break in the lodge then quit for the day.
I just couldn't overcome the demons in my head. It was really upsetting because it made me especially afraid to ski any new ski areas this year. I will stick to what I know and maybe somehow do better next season. I fought so hard to come back physically from my injury that I can't let my head rob me of my favorite sport.
Trailside Trixie
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Magic has these clnics green to blue and blue to black. I've taken them both and they are amazing.
I did the blue to black one and learned a lot. There was a psychologist coach and a ski instructor and both were amazing. They took us on some relatively difficult terrain with super tricky conditions and it's amazing how much the psyche plays into it. One thing I'm sensitive to is texture change. I'll be coasting along and will come upon a patch that's icy/scratchy and I freak, you can see my body change because I tense right up. What works for me is saying same... ie I do the same thing, I just ski and not let the change in snow condition bother me.... I just start off with same, same, same, same. I say it in different rhythms. I'll also make car noises into the turn, vrm, vrm..... Sometimes when encountering something challenging to me I'll just send it because going slow and peeling the band aid off is just a longer process. I'll give a good growl or vrum noise and just charge it. It's like doing that gives me a purpose and I'm so focused on that I go right down/over it and I'm on the other side going phew, I did it. I used to freak and get stuck on sides of trails afraid to turn. Now I've learned to start side slipping and from there I'll go into the turn as it's easier to turn once you are in motion. Little tips and tricks I've learned from these clinics that work for me. May not work for everyone but it's nice to have different tools in ones pocket because you never know what will work for you.
I did the blue to black one and learned a lot. There was a psychologist coach and a ski instructor and both were amazing. They took us on some relatively difficult terrain with super tricky conditions and it's amazing how much the psyche plays into it. One thing I'm sensitive to is texture change. I'll be coasting along and will come upon a patch that's icy/scratchy and I freak, you can see my body change because I tense right up. What works for me is saying same... ie I do the same thing, I just ski and not let the change in snow condition bother me.... I just start off with same, same, same, same. I say it in different rhythms. I'll also make car noises into the turn, vrm, vrm..... Sometimes when encountering something challenging to me I'll just send it because going slow and peeling the band aid off is just a longer process. I'll give a good growl or vrum noise and just charge it. It's like doing that gives me a purpose and I'm so focused on that I go right down/over it and I'm on the other side going phew, I did it. I used to freak and get stuck on sides of trails afraid to turn. Now I've learned to start side slipping and from there I'll go into the turn as it's easier to turn once you are in motion. Little tips and tricks I've learned from these clinics that work for me. May not work for everyone but it's nice to have different tools in ones pocket because you never know what will work for you.
Knitjenious
Angel Diva
This made me think of this thread. I know I can identify!
www.instagram.com
1.5M views · 58K likes | on Instagram: "People rejoice! You can now watch this little gem on repeat! ❄️✨ #ski #snow #mountains #courchevel #meribel #laugh #fun #love #happy #family #smile #goodvibes #goodtimes #brothers #lovemyboys #toinfinityand
59K likes, 1,135 comments - call_me_jude_ on February 23, 2024: "People rejoice! You can now watch this little gem on repeat! ❄️✨ #ski #snow #mountains #courchevel #meribel #laugh #fun #l..."
www.instagram.com
MissySki
Angel Diva
I dislike the texture change as well, there is something so jarring when skiing along quietly and bam super loud ice shows up out of nowhere.
contesstant
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Who hasn't been there? I'm that person quite a bit. Sideslips are an incredibly valid tool, and the beauty of them is you are in motion, so a shift of your upper body forward and down the hill releases the skis and allows them to turn. Next thing you know, you are doing semi pivot slips and linking those up on steeps and you have developed a whole new level of control.This made me think of this thread. I know I can identify!
1.5M views · 58K likes | on Instagram: "People rejoice! You can now watch this little gem on repeat! ❄️✨ #ski #snow #mountains #courchevel #meribel #laugh #fun #love #happy #family #smile #goodvibes #goodtimes #brothers #lovemyboys #toinfinityand
59K likes, 1,135 comments - call_me_jude_ on February 23, 2024: "People rejoice! You can now watch this little gem on repeat! ❄️✨ #ski #snow #mountains #courchevel #meribel #laugh #fun #l..."
As for hitting icy patches, the irony there is that you want to relax on them vs. tense up, but the immediate reaction is to tense up (I go into a sideslip with light edges when I hit ice.) For me, I still get really rattled if there is an icy layer beneath fresh powder, or icy bumps, and you're poofing along in the powder then hit a hard spot and accelerate. Ack!
Skiing is so hard!
