AG--I wanna ski with you!!!(And, of course, steal your expertise.)
Hopefully Solitude will provide great powder practice for everyone! Fingers crossed for good weather!
-
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.
Skiing Powder
- Thread starter Sheena
- Start date
Hopefully Solitude will provide great powder practice for everyone! Fingers crossed for good weather!
dloveski
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just keep at it. Powder days are so rare and are a lot of physical work for an old lady like me.
I'm not that in tune with what I do and why. One thing that I had to overcome was the fear factor. The hikes to the untracked powder, the leaps of faith that I can make it down a particular stretch, is more about overcoming my fears than my skill. Also--learn how to 'read' the hill. I seek the lower angle glades where I can relax and just let loose. And I'm not too proud to pull back and stop, if it doesn't feel right. I hate falling and want to continue my run of 40 years of injury free skiing.
Some runs I nail it, others I don't, but it's all good. Fat skis and powder straps are important tools--don't leave home without them.
I'm not that in tune with what I do and why. One thing that I had to overcome was the fear factor. The hikes to the untracked powder, the leaps of faith that I can make it down a particular stretch, is more about overcoming my fears than my skill. Also--learn how to 'read' the hill. I seek the lower angle glades where I can relax and just let loose. And I'm not too proud to pull back and stop, if it doesn't feel right. I hate falling and want to continue my run of 40 years of injury free skiing.
Some runs I nail it, others I don't, but it's all good. Fat skis and powder straps are important tools--don't leave home without them.
dloveski
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
we'll watch the weather. the pow goes fast these days, so we'll have to be strategic if we are lucky enough to have a March dump. I'm mountain hosting those days in March.
Should be good tomorrow too - it's burly cold up there, and just getting colder.
dowde
Certified Ski Diva
Thank you!
I've read tons of this "F'ing" and "SH'ing" technique (OR 'Push the Bush") but your description is crystal clear to me. I can't wait to try it out!
I've read tons of this "F'ing" and "SH'ing" technique (OR 'Push the Bush") but your description is crystal clear to me. I can't wait to try it out!
I learned a lot from the tips in this post.....well, I learned a lot "book-wise"....we'll see if I can actually learn it physically!
We went to Vail last weekend - when there was a TON of new snow...something like 18" by the end of Saturday........the people I was with loved it.....I thought they were all looney tunes! I hated it! I spent the entire day....up and down....seemed the minute I tried to ski, I fell.......now I know why!
My tendency even on groomed runs is to do a pointy turn versus a round one....so I'm still forcing my turns....and in the powder I was trying to ski like it was a groomed run.......anyway - great information and tips! Gives me hope that I will someday enjoy the powder days that everyone says are so fun!
We went to Vail last weekend - when there was a TON of new snow...something like 18" by the end of Saturday........the people I was with loved it.....I thought they were all looney tunes! I hated it! I spent the entire day....up and down....seemed the minute I tried to ski, I fell.......now I know why!
My tendency even on groomed runs is to do a pointy turn versus a round one....so I'm still forcing my turns....and in the powder I was trying to ski like it was a groomed run.......anyway - great information and tips! Gives me hope that I will someday enjoy the powder days that everyone says are so fun!
Atomica
Certified Ski Diva
So glad the powder issue is addressed here! We had about 2 meters of snow this past week and I wiped out on the big white bowls, got buried head first in about 3 feet of snow, and struggled (quite comically) for a good 30 minutes before getting back on my skis safe and sound. These tips will be very helpful the next time I try that again!!
Quiver Queen
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had a powder lesson last week, and some of it actually stuck now that my new knee allows my brain to float instead of feeling nothing but pain. It distilled down to P - P - P - T - T - T - T:
1. Instead of bounce - bounce - bounce to get your rhythm and stay on top, it's more like pumping your legs at the end of a diving board without your feel actually leaving the board, so Pump - Pump - Pump.
2. Ski Tall, this will let your feet act together, be a little less apart, and not split when you're going side hill with one foot being way below the other, so the first T.
3. Instead of carving your turns, just initiate the turn by imagining your new inside Toe lifting up and curling over the other four toes; the second T.
4. Knees act in unison, Together; third T.
5. Keep the core Tight; fourth T.
One last thing, if the tips are tending to dive, just lift up your toes to bring your position into neutral and unweight the tips. And I echo the above comments about bringing your hands forward.
While I'm no expert, when I pay attention to the P - P - P - T - T - T - T it's amazing how easily it comes. Plus, I'm told I look pretty good, too.
1. Instead of bounce - bounce - bounce to get your rhythm and stay on top, it's more like pumping your legs at the end of a diving board without your feel actually leaving the board, so Pump - Pump - Pump.
2. Ski Tall, this will let your feet act together, be a little less apart, and not split when you're going side hill with one foot being way below the other, so the first T.
3. Instead of carving your turns, just initiate the turn by imagining your new inside Toe lifting up and curling over the other four toes; the second T.
4. Knees act in unison, Together; third T.
5. Keep the core Tight; fourth T.
One last thing, if the tips are tending to dive, just lift up your toes to bring your position into neutral and unweight the tips. And I echo the above comments about bringing your hands forward.
While I'm no expert, when I pay attention to the P - P - P - T - T - T - T it's amazing how easily it comes. Plus, I'm told I look pretty good, too.
geargrrl
Angel Diva
LOL If I am reading your snow report right, you are getting it in FEET right now!!
I wish I'd read this before I went skiing today!
I went up in my First Luvs, ended up taking three pretty good falls because I just couldn't get my inside ski to cooperate. (Fortunately I'd bought a lesson, so I had someone to point out what I was doing wrong.) I ended up demoing a pair of Volkl Kenjas - a MUCH fatter ski - and it helped quite a bit, but I still had to forget everything I knew about getting on edge to turn. The turn is a slide across the snow, not an edging. Trying to edge in powder sped me up.
I went up in my First Luvs, ended up taking three pretty good falls because I just couldn't get my inside ski to cooperate. (Fortunately I'd bought a lesson, so I had someone to point out what I was doing wrong.) I ended up demoing a pair of Volkl Kenjas - a MUCH fatter ski - and it helped quite a bit, but I still had to forget everything I knew about getting on edge to turn. The turn is a slide across the snow, not an edging. Trying to edge in powder sped me up.
kathfern
Diva in Training
Hi all, a bit new hear and first time posting...powder skiing is a real challenge for me, I really appreciate the tips here! I skied at Big White in Canada in January this year and last year, however really struggled with the powder. Will use the tips here for next year (possibly Japan) and in August this year at Perisher (praying to snow gods has started).
Great forum and I'm learning alot!
Great forum and I'm learning alot!
SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Powder lessons are sooooooooo worthwhile!
Use the tips here, by all means, but if you can get a lesson on a real powder day, its priceless!
Here's hoping for lots of powder next season, and for the ability to take at least one lesson on a true powder day.
When the powder returns, these tips might come in handy. While oriented toward first-time backcountry skiiers, the explanations apply to powder conditions at ski resorts, too.
When the powder returns, these tips might come in handy. While oriented toward first-time backcountry skiiers, the explanations apply to powder conditions at ski resorts, too.
Witchery
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I found skiing powder difficult until I had the right skis. My first attempt was on chopped up heavy powder on skis that were too small. The next time I went out on my Rossi S7's and what a difference. I noticed I used my core a lot in the powder, especially when it was a bit chopped and deep. My last attempt was a run down the saddle at Whistler, completely untouched powder, not a skiier on it and OMG it was awesome. I found getting really aggressive and jumping out of my turns was so much fun, actually getting air on the turns 
i'd never really experienced that before and i'd never experienced snow coming up to my chin either!! Best ski run ever!!!
i'd never really experienced that before and i'd never experienced snow coming up to my chin either!! Best ski run ever!!!
COloRADic
Diva in Training
Just wanted to keep this thread alive as I hear powder skiing seems to be one of the hardest things to learn. As far as technique goes, I can't really give any tips. I have a hard time describing how I even go about doing it. I've just been skiing and snowboarding so long, powder comes naturally.
I can agree with others though. Forget you have edges, on skis or a board they just won't exhist in the powder. I don't really know how close together skis should be, exept that too far apart and they'll just keep spreading, ending in the splits/faceplant! I think it mostly depends on the ang of your terrain. If it's flat, you want to keep em closer toegether ffor the speed. If it's steep, I feel that farther apart gives you more control. I just try to take an agressive stance, get out of the back seat as much as possible and I agree with getting your hands forward. Bringing your hands out in front and staying bent at the knees makes you naturally take a more agressive stance. I find that the more aggressive and bent I am, the more my legs are able to accomodate the changing variations in the thickness and depth of the snow, and any other randomness that comes along. Also the more bend you keep, the more stretch you can obtain. Use those natural shock absorbers! The legs really do do all the work. Any change you make with your upper body with through your balance completely outta whack.
Turning in powder to me feels less like a jump and more like a body lift, the whole diving board example sounds pretty right on, maybe even a large trampoline. Imagine being on a diving board or trampoline and that lift you give yourself initially to get the diving board to bounce, combine that with like an ice skaters pushing side to side stride and I'd say that seems to sound about how like it feels for me! Also imagine trying to get that diving board to bounce with your hands behind you...it is much easier to get your body to move when your hands are in front of you.
On to the subject of skis and how your equipment effects your powder skiing performance. I have been on a pair of '08 K2 Lotta Luvs which I thought felt great on the groomer, fast and made turning feel like butter, but they were a tad heavy. I have been skiing '08 (I think) K2 Phat Luvs, they were the first skis I bought...and I love them, they do good in pow, take a bit of effort to turn in tight trees and have absolutely no edge on a groomer. And forget about going switch in anything deeper than 3", but I still love them. I have discovered that the technology in skis has changed while I have been skiing these. I am know skiing my Phat Luvs as my casual, ok snow resort ski. I now mostly ski my newer pair of '11 Liberty Double Helixs...for powder and powder only. These are the pre-rocker version as I am not quite ready to make the leap into rockered skis (mostly because there are so many out there, I can't make up my mind on which would be best for me). I also recently won a pair of G3 ZenOxides, which I am quite excited about as they are very light weight and have some early rise in the tip. I have never skied G3, so I can't wait till these come in and I can feel what they are all about.
I can report...I LOVE ROCKER! In every form I have ridden, from early rise to full rocker w/ no camber, to full rocker with camber. I have demoed my Liberty's in their newer rocker form, love em. Last March I also demoed the new Icelantic Gypsy which is fully rockered, really loved it. And I recently demoed the Armada JJ, and loved it the most!
I'm 5'9" 140lbs and compared to my old Phat Luvs, these rockered skis are 100 times more fun and easy to ski. What amazed me about the Gypsy is that it is a pretty burly ski, but I went tearing through some trees on a 1 ft pow day at Crested Butte and it was almost as if I didn't have to even think about turning. I just looked and went in a flash, they were so easy on my knees and the rest of my legs. The 11/12 Double Helix skis just like my year old pair, but I think the turn initiation is a bit easier and the whole ski floats a tad better due to the rocker. Now, the Armada JJs...WOW! I actually didn't get a chance at all to demo them in powder, as it has been quick a dry year in CO, but I was more than beyond impressed by their performance on the groomed runs. They weren't catchy or hooky, I could lay them from side to side and carve some serious turns better than any ski I had ever been on. They just took absolutely no effort what so ever. I just know if they ski that well on a groomer, then they must be outstanding in the powder with all that rocker. As set as I am on the Armada JJ or it's less stiff sister the VJJ, I still have quite the list of rockered skis I need to try out, including a Moment Bibby Pro, Rossi S7 and S7w, Black Diamond Amperage, Salomon Rocker 2, Line Bacons and Opus and Pandoras, a DPS and hopefully some K2 Missdirected and Hellbents. Obviously I have a need for a more freestyle ski, as that is more my style. I like to ski trees, drop features, ski switch and butter around in the powder. What ever your skiing style, I would highly recommend just trying out different powder skis to see if it at all effects the way you ski in powder.
I would say when it comes to learning to ski pow, you can ski it on anything you own. I can honestly say, I think having rocker makes making turns in powder much easier, but really once you get the feeling of it figured out, it will feel truley amazing and just keep getting better and better no matter what you ski on!
I can agree with others though. Forget you have edges, on skis or a board they just won't exhist in the powder. I don't really know how close together skis should be, exept that too far apart and they'll just keep spreading, ending in the splits/faceplant! I think it mostly depends on the ang of your terrain. If it's flat, you want to keep em closer toegether ffor the speed. If it's steep, I feel that farther apart gives you more control. I just try to take an agressive stance, get out of the back seat as much as possible and I agree with getting your hands forward. Bringing your hands out in front and staying bent at the knees makes you naturally take a more agressive stance. I find that the more aggressive and bent I am, the more my legs are able to accomodate the changing variations in the thickness and depth of the snow, and any other randomness that comes along. Also the more bend you keep, the more stretch you can obtain. Use those natural shock absorbers! The legs really do do all the work. Any change you make with your upper body with through your balance completely outta whack.
Turning in powder to me feels less like a jump and more like a body lift, the whole diving board example sounds pretty right on, maybe even a large trampoline. Imagine being on a diving board or trampoline and that lift you give yourself initially to get the diving board to bounce, combine that with like an ice skaters pushing side to side stride and I'd say that seems to sound about how like it feels for me! Also imagine trying to get that diving board to bounce with your hands behind you...it is much easier to get your body to move when your hands are in front of you.
On to the subject of skis and how your equipment effects your powder skiing performance. I have been on a pair of '08 K2 Lotta Luvs which I thought felt great on the groomer, fast and made turning feel like butter, but they were a tad heavy. I have been skiing '08 (I think) K2 Phat Luvs, they were the first skis I bought...and I love them, they do good in pow, take a bit of effort to turn in tight trees and have absolutely no edge on a groomer. And forget about going switch in anything deeper than 3", but I still love them. I have discovered that the technology in skis has changed while I have been skiing these. I am know skiing my Phat Luvs as my casual, ok snow resort ski. I now mostly ski my newer pair of '11 Liberty Double Helixs...for powder and powder only. These are the pre-rocker version as I am not quite ready to make the leap into rockered skis (mostly because there are so many out there, I can't make up my mind on which would be best for me). I also recently won a pair of G3 ZenOxides, which I am quite excited about as they are very light weight and have some early rise in the tip. I have never skied G3, so I can't wait till these come in and I can feel what they are all about.
I can report...I LOVE ROCKER! In every form I have ridden, from early rise to full rocker w/ no camber, to full rocker with camber. I have demoed my Liberty's in their newer rocker form, love em. Last March I also demoed the new Icelantic Gypsy which is fully rockered, really loved it. And I recently demoed the Armada JJ, and loved it the most!
I'm 5'9" 140lbs and compared to my old Phat Luvs, these rockered skis are 100 times more fun and easy to ski. What amazed me about the Gypsy is that it is a pretty burly ski, but I went tearing through some trees on a 1 ft pow day at Crested Butte and it was almost as if I didn't have to even think about turning. I just looked and went in a flash, they were so easy on my knees and the rest of my legs. The 11/12 Double Helix skis just like my year old pair, but I think the turn initiation is a bit easier and the whole ski floats a tad better due to the rocker. Now, the Armada JJs...WOW! I actually didn't get a chance at all to demo them in powder, as it has been quick a dry year in CO, but I was more than beyond impressed by their performance on the groomed runs. They weren't catchy or hooky, I could lay them from side to side and carve some serious turns better than any ski I had ever been on. They just took absolutely no effort what so ever. I just know if they ski that well on a groomer, then they must be outstanding in the powder with all that rocker. As set as I am on the Armada JJ or it's less stiff sister the VJJ, I still have quite the list of rockered skis I need to try out, including a Moment Bibby Pro, Rossi S7 and S7w, Black Diamond Amperage, Salomon Rocker 2, Line Bacons and Opus and Pandoras, a DPS and hopefully some K2 Missdirected and Hellbents. Obviously I have a need for a more freestyle ski, as that is more my style. I like to ski trees, drop features, ski switch and butter around in the powder. What ever your skiing style, I would highly recommend just trying out different powder skis to see if it at all effects the way you ski in powder.
I would say when it comes to learning to ski pow, you can ski it on anything you own. I can honestly say, I think having rocker makes making turns in powder much easier, but really once you get the feeling of it figured out, it will feel truley amazing and just keep getting better and better no matter what you ski on!
