The "little ski revelations" thread

[santacruz skier]

I though you had mad skills!!!

Oh geez no.... I guess I didn't see the photo you attached and would have responded right away. I looked up the wall at kirkwood and saw where you got that photo from but if you look at others you will see there are much easier places to drop in. It's not easy, but nowhere near that steep!!!!!

 

[mustski]

It is rated as one of the 10 steepest runs in Tahoe!

 

[santacruz skier]

A very short section is steep and can be sideslipped if needed. And I have!!! The rest is more like a single black .

 

[newboots]

Today’s little Ski revelation, which has been growing since December.

If I work the upper body separation, and keep your hands forward, I feel like an expert. And it feels like I look like a Real Skier!

 

[newboots]

Today’s little Ski revelation, which has been growing since December.

If I work the upper body separation, and keep your hands forward, I feel like an expert. And it feels like I look like a Real Skier!

Addendum to above: I figured out why it feels like Real Skiing. It's easier. When I'm making those turns, I am not working nearly so hard.

 

[contesstant]

Just saw this... That photo is not where we dropped in.....way over to the side is a narrow traverse where most skiers drop in. It's just the first few turns that even make it double black.
I certainly don't want to misrepresent my skiing ability. I wouldn't even attempt to drop in where that photo shows. Nobody does!

I've skied that section. I stood there for a good 10 minutes, and was barely an intermediate at the time! I thought I was the shiz. Ha!! Not even close. Now, I panic on stuff like that (or, I did last season!)

Anyway, my revelation? Sometimes, if you end up in a pair of boots that you tweak and tweak and tweak, because you just CANNOT find your balance in them, you're really better off starting from square one in a new pair of boots.

Two seasons ago, the season after my tibial plateau fracture, I was actually skiing pretty darned well. I was in a Salomon Xmax 90, stock liners, and they actually fit my low-volume feet pretty well. For some reason, last season, I began struggling in them. (Turns out, I have a partially torn LCL in that same knee and it's caused a lot of issues!) Anyway, I didn't love that the Salomon boots didn't have adjustable cuffs. So, I ordered some Head B5 RD junior race boots. They FIT amazingly well, but the forward lean combined with the steep zeppa was a DISASTER. I spent most of last season scared, off-balance, and fighting just to stay centered. I was frustrated and in tears a LOT. Never really thought it was the boots...

Finally, thanks to my fitter (who did NOT put me in the Head boots) and my boyfriend, who is an L3 instructor, well, they put their heads together and advised me to start back from square one in one of two boots that the FITTER recommended. I got into some Tecnica Mach 1 95 LV, threw my custom Boot Doc liners in, had them canted and the cuffs moved for my legs, and feel like I can ski again!

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN BOOTS! And not just that they fit, but that they are balanced for YOU.

 

[santacruz skier]

I have older tecnica inferno crush boots and your new boot is the one I'm thinking about.... yeah everyone wants to ski the wall and then they get up there and say "what was I thinking "....and then loose boots and no poles!!

 

[nopoleskier]

I don't walk hip distance apart (and I don't have wide hips)...my feet are pretty close together when walking/standing.

When I ski feet hip distance apart, I probably have more balance, but for me, it feels like a defensive stance...I skied today, with feet much closer together, and I was much more dynamic and fluid according to SO...I felt it, too!

I think what's important is to find that individual sweet spot, adapt to terrain and conditions.

you may be surprised.. wet your feet and walk on something to look at the distance.... in the "olden' days of skiing a 'pro' had the inside of their boots rubbed and scratched being so close together! On today's skis that's not necessary and could be dangerous (imho) shaped skis behave much differently than our old straight boards did..

Yes to Find the "Sweet Spot" and that distance can change w/every turn, the pitch of the trail, the slickness of the slope..

What feels good "is good"!! Glad you found your 'sweet spot!"

 

[tinymoose]

My whole world was shook at race clinic last night... I was told not to face down the hill with my upper torso (countered position) and to square up. All those early years of lessons being told to face down the hill come hell or high water. lol Apparently it's causing me to scissor my skis and lead too much with one hip. You can have too much of a good thing!

 

[volklgirl]

We've been trained to face out away from the gates with the hands and head, forcing the hips into the gate and creating early edge angles to keep from skidding. You end up fully facing across the hill at each gate, completely counter to everything you've ever been taught for regular skiing.

 

[tinymoose]

We've been trained to face out away from the gates with the hands and head, forcing the hips into the gate and creating early edge angles to keep from skidding. You end up fully facing across the hill at each gate, completely counter to everything you've ever been taught for regular skiing.

I feel like this some advanced technique I haven't even gotten to yet. We're still working on keeping my inside shoulder up. lol I definitely don't get early enough edge angles b/c as the course gets icier I just start slip sliding everywhere.

 

[Skisailor]

I feel like this some advanced technique I haven't even gotten to yet. We're still working on keeping my inside shoulder up. lol I definitely don't get early enough edge angles b/c as the course gets icier I just start slip sliding everywhere.

Different techniques for different situations!!

If you reduce tip lead and square up on your skis so that your hips are facing the trees (rather than downhill) at the end of every turn, you are setting yourself up for medium and longer radius turns and much more speed. Great for the racecourse!

But not so great for all mountain skiing in steeps and chutes and bumps and trees where we want a bomb proof short radius turn if we are at all concerned about speed control. Tip lead in these situations is very effective and is simply a natural anatomical consequence of allowing the pelvis to face downhill.

 

[tinymoose]

Different techniques for different situations!!

If you reduce tip lead and square up on your skis so that your hips are facing the trees (rather than downhill) at the end of every turn, you are setting yourself up for medium and longer radius turns and much more speed. Great for the racecourse!

But not so great for all mountain skiing in steeps and chutes and bumps and trees where we want a bomb proof short radius turn if we are at all concerned about speed control. Tip lead in these situations is very effective and is simply a natural anatomical consequence of allowing the pelvis to face downhill.

Oh, I get the squaring up is just meant for racing... aka speed. I clarified with him that facing down the hill on steeps was still OK for speed control on steeps, etc.

 

[JO-ski]

My little revelation from today: Bend at the ankles and lean forward! If you think you're leaning too forward, it was probably because you weren't leaning forward at all before!

 

[CrystalRose]

^^^Yep!! I had a ski lesson yesterday and for some crazy reason I had decided to try a longer ski than I usually use. They were so squirrelly! I don't know if it was the length or the design of the ski, but they would wobble all over the place. The instructor told me to get forward and press with the balls of my feet. Boom! I had way more control over the skis even though I felt like this:

As soon as I would relax (or get more aft) the skis would let me know! A very interesting (and sometimes scary) sensation. Side note: I bought a pair of longer skis that I felt I had no control over. If they need to be skied the way those rentals did (driven?), then no wonder they didn't work! My skiing before yesterday was definitely not like that...

My Ski Revelation: Point my skis at 10 o' clock and 2 o' clock! My instructor told me that and I don't know why, but it just clicked for me. I imagined an invisible clock in front of me and If I got my skis to those positions I almost certainly finish my turns. I would say to myself 2! (1,2,3) 10! (1,2,3) 2! (1,2,3) 10! (1,2,3). The counting in between gave the skis a chance to slow down as they traversed the hill and gave me a rhythm to link my turns to! No more skidded Z turns! (Well...unless I get nervous or tired).
Other things that help:
1. Get forward (as mentioned).
2. Keep upper body pointing downhill while legs do the work.
3. Show the people downhill my bases. I read that here on SkiDiva. It's another mental cue that that helps with completing your turns.

 

[Powgirl]

Awesome, @CrystalRose !!

I have recently had the same revelations...getting forward, pressuring that downhill ski with front of your foot really gives you control...I use the Tits over Tips mantra, to make sure I'm not hunching over, bending at the waist too much, more with the ankles and feet...I also use the 10 and 2 o'clock with my turns...it works!

With this new knowledge, you might find that not only the Cheyennes are manageable, but quite enjoyable...

Yay for you!!

 

[EeveeCanSki]

This past weekend I internalized the value of a well-timed pole touch/plant--if I want to make these an integral part of my trip down the groomer, I *need* to be forward in my boots. If I'm forward, I'll more easily reach the spot where I want to plant, and it will match the timing of my turns. If I'm in the backseat because of nerves or fatigue, nope, plant not gonna happen for me.

Learning the pole touch/plant was easier than I ever thought and has probably been key to helping me more confidently link turns at a better pace and on some slightly more pitched terrain.

 

[Skiwino]

Awesome, @CrystalRose !!

I have recently had the same revelations...getting forward, pressuring that downhill ski with front of your foot really gives you control...I use the Tits over Tips mantra, to make sure I'm not hunching over, bending at the waist too much, more with the ankles and feet...I also use the 10 and 2 o'clock with my turns...it works!

With this new knowledge, you might find that not only the Cheyennes are manageable, but quite enjoyable...

Yay for you!!

“Tits over Tips.” Love it and I’ll try it on Wednesday. I remember an instructor years ago who said “Point your tits down the hill!” Lol, makes sense.

 

[MrsPlow]

“Tits over Tips.” Love it and I’ll try it on Wednesday. I remember an instructor years ago who said “Point your tits down the hill!” Lol, makes sense.

Tits, tips, ten, two - will give it a go tomorrow!

 

[contesstant]

^^^Yep!! I had a ski lesson yesterday and for some crazy reason I had decided to try a longer ski than I usually use. They were so squirrelly! I don't know if it was the length or the design of the ski, but they would wobble all over the place. The instructor told me to get forward and press with the balls of my feet. Boom! I had way more control over the skis even though I felt like this:

As soon as I would relax (or get more aft) the skis would let me know! A very interesting (and sometimes scary) sensation. Side note: I bought a pair of longer skis that I felt I had no control over. If they need to be skied the way those rentals did (driven?), then no wonder they didn't work! My skiing before yesterday was definitely not like that...

My Ski Revelation: Point my skis at 10 o' clock and 2 o' clock! My instructor told me that and I don't know why, but it just clicked for me. I imagined an invisible clock in front of me and If I got my skis to those positions I almost certainly finish my turns. I would say to myself 2! (1,2,3) 10! (1,2,3) 2! (1,2,3) 10! (1,2,3). The counting in between gave the skis a chance to slow down as they traversed the hill and gave me a rhythm to link my turns to! No more skidded Z turns! (Well...unless I get nervous or tired).
Other things that help:
1. Get forward (as mentioned).
2. Keep upper body pointing downhill while legs do the work.
3. Show the people downhill my bases. I read that here on SkiDiva. It's another mental cue that that helps with completing your turns.

That picture kind of sums it up nicely!
You know when it's REALLY hard to do? On steeper stuff! Even when you THINK you are, you aren't!