Body position any quick fire tips ?

[AJM]

Before commenting, we might benefit if we knew something about you beyond what we see here. What do you want to do differently? What goals are you chasing? Is there a different way you'd like to have skied that section of the mountain?

Mmmmm, I guess the main goal I'm chasing is to have that solid body position that will help me to tackle those short radius turns. This was taken at the very bottom of the hill on a very mellow slope (due to the higher lifts not being in action that day) and I would normally be skiing the much steeper stuff up at the top both on and off piste. I know that when I'm off piste and skiing blacks my body position reverts back to bad habits ie back seat, shopping for my turns, and can become a little raggedy. I would love to be able to ski the chutes at our local hill confidently, we have a very steep narrow cat track that I ski down often but more often than not I just throw the ski's sideways to slow me down !!!

Fun fact, the beginning of the video where I'm pole planting my across the slope is because I literally got blown sideways across the slope and out of shot

 

[liquidfeet]

@AJM, it's not so much a "body position" (fore-aft-wise or otherwise) that will allow you to make short turns down a steep chute. It's owning a whole package of coordinated movements, some of which I mentioned in that long post upthread. Of course getting in the back seat destroys any hope of getting those movement patterns to work, so there's that. But getting that bundle of movements into muscle memory is also essential to meet your goal. It will take some time with targeted deliberate practice on low-pitch terrain to make those movements yours. There's also a different conceptual approach for skiing those chutes the way you want to ski them that you'll need to embrace. It involves controlling your speed of descent by using turn shape instead of braking.

The fact that you get onto that terrain now and throw the skis sideways to slow yourself down shows that you are a go-getter who does not cave into fear. That's great! You are ambitious. Channel your ambition into gaining that package of movement patterns over the next several seasons. Yes, it takes time... and a good eye watching you letting you know how you're doing (usually an instructor).

Take some lessons with a highly respected, seasoned, experienced instructor -- sooner rather than later. The earlier in your skiing life you start working on getting those new movements (not positions) embedded into muscle memory, while staying out of the back seat, the easier it will be to own them. You'll want them to assert themselves when your are on challenging terrain and conditions that dislodge your confidence. The more time you spend throwing the skis sideways to slow yourself down in those chutes, the more deeply that particular movement pattern will be embedded and the more insistently it will assert itself as you try to replace it.

So start now on the new stuff. Take baby steps. Be patient. Work, practice, repeat, get feedback, and do this on easy terrain where caution never arises. Then take what you've learned up the hill to more "interesting" terrain. Find an instructor to work with who will teach you well, and just spend the money. It will be worth it.

 

[AJM]

Take some lessons with a highly respected, seasoned, experienced instructor -- sooner rather than later.

I've been going to do that, I have 2 guys I know in mind. One is an examiner and trainer and the other is Level 3, awkwardly though neither of them actually work at my ski hill even though they are there most days esp the L3 as he takes brings a group of outdoor trainees up every day. I've been going to have a quiet word with either of them to see if they can help me as they have both known me and my skiing style for years better still try and sneak in an under the radar lesson. I'm not dismissing the official instructors at our hill but they are all fairly new and I've known these two for a very long time, I just havent wanted to bother them.

 

[Jilly]

Any CSIA people. I know there are lots down there this summer, since they could go.

 

[AJM]

Any CSIA people. I know there are lots down there this summer, since they could go.

I'm not sure, as a general rule of thumb a lot of the internationals tend to gravitate towards the bigger fields that are busier. I know the ski school director so I'll make some inquiries.

 

[AJM]

A quick update !! So yesterday I had a short sharp lesson with the L3 guy I mentioned up thread and he said my main issue was skidding my turns and therefore losing control esp on steeper pitches and a bad habit of "bobbing". He got me to really push that athletic stance to the extreme's then play around with that so I could really feel the turn and how my stance affected my turns and to "stop the bob!". I had so much fun and it was such revelation, I practised and practised all afternoon till I could practise no more (I even gave up a quick little side country trip into one the back bowls that was full of the loveliest dry powder so I could keep practising), having a day off today then back into it tomorrow. Oh and I'm back in my old boots with the new liner and all is coming together so YAY. He's going to keep an eye on me over the next couple of weeks and wants to try and get a video so we can analyse it together. Just popping out now to get him a nice bottle of Shiraz.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

That's awesome! I still am a big fan of skidded turns in steeps and bumps and carving and high edge angles where speed is appropriate. Nice that he spotted the Bob. In person is so good that way.

 

[Jilly]

Yeah!! First I'm not losing it with to the skidding..saw it, but wonder about conditions.

 

[scandium]

A quick update !! So yesterday I had a short sharp lesson with the L3 guy I mentioned up thread and he said my main issue was skidding my turns and therefore losing control esp on steeper pitches and a bad habit of "bobbing". He got me to really push that athletic stance to the extreme's then play around with that so I could really feel the turn and how my stance affected my turns and to "stop the bob!". I had so much fun and it was such revelation, I practised and practised all afternoon till I could practise no more (I even gave up a quick little side country trip into one the back bowls that was full of the loveliest dry powder so I could keep practising), having a day off today then back into it tomorrow. Oh and I'm back in my old boots with the new liner and all is coming together so YAY. He's going to keep an eye on me over the next couple of weeks and wants to try and get a video so we can analyse it together. Just popping out now to get him a nice bottle of Shiraz.

It's SO nice when things come together like that, and sounds like a great starting point for ongoing refinement! I have been lurking this thread looking at the movement analysis and cues etc. that people are using - I'm still pushing through an intermediate plateau (as I have been for the last 3 years...) as I am unlearning/relearning my basics.

 

[AJM]

That's awesome! I still am a big fan of skidded turns in steeps and bumps and carving and high edge angles where speed is appropriate. Nice that he spotted the Bob. In person is so good that way.

Yes, we were on wide open groomers and he was taking me back to basic athletic stance and really flexing down low, it was perfect. I popped down that narrow steep section I mentioned and used the technique you gave me ie more smearing less carving with great success. I feel like my adaptability to different conditions/pitch etc is well on the way to improving. Stop the Bob made a huge difference !!

 

[AJM]

Yeah!! First I'm not losing it with to the skidding..saw it, but wonder about conditions.

The skidding is really bad habit I formed but I really noticed it the other day when I went flying down this big wide open bowl we have and I knew I was just on the edge of control and I was determined to fix it. After my quick lesson yesterday I went there again and skied it just as fast but IN CONTROL which was an incredible feeling. The snow this last week has been very dry and chalky on piste but very cut up and chunky off piste which has been challenging so I've spent most of this last week on piste.

 

[AJM]

It's SO nice when things come together like that, and sounds like a great starting point for ongoing refinement! I have been lurking this thread looking at the movement analysis and cues etc. that people are using - I'm still pushing through an intermediate plateau (as I have been for the last 3 years...) as I am unlearning/relearning my basics.

Thats exactly what I am doing, trying to unlearn bad habits and reform good ones. I've always been a reasonably okayish skier but have lacked the technical knowledge and those bad habits have slowly crept in.
Stop the Bob and really flexing my ski boots and completing the turn made a huge difference yesterday in the conditions I was skiing in ie dry chalky groomers, I felt like I was flying but in a controlled way. Once we get some reasonably skiable off piste (its chopped up hell at the moment and needs some more skier traffic on it to beat it into shape!) I'll ask Andy to give me some more tips on how to tackle that in control, at the moment I just launch and hope for the best !!!

 

[marzNC]

. . . completing the turn . . .

Yep, that makes a BIG difference in any conditions. Heard "finish the turn" a lot during the first multi-morning clinic I did at a Diva West back in 2010.

Saw a comment recently from a ski instructor elsewhere that made a lot of sense. He wrote "new skill old terrain, old skill new terrain." The best place to get rid of the habit of skidding every turn is on green/blue groomed trails. I started taking lessons at my home hill a decade ago where there isn't any ungroomed terrain (near Washington DC in northern Virginia). The instructor said it would take a couple seasons to ingrain new habits given my skiing history. I was an adventurous intermediate. Took a lot longer than two seasons, but it was well worth the time, money, and practice effort to become a solid advanced skier comfortable in assorted terrain and snow conditions, even going to destination resorts for the first time. Didn't think that was possible when starting to get serious about ski technique after age 50.

Thanks for your updates!

 

[AJM]

Well this looks nothing like I was hoping for Oh the joys of video !! In my defense it was at the end of the day and I was shattered and I'm pretty sure it shows ! Anyways what I can see is "popping" , my dreaded A Frame reappearing, back seat and lord knows what Im doing with my pole pointed straight forward It was until this point a very flat light day which I always struggle with then at the end of the day when we took this the sun decided it would make an appearance - yay The snow was lovely so no excuses on that front .Anyhow here it is for your viewing pleasure (or not !)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dZ1ElBOli08

 

[Jilly]

Do you get a lot of this hard pack? If so, I think maybe demo'ing a true carver to see what happens. The skis you're on are not gripping at all.

 

[AJM]

Do you get a lot of this hard pack? If so, I think maybe demo'ing a true carver to see what happens. The skis you're on are not gripping at all.

We do sadly, although we over here wouldn't describe this as hard pack I think our hard pack is more like your boilerplate ! Because we are a teeny tiny island nation we truly are at the mercy of the oceans that surround us so our climate reflects that, the majority of the snow we get is definately on the "damp and heavy " side with a high moisture content. I might try and grab a pair of carvers next time I go up and see how I go. The L3 guy did mention that.

 

[AJM]

The skis you're on are not gripping at all.

I think at this point I'd lost the will to live to be honest and was just smearing them any old way, it got worse as I still had another 2 km of skiing down ahead of me

 

[Jilly]

You know you're allowed to stop and take in the view.......

 

[AJM]

You know you're allowed to stop and take in the view.......

Oh I do !!!!

 

[AJM]

Here's some pics someone else took yesterday during the brief sunny spell we had.
My video was taken on the cat tracks, actually I pulled up on that hairpin corner up on the top right of the pic.
The second pic was taken over the back looking across to the West Face, out of bounds but as you can see its a a great spot for those that like to skin or bootpack back up.