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books on skiing

skicrazed

Certified Ski Diva
In anticipation of my post-season depression and the need to keep myself connected to skiing somehow, I'm wondering if there are any good books on skiing that someone can recommend. I know there is no substitute for lessons and practice, but I've found some of the Ski School youtube tutorials helpful and just want to absorb anything I can!
 

Covie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Essentials of Skiing by Harald Harb! I was given this book and really found it interesting.
 

BackCountryGirl

Angel Diva
Anything by Ellen Post Foster and Ron LeMaster.
 

skicrazed

Certified Ski Diva
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm eager to investigate these books. And I love mysteries, so I'll definitely check out the ski diva mysteries!
 

SkadiSkiGrrl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
In anticipation of my post-season depression and the need to keep myself connected to skiing somehow, I'm wondering if there are any good books on skiing that someone can recommend. I know there is no substitute for lessons and practice, but I've found some of the Ski School youtube tutorials helpful and just want to absorb anything I can!
So glad you asked! "Two Planks and a Passion" by Roland Huntford It is dry, but it is a complete history of skiing. Did you know that the oldest archaeological evidence of skiing dates from ca. 8,000 BC?
There are a couple old travel journals I downloaded on my Nook for free. One by Ernest Cushing Richardson titled "Ski-Running" was published before 1923. It is old-fashioned, but if you like history of the sport as I do you, you should find it worthwhile.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Funny, I'm in the same frame of mind. Here are more to check out:

1. Total Skiing by Chris Fellows - this is what I am reading now
2. Breakthrough On Skis: How to Get Out of the Intermediate Rut by Lito Tejades-Flores - I read this a long time ago and liked his writing style. There've been many technical changes since the early shaped/parabolic skis but this book might still be useful. He's written others since then too.

Yes to the Ski Diva mysteries, I really enjoyed the first one and look forward to getting the 2nd one.

If you can find Tracks of Passion by Robin Morning, it's a beautiful coffee table type book, a pictorial history of Mammoth Mountain. It was expensive but worth it.
 

veronicarella

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just curious, are there any good, must-read inspirational books for skiers? I'm not talking about technical "how-to" books, but more along the lines of for examples: For runners, "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. For rock climbers, "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson. Just curious...
 

RX2SKI

Certified Ski Diva
:thumbsup: Two Feet Back--Grant Korgan is an adverture athlete (including a skier) that broke his back snowmobiling.
:yahoo: The Other Side of the Mountain--Jill Kinmont broke her neck before the Olympic trials.
:ski2: When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out--written by Nikki Stone, 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist in Freestle Aerials

Regular Ski Books:
Ski the Whole Mountain -- Eric & Rob DesLauriers

Biographies/Autobiographies: (I have not read any of these)
Picabo : Nothing to Hide
Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life
No Hill Too Fast (Phil & Steve Mahre)
Ski to Die: The Bill Johnson Story
Right on the Edge of Crazy: On Tour with the U.S. Downhill Ski Team
 

skicrazed

Certified Ski Diva
I'm excited to have so many new books to add to my list! I'm hoping that all of these suggestions--from the instructional to the entertaining--will keep me connected to skiing while I'm away from the slopes!
 

RX2SKI

Certified Ski Diva
I'm excited to have so many new books to add to my list! I'm hoping that all of these suggestions--from the instructional to the entertaining--will keep me connected to skiing while I'm away from the slopes!

I could hardly put down the Grant Korgan one. If you want to know more about him, this is his web site: https://www.korgmovement.com/ I don't want to give anything away, but I think there will be another book and/or movie of his accomplishments. I really want to see this guy speak.
Some people will know The Other Side of the Mountain from the 1975 movie.
When Turtles Fly is actually about the motivation of several athletes and successful people. The web site: https://whenturtlesfly.com/

As far as the other autobiographies, I have not read any of them myself. But I searched Amazon for some skiers that I thought would have written something. I am really surprised that no one more current has written something. I guess the money is in the movies and/or people aren't reading enough books. :(

One person that should have a book is Josh Dueck (joshdueck.com). You've probably seen his back flip on a sit ski. There is a short movie called "The Freedom Chair" that is amazing.
 

veronicarella

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks for the book list, RX2SKI. This is great!
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Double Take, by Kevin Michael Connolly. The author is an artist/photographer rather than a skier, but skiing was a big part of his early life. Great book.
Connolly was born without legs. His parents didn't coddle him; as a toddler he wasn't treated any differently than his sisters, and grew up floating rivers and climbing mountains...At the age of 10, he started skiing, with a custom designed monoski. He was good enough at skiing to win a silver medal at the X Games extreme sports competition.
Here's a promo video by the author: https://vimeo.com/6934037#.
 

Indianaskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just curious, are there any good, must-read inspirational books for skiers? I'm not talking about technical "how-to" books, but more along the lines of for examples: For runners, "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. For rock climbers, "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson. Just curious...
I loved reading Picabo Street's book. It came out while I was healing from ACL surgery and torn MCL, so it meant a lot to me. That's the only inspirational type I've read. I've read several technical books. I've always been one who wants to know how things work, so even read "The Physics of Skiing", because an instructor I worked with, who job was an engineer(technical type guy), recommended it. it was more interesting than I expected.
 

Ashleigh Lawrence

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
"The All-Mountain Skier". By R. Mark Elling

"A Conversation With Fear". By Mermer Blakeslee

I'm reading both at the moment and they are both brilliant in completely different ways.
 

volklgirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
There is a circulating Diva copy of Right on the Edge of Crazy somewhere, but I have no idea who ended up with it last. Seriously, if you can find out who has it and get it back in circulation, all the new Divas deserve a chance to read it. It's a good and funny a read the 5th time as it is the 1st.

Hermann Meier's book, while informative, is really dry and mostly humorless, While Bode's book is pretty darn funny in parts.
 

Perty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Not quite skiing books, but totally absorbing:
Captain Scott by Ranulf Fiennes-lots of skiing but on the flat across the Antarctic and a history of his life and in particular his doomed polar expedition. We all know what happens, but, a bit like the Titanic, you read it and will them to make it back to base...
Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis-the question is...did Mallory make it to the top of Everest in 1924? This is the man who in answer to the New York Times journalist's question as to why he kept trying to climb Everest, coined the immortal words "Because it's there". He told his wife that he would place her photo on the summit if he made it. When his body was found in 1999, all sorts of stuff was found in his pocket.....but the photograph was not there.......
 

Christy

Angel Diva
There is a circulating Diva copy of Right on the Edge of Crazy somewhere, but I have no idea who ended up with it last. Seriously, if you can find out who has it and get it back in circulation, all the new Divas deserve a chance to read it. It's a good and funny a read the 5th time as it is the 1st.

I picked it up really cheap, used, on Amazon. If you like ski racing you'll love it. Boy, the US Ski Team sure has come a long way since then.

I didn't know Bode had a book, but I just looked and it came out in 2005! I'm a little afraid to read it--he's mellowed in recent years but I'm not sure I want to read a whole book of his thoughts as they were in 2005. But I have to. I didn't know Picabo had one either--looks like the library has it so I just reserved it.
 

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