I'm based in Colorado as well. I noticed that there are a lot of skiers coming from a merging trail or trees and they do not show any sign of slowing down and I am forced to make a long wide turn across my trail to avoid them. I thought merging trail needs to yield?
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Feeling the Fear...
- Thread starter Cyprissa
- Start date
newboots
Angel Diva
Oh, I understand. I have done both, and @bounceswoosh, certainly I do tend toward those hard braking turns. It is often the beginning of the turn that puts me in mind of slowing down ("Oh sh*t Oh sh*t!). I can't think of any other activity where you speed up (as you turn down into the fall line) in order to maintain your speed. It takes a lot of getting used to.
I'm happy to say, though, that I've had a number of skiing days lately where I'm not constantly focused on slowing down! Just finished day 22 on Sunday. It's getting easier!
Thank you @newboots . Stay warm and send some snow over! I had to turn on the air conditioner earlier because it's 70s over here. I'm not ready for spring yet!
Lmk92
Angel Diva
My daughter has torn her mcl twice now (well, not the same one - two different knees). Maybe that's in the back of my brain? I dunno.
bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think there is more subtlety here, but I don't have the words for it. It's true that you can't avoid some amount of speeding up as your skis point straight down the hill.
I think everyone is worried about the top of the turn. After all, that's where you have to decide to commit to turning down the hill, which is scary. The thing is that the quality of the top of the turn determines the quality of the rest of the turn. So what I've been learning is that we tend to "hang on to" that uphill edge at the end of the last turn too long, and try to force ourselves into the next turn without allowing the ski to go through all the points in between. It's the hardest thing in the world to decide to tip our skis, and orient our bodies with that tip, and *allow* the ski to turn rather than forcing it to turn. Paradoxically, allowing the ski to tip and allowing the ski to progress through the turn without slamming it from edge to edge actually provides better control.
Take all of this with a grain of salt, because it's something I've been chewing on and may not understand fully. But what I do know is that holding onto the edge from the last turn is actually what makes the next turn feel so out of control.
The amazing sensation I experienced ("feel it again for the first time!") Saturday, skiing a steep bowl for the first time since last season, was this wonderful feeling of unweighting every time I turned down toward the fall line. I don't get that feeling when I'm skiing defensively and slamming on the brakes.
I do get what you are saying. I flew over my handlebars for the first time mountain biking last fall. I don't wish to do that again, but having done it I don't find the idea as scary as I did before ever doing it.
Skisailor
Angel Diva
I think it would be more helpful to think of turning as our most effective and efficient method of managing the speed of our descent while skiing. That said, turns can be used to shed speed, to maintain speed or to increase speed, depending on how we decide to execute them.
newboots
Angel Diva
Helpful!
Lately I've been skiing just to have fun (and one day to go fast, with my new Skitracks app. I'm turning it off!). I'll start paying attention to the whole shape of the turn again and see if I can feel it more clearly. Thanks!
snowski/swimmouse
Angel Diva
Thank you,, thank you, thank you, Divas!Using your tips from this thread and one referred to, I was better able to handle the powder (18+ inches) today at Okemo. I seldom get such an opportunity and so am ~not~ good at it, but you gave me some tools to work with and I also overheard an instructor working with a lady from North Carolina, obviously also ~not~ accustomed!
So, as a result, I had a surprisingly good day! Eek!
bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Using your tips from this thread and one referred to, I was better able to handle the powder (18+ inches) today at Okemo. I seldom get such an opportunity and so am ~not~ good at it, but you gave me some tools to work with and I also overheard an instructor working with a lady from North Carolina, obviously also ~not~ accustomed!
So, as a result, I had a surprisingly good day! Eek!
Nice job! 18 inches is nothing to sneeze at!
cskis88
Certified Ski Diva
Newbie to the forum; my $.02 for what it's worth: I'm skiing again after about 25 years not skiing. Took a lesson our first day back, and it was so helpful. But I ski pretty "instinctively" if that makes sense, and I think the gear I have now makes a huge difference.
After two runs on that first day, my instructor suggested a steep bowl, blue run. He said keep your body facing downhill, and don't reach to pole plant, rather "overbend" (more like 45 degrees than 90 degrees) your arms at the elbows. He said the purpose of poling is just to keep your upper body in the right position over your skis. It really helped. There was quite a bit of snow that day, and I was also told (on a different run) to stay centered over my skis and just "ride it," rather than do the stupid hop thing I was told to do by my crazy ski buddies on my skinny skis back in the 80's (could never get the hang of that but I get now why we had to do it... our skis just sank).
If I stay focused on poling as instructed and keeping my body pointed downhill, I feel in control no matter how steep the run and how deep the snow. But sometimes I really have to focus... (and I vowed to quit every ski day with some gas left in the tank and always skip that "one more run")
Those are great videos, BTW (previous page).
After two runs on that first day, my instructor suggested a steep bowl, blue run. He said keep your body facing downhill, and don't reach to pole plant, rather "overbend" (more like 45 degrees than 90 degrees) your arms at the elbows. He said the purpose of poling is just to keep your upper body in the right position over your skis. It really helped. There was quite a bit of snow that day, and I was also told (on a different run) to stay centered over my skis and just "ride it," rather than do the stupid hop thing I was told to do by my crazy ski buddies on my skinny skis back in the 80's (could never get the hang of that but I get now why we had to do it... our skis just sank).
If I stay focused on poling as instructed and keeping my body pointed downhill, I feel in control no matter how steep the run and how deep the snow. But sometimes I really have to focus... (and I vowed to quit every ski day with some gas left in the tank and always skip that "one more run")
Those are great videos, BTW (previous page).
Fluffy Kitty
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Welcome!
Well, in contrast to what you and @snowski/swimmouse posted, I had an ego-negative day... Got stuck on a hill, and a ski patrol person helped me get over to the next trail over. Part of it was the quality of snow; I could not even glide across the hill without getting stuck. Part of it was that, after falling a few times, I had completely lost my nerve. Ah, well.
snowski/swimmouse
Angel Diva
Been there, done that! I can sooo relate. It's almost a different sport when the snow is that different. And it's definitely different muscles that all spoke up this morning!Welcome!
Well, in contrast to what you and @snowski/swimmouse posted, I had an ego-negative day... Got stuck on a hill, and a ski patrol person helped me get over to the next trail over. Part of it was the quality of snow; I could not even glide across the hill without getting stuck. Part of it was that, after falling a few times, I had completely lost my nerve. Ah, well.
cskis88
Certified Ski Diva
That's a bummer! On that same day, right after our lesson, my husband blew his knee in the deep snow. It was only 12:00. He's in great shape, a personal trainer and a former Marine, and we weren't doing anything risky or difficult. Stuff happens.Welcome!
Well, in contrast to what you and @snowski/swimmouse posted, I had an ego-negative day... Got stuck on a hill, and a ski patrol person helped me get over to the next trail over. Part of it was the quality of snow; I could not even glide across the hill without getting stuck. Part of it was that, after falling a few times, I had completely lost my nerve. Ah, well.
Thanks for the welcome!
snowski/swimmouse
Angel Diva
Oh! I truly hate that for your DH! Deep snow is not all good.... Sending heeling wishes!
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Rather than "using the turn to slow down", think, instead, of using the SHAPE of the turn, and especially the END of the turn as the way to control your speed. Let your skis float into the fall line, enjoy your moments of hanging out there, feel the rush, THEN, gently steer the skis into the finish of the turn, and FULLY COMPLETE the turn so you're almost turning up the hill again. Once you feel yourself begin to slow down, then it's time to start the next turn.
By speeding through the belly of the turn (skipping the fall line), you're having to use your muscles to slow down, and you're most likely to over rotate your entire body, getting "stuck" in the turn, which makes it super difficult to start the next turn.
Take a moment and rewatch those videos with that mind set and try to "feel" what he's doing in the middle and end of each turn. Watch the patience he displays in each and every turn.
It's really is like driving a car - slow BEFORE the turn, start the turn, accelerate into the belly of the turn, and back off the accelerator at the end. Zoooooooommmmmm!!!
By speeding through the belly of the turn (skipping the fall line), you're having to use your muscles to slow down, and you're most likely to over rotate your entire body, getting "stuck" in the turn, which makes it super difficult to start the next turn.
Take a moment and rewatch those videos with that mind set and try to "feel" what he's doing in the middle and end of each turn. Watch the patience he displays in each and every turn.
It's really is like driving a car - slow BEFORE the turn, start the turn, accelerate into the belly of the turn, and back off the accelerator at the end. Zoooooooommmmmm!!!
snowski/swimmouse
Angel Diva
I'm sure that you're quite right @volkgrl, and I greatly appreciate your help, but I think what I feel instead of "Rush" is "Panic"!
