Ideas for a Women's Camp

[marzNC]

Since it was brought up, I have to say that video has not been that helpful to me during any clinic. It also takes time away from lesson time in order to get video of each skier separately. Having another instructor take video was part of a 1-day clinic I did in the mid-Atlantic a while back. I've also had video done as part of a Taos Ski Week. At least with a Ski Week, the video session and review is only one lesson out of six consecutive morning lessons. While I learned something from the video, not convinced it was worth the time involved.

I've had video done during a semi-private lesson. But the instructor mainly used the video to find still shots to show stance.

 

[KathrynC]

Since it was brought up, I have to say that video has not been that helpful to me during any clinic. It also takes time away from lesson time in order to get video of each skier separately. Having another instructor take video was part of a 1-day clinic I did in the mid-Atlantic a while back. I've also had video done as part of a Taos Ski Week. At least with a Ski Week, the video session and review is only one lesson out of six consecutive morning lessons. While I learned something from the video, not convinced it was worth the time involved.

I've found it helpful in situations where you get some 1:1 time with the instructor to talk about it properly. Otherwise, I agree, it can be a distraction. Since someone else suggested that a short 1:1 session with the instructor would be important in an event like this, I would be happy to use video review as a framework for discussion. However, if you can't fit that 1:1 time in or the instructor isn't confident to use video review effectively, then I agree it's best just to leave it out.

I would also comment that recently I've mostly been doing this in terrain where everyone would usually go one by one anyway (backcountry and/or glacial), so videoing each person hasn't taken any additional time. Obviously, it eats relatively more skiing time on piste.

I have been doing 1-2 sessions a year with an instructor in Scotland who uses video review heavily, and I've found it very helpful. She recently sent me all the videos of me she could find going back to around 2015, and it was so confidence boosting to look back at those and see how far I've come!

 

[Moonrocket]

I used to do the 1 day mogul clinics at Winter Park and they were fabulous! So I agree that they are really good at sorting groups.

I really like it when we learn a drill - got to practice a little with feedback - but then are told- take the rest of the run to work on this concept (when we’re not too far from the bottom). Sometimes it just takes me a little time for something to stick. I’d rather learn 5 things really well than be introduced to 12 different things I can’t remember.

have fun!

 

[MrsPlow]

I did a very fun ski camp where we worked on freeride strategies and techniques. A couple of runs, our instructor took all our poles off us and led us in a line through bumps, over little side-hits and through the kids terrain park. It was silly, fun and freeing - all us (supposedly) grown-up women bouncing round like 5 year olds who weren't allowed their poles yet!

 

[Skier31]

Since it was brought up, I have to say that video has not been that helpful to me during any clinic. It also takes time away from lesson time in order to get video of each skier separately. Having another instructor take video was part of a 1-day clinic I did in the mid-Atlantic a while back. I've also had video done as part of a Taos Ski Week. At least with a Ski Week, the video session and review is only one lesson out of six consecutive morning lessons. While I learned something from the video, not convinced it was worth the time involved.

I've had video done during a semi-private lesson. But the instructor mainly used the video to find still shots to show stance.

As an instructor, video, used appropriately is incredibly helpful. Students can view at home and slow it down and see the movements discussed.

video can be done efficiently where it does not take significant time.

Many people need to see what they are doing as opposed to being told what they are doing.

I think video is a critically important tool in ski improvement.

 

[santacruz skier]

As an instructor, video, used appropriately is incredibly helpful. Students can view at home and slow it down and see the movements discussed.

video can be done efficiently where it does not take significant time.

Many people need to see what they are doing as opposed to being told what they are doing.

I think video is a critically important tool in ski improvement.

Totally agree about video (as humbling as it may be). I get a lot out of video- super helpful!

 

[shadoj]

Many people need to see what they are doing as opposed to being told what they are doing.

I really think this helps build a sense of proprioception for those not naturally-inclined, especially when the run is fresh in a skier's mind. "But I thought I was doing what you said/demonstrated/I felt" contradicts the video... hmmm... lightbulb!

Could help unlock those other learning styles, too, once what you see matches what you feel... easier to copy good skiers, or translate words into motion for yourself!

"Calibration" is huge!

 

[santacruz skier]

I remember my first video - I was in Whistler in 1996 and a solid intermediate skier even though I'd been skiing 20 years. I thought, "why do I look like I'm sitting in a chair?" I was so bent over...... I still struggle from too much squatting and I've been skiing 45 years....
I've had a few videos from Taos clinics and I'm a much better skier now but still squat a little. Yes, I'm working on it. Otherwise, my videos finally look pretty decent.... thankfully.

 

[Nedgirl]

The most helpful video I got was from a 2-day PSIA instructors clinic at Aspen. The trainer used each person's phone to film from side by side skiing down the trail. It really showed stance and edging. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm quite that coordinated/talented to do that. He was an amazing trainer.

I will say in my time as an instructor, I've learned it's best to give the group one concept to think about per run. Keep it simple! Once they've mastered that, we try another drill or concept and focus on that the next run, sort of layering things on. Also, I usually try to do drills the first part, and then tackle different terrain and trails using what we learned earlier.

The biggest mistakes I"ve seen new instructors talk too much and give students too many things to think about and it overwhelms them.

I do have one question -- what would people think about going into a terrain park? The one I have in mind has a bunch of low level rollers and kicker jumps. Nothing too scary. There are some ideas I have of using practicing hips forward but I think it can be fun and interesting and maybe something they wouldn't do on their own.

 

[marzNC]

I do have one question -- what would people think about going into a terrain park?

I watched as an instructor at Big Sky took a little kid over the small "jumps" in the Small terrain park, using them as rollers. He was saying something to the kid about keeping skis flat on the snow.

In a lesson at Snowbasin with friends a while back, the very experienced instructor (30+ years, PSIA Examiner) used the rollers as part of an advanced lesson. It was one of the Terrain Based Learning features. The second teaching run, he was working on 1-leg skiing, which one of my friends had never tried before. By the end of the 3-hour lesson, the idea was to go over the rollers on one ski. The teaching area was on the way back to the gondola.

 

[Nedgirl]

I watched as an instructor at Big Sky took a little kid over the small "jumps" in the Small terrain park, using them as rollers. He was saying something to the kid about keeping skis flat on the snow.

In a lesson at Snowbasin with friends a while back, the very experienced instructor (30+ years, PSIA Examiner) used the rollers as part of an advanced lesson. It was one of the Terrain Based Learning features. The second teaching run, he was working on 1-leg skiing, which one of my friends had never tried before. By the end of the 3-hour lesson, the idea was to go over the rollers on one ski. The teaching area was on the way back to the gondola.

We do outside ski turns as part of the PSIA Level 2 exam. We had to do them on a variable terrainon a pretty steep blue run -- it is a very advanced skill on that type of terrain. I think it would be pretty challenging to have people do outside ski turns in a terrain park.

Outside ski turns are where you lift the downhill ski right before initiating the turn, switching the edge on the uphill ski (pressuring little toe) as it becomes the outside ski/downhill edge. It is a very good test of stance and fore/aft pressure. I've only ever used it with advanced classes on green runs.

The idea is the ski is lifted through the turn, then both skis momentarily are on the snow before the other leg/ski is lifted.

Here's a clip from PSIA website:

Outside Ski Turns – PSIA-AASI-C

psia-c.org

 

[shadoj]

I watched as an instructor at Big Sky took a little kid over the small "jumps" in the Small terrain park, using them as rollers. He was saying something to the kid about keeping skis flat on the snow.

In a lesson at Snowbasin with friends a while back, the very experienced instructor (30+ years, PSIA Examiner) used the rollers as part of an advanced lesson. It was one of the Terrain Based Learning features. The second teaching run, he was working on 1-leg skiing, which one of my friends had never tried before. By the end of the 3-hour lesson, the idea was to go over the rollers on one ski. The teaching area was on the way back to the gondola.

Way back when, before terrain parks were a thing, I remember the tiny rollers and a couple mini jumps next to the rope-tow beginner area at Big Sky. Wooden bear cutouts and such for the kids like me. Great early intro to fore-aft balance & active toes/ankles, plus extension/retraction, through play. We did the "flat skis on snow", then learned to have soft knees and absorb, then put it together to "pop" and catch a little air.

Highly encourage! Sometimes it just takes a little nudging for folks to try Makes moguls and 3D snow less-scary, too. Natural/baby half-pipes are great if you have 'em, too.

 

[marzNC]

We did the "flat skis on snow", then learned to have soft knees and absorb, . . . Makes moguls and 3D snow less-scary, too.

Also very useful to practice on rollers for traverses in advanced terrain that have whoop-de-doos that require keeping up speed. I would play in the baby terrain park at Massanutten when it existed on the side of the shorter green trail near the base. Idea was to practice keeping skis on the snow, as opposed to trying to catch air.

That type of practice was of more interest after I was skiing as a coper without an ACL. I didn't start doing the long traverses at Alta until after I started taking lessons after completing knee rehab.

 

[shadoj]

Also very useful to practice on rollers for traverses in advanced terrain that have whoop-de-doos that require keeping up speed. I would play in the baby terrain park at Massanutten when it existed on the side of the shorter green trail near the base. Idea was to practice keeping skis on the snow, as opposed to trying to catch air.

That type of practice was of more interest after I was skiing as a coper without an ACL. I didn't start doing the long traverses at Alta until after I started taking lessons after completing knee rehab.

Ooh, also good for not dying on an icy traverse across a steep bowl (Big Sky again), or in a "luge chute" in the trees! Natural features are gonna be encountered as students explore, so might as well proactively practice/teach strategies in a lesson situation.

Enough variety, and maybe they forget to look at the snow & their toes, and look up/ahead, skiing by feel

 

[MrsPlow]

The most helpful video I got was from a 2-day PSIA instructors clinic at Aspen. The trainer used each person's phone to film from side by side skiing down the trail. It really showed stance and edging. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm quite that coordinated/talented to do that. He was an amazing trainer.

Not a cheap solution but a 360 camera would be great for this sort of thing. My husband bought a go pro max a couple of years ago - it's glitchy so I can't really recommend that model specifically but when it does work, the footage is really neat. You'd just need to ski normally, keeping the other person on your left or right - also doesn't matter if you get slightly ahead or behind. When you watch the footage, you can change the focus to keep the other skier constantly in frame. I've never seen it used for teaching though - probably due to cost.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Terrain based teaching in and out of the park is great. I suggest doing so at a time of day when the big aggro kids are not flyding by and the wee ones are not sprawled out or getting stuck.

I have seen the 360 style cameras used by some instructors with great success. Our camps had a 2 hr video session out of 4 full days with about an hour for group review. Great for some but not for all.

 

[jthree]

@Nedgirl do you mean using the terrain park not as jumps, but to practice technique? I had an instructor do that once and it was fun. Until I decided to try to do an actual jump just because and I ended up doing a spectacular fall, I think I scared my instructor & classmates, lol!

 

[lehrski]

I did a clinic this year and one thing I really liked was that the instructor gave each of us a notecard at the end with two things we're doing well and 2 things to work with a cue word to remember the drill for those things.
The worst clinic I attended relied on students self selection into groups. I wanted to work on bigger bumps (and would have been happy with short radius drills etc.) and ended up in a group with two gals who were still snowplowing. And took 45 minutes to get down a blue run.

 

[Nedgirl]

Just wanted to let you know that it went great. I had the blue-black group, and I incorporated many of your suggestions in including taking video and providing one-on-one with each student. I spent the morning showing some drills and technique and the afternoon practicing those things on different types of terrain including the upper bowl, gladed tree run, terrain park and a black bump run. I think it went great, lots of whoops and holers and I got hugged at the end -- which is the first time that has happened.

 

[Jilly]

YEAH!! Diva power!