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Lessons learned this season ('17/'18)

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Last year we had a thread about things we learned during the past season, so I thought it'd be interesting to have one for this year, too How about it, Divas? Did you learn anything new?
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Had to think for a little while . . .

On the technique side, the key new phrase that I think about all the time is "chin up." Really helps when doing 360 turns, but essentially applies all the time. Heard it during the Ladies Ski Week at Taos for an advanced group.

I found that it was well worth flying out west in early May for turns in Oregon and at Mammoth. Would've been even better the last week of April. During late, late season, the idea is to start skiing early the morning. Bachelor lifts opened at 8:30, Mammoth opened at 7:30. Not much good snow after 1pm even if lifts stay open until mid-afternoon. Leaves time for other fun in the afternoon.

Not really a surprise, but high-speed chair lifts are great on any size mountain, especially if one goes to the top. For people who can get to the slopes midweek, far more fun riding a fast lift solo than a slow one. While Berkshire East is a cool little mountain, I enjoyed Jiminy Peak more because 80% of the terrain is accessible from the main fast quad to the top. Wachusett is great with fast lifts to the summit, one for blue trails, and even a long one for beginners. The Bachelor Summit Express lets advanced/expert folks get anywhere on the upper mountain. That means 2000+ acres during late season even with only a few lower mountain lifts open.

The new detachable quad for Supreme that replaced the triple Supreme chair and single-pole double Cecret combination from Alf's at Alta is much better for intermediates. The ride from Alf's takes less time than the old triple, which covered less distance and vertical. I like not having to decide before getting to Alf's whether to ride up Supreme or Sugarloaf.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
On the technique side, the key new phrase that I think about all the time is "chin up." Really helps when doing 360 turns, but essentially applies all the time. Heard it during the Ladies Ski Week at Taos for an advanced group
That's the first thing that came to me as well! Also, "chin up" worked for drills skiing on one leg, then the other leg as we were making our way to the chair.
Also dorsiflexion was new to me as in both ankles at the same time.... also toes up... so many good pointers..
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Really need a list @marzNC !!!!! I did manage to note several different drills we did but I'm sure I missed some too.
 

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This has been my second biggest learning season. (1st place was when I was 8 and learned to turn.) I learned to find my center, both physically and mentally, learned to ski bumps, and learned what "dynamic" looks and feels like. I took lessons with some amazing women. I also learned how to "let go" a little, stop focusing on technique, listen to some music, drink a beer, and really feel the snow under my feet, which I think is where the dynamic turns stem from. I think most importantly though, I came to understand my mother's favorite aspect of this amazing sport: jackets! I'm not necessarily the jacket sl*t she is, but definitely own brand of gear wh*re! And finding the reviews and deals you divas have lead me to has only helped with that
 

KathrynC

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Shifting my weight over the outside ski instead of pushing on it and keeping some float in deep stuff by standing on my heels rather than leaning backwards. Basically, doing things with small subtle shifts in bodyweight rather than big overt movements. I "knew" both of these things before but there is a difference being able to say "I am supposed to do it like this" and actually doing it. This was the year I moved from the former to the latter.
 

dloveski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This thread is possibly for alpine ski lessons learned, but I'll weigh in on a few backcountry lessons (plural) learned:

--put skins on in the comfort of your livingroom, especially on bitter cold days.
--check your headlamp's batteries when doing some dusk patrol runs
--practice getting in and out of the dynafit bindings--in your livingroom---until you can click in in about 30 seconds

Just sayin. Some of us have to learn the hard way.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I learned I have a problem shuttling my inside ski too forward. No fix yet for it though. Still a work in progress! Also, working on not rushing my turns/throwing my skis sideways in moguls... completing my turns in moguls. This is also still a work in progress. lol
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
Hi Tinymoose.

Do you feel like you are actively pushing your inside ski forward? It is current PSIA heresy to go against the mantra of - "everything starts at the feet and works its way up". But I really don't subscribe to that way of thinking. Case in point: I like to think of tip lead developing naturally whenever we turn our legs (femurs) in our hip sockets. If we will only allow our anatomy to do what it wants, we will end up with the just the right amount of tip lead, no more and no less.

So I personally don't like to focus on actively moving my feet relative to each other in the fore/aft direction -whether pushing a ski forward or pulling it back. Their position relative to each other is controlled higher up in my body.

If our legs are turned a lot relative to our hips (think short radius turns, lots of counter) we have more tip lead. If our legs are turned only a little relative to our hips (think long radius turns and little to no counter) our tips will be almost even - little to no tip lead.

A fun little thing to just fool around with at home:

Stand on a bare floor in socks with feet legs hips and shoulders facing forward. Put your hands on your hips so you are extra aware of what they are doing. Now rotate your legs so that your feet are pointing 45 degrees or so to the left - while your hips stay facing straight ahead! Look down at your feet. See how the left food is "ahead"? If you had skis on, you would be exhibiting tip lead. And it would be just the perfect amount of tip lead for the radius of turn you are making.

So would you say your "shuttle" move is creating even more tip lead than what should naturally occur?
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
I had three real falls this season. From the first two, I learned that there is some movement or position I am in (before I end up sliding flat on my back head first down the hill) that is wrong. The falls were pretty much identical, so there's a pattern that's bad and needs to be fixed.

From the third fall I learned that maybe I should just stay inside when there's heavy snow on the groomers . . .

I'm also learning patience and gratitude from the aftermath of the third fall.

Maybe next year, when I am relearning how my ankle works, I can rebuild a little and get rid of whatever caused falls 1 and 2.
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
This season I learned that I need to work on my eyes and my head position when skiing steeps! It is so critical to be able to continue to look a ways down the slope even in the super steeps where my tendency is to worry more about finding a good place to start a turn.

When I start looking around at the snow condition (shopping) for just the right place, my shoulders tend to rotate with my head and I lose the critical counter needed for a short radius turn.

I've gotten better at this with more steep skiing experience, but when it's super steep (like in the Big Couloir at Big Sky) and especially when the snow conditions are variable, I immediately revert.

Ursula wants me to work on keeping my head still and looking "over there" with just my eyes. And if I really really have to turn my head a little - make sure I turn it without letting my shoulders follow!

BTW - another example of how I do not subscribe to the "everything starts with your feet" crowd. This off season, I am doing eye exercises to improve my skiing!! :smile:
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
"Chin up" was the name of the game for me at Taos Ski Week clinic. It improves stance, balance, efficiency, and just looks better when skiing (we had videos to prove)

That's a great one! As soon as we look down toward our ski tips, it moves the pelvis back and totally screws with our fore-aft balance.

Yep. Another example of how being aware of what we do with the upper body can really help our skiing.
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
I had three real falls this season. From the first two, I learned that there is some movement or position I am in (before I end up sliding flat on my back head first down the hill) that is wrong. The falls were pretty much identical, so there's a pattern that's bad and needs to be fixed.

From the third fall I learned that maybe I should just stay inside when there's heavy snow on the groomers . . .

I'm also learning patience and gratitude from the aftermath of the third fall.

Maybe next year, when I am relearning how my ankle works, I can rebuild a little and get rid of whatever caused falls 1 and 2.


Hi Jenny!

Hope the healing is going well. Wish we could see some video of you. I'm trying to imagine how you ended up head down and on your back.

It sounds like an over rotation of some sort. Maybe???? One bombproof cue to keep that from happening is to think about where your uphill hand ends up as you complete a turn. Have you ever noticed it? If you keep your uphill hand over your skis it will prevent that. Think about where your left hand is at the end of a left turn and your right hand at the end of a right turn.

Have these falls happened only in cruddy conditions or on groomed snow? Because crud certainly introduces some other challenges.

And, having also done the ankle rehab thing, I can assure you, you can come back and feel as good as new. I like the idea you have of addressing possible new movement patterns during your rehab. :smile:
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
Hi Jenny!

Hope the healing is going well. Wish we could see some video of you. I'm trying to imagine how you ended up head down and on your back.

It sounds like an over rotation of some sort. Maybe???? One bombproof cue to keep that from happening is to think about where your uphill hand ends up as you complete a turn. Have you ever noticed it? If you keep your uphill hand over your skis it will prevent that. Think about where your left hand is at the end of a left turn and your right hand at the end of a right turn.

Have these falls happened only in cruddy conditions or on groomed snow? Because crud certainly introduces some other challenges.

And, having also done the ankle rehab thing, I can assure you, you can come back and feel as good as new. I like the idea you have of addressing possible new movement patterns during your rehab. :smile:
Hey @Skisailor!

I have no video but I would be willing to bet I was leaning too far uphill - you know, away from the danger of downhill! Both were on steeper slopes than I usually get to ski (although I had successfully done both of them before). One was super firm (Whiteface), the other was not (Mammoth). And I think I ended up head first because I have so many brains that my head weighs more than any other body part! Or, it could be that when I started to fall up the hill my weight was also too far back and my butt hit the ground first and then the momentum from being too far back just took my head the rest of the way.

Anyway - it's been too long - we need to get to the same place again sometime!
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
Hey @Skisailor!

I have no video but I would be willing to bet I was leaning too far uphill - you know, away from the danger of downhill! Both were on steeper slopes than I usually get to ski (although I had successfully done both of them before). One was super firm (Whiteface), the other was not (Mammoth). And I think I ended up head first because I have so many brains that my head weighs more than any other body part! Or, it could be that when I started to fall up the hill my weight was also too far back and my butt hit the ground first and then the momentum from being too far back just took my head the rest of the way.

Anyway - it's been too long - we need to get to the same place again sometime!

You are so right about making some turns together again!! And about all those brains in there). :smile:
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
I learned a lot this past winter.

I’m a better skier than I think I am.
I can hold my own in a 5 day women’s ski clinic
Keep the jacket zipper facing the fall line
Feel the edges of the skis in the turn

Probably a lot more... but mostly that I need to get outta my own head.
 

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