Losing Skiing Skills in new conditions - tips? advice?

[marzNC]

@newbieM : my friend JF had a lesson this morning at Alta. There was quite a bit of new snow and more coming down. The instructor stayed on Sunnyside since visibility was really bad off Sugarloaf. She had lessons with him last week too. JF has been skiing blues at Alta for a few years, but normally only gets about 15 days a season, mostly at a small hill in VA. Fair to say that she found it tough going on the greens with ungroomed snow on top. For powder skiing, there is no substitute for mileage. That's also true for any spring skiing conditions, whether it's heavy new snow, pushed around snow, or icy slopes during a freeze/thaw cycle.

 

[mustski]

Sadly. I live somewhere that has spring skiing, in the afternoons, most of the season so I’ve become rather good at it! This is a rub on wax with a cork on the back and it’s small enough to carry in a pocket. https://www.racewax.com/swix-f4-warm-premium-glide-ski-wax-with-rub-on-cork-applicator-on-back/


You crayon the wax onto the ski and then use the cork to rub it into the base. With spring snow, you need to wax every day. I do this in the morning and again after lunch if I stay that long.

It also helps to turn more and get up on your edges- less base on the snow means less sticking. I also get more definite in my up/down motion like in powder - it pops me into the next turn and keeps me on edge. Sadly, I see way more slush than powder so I’m a lot better in crud than good snow.