New Cautious Skiier at 39!

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Would you mind answering some questions? Your answers will hopefully reveal what makes you gain speed, which will lead to advice on how to stay slow enough to feel good about your control.

1. What do you do to slow yourself down?
2. What do you do to stop?
3. This one is about boot sizing. Set your regular shoes down next to the rental boots you are in. Are your rental ski boots longer than your regular shoes? Assuming yes, how much longer?
4. How many pairs of socks do you wear when skiing?
5. Do you tuck the bottoms of your pant liners into your boot cuffs?

Not at all (cool name by the way!)
1. Make a \ /
2. Make a deeper \ / and go more against the slope/gravity (I’m sure I’m slaughtering terms, bear with me!)
3. Yes, boot is longer by 1.5”
4. One pair of calf high socks
5. I put the liner over the boot (is that wrong? I realize this is just an assumption)

in 2 weeks I am going for a professional fitting for my own boots so maybe this will make a difference too. My feet are somewhat narrow and the rental boots say “relaxed fit”

 

[Iwannaski]

I just reread your original post.

I know I’m in my head, I want to be in complete control, which is maybe working against me

I cannot tell you how much I feel this. Honestly, if you go back and read any posts I have made, you’ll see this theme.

Lessons. But hear me out. IN the lesson, you might feel like you’re struggling. The value of the lesson is in the practice AFTER the lesson where you hardwire the learning from the lesson. Don’t let the experience OF the lesson be all you feel. Wait until the practice after.

My last lesson was 2 hours. I thought that I would never be able to ski easily again. She broke me allllll the way down. Next time I went, I practiced everything. it started clicking. 2 times after, I felt like a completely stable, fast skier. (Except my pole plants - which weren’t perfect to start with - are now totally broken…LOL)

Stick with it, be patient with yourself, have FUN doing it. Just don’t expect magic. Just expect FUN.

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

This makes a lot of sense. The lesson is the consultation with the expert and the magic/growth happens mostly outside/in between.

 

[EdithP]

Thank you, Edith!

And I hope you will share with us the story of your progression? I love , LOVE reading about Moms making their dreams come true on skis. I know that it can be hard to bring yourself to talk about issues that seem so elementary, amidst all those expert skiers on the forum, but it such encouragement to those of us who still have a long way to go to read about others' struggles and victories. I wish you all the luck and plenty of enjoyment.

 

[Maramads]

Just popping in to say this is awesome and I’m really happy for you - I hope you learn to really enjoy the sport! How cool you can all go together!

 

[liquidfeet]

Not at all (cool name by the way!)
1. Make a \ /
2. Make a deeper \ / and go more against the slope/gravity (I’m sure I’m slaughtering terms, bear with me!)
3. Yes, boot is longer by 1.5”
4. One pair of calf high socks
5. I put the liner over the boot (is that wrong? I realize this is just an assumption)

in 2 weeks I am going for a professional fitting for my own boots so maybe this will make a difference too. My feet are somewhat narrow and the rental boots say “relaxed fit”

Slowing down: The \/ you make is called a "wedge."
Stopping: The deeper, wider, more edged wedge is called a "braking wedge."
Slowing down properly: When you make the wedge to slow down, it matters which way your wedge is pointing. Think of it as an arrow. It needs to be pointing to the side of the trail and you need to be going that way to get any slow-down happening. Going across the trail is how you slow down. The wedge alone is not enough unless the pitch of the trail is very close to flat. The direction you go is much much much more important. Whenever you go down the hill you gain speed, even in a wedge. You gain speed faster when the pitch gets any amount of steeper. When you go across the slope, you slow down. Gravity lessens its pull on you. Go left, go right, go more left, go more right, and you'll stay as slow as you want.

High socks and liners over the boot cuff are the way to go. Use ski socks. Yes, they are expensive but worth every penny. Buy medium ones, not the thick ones.

***Start a thread on this forum asking how to buy new boots that fit properly. You'll get the advice every new skier should get from the members who have learned the hard way how to do it right.

Stopping properly: A braking wedge is not enough unless the pitch is almost flat. Anything steeper and the braking wedge will be useless. Don't use it at all. You need to point your normal wedge to the left and to the right as if you are slowing down. Do this first, then go left enough to almost point uphil. Or go right almost enough to point uphill. When you do this gravity will fail and you'll coast to a stop. Don't widen the wedge at all, or this won't work as well. When stopping, the closer to parallel you can get your skis, the more effective this will be. One day you'll be able to get those skis really parallel when you head across the trial, and then it's very easy to point both skis a tiny bit uphill to coast to a stop. Parallel skis make everything easier once you learn to control your speed with a wedge.

 

[liquidfeet]

Not at all (cool name by the way!)
1. Make a \ /
2. Make a deeper \ / and go more against the slope/gravity (I’m sure I’m slaughtering terms, bear with me!)
3. Yes, boot is longer by 1.5”
4. One pair of calf high socks
5. I put the liner over the boot (is that wrong? I realize this is just an assumption)

in 2 weeks I am going for a professional fitting for my own boots so maybe this will make a difference too. My feet are somewhat narrow and the rental boots say “relaxed fit”

More questions, if you are willing to spend more time talking about how to gain control before you take another lesson on snow. I've spent a lot of time teaching beginner adults. Learning to go as slow as you want is very important, and with that learning comes being able to stop anytime you want. Thus my questions.

1. What do you do to make your wedge \/ take you to the left?
2. What do you do to make your wedge \/ take you to the right?
3. What are you doing with your shoulders as you try to go left? ...
4. ... and right?
5. What are you doing with your left arm as you try to go right? This is not a trick question. However, I realize you may not be consciously doing anything with it so you might not be able to answer. Not knowing is normal for beginners at the very start of learning to ski.

6. In your skiing sessions, have you been carrying poles?
7. If yes, what do you do with them?
8. Have you ever tried to stop by using your poles?
9. Have you successfully gotten off the lift without falling?

 

[nopoleskier]

Hi ladies, I am a mom of a nine-year-old snowboarder who does blacks, a seven-year-old skier who can do blues and greens, and a four year old skier, new this year, like me, but has already greatly surpassed my comfort level! My husband is fearless, and generally more risk-taking, I am a cautious type by nature. As you might surmise, I started skiing because my family got into it and I don’t want to be left in the dust. My approach so far has been going on the same easiest green and gradually trying to ski more parallel, a little faster, etc. instead of “pizza.” I went on a harder green by accident after I quickly felt comfortable on a basic bunny slope my first time and I think, got scarred, because I had no control and had to make myself fall so I would stop. I know I’m in my head, I want to be in complete control, which is maybe working against me, as some people might learn to ski because they are not as cautious. At some point, I will take a private lesson, but any tips from ladies who may have been where I am, and how to get over that hump would be appreciated! My goal is to incrementally get better and improve within myself, where ever that takes me

when ever going too fast TURN UPHILL- you'll slow right down. if you are curling your toes- STOP- regroup. stomp your feet, start over, yes, lessons will help, I hope you can find the fun in skiing! Once you get control of the skis it will be fun.

 

[liquidfeet]

....boot is longer by 1.5”
....My feet are somewhat narrow and the rental boots say “relaxed fit”

Your rental boots are most likely too long (1.5" longer than regular shoes), most likely too wide ("relaxed fit" means wide), and probably too tall over your instep ("relaxed fit" implies generous volume). The cuffs also may be too big in diameter around the lower part of your leg down near the ankle.

When you try on new boots, make sure your bootfitter measures your feet in several ways to discover what volume, what width, and what length boot you need. The fitter needs to talk to you about length, width, volume, and cuff diameter of the boot and how it fits you. The fitter should do a "shell check." This means the liner is pulled out of the plastic shell, you put your bare foot inside and slide your foot forward as far as it will go. The space behind your heel needs to be quite narrow, and the space over your foot at the ankle needs to be not huge. The width of the boot around your foot should show very little air space. The shell check indicates how well the boot fits against the boundaries of your foot in all dimensions. They all matter. The liner will fill the extra space.

Your rental boots are part of the cause of some of your difficulties controlling where your skis take you and how well they grip the snow. How your lessons have gone have also contributed to your discomfort with your control over speed.

I'm hammering in this info to help you know that your discomfort and caution is not due to you, but to the circumstances of your time on snow. You can do this!

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Your rental boots are most likely too long (1.5" longer than regular shoes), most likely too wide ("relaxed fit" means wide), and probably too tall over your instep ("relaxed fit" implies generous volume). The cuffs also may be too big in diameter around the lower part of your leg down near the ankle.

When you try on new boots, make sure your bootfitter measures your feet in several ways to discover what volume, what width, and what length boot you need. The fitter needs to talk to you about length, width, volume, and cuff diameter of the boot and how it fits you. The fitter should do a "shell check." This means the liner is pulled out of the plastic shell, you put your bare foot inside and slide your foot forward as far as it will go. The space behind your heel needs to be quite narrow, and the space over your foot at the ankle needs to be not huge. The width of the boot around your foot should show very little air space. The shell check indicates how well the boot fits against the boundaries of your foot in all dimensions. They all matter. The liner will fill the extra space.

Your rental boots are part of the cause of some of your difficulties controlling where your skis take you and how well they grip the snow. How your lessons have gone have also contributed to your discomfort with your control over speed.

I'm hammering in this info to help you know that your discomfort and caution is not due to you, but to the circumstances of your time on snow. You can do this!

Amazing advice, thank you! I’m going to share this with my husband because he went through the boot fitting process and I want to see how much his experience mirrors what you have laid out here. I wonder if it actually worked out then that I have not had a lesson in my temporary apparently too big rental boots.

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Slowing down: The \/ you make is called a "wedge."
Stopping: The deeper, wider, more edged wedge is called a "braking wedge."
Slowing down properly: When you make the wedge to slow down, it matters which way your wedge is pointing. Think of it as an arrow. It needs to be pointing to the side of the trail and you need to be going that way to get any slow-down happening. Going across the trail is how you slow down. The wedge alone is not enough unless the pitch of the trail is very close to flat. The direction you go is much much much more important. Whenever you go down the hill you gain speed, even in a wedge. You gain speed faster when the pitch gets any amount of steeper. When you go across the slope, you slow down. Gravity lessens its pull on you. Go left, go right, go more left, go more right, and you'll stay as slow as you want.

High socks and liners over the boot cuff are the way to go. Use ski socks. Yes, they are expensive but worth every penny. Buy medium ones, not the thick ones.

***Start a thread on this forum asking how to buy new boots that fit properly. You'll get the advice every new skier should get from the members who have learned the hard way how to do it right.

Stopping properly: A braking wedge is not enough unless the pitch is almost flat. Anything steeper and the braking wedge will be useless. Don't use it at all. You need to point your normal wedge to the left and to the right as if you are slowing down. Do this first, then go left enough to almost point uphil. Or go right almost enough to point uphill. When you do this gravity will fail and you'll coast to a stop. Don't widen the wedge at all, or this won't work as well. When stopping, the closer to parallel you can get your skis, the more effective this will be. One day you'll be able to get those skis really parallel when you head across the trial, and then it's very easy to point both skis a tiny bit uphill to coast to a stop. Parallel skis make everything easier once you learn to control your speed with a wedge.

Thank you, I realize I did not provide complete information, but I do not wedge straight down, I do wedge in the direction I am skiing, across the mountain, to slow down, if I feel like I am going too fast, but have experimented trying to open up my stance a little and getting more comfortable with speed.

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

More questions, if you are willing to spend more time talking about how to gain control before you take another lesson on snow. I've spent a lot of time teaching beginner adults. Learning to go as slow as you want is very important, and with that learning comes being able to stop anytime you want. Thus my questions.

1. What do you do to make your wedge \/ take you to the left?
2. What do you do to make your wedge \/ take you to the right?
3. What are you doing with your shoulders as you try to go left? ...
4. ... and right?
5. What are you doing with your left arm as you try to go right? This is not a trick question. However, I realize you may not be consciously doing anything with it so you might not be able to answer. Not knowing is normal for beginners at the very start of learning to ski.

6. In your skiing sessions, have you been carrying poles?
7. If yes, what do you do with them?
8. Have you ever tried to stop by using your poles?
9. Have you successfully gotten off the lift without falling?

You read my mind, I am not consciously aware of these good questions. I do hold poles, but I think I just use them as something to hold. I’ve only use them to stop if I’m going fairly slow. Actually, one of my mini accomplishments has been coming off the ski lift with control and direction!

 

[Jilly]

Actually, one of my mini accomplishments has been coming off the ski lift with control and direction!

You go girl!!

 

[liquidfeet]

You read my mind, I am not consciously aware of these good questions. I do hold poles, but I think I just use them as something to hold. I’ve only use them to stop if I’m going fairly slow. Actually, one of my mini accomplishments has been coming off the ski lift with control and direction!

Excellent!

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Ski Divas, I am happy to report today’s personal accomplishments (i.e., incremental and individual). 1. For the first time, I didn’t get nervous during the first 1-2 runs, just got in my skis and went. 2. I have some speed! I say I go the “speed limit”.. what most people are doing, some faster, some slower. What I know logically - skiing with some speed doesn’t mean no control - aligned with the experience.
Next Saturday, I go to get my own ski boots with a boot fitter. Will be neat to see if there’s a difference!
Thanks for your support and encouragement! Jackie

 

[SummerRunner]

Ski Divas, I am happy to report today’s personal accomplishments (i.e., incremental and individual). 1. For the first time, I didn’t get nervous during the first 1-2 runs, just got in my skis and went. 2. I have some speed! I say I go the “speed limit”.. what most people are doing, some faster, some slower. What I know logically - skiing with some speed doesn’t mean no control - aligned with the experience.
Next Saturday, I go to get my own ski boots with a boot fitter. Will be neat to see if there’s a difference!
Thanks for your support and encouragement! Jackie

That sounds like awesome progress!!! I don't have much to add in terms of the excellent advice already given, but just wanted to say hi as another cautious skier! I started in my 30s right after grad school and couldn't afford lessons initially, and had some predictable scary experiences on blues early on. Now I live in a place where I can ski 20+ days a year and a job that allows me to afford regular group lessons and I've improved a lot, but I still have to work much more on the mental aspect than the median skier I think. I expect certain speeds or hills to "feel scary", even though they don't anymore (the experienced ladies on here aren't kidding about how much of a difference technique makes to feeling in control, it is seriously amazing). I also tend to be a relatively slow skier, especially on groomers, but that hasn't stopped me from (slowly, steadily) working my way up from the steeper blues to the steeper blacks. I also get very excited when I feel like I'm going the speed limit instead of noticeably slower! And I think liking to be cautious and methodical about technique has helped me improve a lot at and get a ton of enjoyment out of skiing bumps (also a relatively new thing for me). Anyway, just wanted to say that while it can feel like you have to be aggressive to be a skier (my first post here was ranting about this very thing), that's definitely not the case, there are lots of us! Working through the mental stuff is just as challenging as the physical, and worth celebrating. Hope you stick with it!!

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

That sounds like awesome progress!!! I don't have much to add in terms of the excellent advice already given, but just wanted to say hi as another cautious skier! I started in my 30s right after grad school and couldn't afford lessons initially, and had some predictable scary experiences on blues early on. Now I live in a place where I can ski 20+ days a year and a job that allows me to afford regular group lessons and I've improved a lot, but I still have to work much more on the mental aspect than the median skier I think. I expect certain speeds or hills to "feel scary", even though they don't anymore (the experienced ladies on here aren't kidding about how much of a difference technique makes to feeling in control, it is seriously amazing). I also tend to be a relatively slow skier, especially on groomers, but that hasn't stopped me from (slowly, steadily) working my way up from the steeper blues to the steeper blacks. I also get very excited when I feel like I'm going the speed limit instead of noticeably slower! And I think liking to be cautious and methodical about technique has helped me improve a lot at and get a ton of enjoyment out of skiing bumps (also a relatively new thing for me). Anyway, just wanted to say that while it can feel like you have to be aggressive to be a skier (my first post here was ranting about this very thing), that's definitely not the case, there are lots of us! Working through the mental stuff is just as challenging as the physical, and worth celebrating. Hope you stick with it!!

Thanks, loved reading this! I am not aggressive by nature but I like being a bit pushed/challenged, so that appeals. I can’t imagine blues right now, but you’re not the first nonaggressive skier to say that they got there, so it is inspiring.

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Thanks, loved reading this! I am not aggressive by nature but I like being a bit pushed/challenged, so that appeals. I can’t imagine blues right now, but you’re not the first nonaggressive skier to say that they got there, so it is inspiring.

Small world.. you referenced your earlier posting, so I looked it up and saw I read it and reacted! Ha!

 

[ForTheKidsSkiMom]

Not at all (cool name by the way!)
1. Make a \ /
2. Make a deeper \ / and go more against the slope/gravity (I’m sure I’m slaughtering terms, bear with me!)
3. Yes, boot is longer by 1.5”
4. One pair of calf high socks
5. I put the liner over the boot (is that wrong? I realize this is just an assumption)

in 2 weeks I am going for a professional fitting for my own boots so maybe this will make a difference too. My feet are somewhat narrow and the rental boots say “relaxed fit”

Hi ladies, I am so excited, I just got my own ski boots, and even though I don’t have much experience, this boot fitter seem to really know what he was talking about. Sure enough, as you had predicted, my rental boots ended up being a size bigger than the ones I ended up with! I also ended up with“skinny fit” boots, as I was told that my feet are narrow and this is what I really need so I can have that control. Cant wait to tomorrow

 

[Iwannaski]

YAY!!!! Can’t wait to hear more!!!