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The "little ski revelations" thread

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sort of like Dawning Chorus, but this is a place for you to post your "ahah!" moment from skiing today.

I had a revelation this morning. My first run down a few inches of freshies over crusty groomer, I was getting thrown all over the place. On the second run, I wanted to do better. I realized that I'd been staring at the snow right in front of my feet, trying to prepare for every little change of texture or shape. It wasn't working. I decided to trust my skis and look ahead down the slope instead. Instant transformation. The snow was exactly the same, but it didn't throw me around anymore. I was in control.

Lesson: look ahead. Really.

What's your revelation?
 

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
While on a cat track yesterday, practicing turns, I realized I was moving my upper body a bit. Worked on keeping it as still as possible and moving the lower body only, and just utilizing peripheral vision to scope out the run. Like you - instant transformation. Smoother, easier turns. This was almost the end of my day (had to catch a plane) so I could only try it on the regular slope for one run. Can't wait to try it this weekend!
 

maggie198

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That really works, Bounceswoosh. I was doing the same thing as you with the same realization of what I was doing wrong, and what I needed to do to fix it.

My big "aha!" moment so far this season came when we did the teapot drill in a clinic, using the uphill arm as the "spout" to drive the uphill shoulder forward and over the ski. This really helped me a lot. That'll be my main take-away this year, I think.
 

BitchHound

Certified Ski Diva
Last ski season (reinforced this season as well) I finally realized an important consequence (there are others as well) of engaging the front of the boots and keeping a bit of weight forward even on a steeper pitch. It really lets you engage and effectively use the edges forward of your bindings (or it feels that way to me). I immediately had a significant increase in control at speed. I still don't maintain this position as consistently as I would like, but when I do it is an awesome feeling of control.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That really works, Bounceswoosh. I was doing the same thing as you with the same realization of what I was doing wrong, and what I needed to do to fix it.

My big "aha!" moment so far this season came when we did the teapot drill in a clinic, using the uphill arm as the "spout" to drive the uphill shoulder forward and over the ski. This really helped me a lot. That'll be my main take-away this year, I think.

I'm not familiar with that drill, and I'm having trouble picturing it - don't suppose you have any video?

Last ski season (reinforced this season as well) I finally realized an important consequence (there are others as well) of engaging the front of the boots and keeping a bit of weight forward even on a steeper pitch. It really lets you engage and effectively use the edges forward of your bindings (or it feels that way to me). I immediately had a significant increase in control at speed. I still don't maintain this position as consistently as I would like, but when I do it is an awesome feeling of control.

Yes! Except I would say, *especially* on a steeper pitch.
 

Ashleigh Lawrence

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just got back from my second week's skiing of the season, and I feel some things are really coming together for me:

1. Finishing the turn - WHAT a revelation, suddenly steeps are not so steep or scary, because when you finish your turns properly, you always feel in complete control going into the next turn.

2. My skis have edges, and they are there to be used. And BOY is that fun! :ski2:
 

Perty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had a little moment last week in powder. It was probably the good quality of the snow, but as I finished my turn I consciously made sure I put weight on the uphill ski. I think it had the effect of evening out the pressure.
Maybe one day....when I'm about 95 at this rate of progress....I will be able to link beautiful powder turns down the mountain..
.:ski3:

Another recent moment came from a tip from an instructor in an indoor slope, who told me to try to straighten my outside leg in a turn, and put all my pressure on it....I can see it makes a difference (though I am constantly frustrated by the changes of instruction over the years-I'm sure when I was first being taught to carve, the instructor said there should be 60/40 or 70/30 spread of pressure between the outside and inside ski).
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
try to straighten my outside leg in a turn, and put all my pressure on it....
Instructors? What's your take on this. I actually saw this being taught to someone once. I attempted to replicate it, had a video taken of me doing it - worst form I have had in years. Looked awful.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have to be honest, I also was hesitating. @Perty , if it is working for you, awesome! Straightening the outside leg is what I've been trying to ditch as a bad habit, but there may be more to the story, and it's always relative to what you're currently doing. So do not take my questioning as necessarily meaning it's "bad" - but it is surprising to me.

One of my take-aways from yesterday's lesson: skiing is dynamic, so there is no "always." Do you always pressure your shin against your boot? No. Do you always keep your hands in the same position? No. There's a situation for everything. I think the same is true for how much weight to put on each ski. I do think this changed somewhat between straight skis and shaped. I think I currently mostly keep my weight even, but sometimes I need to unweight a foot to float over a rock or twig; or I'm in bumps and one foot is on a different surface than the other is, and they're just not going to be even.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Instructors? What's your take on this. I actually saw this being taught to someone once. I attempted to replicate it, had a video taken of me doing it - worst form I have had in years. Looked awful.

I had this comment made to me this year also. And I'm still not sure what I was to do. Haven't had it since with the other instructors I'm working with, so I thought it might have been the Freng-lish! aka lost in translation.... but.....

It could be that the instructor is looking for more angulation.

8652046217_34f37182de_z.jpg


The downhill leg is "straighter" than the uphill. It puts the hip into the hill.
 

volklgirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This is the "teapot" drill, more commonly know as the Schlopy Drill, after Eric Schlopy. The thing I'm not seeing on any of the videos I researched was the "push the wall" portion of the drill......Outer hand pushes outer hip forward while inner hand and arm is raised forward and into the center of the turn with the hand flexed upward, palm "pushing the wall" in front of you. It really helps in keeping the outside ski driving forward and keeping the weight and center of mass moving forward down the hill and into the turn without allowing you to collapse into the turn.


As far as the outside leg, we were never told to "straigthen" it, merely that it should be "long and strong" while the inside leg shortens (I think "knee-to-boob" to really help focus on angulation and getting my inside hip really close to the snow).
 
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MissySki

Angel Diva
Sort of like Dawning Chorus, but this is a place for you to post your "ahah!" moment from skiing today.

I had a revelation this morning. My first run down a few inches of freshies over crusty groomer, I was getting thrown all over the place. On the second run, I wanted to do better. I realized that I'd been staring at the snow right in front of my feet, trying to prepare for every little change of texture or shape. It wasn't working. I decided to trust my skis and look ahead down the slope instead. Instant transformation. The snow was exactly the same, but it didn't throw me around anymore. I was in control.

Lesson: look ahead. Really.

What's your revelation?

This happened for me a couple of weekends ago too, my group was doing synchro skiing and I was a few ladies back from the instructor but watching for her lead on when to make a turn. We were on a pretty crudded up trail after lunch with a good pitch and I remember being like whoa wait, the last run we just did here I was kind of getting thrown around a bit and shopping for turns and now suddenly I'm turning on someone else's cue for every turn, not even looking at the terrain for myself, and everything is smooth as can be?!!? Talk about an in your face demonstration of the importance of looking far out in front of you rather than down in front of you while skiing. Can't say that I do it all the time, but I'm getting better at it and at realizing when I'm reverting!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
As far as the outside leg, we were never told to "straigthen" it, merely that it should be "long and strong" while the inside leg shortens (I think "knee-to-boob" to really help focus on angulation and getting my inside hip really close to the snow).

Exactly. I also had one that is head to pole, as you plant your pole.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
oh yes I think you HAVE to look ahead to make 'good relaxed turns' I think it is best to always be planning ahead. in moguls looking 2-3+turns ahead is needed.. I love chasing the fall line so I'm always looking around to see where the most fun turn will be!

I also I think they just want you to understand the outside leg is longer not necessarily straight. I think our knees always have some sort of 'flex' in them to absorb the changing terrain and I sure don't want to ski like the tin man (stiff) I always try to get my students to stop looking down at their feet/skis. they're not going anywhere but where you are looking to take them so look down the hill! Looking down too close to tips changes your whole weight balance fore/aft.. just standing still you can feel the difference of looking ahead then drop your head and look down you should 'feel' the difference since our heads weigh 8+lbs and I think do change how we ski.. some people tend to tilt their heads one way or another and that can be a problem too. in skiing it's all about weight shift, balance, timing the turns, flexing the ankles, knees and hip flex and dropping your head will put you out of balance and make you work harder.. IMHO...
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I also I think they just want you to understand the outside leg is longer not necessarily straight.
Bingo.
Per my avatar photo, this was a video freeze frame, fall line at ax 7:00 in pic. Downhill leg longer but nowhere NEAR straight (this was a steep run).
 

mustski

Angel Diva
Yup. I have heard long and short but not straight. If your leg is straight, how the heck could you flex your boot?
 

mustski

Angel Diva
I had this comment made to me this year also. And I'm still not sure what I was to do. Haven't had it since with the other instructors I'm working with, so I thought it might have been the Freng-lish! aka lost in translation.... but.....

It could be that the instructor is looking for more angulation.

8652046217_34f37182de_z.jpg


The downhill leg is "straighter" than the uphill. It puts the hip into the hill.

I would LOVE to get my hip that close to the hill!
 

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