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Tips for narrow runs?

Nic Nic

Certified Ski Diva
So this will be my 2nd full season skiing. I'm comfortable on the wider blue runs, but am finding that I can't control my speed very well on anything more narrow and therefore tend to avoid them. This is cutting off a wide variety of runs at my home mtn: Smugglers Notch. Any tips to help a new skier out?
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Nic Nic - have you practiced side slips to learn how to manage your edges? (maybe more to follow depending on your answer)
 

Nic Nic

Certified Ski Diva
Bounceswoosh - I have practiced that a little bit. I will do more if you feel it will help. How exactly does that help? :smile:

Jilly - I will watch more videos on short turns and try to work on them. Thank you!

I have tried to be sure I'm "completing" the turn and if needed will try to turn my skis uphill just a bit to help slow me down. This helps on the wider runs b/c I have room to do it...but on the narrow runs I just don't feel like I have room to turn uphill. So are you feeling as though I'm not using my edge enough?
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Bounceswoosh - I have practiced that a little bit. I will do more if you feel it will help. How exactly does that help? :smile:

Well, @abc actually teaches and she isn't sure that's the answer ...

But my thought is that learning edge control is a matter of knowing both extremes - knowing how to use the edge to carve, and also knowing how to completely flatten the ski, which is something you learn to do when you're side-slipping. Skiing with flatter skis is one way to control your speed, because you have greater surface area for friction. Also, simply, if you're in a narrow section that freaks you out, you can side-slip to get past it. Or you can side-slip to get a little momentum going and then use that momentum to help you feel better about initiating the turn. This is something I was taught to do when I was freaked out about bumps, and it helped a ton to know that I have options - I don't have to always point my skis down the hill and ski that way.
 

abc

Banned
Sorry bounceswoosh, I came on a bit too strongly. I had this image of a bunch of skiing side slipping down a narrow black pushing all the snow away just like a bunch of snowboarders...

I don't mean to say NOT to do it at all. But I think side slipping as a survival skill should be minimized.

To the OP @@Nic Nic, side slip as a practice is quite helpful in its own right.

Another thing you could try is to ski only half the width of a wide trail. See if you can fit your turns in half the width and without picking up speed.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sorry bounceswoosh, I came on a bit too strongly. I had this image of a bunch of skiing side slipping down a narrow black pushing all the snow away just like a bunch of snowboarders...

I don't mean to say NOT to do it at all. But I think side slipping as a survival skill should be minimized.

I think we're on the same page. Minimized, yes. Avoided, no. It's important to know how to do it because it can give you confidence if you get onto a slope that's over your head. Also, like I said, it starts giving you a feel for how to control your edges. Also - the boyfriend who taught me how to ski was so worried about me scraping up all the snow in the bump field that he insisted I had to learn the zipper line right from the start. Lots of tears ensued. At A-Basin, an instructor told me to throw all that away. Side slipping is a tool, and if I had to sideslip, even a lot, to get down a bump run, that's just fine. It's a step in the process.

I don't think anyone would really enjoy sideslipping down a whole run, but it helps to have that skill in your back pocket if you need it.
 

BethL

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This is basically the start of my 4th year of skiing, and I'm just now not freaked out by narrow runs. At the beginning of last season, I could do a steep groomed run way more easily than a narrow green run. I did not like the idea that on a narrow run I could not do the type of turns I liked to do. I agree with the comments about learning how to control your edges. When I finally took some lessons last year, that's mainly what we worked on. What a huge help!
 

Nic Nic

Certified Ski Diva
These are good tips. I took lessons last year and plan to continue taking them each season until I'm where I want to be. I like the idea of using only half of a wide run to see how I do. In fact, I should have done this the other day when the race team set up their course on one half of my blue path to the bottom of the hill. But instead, I panicked and went another route. Lol.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
It takes more energy to ski short turns. Everything has to happen faster. Edging is important as is steering uphill to control speed. Try a narrow corridor on a wider run. Use the ski length as a guide.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
These are good tips. I took lessons last year and plan to continue taking them each season until I'm where I want to be. I like the idea of using only half of a wide run to see how I do. In fact, I should have done this the other day when the race team set up their course on one half of my blue path to the bottom of the hill. But instead, I panicked and went another route. Lol.
Well, yeah, but then that run really is half as wide. You want to find something where you have the choice to ski a narrower corridor - not where it's required.

This is similar to getting used to bumps by finding a section where half the trail has bumps. Then you can dip in and out a few turns at a time.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
Practice short radius turns within an "imagined" corridor of a wider run. A groomer path is 12' wide, generally a great place to ski for keeping within a boundary (with bail-out!). Once you have confidence in being able to stay within that path, you'll be more comfortable on narrower runs.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
So this will be my 2nd full season skiing. I'm comfortable on the wider blue runs, but am finding that I can't control my speed very well on anything more narrow and therefore tend to avoid them. This is cutting off a wide variety of runs at my home mtn: Smugglers Notch. Any tips to help a new skier out?
How much have you practiced hockey stops? When my daughter was a beginner (ages 4-6), I noticed that the kids were taught hockey stops early on. For adults, the value of having confidence with hockey stops is that then you know that you can stop any time if you feel uncomfortable with the amount of speed you've picked up. Per usual, start by practicing on open trails when not going that fast. Then practice on open trails going a bit faster. Good to practice in both directions. One side is always easier than the other.

Smuggs is a great place to learn. Have you been taking lessons?
 

volklgirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hockey stops, side slips, and learning to use your poles are the first steps.

Another thought to help get over the mental block, besides just trying to ski a wide run as if it's narrow, is to go back to the wedge for a bit. That allows you ti try controlling your speed with both the turn shape and the opposing team edges of the wedge. Keep in mind that it's just a temporary training tool for the mind.
 

Nic Nic

Certified Ski Diva
@marzNC - yes, Smuggs is a fantastic place to learn...especially when me, AND my 8 and 10 year old kids are all learning at the same time! I did the first timers program last year and took 3 group lessons. This year I will take 2-3 more lessons I'm sure.

As an aside, I'm from Durham and NC State is my alma mater. Go Pack!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@marzNC - yes, Smuggs is a fantastic place to learn...especially when me, AND my 8 and 10 year old kids are all learning at the same time! I did the first timers program last year and took 3 group lessons. This year I will take 2-3 more lessons I'm sure.

As an aside, I'm from Durham and NC State is my alma mater. Go Pack!
Sounds like you had a good time last season.

I'm a NYC transplant to NC. My mother chose Chapel Hill as a place for retirement in the 1970s so I'm a Tar Heel all the way.
 

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