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Tips for narrow runs?

Nic Nic

Certified Ski Diva
Oh wow, my head is spinning. I don't think I have the skills that I need to have on even the shorter skis, so skiing something longer is going to be that much harder. I was originally just questioning whether I'd be ABLE to advance my skills if I was on such a short ski and was wondering if it was time to move up a little. I now feel some of you are right in that I should just take my lessons on the shorter skis that I'm comfortable with and get my control there first, then move on to bigger skis. I have these 163's so I will give them a day to be fair to the guy, but will likely be going back for my shorties!

And I completely understand that you guys are trying to give advice without seeing me ski - I know that I turn too much with my upper body and that's one of the things I'm going to work on in my first lesson (hopefully). I appreciate all the advice and conversation nonetheless - very interesting points being made!
 

ruthies49

Angel Diva
@marzNC , what is a hockey stop? I've taken quite a few lessons but haven't heard of hockey stops. @Nic Nic, I also have problems feeling confidant on narrow blue runs and I also am in my 2nd season of skiing. I am going to follow this thread very carefully;)
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
@marzNC , what is a hockey stop? I've taken quite a few lessons but haven't heard of hockey stops. @Nic Nic, I also have problems feeling confidant on narrow blue runs and I also am in my 2nd season of skiing. I am going to follow this thread very carefully;)

Keeping your skis parallel and turning them sideways to skid to a complete stop. Generally - the normal way you stop unless you're snowplowing.
 

litterbug

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Nic Nic, I actually think it would be easier to learn on a longer ski, like the 153 at least...but if they make you too nervous, maybe not. Obviously I think your original theory is right, in that it'll be harder to get a feel for how the technique improves your skiing on shorter skis; that's why I suggested taking a lesson on longer ones.

But again, you have to do what will work for you, not for me or anyone else. We all have different learning styles and psychological reactions to situations, and only you know what's best for you.

I'm the kind of person who can have big breakthroughs when everything familiar is tossed out the window and I'm at least somewhat out of my comfort zone (so long as the teacher can stay somewhat supportive while I'm getting through the whiny part). That's what happened when I was learning technique that sounded like crazy-talk on demo skis that felt completely weird because they were actually made to turn, when that was exactly what made them perfect for the task. Somehow all the strangeness helped me drop some of the dysfunctional things I'd been doing for years and find out that all that crazy-talk was actually brilliant.
 

SkiBam

Angel Diva
Speaking of hockey stops, my advice to anyone who can't do them is to learn how. It's a good feeling to know you CAN stop quickly, if need be. Plus it's a great skill that will help your skiing. At the same time, learn how to side slip - this will also serve you well.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Speaking of hockey stops, my advice to anyone who can't do them is to learn how. It's a good feeling to know you CAN stop quickly, if need be. Plus it's a great skill that will help your skiing. At the same time, learn how to side slip - this will also serve you well.

I had an instructor years ago who made us line up one by one right below him, in the same direction he had stopped, using a hockey stock. It was fantastic practice and taught me that I can stop anywhere, at any time.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Here are a couple videos that show the basics of a hockey stop. I assume the name comes from ice hockey.



I was working with a friend (3rd season in the southeast) on Sunday on hockey stops. He'd done them a few times but not often. His first attempt was not really a "stop" but more of a turn uphill. In the second video, there is a pole planted as a target on an easy slope. The idea is to be able to stop quickly. When skiing with a friend, one way to practice is to have the friend say "STOP" without warning to simulate an unexpected reason to stop quickly. The idea is that if you can do a hockey stop without much thought, then not only can you stop when going too fast for comfort, you can also stop in order to avoid someone who is getting to close.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@marzNC , what is a hockey stop? I've taken quite a few lessons but haven't heard of hockey stops. @Nic Nic, I also have problems feeling confidant on narrow blue runs and I also am in my 2nd season of skiing. I am going to follow this thread very carefully;)
While kids seem to be taught hockey stops early on, that doesn't seem to be as true for adult beginners in the U.S. I realized as I started skiing more in the last ten years that two very helpful skills that I learned in the two years I skied as a kid long ago are hockey stops and side slipping. Both are survival skills that well worth knowing and practicing on both sides.

Just think of the fun you can have spraying your DH. :wink:
 

BethL

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My DH learned to ski last year at age 48, and he was so excited when he finally learned how to do a hockey stop! It's definitely a good skill to have.
 

DeweySki

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
While kids seem to be taught hockey stops early on, that doesn't seem to be as true for adult beginners in the U.S. I realized as I started skiing more in the last ten years that two very helpful skills that I learned in the two years I skied as a kid long ago are hockey stops and side slipping. Both are survival skills that well worth knowing and practicing on both sides.

As I read through the thread I am shocked that these skills are not universally taught in the first few days of skiing. I learned as an adult, and maybe this is a reflection more of where I took lessons, but I learned side slipping on DAY ONE. We worked on it for what felt like HOURS (okay, it was probably more like 30 minutes), and was borderline annoying. We were looking at each other like, "When are we going to work on real skiing???" I am now completely grateful that this skill was taught early on. Hockey stops came on days 4-6, where my instructor told us we were not moving on until each of us sprayed him with snow by performing hockey stop on both sides. Survival skills indeed.

My only contribution to this thread would be to learn/master these skills asap. I think it would be totally reasonable to ask your instructor about learning these things in your next lesson. It may open up some terrain for you as well--one of my first big blue runs was at Solitude with a steep-and-narrow-to-me-at-the-time entrance. I side slipped that sucker and went on my merry way.

Also, hi @Nic Nic! Welcome welcome!
 

DeweySki

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
eek, I just realized that I may have conflated the issues expressed by different posters in the thread, my apologies!
 

litterbug

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I haven't ever learned a hockey stop, but I guess that's what happens when you're an intermediate by the time you take your first lesson. [emoji56] I'm ok on my edges and pretty balanced these days, so I imagine I could put it together if I made an effort.
 

RuthB

Angel Diva
As others have alluded to the quickest way to gaining confidence in a wide variety of conditions and situations is to find an instructor whose teaching styles suits you and work with them to build a toolbox of techniques and strategies. The benefits of doing this in the flesh with an instructor is that you get a custom toolbox filled with tools and strategies that you know how to use and in what circumstances.

I'd probably do the lesson on skis longer than the 149's but looking at the pyra's I wouldn't get a lesson on those because they are a park ski so not ideal for customizing your tools.

Once you've got your toolbox sorted it is a whole lot more satisfying mucking around with gear.

Good luck and welcome to ski diva☺
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I haven't ever learned a hockey stop, but I guess that's what happens when you're an intermediate by the time you take your first lesson. [emoji56] I'm ok on my edges and pretty balanced these days, so I imagine I could put it together if I made an effort.
How do you stop?
 

ruthies49

Angel Diva
I think the reason I was never taught hockey stops is because I have taken lessons at 5 or 6 different ski resorts. So I never had the same instructor twice. This year I am hoping our local mountain stays open long enough to take a long series of lessons from 1 instructor that can see my strengths and weaknesses and go from there!!
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't think I was ever formally taught hockey stops . . . . at least I don't recall it. I just figured it out for myself after about my third lesson.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
...I learned side slipping on DAY ONE. We worked on it for what felt like HOURS (okay, it was probably more like 30 minutes), and was borderline annoying. We were looking at each other like, "When are we going to work on real skiing???" I am now completely grateful that this skill was taught early on. Hockey stops came on days 4-6, where my instructor told us we were not moving on until each of us sprayed him with snow by performing hockey stop on both sides.
Same here. However -- that was then (and it was awhile ago), this is now? Had these skills before I ever made any semblance of a parallel turn.
 

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