What are your goals for the 2017/2018 season?

[volklgirl]

^^This.
Haven't you had ENOUGH of this???
Seriously, so sorry - and will be waiting on your ortho news.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

I had already planned on surgery later this spring/summer since I have, INDEED, had enough of this after 4 years. I'm off crutches, but still immobilized for 2-4 weeks, or until 1)the pain is gone, or 2)my new custom brace comes in, at which time I can try getting back on skis if I feel ready for it. I'm holding out for at least 3 weeks, and hoping to be able to ski for Test Fest this year.

 

[Jenny]

I had already planned on surgery later this spring/summer since I have, INDEED, had enough of this after 4 years. I'm off crutches, but still immobilized for 2-4 weeks, or until 1)the pain is gone, or 2)my new custom brace comes in, at which time I can try getting back on skis if I feel ready for it. I'm holding out for at least 3 weeks, and hoping to be able to ski for Test Fest this year.

So, ACL?

 

[volklgirl]

MCL. He says sprain, but I think it's completely gone now. Also, likely, a meniscal tear now, too (thanks to the Hanging Lake incident).

 

[captain_hug99]

How did you do with your goals?

I could have sworn I posted in here, but I guess not. My goals were to:
1) Ski faster- according to my ski app, my average speed was 3mph. LOL
2) Ski a blue run
3) Ski the "scary run" my daughter tried to bring down last year

So how did I do?
1) This was HUGE for me this year. Something clicked in my head and now my average speed is 12-14mph.
2) Done! I went down my first blue today and I didn't find the run nearly as scary as the run in goal #3.
3) Done! I went down this run a few times this winter.

 

[Tvan]

1. improve skills and confidence (already registered for 5 day women's program at Okemo in January)
2. ski with the Divas (Whiteface, the week after Okemo)
3. avoid injury
4. get new skis

1. Skied 10 of 14 days in January, 5 of them at the Okemo WAA
2. Skied with Divas at Belleayer and at Whiteface...and had a Diva dinner at Okemo
3. I’m all in one piece with no injuries. Maintained my 3-days-per-week exercise routine all winter.
4. Got my new Blizzard Black Pearl 88’s in early February

Nailed it!

 

[newboots]

Okay. I found my goals from the fall:

1) Relearn that stuff I learned last year, especially as I was starting to do reasonably good turns, separation between upper and lower body (what was that called again?), arms forward to stay forward on my skis.

Did this!

2) Get comfortable on blues. This was starting to happen last year, although I skied the same blue trails repeatedly (which is great, but not the same thing as being "comfortable on blues").

Okay, by the end of this season, I have become pretty comfortable on a number of blues. Less comfortable on blacks . . . although I skied the black trail at Suicide Six, no trouble! All that training at Killington.

3) Learn my way around Killington. This is probably a multi-year project. I'll be skiing at Killington and Okemo.

I know my way around Snowshed, Ramshead, and Bear Mountain. That's this year's quota.

4) Get started on glades, specifically Squeeze Play at Killington, which is a blue trail. I long to ski in the trees, but I don't want to die. Which brings me to:

Didn't do this. I tried a bit, but it was out of my league.

5) Really learn to side slip, and stop. Not pretend, but really.

Well. . .

 

[VickiK]

Ya dun good, @newboots .

 

[EeveeCanSki]

Have already done one thing--purchased my discount card for the local hills

Next things:
-Keep working on those parallel turns I found on my last day of skiing last season and get them consistent (this boosted my confidence by orders of magnitude--there's no going back, I'm all in now!)
-Not let pitch changes freak me out
-Hockey stop
-Maybe work my way up to some blue runs
-Take a "sick day" here and there...if you know what I mean

* Totally took advantage of my discount card, using it enough to earn a free day on the slopes this season!
* Got my parallel turns more consistent, and doing very well with short parallel.
* Got over much fear with pitch changes and relaxed through them. Much less freaked out this year--when I came across a challenging (to me) portion of any trail, I could calmly think about how I was going to get down, no matter if graceful or if I had to sidestep and then continue.
* Yes, worked on hockey stops! Can do at lower speeds, will work up to doing them at higher speeds next season.
* Did some easy blues this season, which made the pitchy portions of my favorite greens seem like no problem at all. Next season, more terrain will truly open up to me.
* Yes, took a couple "sick days".
* Ended the season knowing there is no reason to limit myself to what terrain or skills to learn to ski in the future!

What I didn't count on was getting my last day of the season, and then it dumped snow down here, and I couldn't enjoy just one more day. But I'll be back strong again come December.

 

[Lmk92]

This should be a yearly thread event.

Found my goals:

1. Conquer my fear.
2. Start glades and jumps.
3. More days!

Well, one out of three. But it was the most important one - I conquered my fear! At least until next season, when the kids start taking me down steeper trails.

Glades and jumps weren't in the cards, mostly due to the terrible weather year, which accounts for my failure to realize number three. Next year!

 

[Randi M.]

1) ski more
2) finally, finally learn to ski bumps properly and comfortably
3) get my husband to the top of a mountain so he can see how beautiful it is
4) make sure my family keeps having fun!

I can’t believe we are looking back on the season. On the one hand I am SO OVER winter and am counting down the days to beach weather. On the other hand next ski season is sooooo far away.

I hit all four goals. We skied more than i have in years, I conquered bumps, my husband skis down blues and my entire family is obsessed. Yay!

As of now, my goals for next year are: (1) figure out the right mountain strategy now that MaxPass is a thing of the past, (2) re-acquaint myself with glades, (3) not be so goal oriented in my skiing and just have fun! Curious to see how I feel about all of this come December.

 

[Kimmyt]

I literally have no personal goals this ski season, which is weird.

I want to get my 3.5yo making turns or at least a wedge, though, so thats my main goal.

Well, my now-4yo is skiing the greens and easy blues all by himself! He even went off some baby boxes and jumps (he wants to be a 'snowboard halfpipe' lol shoot me now).

Next year I think my goal is gonna be to set some goals for myself ;)

 

[Tvan]

This should be a yearly thread event.

+1 for this!

 

[alison wong]

I am pleased to say, this goal is checked off since I adjusted to my new boots w/o much issues.

Now I'd like to have new set of goals:
1) Check out more new places this season - already visited: Elk, Montage, Canaan Valley, Masaanutten.
Upcoming: West: Taos, Aspen/Snowmass, Sunlight. East: Blue Knob, Laural Mountain.

(Reason - I was very intimidated to try new places because of my low skill level the past years. Now I can comfortably ski greens and blues, so I am not as "afraid" of new places / trails as before.)

2) start learning to ski bumps / moguls.

My turn....
Checked off #1) partially
Visited Elk, Montage, Canaan Valley, M'nut, Taos, Sunlight, and Aspen 4 this year.
(Did not get the time to visit Blue Knob and Laurel Mtn this season. There is always next season!)
Proud to say, I managed to ski all these new places with confidence and ease, no longer feeling timid or having anxiety attacks at random moments.

Checked off #2)
Started learning moguls at my multi week adult dev class this year. For some reason, I could handle them better when I was in class than on my own... This mogul business is hard and I shall continue my lessons next year.

 

[heather matthews]

Well I didn't get to ski the NH( this year due to insurance issues after breaking myself in September) so my skiing goals got turned into biking goals. My jumping has improved so much and clearing small(6-8 feet) gap jumps that have consequences for coming up short is now a regular reality.My body is constantly bruised,I've had stitches in an elbow,I've broken a finger(didn't stop riding)etc etc.Wearing a summer dress is embarrassing due to the state of my legs and I'm thankful there were no weddings this year!So as our ski season approaches I look forward to fun days with friends on the mountain,aggressive short turns,jump turns and incremental improvements in my skiing.

 

[echo_VT]

OP's goals are similar to mine -!
1. i'm particularly interested in learning to ski moguls with confidence and with adequate speed this season
2. confidence on double blacks. not necessarily speed, but good judgment with ability to take things at a good speed.

i ended up skiing moguls okay but still not a marked improvement. definitely not with adequate speed and agility.
somewhat increased confidence on double blacks, better judgment and ability to take things at a good speed.

according to my garmin i hit 40+ mph on some of my faster runs but i average around 15-25 mph when working on form. sometimes in the 12-13 mph range on some other form stuff.

so not totally what i had in mind, but i will tell you what i did get better in:

i worked on powder skiing this year. two footed skiing, staying on top of my skis, not forward in my boots which is what i was doing to cheat. and making sure my stance isn't static thru-out the turn. dynamic skiing at all times. i also worked on lengthening the top of the turn. i had a tendency to rush the top, and ride out the bottom of the turn. i suppose due to gravity. but it makes it hard to commit to the next turn. so mentally and physically i worked on that, committing to the top of the new turn. i also brought railroad tracks to my downhill skiing, it's made skiing so much more effortless.

 

[KarenD]

I don't think I posted any goals earlier in this thread but at some point during the season I decided I was going to ski all of the green, blue, and black named runs at my home resort. I'd come home each day and mark them off on trail map with a Sharpie. In some cases, trails that are on the list of 92 on the mountain's website don't have signs on the hill or labels on the trail map, so DH and I would have discussions about where we thought these mystery runs were and if we had a consensus I'd ski wherever we agreed on and mark it off. In only one case were we unable to figure out what a name was referring to, so I didn't get to check that one off, but I did do one of the double blacks not on my list because it was the only way to access one of the black runs, so I'm declaring success on this goal. I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the runs I found while on this quest and went back to them during the season to add variety to my days.

 

[volklgirl]

So, ACL?

Turns our that was it, indeed. Full ACL rupture and 2 meniscal tears. Managed to not only ski for Test Fest, but tested 23 prs of skis and continued to ski until 4/15 (for a total of 52 days), then had surgery 4/18. I'm currently in the immobilized and NO weight bearing phase and going completely crazy with this level of inactivity.

I have a full summer of PT options coming up, and will be back stronger and fitter, with 2 good knees, next year!

 

[Jenny]

Turns our that was it, indeed. Full ACL rupture and 2 meniscal tears. Managed to not only ski for Test Fest, but tested 23 prs of skis and continued to ski until 4/15 (for a total of 52 days), then had surgery 4/18. I'm currently in the immobilized and NO weight bearing phase and going completely crazy with this level of inactivity.

I have a full summer of PT options coming up, and will be back stronger and fitter, with 2 good knees, next year!

Well, glad it's fixed now. Since I hurt my ankle in Mammoth I had the tiniest taste of what you're going through with the stir crazy thing. Luckily I have been progressing quickly and am now back in real shoes, can drive, and an in active PT to get it all back to normal.

 

[ilovepugs]

So, I didn’t participate in this thread at the beginning of the season, but I just put up a post on Instagram and had to share:

(Please click because the videos are too big to upload!)

My goal was to hopefully put in enough time on the hill on skis to go from total novice to blue trail skier. I found a video from November 23 and one from April 7... the first one has me dying of laughter, the second one was shortly after I pushed through the terminal intermediate phase of doing a bunch of Z turns!

 

[newboots]

Nice work, pugs! You're making great progress. I'm not so far from that first video that I don't remember that feeling well!