Worst ski advice you've ever received.

[SallyCat]

Back when straight skis were the only option, people could spend years doing stem turns because learning to do a proper parallel turn with feet and skis close together took a lot of effort and practice. I only spent two seasons having lessons on straight skis (length over my head). Never got close to being able to link more than 3-4 parallel turns.

On steeper terrain, I used to revert to a stem turn fairly frequently. Especially on my bad side.

Yes, exactly. We skied a bit in the 1970s as kids and I never came close to being able to ski parallel. I recall that there was a HUGE leap from one to the other; our older cousins could ski beautifully parallel and we worshiped them like heros. How did they do it!?

A few years ago when I got on shaped skis for the first time I thought it was some kind of witchcraft: how were these skis so easy to turn? I literally skied better after one day in new skis than I had in six or seven years of occasional family trips.

 

[contesstant]

Do you stem on groomed snow or only when in more difficult situations?

Yes.
Actually, BF said the stem is BETTER on steeper slopes.
????

 

[santacruz skier]

Yes.
Actually, BF said the stem is BETTER on steeper slopes.
????

Yes on groomed? Ha Better on steep slopes?
I learned to ski in the mid 70's and stemmed for years. Think I revert to stemming when getting into difficult situations...... tight trees, bumps, (places where you shouldn't stem)
Also my first video at Taos I started out "yikes a bit in the back seat!"

 

[contesstant]

Yes on groomed? Ha Better on steep slopes?
I learned to ski in the mid 70's and stemmed for years. Think I revert to stemming when getting into difficult situations...... tight trees, bumps, (places where you shouldn't stem)
Also my first video at Taos I started "yikes a bit in the back seat!)

Yes to both, LOL.
It is SUCH a safety mechanism, that little wedge to "slow down" in challenging/variable terrain. And yet, it is SO counter productive in those situations.

 

[SallyCat]

Powder skiing is a great topic for discussion, and we have a number of threads that may be worth checking out:

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/skiing-in-powder-vs-skiing-groomed-runs.259/

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/powder-ski-tips.1581/

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/powder-skiing-tips.971/

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/skiing-in-fresh-powder.6134/

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/skiing-powder.2206/

THANK YOU for that info. I received the "lean back" advice a few times. I had a horrible time on some ungroomed, heavy, wet snow today. I really shouldn't have been there to begin with; I knew it would be above my ability. I've discovered though that I really enjoy skinning UP becuase it's a great workout. So now I REALLY want to get better at skiing ungroomed terrain so I can get down from my workout! I'll be happy to read some GOOD advice!

 

[santacruz skier]

Yes to both, LOL.
It is SUCH a safety mechanism, that little wedge to "slow down" in challenging/variable terrain. And yet, it is SO counter productive in those situations.

It is and SO hard to get rid of.... My BF doesn't stem at all and he started skiing in the 90's when I had already been skiing about 15 years.... Damm wish I never learned to stem.

 

[contesstant]

It is and SO hard to get rid of.... My BF doesn't stem at all and he started skiing in the 90's when I had already been skiing about 15 years.... Damm wish I never learned to stem.

OH, it's HORRIBLE to get rid of.

 

[santacruz skier]

I have heard women (something about Q angles) tend to stem more.

 

[Belgiangirl]

St Anton is a great place to ski

Isn't it?

I thought the same thing. I haven't been in ages, but it's definitely one of my favorite places....

The Arlberg region is indeed a great place to ski, but St Anton has a very bad reputation in Europe for being a sort of après-ski hotspot with loads of rich drunk people.

 

[contesstant]

I have heard women (something about Q angles) tend to stem more.

I believe so, yes. It probably doesn't help that my adductors are stronger than my abductors thanks to riding horses my whole life.

 

[santacruz skier]

The Arlberg region is indeed a great place to ski, but St Anton has a very bad reputation in Europe for being a sort of après-ski hotspot with loads of rich drunk people.

Well I spent a week in 2017 in Kitzbuhel and fantastic.... Yes rich people, lots of Moncler and Bogner, but civilized and great skiing.

 

[altagirl]

The Arlberg region is indeed a great place to ski, but St Anton has a very bad reputation in Europe for being a sort of après-ski hotspot with loads of rich drunk people.

Well, I can't say we didn't have a LOT of fun with apres-ski there.... but we usually stayed in a great little gasthaus in St. Christof( if i'm remembering correctly) and took the bus into town. Ithink we only started right in St. Anton once. But we were in love with the ability to ski from one town to the next - it's just endless. Needless to say there was a ton of variety to the skiing and so many options, we always had a great time.

That said, if you are looking for quiet evenings and mellow apres-ski... it would be bad idea. ;)

 

[Belgiangirl]

Well I spent a week in 2017 in Kitzbuhel and fantastic.... Yes rich people, lots of Moncler and Bogner, but civilized and great skiing.

I'm a little bit confused, Kitzbuhel and Arlberg are two different regions of Austria. Both have fantastic skiing though, from what I've heard! A lot depends on when you go too. Most EU universities have a one week spring break somewhere in February/March, that's something to consider before planning anything

Well, I can't say we didn't have a LOT of fun with apres-ski there.... but we usually stayed in a great little gasthaus in St. Christof( if i'm remembering correctly) and took the bus into town. Ithink we only started right in St. Anton once. But we were in love with the ability to ski from one town to the next - it's just endless. Needless to say there was a ton of variety to the skiing and so many options, we always had a great time.

That said, if you are looking for quiet evenings and mellow apres-ski... it would be bad idea. ;)

The skiing there is amazing, I can't wait for an opportunity to go back! Checked out Warth, Schrocken and Lech last year. However I prefer to drink some tea, play board games and go to bed by 9 pm after a long day of skiing so no St Anton for me

 

[Lise]

It wasn't the night life that was the downer for St Anton but the poor quality slopes. I understand that in different conditions they will ski better (or worse) but I found them icy and crowded, and several key transit routes were just mogul fields.
The main run back into town was carnage - at one point, sitting in a bar overlooking the slopes, we counted 5 "crossed skis/medical help" incidents.
I'd like to say it was my lack of skiing ability that made it unenjoyable but friends of the "expertly expert" variety were similarly disappointed when they visited 2 months later and have scratched it off their list of resorts to visit.

 

[Belgiangirl]

It wasn't the night life that was the downer for St Anton but the poor quality slopes. I understand that in different conditions they will ski better (or worse) but I found them icy and crowded, and several key transit routes were just mogul fields.
The main run back into town was carnage - at one point, sitting in a bar overlooking the slopes, we counted 5 "crossed skis/medical help" incidents.
I'd like to say it was my lack of skiing ability that made it unenjoyable but friends of the "expertly expert" variety were similarly disappointed when they visited 2 months later and have scratched it off their list of resorts to visit.

Oh, wow. That sounds frustrating. So sorry you had a negative experience!

 

[LKillick]

Had a young teen on a lift tell me I'd be fine in powder, just sit back. No thanks.

A few years ago when I got on shaped skis for the first time I thought it was some kind of witchcraft: how were these skis so easy to turn? I literally skied better after one day in new skis than I had in six or seven years of occasional family trips.

So true about how easy they are to turn now! Funny to me ... I grew up skiing on straight skis. I did fine on them, could ski parallel very well... but it has been really difficult to get away from those old habits. My instructor last week asked me what I do to turn when on skis. I found this difficult to answer, because it felt like he was asking me how I walk. I... just do it? When he had me literally just shift my weight and press my shin and... voila, I turned... I was floored. My quads were sure a lot less sore. I'd been loading and unloading my weight on turns, moving my skis, the whole lot... even after some lessons last year. Those had me doing some things differently that were helpful, but nothing so basic...

 

[santacruz skier]

I'm a little bit confused, Kitzbuhel and Arlberg are two different regions of Austria. Both have fantastic skiing though, from what I've heard! A lot depends on when you go too. Most EU universities have a one week spring break somewhere in February/March, that's something to consider before planning anything



The skiing there is amazing, I can't wait for an opportunity to go back! Checked out Warth, Schrocken and Lech last year. However I prefer to drink some tea, play board games and go to bed by 9 pm after a long day of skiing so no St Anton for me

Yes I know 2 diff regions but not all that far away as the crow flies

 

[Nancy Schindler]

PIZZZZZAAAAAA! I think teaching a technique with the intention of unteaching it is a bit counterproductive.

I also had an ex (and his father) hounding me about how important it is to ski with my feet glued together. It wasn’t until I did the women’s clinic at okemo that I was able to have an instructor show me how bass ackwards that is for anybody who isn’t still skiing on straight skis.

 

[Nancy Schindler]

PIZZZZZAAAAAA! I think teaching a technique with the intention of unteaching it is a bit counterproductive.


I like to teach that wedge turns are a stepping stone for skiers not a destination. I try to get right into a wedge kristy ASAP with a tall stance (flatter skis) and encourage turn shape for speed control.

 

[altagirl]

The skiing there is amazing, I can't wait for an opportunity to go back! Checked out Warth, Schrocken and Lech last year. However I prefer to drink some tea, play board games and go to bed by 9 pm after a long day of skiing so no St Anton for me

We also go to bed early, but we liked that the apres-ski starts early. We could drink and dance and go to bed by 930 and be at the front of the line when the lifts opened the next day. We loved the skiing in France, but you couldn't even get dinner before we wanted to be asleep sometimes, and it made it hard for our early rising habits.