 Poster: A snowHead
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RosieL, You'd like Vallandry, it has some lovely soft blues and a very easy green back to the main resort from pretty much anywhere on the hill. I'll not contradict Rob because it is essential to take informed instruction however I believe he is missing the point of my post. You will respond to tuition and progress much quicker if you relax and listen to your body and how it moves and responds to the skis and your own input. I think this is what they call 'flow' it is something that I strongly believe should be encouraged right from the start. It doesn't even have to begin on the hill, dance and pilates offer a way in.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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RosieL, I agree that Vallandry/Les Arcs would be a good option, and the NewGen boys are all good. JP, Alistair or John would all be able to help you make good progress.
In terms of speed control on steeper runs, use your turn shape rather than a traverse. If you keep the turn going you will be able to slow down as much as you want. Conversely, a traverse doesn't do a good job of slowing you down.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Masque, I agree that flow is important, but if you have some fundamental weaknesses in your skiing getting in to the zone isn't going to help you make changes. Get the basics in place, then go for a fluid performance, skiing with a quiet mind.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| RosieL wrote: |
| ... We're going away again at new year and I'm hoping to get some indoor stuff (might even brave our local dry ski slope) in the meantime. |
If your local dry slope happens to be Hillend (Edinburgh) then what it lacks in real snow is very much compensated for in varied terrain. The plastic may not be as flattering as indoor snow but the steeper sections can be used to prepare effectively for steep hard snow in resort. I'd practice first on the easier sections though, as the initial challenge will be just to get used to the surface!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| RosieL, In terms of speed control on steeper runs, use your turn shape rather than a traverse. If you keep the turn going you will be able to slow down as much as you want. Conversely, a traverse doesn't do a good job of slowing you down. |
This. With knobs on. 
I'd consider myself a 6.5 - 7 on the 'what is my skiing level?' scale. I'm happy on reds, until conditions get tricky, which can mean anything from lots of bumps/bodies littering the piste, to ice, to poor visibility. When things get hairy, I tend to lose all technique, twist my shoulders like rob@rar said, lose my balance and the back of my downhill ski etc. etc.
This year, I really discovered the joys of 'finishing' my turns, and using the turn shape, rather than an endless traverse to control my speed, and I have to say, it has probably been my most important discovery of the season, and has given me lots of confidence. So much so that I even tackled a few blacks last week! It's amazing how much finishing your turns puts you back in control even on steep runs.
I'm also going to spend this summer working on my core strength and balance, as I find that getting tired also wipes out my technique, and consequently my confidence
Stick with it. You WILL get there!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Masque wrote: |
| RosieL, You'd like Vallandry, it has some lovely soft blues and a very easy green back to the main resort from pretty much anywhere on the hill. I'll not contradict Rob because it is essential to take informed instruction however I believe he is missing the point of my post. You will respond to tuition and progress much quicker if you relax and listen to your body and how it moves and responds to the skis and your own input. I think this is what they call 'flow' it is something that I strongly believe should be encouraged right from the start. It doesn't even have to begin on the hill, dance and pilates offer a way in. |
Thanks, that does make sense. 
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| rob@rar wrote: |
RosieL, I agree that Vallandry/Les Arcs would be a good option, and the NewGen boys are all good. JP, Alistair or John would all be able to help you make good progress.
In terms of speed control on steeper runs, use your turn shape rather than a traverse. If you keep the turn going you will be able to slow down as much as you want. Conversely, a traverse doesn't do a good job of slowing you down. |
Hi, thanks rob, that's really helpful. The"whole finishing the turn " I'm not sure if I quite understand what that is. Sometimes if I feel I need to point slightly uohill otherwise I just get faster and faster.
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| balernoStu wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| ... We're going away again at new year and I'm hoping to get some indoor stuff (might even brave our local dry ski slope) in the meantime. |
If your local dry slope happens to be Hillend (Edinburgh) then what it lacks in real snow is very much compensated for in varied terrain. The plastic may not be as flattering as indoor snow but the steeper sections can be used to prepare effectively for steep hard snow in resort. I'd practice first on the easier sections though, as the initial challenge will be just to get used to the surface! |
Yes it is! I can't really ski above middle station as that steep stretch scares me to death! I think I will give it another shot though as it's only 15 mins drive away! 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Fenfilly wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| RosieL, In terms of speed control on steeper runs, use your turn shape rather than a traverse. If you keep the turn going you will be able to slow down as much as you want. Conversely, a traverse doesn't do a good job of slowing you down. |
This. With knobs on.
I'd consider myself a 6.5 - 7 on the 'what is my skiing level?' scale. I'm happy on reds, until conditions get tricky, which can mean anything from lots of bumps/bodies littering the piste, to ice, to poor visibility. When things get hairy, I tend to lose all technique, twist my shoulders like rob@rar said, lose my balance and the back of my downhill ski etc. etc.
This year, I really discovered the joys of 'finishing' my turns, and using the turn shape, rather than an endless traverse to control my speed, and I have to say, it has probably been my most important discovery of the season, and has given me lots of confidence. So much so that I even tackled a few blacks last week! It's amazing how much finishing your turns puts you back in control even on steep runs.
I'm also going to spend this summer working on my core strength and balance, as I find that getting tired also wipes out my technique, and consequently my confidence
Stick with it. You WILL get there!
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Thanks you for that and for your encouragement!  well done on the blacks! Maybe I need to look into the finishing the turns a bit more as I'm not entirely clear what that means! 
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| RosieL wrote: |
| Hi, thanks rob, that's really helpful. The"whole finishing the turn " I'm not sure if I quite understand what that is. Sometimes if I feel I need to point slightly uohill otherwise I just get faster and faster. |
sounds like you know what I mean - finishing the turn simply means keeping the turn going until you feel you have controlled your speed sufficiently to begin the next turn, without putting in a traverse. You can, if you wish, keep the turn going until your skis are facing uphill slightly, at which point your speed will rapidly decrease.
If you look around the slopes you will see many people making a really quick, tight turn, physically twisting g their skis in to a new direction, and then putting in a bit of a traverse until they are ready to make another quick, twisted turn in the opposite direction. You want to avoid doing that, instead make smooth, round turns which are well linked (ie, the moment you finish one turn you start the next one). You will soon realise that this is a much more fluid way of skiing, and you can control your speed as much as you want by "finishing your turns".
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| RosieL wrote: |
| balernoStu wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| ... We're going away again at new year and I'm hoping to get some indoor stuff (might even brave our local dry ski slope) in the meantime. |
If your local dry slope happens to be Hillend (Edinburgh) then what it lacks in real snow is very much compensated for in varied terrain. The plastic may not be as flattering as indoor snow but the steeper sections can be used to prepare effectively for steep hard snow in resort. I'd practice first on the easier sections though, as the initial challenge will be just to get used to the surface! |
Yes it is! I can't really ski above middle station as that steep stretch scares me to death! I think I will give it another shot though as it's only 15 mins drive away! |
You're right, 'the wall' is seriously steep! There is a new 'elbow' from the top on the other side of the tow which is much less steep, and makes a great progression from the mid section (I teach at Hillend btw). The mid section is still good for working on the turn shape technique discussed by Rob, as it is wider there than the top runs.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| Hi, thanks rob, that's really helpful. The"whole finishing the turn " I'm not sure if I quite understand what that is. Sometimes if I feel I need to point slightly uohill otherwise I just get faster and faster. |
sounds like you know what I mean - finishing the turn simply means keeping the turn going until you feel you have controlled your speed sufficiently to begin the next turn, without putting in a traverse. You can, if you wish, keep the turn going until your skis are facing uphill slightly, at which point your speed will rapidly decrease.
If you look around the slopes you will see many people making a really quick, tight turn, physically twisting g their skis in to a new direction, and then putting in a bit of a traverse until they are ready to make another quick, twisted turn in the opposite direction. You want to avoid doing that, instead make smooth, round turns which are well linked (ie, the moment you finish one turn you start the next one). You will soon realise that this is a much more fluid way of skiing, and you can control your speed as much as you want by "finishing your turns". |
Thanks, yes my turns are not too bad in that respect I think. What could I do to stop my skis skidding down the slope as I finish my turn? Is that when you said I was possibly rotating my upper body uphill and should be facing downhill?
Thanks again for your input, much appreciated!
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| balernoStu wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| balernoStu wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| ... We're going away again at new year and I'm hoping to get some indoor stuff (might even brave our local dry ski slope) in the meantime. |
If your local dry slope happens to be Hillend (Edinburgh) then what it lacks in real snow is very much compensated for in varied terrain. The plastic may not be as flattering as indoor snow but the steeper sections can be used to prepare effectively for steep hard snow in resort. I'd practice first on the easier sections though, as the initial challenge will be just to get used to the surface! |
Yes it is! I can't really ski above middle station as that steep stretch scares me to death! I think I will give it another shot though as it's only 15 mins drive away! |
You're right, 'the wall' is seriously steep! There is a new 'elbow' from the top on the other side of the tow which is much less steep, and makes a great progression from the mid section (I teach at Hillend btw). The mid section is still good for working on the turn shape technique discussed by Rob, as it is wider there than the top runs. |
Hello! I bet you've taught my children (and possibly myself)-small world! I may brave hillend next week and just practice my turns on the easy bit and the elbow. I really don't like falling on the matting!
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You know it makes sense.
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| RosieL wrote: |
Hello! I bet you've taught my children (and possibly myself)-small world! I may brave hillend next week and just practice my turns on the easy bit and the elbow. I really don't like falling on the matting! |
Ha, maybe! I'm more likely to have taught the kids than yourself, if they were in weekend junior ski school. Sounds like you're well acquainted with the slope already, hope the lessons have been useful and fun
Edit: I'm wondering now if you were in one of my Sunday morning group lessons last season. If you're who I'm thinking of we got ski hire to swap your skis during one session as I thought the blue ones were too stiff.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Wed 16-04-14 17:03; edited 2 times in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| RosieL wrote: |
| What could I do to stop my skis skidding down the slope as I finish my turn? Is that when you said I was possibly rotating my upper body uphill and should be facing downhill? |
Without seeing you ski it is difficult to know for sure what is causing that. It might be that you are actively twisting your shoulders, or flattening your skis and twisting them, or perhaps something else.
The direction that your shoulders face will vary depending on the size of your turn. If you are making very short radius turns your upper body is more likely to be facing downhill, but if you are making medium or large sized runs your shoulders should follow your skis more closely. There's no one "right answer" in terms of upper and lower body separation.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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RosieL, I sympathise with your probems, if fact I could have very easily written this post.
I had a very good instructor in Sierra Nevada this year who helped me to work on technique. We stayed on the green runs, as she wanted me to fix a good technique on these before moving to anything steeper, and reverting back to bad habits.
She said my skiing was actually technically better than many people, and tried to help me see where the fear was coming from. One interesting thing she said was that she wondered if my brain was confusing exhilaration and fear.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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janeed, Your instructor was spot on IMHO. Stick with her.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ALQ, +1 I love playing on greens and blues till I have something locked in . . . Now why can't a resort build a nice fat mogul field on a green
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Now why can't a resort build a nice fat mogul field on a green
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Val d'Isere makes a decent stab at it sometimes, on the run down to La Daille.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'll look at that - thanks v much
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| RosieL wrote: |
| What could I do to stop my skis skidding down the slope as I finish my turn? Is that when you said I was possibly rotating my upper body uphill and should be facing downhill? |
Without seeing you ski it is difficult to know for sure what is causing that. It might be that you are actively twisting your shoulders, or flattening your skis and twisting them, or perhaps something else.
The direction that your shoulders face will vary depending on the size of your turn. If you are making very short radius turns your upper body is more likely to be facing downhill, but if you are making medium or large sized runs your shoulders should follow your skis more closely. There's no one "right answer" in terms of upper and lower body separation. |
Thanks, that makes sense. My recent instructor (French) said I need to face down no matter what...but my previous instructor (English)said exactly what you said. I think you're right, I was also probably leaning up slightly, flattening my skis whilst traversing and so my skis skidded. Bad bad
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| janeed wrote: |
RosieL, I sympathise with your probems, if fact I could have very easily written this post.
I had a very good instructor in Sierra Nevada this year who helped me to work on technique. We stayed on the green runs, as she wanted me to fix a good technique on these before moving to anything steeper, and reverting back to bad habits.
She said my skiing was actually technically better than many people, and tried to help me see where the fear was coming from. One interesting thing she said was that she wondered if my brain was confusing exhilaration and fear. |
Sounds like me! Thank you. I had a great instructor in Chatel but I now need to build on what she taught me. I wasn't so keen on the resort otherwise I would go back as she was amazing!
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| RosieL wrote: |
| Any suggestions? Yes I took one look of the photos of Tignes and VT and decided no, too bleak! I was thinking maybe les arcs/vallandry as there is a New Gen ski school. I think a Brit instructor is the way to go for me. Still think Austria would be lovely at NY though.... |
Zell? Bleak glacier if the weather goes pear shaped
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Still think Austria would be lovely at NY though....
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There's an Austrian-based instructor who posts here sometimes. I can't remember her name OR the name of the resort but she sounds as though she would be ideal for you, with lots of sympathy and understanding. Somebody will come up with the name. Vallandry/New Gen would be good too, I'm sure.
Also, don't be bothered too much about side-slipping when a slope is a bit too steep for you, or you hit a slick patch - it's a great "get out of jail free" card, and worth learning to control it, so you can side slip backwards too (or you end up right at the edge of the piste pointing across the slope and unable to turn!).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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RosieL, the British instructor pam w is referring to is SaraJ, she coaches me all through the summer. Brilliant instructor, drop her a PM as she does not read many threads on here and have a chat with her. She is based in Fügen and does most of her winter skiing in Hochfügen which is more or less ski/ski out, but rarely features in UK brochures I think.
New Year in Austria is fabulous by the way. 
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You know it makes sense.
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So was that Helen in Chatel?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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RosieL, RosieL,
rosie, if u see this please get an email to me at 82urq20v@gmail.com.
thanks
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Poster: A snowHead
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| RosieL wrote: |
I'm a bit confused, having had a fair amount of lessons over 3 ski holidays.
I can ski parallel on blues and easy reds (in good conditions) although I struggle sometimes with one of my turns, tending to tuck my shoulder in rather than lean out.
I am quite a fearful skier which frustrates me as I want to get better but at the top of every slope I get "the fear"!
This holiday I skied a more challenging red which I didn't really enjoy. I found myself traversing a lot and I know my body was facing across rather than down. What I found unnerving was my skis were sliding downhill after my turns, on the traverse. What should I have been doing? I had a week of private lessons this holiday but to be honest the ski instructor was French and wasn't particularly engaged, maybe the language barrier.
I think I need more miles under my belt but I don't want to keep repeating the same mistakes! I've signed up for a Warren Smith day at Hemel Hempstead so hopefully that will help. Can anyone offer words of advice or encouragement? Thanks very much |
Hi Rosie
watch on youtube checkpoint corso di sci. The speaker on the video is my colleague. We are a network of ski school of "high" level. If you don't understand reply me. Your mistake is a a normal human behavior due to their instinctsl, remember don't pay attention to it otherwise....many mistakes
Bye
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi
watch on youtube checkpoint corso di sci. The speaker on the video is my colleague. We are a network of ski school of "high" level. If you don't understand reply me. Your mistake is a a normal human behavior due to their instinctsl, remember don't pay attention to it otherwise....many mistakes
Bye
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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FAQ
