 Poster: A snowHead
|
OK, so here I am - I can't find anything better. I'm disappointed that I appear to be going so slowly I thought I was steaming along. I'm annoyed that I still can't both those skis round those turns parallel - in virtually every turn I'm still snow ploughing things. In fact no wonder my kids prefer to ski with my Swiss friends - mummy still looks a real embarassment - I just hope none of you mind being associated with such a poor skier in April.
Any comments/tips/derisory comments etc. welcome
I am pleased that I solved the technicalities of uploading the video image myself tonight though - if I'd waited for DH to perform I would never have got it sorted, but here we are courtesy of my own firewire cable and windows movie-maker and a bit of instinctive software driving I've done it myself.
I just hope it plays OK
Megamum_Skiing_2008
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 14-03-08 0:04; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
you;re bending at the waist. Try to keep your back straighter, but bend at the ANKLES instead.
You'll never get parallel at that speed. You need to be going a LOT faster, and then it will suddenly click. as you pick up speed you will make fewer turns (and vice versa of course) and as a result will not be working as hard ans so wlil be less tired
nice technique on the snowplough turns though, very consistent 
PS It's not an image
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
PS It's not an image
|
That was from the link the Snowheads media zone set up - as nbt, found out you will need it to get the video
nbt, Thanks for the comments. My instructor keeps telling me that my brakes are in my mind, so your comments add up nicely with his observation
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Megamum wrote: |
| I'm disappointed that I appear to be going so slowly I thought I was steaming along. |
I know exactly what you mean! Though this holiday I did go faster a few times - there was an extremely good incentive that worked: several sections of the blue runs we did on the Friday had uphill sections  . I had two choices, go fast enough to build up enough speed to carry me up them, or side step up them - no brainer!! I also discovered that when I began to experience the parallel motion a few times, a bit more speed did help - those SHs who had told me that were right!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Butterfly, When I tried the new blue piste (that one with the section of adverse camber) it too had an uphill section. It came at the end of a fairish section of gentle slope that was too narrow for turns and I ended up snowploughing parts of it until I got used top letting the skis run a little - even then the instructor would come and take my elbow and try to pull me along a bit faster  In the finish I realised that if I went as fast as I could there was less walking to do at the end, but not even the instructor could make it up the slope without having to sidestep a little. My problem with the longish narrow section was what to do with the rest of my body whilst just sitting on the skis in a straight line if I was not turning - in the finish I plumped for hands on knees as the children do, but I was shocked at how awkward it felt to just sit on my skis doing nothing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Megamum - you should be proud of yourself - that's a noticable improvement from last season. Nice and solid stance and very clean parallel between turns.
Now the bit you'll hate...
| nbt wrote: |
| you;re bending at the waist. Try to keep your back straighter, but bend at the ANKLES instead. |
Actually, I disagree. You look to be bending at the hips (which is good), not the waist (which is "bad"). Your body position is actually very, very good - much better than most skiers you see on piste. The "BASI manual" says back angle at the same or slightly greater angle than the shins. Which it clearly is.
You're definitely not sticking your bottom out. Which is also good.
The only reason that the stance looks strange is that there isn't any up and down movement in it. But that will come.
As will parallel turns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megamum, As nbt, says, bend zee ankles. Get the hands up and forward. Instructors at the EoSB will sort you out sharpish. Have you tried side slipping? Learning some balance and edge control techniques will do you the world of good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Instructors at the EoSB will sort you out sharpish.
|
Frosty the Snowman, You don't think I'm a lost cause then? I'm still this bad after 3 weeks on skis - some people would be skimming down blacks by now.
I think I was better last year:
https://snowheads.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/data/500/thumbs/julia1.mpg
The hands are a bit of an issue - I can hold them out, but they still look blooming ridiculous - that's why I didn't post that bit of video. I was very much working on quiet hands and not swinging then round and thereby upsetting my shoulder on the outside of the turn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megamum, Well done, big improvements. I agree with PhillipStanton, with regard to your posture, it's good, but lacking in the extension/flexion. A few of things to work on:
Firstly use a smaller snowplough to initiate the turn, that way it isn't such a huge distance between the tails of the skis when you want them to go parallel.
Second increase the speed, the parallel movements will become much easier to perform.
Third try and link the arcs from one to another, rather than having straight lines between each turn.
The EoSB Instructors, I'm sure will sort you out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Megamum wrote: |
| then the instructor would come and take my elbow and try to pull me along a bit faster.. |
I had that treatment, but it was a hand in the centre of my back pushing me along faster than I wanted to go - after he had patted a certain part of my anatomy to "improve my posture"
| Quote: |
| My problem with the longish narrow section was what to do with the rest of my body whilst just sitting on the skis in a straight line if I was not turning - in the finish I plumped for hands on knees as the children do, but I was shocked at how awkward it felt to just sit on my skis doing nothing. |
Yes I found that too, but after a bit I focused on trying to relax but remain in a good balanced position and let my legs be shock absorbers to deal with the undulations. I was more than a bit shocked when I went over a little bump and realised that the skis had just about left the ground for a microsecond, but the biggest shock was that it didn't make me lose my balance!
| Quote: |
| You don't think I'm a lost cause then? I'm still this bad after 3 weeks on skis - some people would be skimming down blacks by now. |
I know that feeling too especially on Weds - went to Xscape and took a 19 year old friend who had done a single week with school a few years ago - she was far more confident than me and her turns were far more parallel too. However she did spend rather more time on the deck than me! I discussed it with an instructor there who remembered teaching me last year & he pointed out that I may not be speeding off down hard slopes, but I am very stable and am developing a good secure style, so I was very pleased with that.
When are we going to meet up at MK again? That was good fun last year - surely we don't have to wait for a birthday!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
sorry but nbt is way off. your posture is excellent
|
It depends one ones own experience. My waist is below my hips, so technically I am right. Can't speak for nbt, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Megamum wrote: |
| I'm annoyed that I still can't both those skis round those turns parallel - in virtually every turn I'm still snow ploughing things. |
Firstly, Megamum, be positive. These are not snowplough turns, but very neat and consistent plough parallel turns ("basic swings" in older speak) which is an important step towards parallel skiing and beyond plough turns. That's because you are now changing edges where in a plough turn we stay always on the same edges. There is no fundamental flaw in what you are doing (posture is fine, by the way, though you could refine it by moving your hands a bittie forwards and up and by keeping your head up) and your next instructor should be delighted to see such good early plough parallels to develop from.
Next steps? As has been said, the most important step forward is to develop leg action. This is so that you can add pressure as an element in your turning to the already good foot rotation. In effect, the stronger you make a leg stretch on the outer leg at the start of your turn, the lighter the inner ski will become and the easier it will be to steer it round parallel. At the moment, if you look again at your video and watch your legs, they are flexed well but "static" - ie, at the moment you do not "stretch and bend" your legs. That's the way to go to develop a more advanced plough parallel (where your skis match in the fall line). skimottaret, describes this as "sinking and "getting tall" - different words for the same actions. I would put money on it (well, an old pair of ski socks) that your instructor at the Bash will start working on leg action as soon as he/she sees you.
As for embarrassing the kids - forget it. That's what mums are for. You could be an advanced skier doing all sorts of magical things and they would be embarrassed by the colour of your boots, or something you said to a total stranger in a lift queue.  I bet they are secretly pleased to have a skiing Mum and boast about you (out of your earshot of course).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Thanks everyone - we did some sinking and getting tall exercises and also tried the pole plants on the turn - sinking across the mountain, rising up tall pole in ground and turn round pole - we quickly dispensed with the pole plant, but tried the sinking and rising a fair bit - what I struggled with was the timing - as with Butterfly's own thread I guess. I could get tall, and sink down, but not necesarily in the right place 
I also tried my myself putting the turns together - it helped when the piste was not too crowded, I did manage about 17 down the slope one day working on 'and 1, 2 turn, and 1, 2 turn'. I also tried sections of the childrens slalom course that you can see in the edge of some of the shots too - I found I could get down that. It also helped doing that to be concentrating on the flags rather than on the skiing I think because I was looking at the next flag and the skis were just kind of going where I was looking.
I still think I look a prat in the videos, but I will comfort myself with the kind comments that I may have progressed beyond a straight snowplough turn and now be doing these plough parallels. I'll dig out a bit of footage when I've got a moment to show you the other sort of hands I played with - which incidentally the instructor reckoned were the best hands on the practice slope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Megamum,
What are you beating yourself up for...? you look in control and quite fluid all round..
You didn't look at all troubled by the slope... solid skiing, I'd say and a good stance.
What really seems to be bothering you is the 3 weeks since... but once you get more confidence, a lot will take care of itself. You have some good basics, IMV
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Megamum, don't get down about taking longer than others. I think as long as your improving (however slowly) and having fun that all that matters . You're not alone in taking longer than a week to ski parallel, though it may seem like it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Megamum take your time and it will come to you eventually. Everyone here has either gone throgh that phase or will have to go through it. As long as you keep on working on it. All the grief and practice is worth it when you learn to carve and you can feel the force sucking you back into the mountain
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
One further point about the EoSB: No worrying about others on the slopes. It is all about you, and you can concentrate all day on your skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OK, I've done another bit (getting the hang of the IT now). I think these are probably better hands, but the overall skiing is not so good - also DH lost me for a few moments - I reckon he must have slipped
[img]https://snowheads.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/data/500/thumbs/Possibly_better_hands.wmv[/img]
Frosty the Snowman, Is the skiing good enough for where we are going down the green run in VT? Also, will I be able to ski to the Knife and Fork (I think its important that I can isn't it) ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megamum, Yes and Yes, the green passes the knife n fork. Anyhow, isn't it time we planned some blues for your second day. Moraine is a corker, another nice chair starting just below the knife n fork. Zoom in on this map http://www.valthorens.com/site/planpistes.php Follow the 2 lacs chair and you see the green off the top. Follow the right split and it takes you to "the Knife n Fork" at the bottom of the Moraine chair.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, The lifts look much longer than what I'm used to - I expect the runs will be too. I must do more than just the greens before I come home - I can just about hobble (and thats about the right term - includes mainly snowploughs) down the difficult blue in Switzerland (blue, red, black system) (that one lady I spoke to said would be a red in some places) so I ought to be able to do some French Blues (green, blue, red, black system). I think I will feel some sense of achievement if I can do some of the blue runs there and also get down the race course on the big day. - At least those are the goals that I think could be achieveable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Megamum, if I was you, I wouldn't focus too much on the run colour. If you ski with a group of reasonably well intentioned people who know you reasonably well, you won't go on anything too ghastly, but occasionally you'll go down something that you're less than comfortable with. There's nothing like a bit of that to a) make you realise that you can ski (that snowplough will get you down most pistes in the world, no bother) and b) bring your skiing on a lot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
| if I was you, I wouldn't focus too much on the run colour |
agreed. Today was the sort of day when some otherwise anodyne blue runs had huge great lumpy moguls on, and corpses all over the place (it was mega-hot). On other days, a much steeper run, with nice freshly pisted snow on it, is a piece of cake in comparison. I can't see your video (connection far too slow, I'm so far up the mountain) but I think you're very brave to post it. Now I hope you're going to take all these helpful comments on board, accept that you're doing well, and just get on with it. I was skiing today with a very apprehensive beginner, on his fourth day. He said his feet were hurting, so badly he couldn't think about anything else, and the snow was especially difficult. It was pure tension and apprehension (gripping the soles of the boots with his toes). I offered him my Walkman, which he refused. But I insisted. Just put the bloody thing on, I told him. Five minutes later - happy relaxed bunny doing nice snowplough turns down the very easy run, with very nice snow, which we were on. He stopped thinking, fretting, and talking to himself and let his body get on with it. Such a huge difference. He was even polite about some of the odder tracks on my player, he was so pleased.
Skiing with other people is a great thing to do, especially when you are not responsible for a single one of them. Just chill.... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Kitty wrote: |
| Megamum, Stop thinking so hard! |
Couldn't agree more. From what I understand, as a relative newcomer to this forum, you will be skiing with loads of other people. Some may be further on than you; you may be further on than some of them. That's not the point. There will, if Snowheads are like any other skiing groups I know, be plenty mutual help on the slope - and plenty of laughs as well. Relax and get ready to enjoy. 
By the way, again as a newcomer, how does the instruction work on the Bash? Do you use the local ski school or is it volunteer instructors from within the Snowheads membership?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Kitty wrote: |
| Megamum, Stop thinking so hard! |
That sounds familiar!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Butterfly, That's the trouble isn't it - the cogs still go round when we ski, the whole time. If you're anything like me you're thinking, arms out, carry the tea tray, watch that shoulder, drive those knees round that corner, weight on the outside ski, pressure off the inside turn ski, round we go, crouch down, flippin' heck that boarder was close I know I get on much better when there is something else to take the attention, but until when there isn't I can't yet do stuff instinctively. I get sooo cross with myself - Butterfly, do you find yourself watching other skiers on the mountain and thinking they are making it look sooo easy. I never dreamt it would be sooo difficult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Nick L, I only fell twice last year - this year I was on my backside 2 or 3 times (or more most days) including one fairly hard tumble onto my coccyx that the instructor reckoned he heard!! That was on the harder slope. I was on the ibruprofen gel for about the next 3 days. The harder slope didn't do the confidence much good - I could as I said above hobble down it, with hobble being the operative word. After that for about 5 of the next 6 days I could only snowplough on the easy slope - confidence shot to bits. The shots posted are after something clicked on the last day or so. Yes, the 'poling' video was before the other one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Megamum, Yes I do watch others and marvel at how easy they make it look and the thoughts going through my mind are totally similar to yours - a list of what to try to remember interrupted by fears of being taken out by the boarder approaching rapidly from behind! Nick L mentions poling across the traverse - yep, happens to me too - I like to be at a speed I feel ok with, and seek out a friendly-looking site for my turn, so I sometimes run out of speed. Falling - I only fell getting off chairlifts - got myself a bit of a mental block about doing so now!
What you say about confidence is really important I think. When it's been knocked it takes quite a while to recover. I was really pleased in Vallandry that each day began on the easiest slope as a warm-up and a chance to relax as that slope seemed to get easier each day.
Now, have you seen the big news?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megamum,
A possible tip for learning to ski parallel while not on the slopes (which taught me) - maybe try getting some ice skating lessons and getting them to teach you one footed hockey stops - teaches you to really put your weight onto one edge of the blade/ski, and doing it propoerly requires a fair degree leg extension and flex. Its not the perfect carbon copy of the ski movement, but everyone I know who's gone from skating to skiing has paralelled virtually straight away due to skating experience.
Good skiiers - please don't slaughter me for that comment - its just ice skating really helped me understand edges and allowed me to ski on two skis!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KateF, I've had lots of falls in the last 10 years, including some huge ones on (or rather off the edge of) my snowboard. The only one which left me injured for months with an entire leg black with bruising was on the ice rink in Chamonix (skating because the snow was so bad). It's so much harder than snow to fall on. I agree that good skaters learn to ski very quickly - my brother in law is one - but it seems a long-winded way to teach someone who has already made good strides in skiing, if they're not skaters already.
Megamum - if you're trying to think about all those things, no wonder you get confused. It's impossible. Pick one per run. Or even one per day! that's what I do. One run it's the inside knee. another run it's hands. etc. And sometimes, just look at the scenery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Yoda, Thanks for the explanation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pam W - agreed skating can hurt - just thought it might be a way to start feeling the edges a bit more on a more regualr basis - i.e. it probably isn't unfeasible to get 3-4 hours of skating practise in per week in the UK, when, if like me, Megamum cannot go to the slopes for more than 1-2 weeks per season. Ice may be harder to fall on, but there's alot more time to get used to it and if you're going every week, theres not that pressure to feel you are doing so much better or going faster, every minute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
