 Poster: A snowHead
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KateF, I know what you mean. I can basically skate, doing snowplough and "T" stops, but not hockey stops and I felt this helped me to begin with as I found the ski snowplough & elementary turns on a very shallow slope really easy to learn. I have wondered if I had mastered the hockey stop whether that would have been a skill that would have transferred to parallel skiing. I am not prepare to go back to skating though, simply because ice is so darned unforgiving to fall on!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've taught people to hockey stop on skates in a few hours of my rubbish teaching (note i could never teach basic skiing so not purporting to be good or anything), and would happily try and help anyone willing to meet me at a rink. I honestly believe my ability to parallel turn is based on my hockey coaches teaching me to use my edges as a child. (although note i can ski any slope, but not without whinges - and in the most drastic of situations - tears - as im a wimp!)
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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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They look like very good plough-parallel turns to me (you start in a plough, but match the skis so they are parallel part way through the turn). You are steering with your legs not your shoulders, which is a really good thing to do as a novice skier, and doing lovely rounded turns. Look around the mountain to see just how many people swing their shoulders around, so well done for getting those turns spot on. As others have said, your stance is a bit static, but at the slow speed you are skiing there will be very little forces building up so not much flex is required to manage that pressure. What needs to happen for you to move on to the next stage is to become more comfortable with going a little bit quicker, which will enable you to balance more on your outside ski, which will enable you keep your skis parallel from the very beginning of the turn. All those things will happen at the same time and, hey presto, you will be skiing parallel! Don't be worried about going a little bit quicker as you have very good control of your speed and the line you take down the mountain so you aren't suddenly going to lose that control.
Looking at the video it seems to me that you are concentrating really hard. It reminded me of some video I saw of myself this week. Maybe try a run or two when you don't concentrate so hard; look ahead more to enjoy the place you're in, smile or sing, and just let your body make the movements to control your skiing without thinking too hard about it. Being more relaxed like that might well allow you to ski a bit quicker and to be more flexible in your stance.
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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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KateF, I'm like Butterfly, I too can basically skate. Even though these days I haven't been on a rink for several years I could still don a pair of skates (and I have my own) step onto a rink and skate off. I can do a T stop, turn from front to back and progress with a 'lemon' action and turn round to the front again and do front wise cross overs around a corner, I can even hold up a small child whilst they try to skate. I can't do a hockey stop on skates though. However, in all the time I've skated I can honestly say I've never given a second thought to 'edges' and being on an inside or outside edge has never seemed to be an issue. I just get on a rink and skate - I don't know why I can't do the same with skis. I therefore, don't know if I am aware enough of skate edges for that to do me any good. Thanks for your kind thoughts on the matter though.
Butterfly, Whoooo........eeeeeeee!!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Edit: double post 
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Nick L, The trouble is the second video - when I'm in the red and white jacket is last years!! Like I said I think I have gone backwards. Orange jacket is this years.
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KateF, I'm a fairly competent skater, can hockey stop both ways, crossover backwards both ways etc, nothing too flash, just solid. After A couple of shakey dry slope lessons, when I got on the snow, I found I could pretty much nearly parallel ski straight away, and hockey stopping wasn't a problem.
Also, carving skates round a turn really helped me understand the feeling of getting skis to carve.
I'm sure skating helped my skiing, so maybe it would for others 
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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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When I think about it I guess a hockey stop on skis is similar in action to part of a parallel turn. On a flatish surface and at my own speed I can just about manage a hockey stop on skis - better left handed than right. If I can hockey stop something tells me I ought to be close to managing a parallel turn.
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Megamum,
I would echo all the above advice plus add you are spot on re the hockey stop, or more specifically side slipping which when you first make the transition to parallel turning is vital, also being able to control speed and stop will give you the confidence you need to go quicker.
One word of caution, given the level of affection for you on snow heads I fear you may well be overwhelmed with advice and coaching at the ESOB. In the end when learning a skill it has to be felt to be understood and remembered, the advice and drills can lead you there, the coaching can reinforce it and lock in whats good, but it still needs to be felt. After intensive coaching its good to have some quiet time without advice to practice and find the right sensations in your own time and space.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jbob, Thank you, I will try to remember to make enough time to just ski for myself. Actually, I fancy finding some really long relatively shallow slopes that I can try some nice long radius turns on and see if I can find the edges of the skis.
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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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Megamum- I find that if I find a slope I am comfortable with, a green run and i try to do 1 thing (that the instructor has suggested) per run, and stick with that run for an hour or two and then switch to a harder run for an hour or so (still trying to do only 1 thing the instructor has said) / run, that when i then go back to the original run I find it so much easier and somehow seem to be able to put everything together. I am not sure if its because you push yourself that the next time you go back to the easier run things click or whether its just about repetitive learning (I remember things if they are drilled into me- eventually)
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megamum - i think you have done brilliantly! well done! you look really controlled and secure to me......enjoy the rest of your skiing and as pam w says just chill and go with your body flow! good luck!!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| jbob, Thank you, I will try to remember to make enough time to just ski for myself. Actually, I fancy finding some really long relatively shallow slopes that I can try some nice long radius turns on and see if I can find the edges of the skis. |
I need to do the same - perhaps we can quietly slope off (groan!) together a few times and practise what we have learned? From the panorama picture of VT & the piste map it looks as if there is a really convenient practice slope running right down the middle of the resort area that we might use? Just an idea  . Are you booking any lessons? I am.
I still can't believe I am going!
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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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Regarding skating, I learned skiing pretty quickly, and I'd done a lot of ice skating as a kiddie, and roller or inline skating as an adult. When Mr DS first hooked up with the Snoworks people (when they were The Ski Company), they advised him to learn inline skating because his weight was too far back. This really helped him with forward/back balance on skis, because if you get it wrong on skates you fall over. So, the fact that I've learned skating before made it easier for me to get the balance right, and I've never been picked up on this by any instructor - when I've asked I was told it was correct (by BASI trainers).
So maybe that is one of the reasons why skating helps - as well as edge feel, you also get the balance easier which helps your progress.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Megamum, I just picked up this thread so apologies if i am late coming to it. You are a brave girl posting your fears on here and I can empathise with you totally. I now have 3 weeks under my belt and can just about manage to do parallell turns, linking about 6 at a time before my concentration dwindles. My husband and children however are like pro skiers (or so it seems to me) and are happy doing the most challenging red runs, trying the odd black here and there. To add insult to injury, some friends joined us for a few days this Feb, both boarders with 15 wks under their belts.......so can you imaging how stupid I felt?
I think you must just stop thinking so hard and actually ENJOY your skiing. I too am very tense when skiing but I found that a hip flask full of Drambuie helped immensely - not the whole flask of course but a little snifter when the need arose - great for Dutch courage! And having read Pam W's comments I am going to try the music thing - my husband tried to get me to use his ipod this year but i wouldnt as I was too busy concentrating! Maybe you should try that too. But overall ENJOY yourself and stop worrying about what other people think about your skiing ability - it just makes you more tense I find!
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