I'm fairly certain that i ski better than 99% of skiers
Oops think I'm reading the wrong thread. Now what was it called? Skiers are arrogant or something like that?
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?
beequin,Lou, I confidently ski in almost any conditions up to the toponeige grade 4.3 In good conditions i won't have a problem on 5.1's & have skied a good number of them. I have also skied a couple of routes that have been graded 5.2
Look that up & then tell me whether or not i can walk the walk for my talking the talk.
Hurtle, I'll be in Val Thorens in March & hopefully will be going out for a ski with offpisteskiing if his schedule allows. Maybe he can report back then on my ability level?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
frank4short, is that 99% of British skiers, 99% of skiers you have personally witnessed, or 99% of all skiers worldwide? Are you including in that 99% all French, Swiss, Austrian, German, Italian, Bulgarians, Slovakians, Americans and Canadians who have grown up in the mountains and skied all winter every winter since the age of 3?
You see the problem making blanket statements like that? I'm sure you are a very good skier, but in the top 1% of skiers in the world? Really?
edit: apologies to all Norwegians, Finnish, Swedish, Russians, Andorrans, Chileans, Kiwi's and Aussies for excluding you from the original list
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 15-02-10 16:22; edited 2 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
frank4short, I can't wait.
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.
frank4short, am very pleased for you. I couldn't give a monkeys how you ski and I'm in no position to comment on anyone else's ability. Boastful arrogance is cr@p however.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The OP is foolish and would love to follow him down a black. I would not want to be in front of him!
SkiG, I dont have the requirment to say that I can stay in front of the GF! The reason is I can't, unless she wants me to! To the OP she often says that she is not that good! Her humility is attractive, as opposed to a 12 day rookie. She will often say "that guy/girl is a good skier", being a good racer does not make her feel she is a good skier, just a good racer! A friend of hers is a great skier, on the Norwegian demo team. Never made it as a racer but his technique makes hers look average!
robinsrule, take the lessons and you too may be considered by others to be a "good skier"!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
frank4short, unless you started skiing when you were 3 and then lived near the mountains so that you could ski every weekend permitted and went to race training every wednesday, saturday and sunday, boot camps, etc etc the chances of you being better than '99% of other skiers' is pretty slim. Perhaps better than '99% of other Brits!"
If you did, my apologies
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:
frank4short wrote:
I'm fairly certain that i ski better than 99% of skiers
Means you probably can't
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hey, I haven't skied with frank4short, but I'd be surprised if he wasn't a pretty good skier.
On the other hand the generally accepted standard for internet forum skiing excellence is being better than 97% of the skiers on the hill. 99% may be pushing it, there are loads of instructors around who could show us amateurs a thing or two.
As for the OP, well, the post did create controversy, or at least some discussion. But to ask "what's the point of black slopes? I'm a natural / fairly advanced but can't ski them properly" is to invite a bit of pisstaking.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Whoa, hold your horses! I am getting slated by people like Alexandra because I initially said that I am a fairly new skier who has been down a couple of blacks but do not like them (regardless of my ability)… Where, exactly, did I commit a crime?
Actually Alexandra, not wishing to bore you and others with details of my apparently non-existent ski abilities, I would never tell someone that I was a good skier if I met them face-to-face, that's why I come on here with a username where nobody knows me It's nice that you judge me from two website posts and that, according to you, none of my PGA Tour accredited friends are actually professional teaching golfers!! And please show me where I said I can't do a black run, I simply don't enjoy them (yet), regardless of how long/little I have skied, and one day when (please God) I am as talented on skis as you inevitably are then we'll see if I change my tune.
As for going on slopes above your own ability, I completely agree with that, if you read my last post you'll see that I prefer to take it easy on the cruisers. I too have witnessed several crashes caused by people going way too fast on busy slopes. Of course I am a relative novice, and – despite possible evidence to the contrary - I know it, so you don't need to worry about finding me flailing around on my ar*e on a steep slope next week in the 3Vs!!
I would definitely get lessons if I was planning on tackling moguls, off-piste etc. And while I have never paid for a lesson, I did spend 4 days skiing with a qualified instructor who gave me plenty of tips. So there!
ps I realise that I deserve a bit of a dissing for the sweeping generalisation of my topic (and the fact that I disclosed my ski experience). I consider myself thoroughly chastised for all of my skiing sins and hope that in future we can all be friends
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Those that can don't need to say so
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Dr John, Yes I would consider having the ability to ski the Glacier Ronde, Cosmiques Couloir, Cunningham Couloir on the aiguille du midi & the North East face of the Courtes, several of which would be classed as extreme by anyone's definition, as being in the top 1% worldwide.
PS i was looking for Flingle of this parishes photos but he seems to have taken down a lot of his old photo essays of his chamonix extreme skiing. It's a shame as there was a lot of interesting stuff on there.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
frank4short, <is wondering whether there's a smiley of a man fishing?>
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?
robinsrule,
Quote:
But I would much rather go down a slope and rack up the miles going at whatever speed I felt comfortable with (and could control) than warily edge side to side down a black, killing my knees in the process
Here's where you said you couldn't ski a black properly
Oh, and to everyone talking about Franks4short skiing: I've never seen him ski so I can't comment, but there are plenty of local skiers (race training form age 3) who don't have the right attitude or desire to ski some of the lines F4S described. At the top it's about more than just skiing ability.
Whoa, hold your horses! I am getting slated by people like Alexandra because I initially said that I am a fairly new skier who has been down a couple of blacks but do not like them (regardless of my ability)… Where, exactly, did I commit a crime?
Actually Alexandra, not wishing to bore you and others with details of my apparently non-existent ski abilities, I would never tell someone that I was a good skier if I met them face-to-face, that's why I come on here with a username where nobody knows me It's nice that you judge me from two website posts and that, according to you, none of my PGA Tour accredited friends are actually professional teaching golfers!! And please show me where I said I can't do a black run, I simply don't enjoy them (yet), regardless of how long/little I have skied, and one day when (please God) I am as talented on skis as you inevitably are then we'll see if I change my tune.
As for going on slopes above your own ability, I completely agree with that, if you read my last post you'll see that I prefer to take it easy on the cruisers. I too have witnessed several crashes caused by people going way too fast on busy slopes. Of course I am a relative novice, and – despite possible evidence to the contrary - I know it, so you don't need to worry about finding me flailing around on my ar*e on a steep slope next week in the 3Vs!!
I would definitely get lessons if I was planning on tackling moguls, off-piste etc. And while I have never paid for a lesson, I did spend 4 days skiing with a qualified instructor who gave me plenty of tips. So there!
ps I realise that I deserve a bit of a dissing for the sweeping generalisation of my topic (and the fact that I disclosed my ski experience). I consider myself thoroughly chastised for all of my skiing sins and hope that in future we can all be friends
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Apologies for the multiple posts, it's the dodgy internet connection. My reply really wasn't worth posting twice...
After all it is free
After all it is free
robinsrule wrote:
and one day when (please God) I am as talented on skis as you inevitably are then we'll see if I change my tune.
I have not been skiing since the dawn of time, what I have done is spend approximately 50% of my days on the mountain taking a lesson, taken in every single bit of advice given to me, taken video (de)construction and then put in the graft.
You won't find me any time soon in les 3V... I'm a purist!
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.
Well, frank4short is saying he skis 50º+ slopes with lots of exposure (that's about twice as steep as the majority of blacks). Anyone who skis that sort of thing is a good skier or he is dead.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 15-02-10 23:25; edited 1 time in total
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
frank4short, me and my mate came down Cunningham Couloir dressed as a pantomime horse. Easiest thing I've ever done.
Here's video proof:
http://youtube.com/v/1YiZQh20l3g
Admittedly it doesn't look that steep, or indeed even a couloir. But like lots of comments on this thread, you'll just have to take my word for it
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Will S, genius!
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.
clarky999, It's an unusual attitude that if you don't come from a mountain community or even if you didn't then start at a young age on plastic & doing race training it's not possible to attain the lofty heights of say the top 1%. Yet if i said i was a UIAGM guide people wouldn't bat an eyelid at these claims. When the reality of it is that most guides that aren't idigenous to mountainous areas probably have a very similar backround to myself. That it is possible to become very good at the highest level off piste over a relatively short period of time, say 3 seasons, with the right attitude & situation. I have skied with a lot of these guys & never had a problem being the weak person in the group.
In my case I come from a mountaineering backround so the steep slopes & big mountains have never really scared me. Or to rephrase that haven't scared me as much as a conventional skier from a recreational backround as i'm used to exposure & long drops. When i was in my final year in uni i got hit by a bus crossing the road. This paid for me to do a season in Chamonix where i was lucky enough to get in with the right gang due to where i was living, Le Vagabond. My intention originally was to learn to ski as a means to get around for winter mountaineering but the winter of 98/99 was one of the worst on record due to the excessive volumes of snow but for these reasons was also one of the best for skiing. For these reasons i found myself skiing an awful lot & my mountaineering backround enabled me to get proficient in areas of skiing it takes others years to master as they didn't scare me as much & i was frequently with a group of skiers who were amongst the best in the world. As this skill set developed I increasingly got invited to come with them to ski bigger & scarier lines. This culminated in skiing the Cosmiques in the middle of April in 99. I hadn't been able to ski 5 months earlier.
After my first season i was well & truely hooked & went back to do a further 3 seasons until eventually the crushing weight of the real world reeled me in to a normal 9/5 existence. Over the course of my 4 seasons skiing i would guess i skied well in excess of 400 days. Possibly a lot more as we used to take about 1 rest day a fortnight on average between late dec/early jan & mid may. In this period of time i was lucky enough to ski with some of the best skiers in the world amongst them a number of freeride world champions & movie skiers of that time. As previously stated i have skied a number of what would be considered extreme lines that would only be skied by the very top percentile of skiers today.
Now since i've stopped doing seasons i've endeavoured to get in a minimum of 2 weeks per year & when ever possible more than that. I would not say my skiing has regressed in this period of time but unfortunately it's stopped progressing. I also think finally age & wisdom have caught up enough to stop me considering doing the kind of lines that would be the next step forward in my skiing.
So whilst i may have been partially trolling when i started blowing my own trumpet. I would also suggest that my skiing experience base would be far in advance of the standard British mountain guides. That to suggest that it's simply not possible to ski at the level i've suggested without a certain very narrow skiing backround is a misnomer & that possibly some people on here should reassess the way they think about these things.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
To make a golf analogy, I have seen many people hacking around the course and I wonder why on Earth they are wasting their money to play so badly - but they are obviously enjoying themselves, so each to their own. Some people want to be technically good at whatever sport, be it skiing, golf, tennis, football, whatever.... Some just want to have a bit of fun and hope to make it home in one piece As a one- or two-weeks-a-year skier I expect I'll forever be in the latter category, and that perhaps I'll never benefit from the undoubted wisdom that professional tuition would bring me. I wish I had the time and the money to become a decent skier, but like the majority of people who don't have the Alps on their doorstep, I doubt it will happen anytime soon.
I only wish that I had taken up skiing a few years earlier
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Will S, Quality!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Will S, nail/head interface. I parachuted down into Mt St Helens, climbed out to the rum then skied down the outside to Kelso for a pint. This was before lunch. Give me a minute and I'll post a picture of Mt St Helens and that will PROVE THAT I DID IT.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
robinsrule, keeping with the golfing analogy, are you going to ask next what is the point of Lytham St Annes?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The point of black slopes is to keep us entertained whilst sat on a charilift. On Saturday we had a good chortle at a couple of folks coming down La Capa (Arinsal) whilst the lift slowly crawled along, a skier on his face, a boarder on his backside etc etc. They got up and set off again with a smile on their faces.
No doubt those on the same lift took smiliar amusement as I went head over expletive about 4 minutes later, trying some freestyle on my board and planting my helmeted noggin firmly into the groomed, fairly flat ‘motorway’ blue. Hey, I laughed too.
I don’t care how good others think they are, whether they have had lessons, or what their definition of intermediate is blah blah blah. As long as you don’t crash into me, my wife or my mates, and your enjoying yourself that’s fine.
Man, you skiers are a tightly wound bunch . If you ski a black and amaze me, I’ll buy you a beer, if you slide down it on your face I’ll buy you 2. What would we talk about over our drinks if there had been no sightings of people ‘out of their depth’, cutting us up and generally getting in the way?
I can ski this, I can ski that…..lighten up guys.
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?
Dr John wrote:
frank4short, is that 99% of British skiers, 99% of skiers you have personally witnessed, or 99% of all skiers worldwide? Are you including in that 99% all French, Swiss, Austrian, German, Italian, Bulgarians, Slovakians, Americans and Canadians who have grown up in the mountains and skied all winter every winter since the age of 3?
You probably mean Slovenians not Slovakians, since Slovakians are not all that much into skiing Yeah we get a bit touchy when people mix us with our Slovakian brothers... especially when it comes to skiing.
primoz, my apologies old boy. I'm forever getting Americans and Canadians mixed up, if that's any consolation...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
primoz, The Slovaks seem to do pretty well in the Nordic events.
frank4short, Respect, you can ski. But the OP is not doing four seasons of learing ski-mountaineering and clearly does need lessons - cos he ain't going to get any tuition for free.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Rookie Rich - bang on! I didn't expect this thread to get quite so serious, and maybe I am also guilty of getting a little defensive.... Dr John, you make a good point, but if your intention was to go to Lytham St Annes to play to your handicap you would probably leave severely disappointed. If you enjoyed paying an arm and a leg to get eaten up by the course and have your skills being shown up (as mine would be on many black ski pistes) then go ahead and enjoy. And if you enjoy going ar*e over t1t down a black run then also be my guest!
I have true admiration for good skiers, and I am the ski version of the golf hacker who hits just enough good shots down the middle to give himself encouragement to keep persevering. But the difference is that I am just beginning my ski odyssey - If I was still skiing as badly as I have seen some people play golf 20 years down the line then I think I would just knock it on the head!
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.
robinsrule,
Quote:
If I was still skiing as badly as I have seen some people play golf 20 years down the line then I think I would just knock it on the head!
aargghhhh, don't say that - I'm skiing just as badly as I was 20 years ago. Except that I haven't given up all hope, and am now - desperately belatedly - taking some lessons. I'm banking on it never being too late to improve, even though I'll never get to the Lytham St Anne's equivalent.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Dr John, don't worry it was meant to be joke. Yeah we are constantly mixed up, but it's not really so hard to do this. We have almost same flags, country names sound quite same, even language is sort of similar. But anyway... you will remember us, when we will beat you in South Africa later on, since we play in same group Yes don't worry, that was joke too beequin, so do we At the moment (last 3 or 4 years), I would say we are actually better even in xc skiing, and we were always better in ski jumping and alpine skiing. Biathlon is normally kinda same, even though they just got medal 2 days ago. But ice hockey on the other side is something totally different... there we don't have a chance
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
As a one- or two-weeks-a-year skier I expect I'll forever be in the latter category, and that perhaps I'll never benefit from the undoubted wisdom that professional tuition would bring me. I wish I had the time and the money to become a decent skier, but like the majority of people who don't have the Alps on their doorstep, I doubt it will happen anytime soon.
. If you ski a black and amaze me, I’ll buy you a beer, if you slide down it on your face I’ll buy you 2. What would we talk about over our drinks if there had been no sightings of people ‘out of their depth’, cutting us up and generally getting in the way?
But anyway... you will remember us, when we will beat you in South Africa later on, since we play in same group 