 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kitenski,
2005
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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livetoski, yes jockeys is another great run, especially as no-one goes on it!! Shames it's always been shut when I've been in Easter!!
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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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I'm in a similar position to the OP - better than a 5 on the IO scale but not sure if I'm a 6 yet. That's after a season in St Anton followed by 6 or so holidays, and many trips to the fridge.
I seem to get better with lessons, but then drop back again, so each holiday I end at the same place.
I feel the fear/lack of confidence is the main thing holding me back, not helped I'm sure be learning in me 30s. Poor balance in general can't help either.
But I'm working on my strength and alignment, I'll take a few more lessons on the next holiday, and as long as I choose the resort carefully I enjoy what I can 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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I'm in Manchester.
Although I am actually planning to do an IO course in Hemel in the next few months, because I won one a few months ago 
I was trying to decide between their building confidence clinic and a skills one. I feel I'm a bit better than the target level 4/5 for the building confidence clinic, as I can parallel turn down a red, and even enjoy it on a good day. But I like going slowly, so don't feel I'm a level 6. I guess I'll ask them.
Thanks for the advice.
Hope the OP keeps enjoying it, whether she improves or not.
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Maybe I'm just a hopeless case
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That's an odd conclusion to draw, megamum, from the observation that some people have become good skiers a lot faster than you have (and that is true regardless of the self-delusion of some posters).
I have skied an enormous number of weeks and had a lot of good tuition, but I know that a lot of people have got much better, much faster, and am perfectly comfortable with that knowledge. I don't think I'm hopeless, but I have no illusions that people with more inherent athletic ability, and more courage, became better skiers in a fraction of the time.
I have skied with some very, very, fast learners. They've all had the athletic ability and "lack of fear" mentioned above. Of course someone who has spent a lifetime on a surfboard will learn snowboarding fast. A lad on one chalet holiday I went on had played ice hockey in Glasgow for years, and was also a dancer. His skiing progress was awe-inspiring.
For me, what's important is to learn, and to improve. I am a far better skier at 65 than I was at 45 and that's good enough for me. Comparing yourself to others in any walk of life is a path to certain dissatisfaction and arguably a breach of the Tenth Commandment. Having just had a couple of great days on the Grand Motte in Tignes with Inside Out, I rejoice to see the 10 year old ski racers - but they don't make me feel like I'm a failure! I feel pleased that I made good progress with my carving (on a blue slope  ). Yes, it is all about enjoyment, but I wouldn't enjoy my skiing nearly so much if I wasn't trying to improve. But the fact that my inherent ability will limit my progress (even if I spent more time and money on it) doesn't bother me in the least. On the other hand if I'd not bothered with lessons after my first weeks skiing I suspect I would have given it up years ago; it would just have been too boring to slop around mindlessly with no goals to improve.
The "fear factor" is crucially important. If people are really unfit, that certainly hampers their learning, but plenty of people who are less fit than I am ski a heap better. Lack of fear is more important. The folk I've skied with who have learnt really fast have all fallen a lot. My son, a really good skier who got from the Grand Motte down to the bottom of Val D'Isere on one ski when he broke the other, has always fallen more than the rest of the family put together. He has good athletic ability PLUS that courage to have a go at something when the rest of us chicken out.
I'm not too afraid of falling (or I'd never have got on a snowboard) but I'm not very brave either. But given my age, and my other responsibilities, I don't berate myself for that.
You could maybe stop comparing yourself to others, and feeling "hopeless" that they're better. If you enjoy learning, and enjoy becoming a better skier than you were, that's all that matters. In skiing, as in life in general, it's important to keep learning; it's the journey, not the destination, that matters.
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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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pam w, Thank you for the time in posting that, I appreciate the sentiments  That comment about being hopeless was, in fact, more than a little tongue in cheek than folks have assumed. Kind of 'well when such self confessed genius' (genii?) exist there can't be any hope for the rest of us honest mere mortals' 
red 27, don't worry, I can't see me suddenly 'growing a set'. I'm getting much better, I can remember the stage I was at when I went on that very first EoSB and they awarded me what I shall always term 'the blood and guts award', though in fact it was the Easiski award for most progress in the week. Since then I've accomplished such daft things as the complete length of Aiguille rouge red in Les Arcs (a 3 years ago I think now), the col de l'audzin (VT) red, in zero (dramatically unsafe) vis, and countless never skied before pistes in very bad vis. conditions, oh...........and I've spent a week 'dancing on ice' in Les Arcs so I'm getting much more confident. I don't think its the competition aspect that appeals, but I like to aspire to being one of those skiers that you stand and watch (say even on just a blue) and say to a learner 'now that's what you're aiming for'.
I'm going to have lessons in VT this year - must have lessons at least a couple of times each year
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum, sounds like the perfect attitude
Wotcha got lined up for this season?
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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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red 27, half term in Flachau and hopefully a week in Val Thorens (ideally with some lessons) later in the year
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Megamum, nice. I highly recommend the pre-crimbo cheeky-break to really set up the year - surprisingly afforadable with MS or even a Bash?
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You know it makes sense.
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red 27, if only.........................I think pre-crimbo breaks are the preserve of skiers without kids, school plays and childcare arrangments! Maybe something to aspire to in 8 years tiime!
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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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| Quote: |
I like to aspire to being one of those skiers that you stand and watch (say even on just a blue) and say to a learner 'now that's what you're aiming for'
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that's probably beyond most of us, Megamum. Just hope not to be one of those whose faults are being pointed out.
You worry too much about what other people think - maybe one of the benefits of old age is that you stop bothering!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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zammo, I was lucky enough to ski briefly with Rahlves this past winter. I'm definitely still at zero on his scale. I'd highly recommend anyone who gets the opportunity to ski with a real world class skier to do so - it's humbling and inspirational at the same time. Only consolation is he'd probably fail BASI 2 moguls given he just straightlines them.
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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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Megamum, I was happily carving gentle reds and very comfortable on pisted blacks* (definitely not carving them*) by my second week, might sound like a quick progression on the face of it but it really wasn't, by my second trip I was already on my fourth set of skis - second set of boots & tuning my own kit, the more you put in the more you get out (with regular supervision)
It doesn't really matter where you are "at" as long as you are happy being there...if not there are a couple of ways to get there A= have a god given natural talent or B= put the hours in...
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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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| fatbob wrote: |
| zammo, I was lucky enough to ski briefly with Rahlves this past winter. I'm definitely still at zero on his scale. I'd highly recommend anyone who gets the opportunity to ski with a real world class skier to do so - it's humbling and inspirational at the same time. Only consolation is he'd probably fail BASI 2 moguls given he just straightlines them. |
I did my BASI L2 with Noel Baxter in my group. Apart from his borderline snowplough all his other skiing was in a completely different class to everyone, including the Trainers and the ISIA/ISTD Tech groups that were there at the same time.
We were all in awe of him but he was a nice guy, too. It was particularly amusing watching him have to self-grade the video feedback of his own skiing to a trainer that was also obviously in awe of him:
Trainer: "Well, Noel, how do you think you did there?"
Noel (for every discipline, one after the other - shorts, longs, variable, steeps, bumps): "Well, I feel pretty comfortable with that type of skiing so I think I'm probably a 6 (out of 6)"
Trainer (for every discipline, one after the other): Yeah, I think that's a reasonable assessment, Noel!
We went out one day to practice carving skills and I was paired with him. He went first and told me to stay in his tracks. Fat chance! By the time he'd made 2 turns he was 100m ahead of me and vanishing into the distance
It was at this point I decided a Eurotest was a dream too far 
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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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| Raceplate wrote: |
Trainer: "Well, Noel, how do you think you did there?"
Noel (for every discipline, one after the other - shorts, longs, variable, steeps, bumps): "Well, I feel pretty comfortable with that type of skiing so I think I'm probably a 6 (out of 6)"
Trainer (for every discipline, one after the other): Yeah, I think that's a reasonable assessment, Noel!( |
Nice story. Every now and then you end up on a course with a racer working their way through exams and it amply illustrates the gulf between top skiers and the rest of us mortals.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ALQ, Well, this one is, although I've met a few who have a God complex.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| although I've met a few who have a God complex. |
AKA an 'inferiority complex' by ISTDs
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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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| Quote: |
Every now and then you end up on a course with a racer working their way through exams and it amply illustrates the gulf between top skiers and the rest of us mortals.
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I once did an RYA Powerboat course with someone who seemed already to be an expert boat handler. Turned out he had been a naval officer and driven every type of ship around, and skippered some of the navy's rather nice yachts too. But he had to get the "ticket" to be able to go on the sailing club's rescue boat helm list. Once I realised this I felt less cack-handed and he was willing and able to give us all lots of help.
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It's been mentioned before, but the speed of progression is totally down to the persons fitness (strength/balance etc), willingness to learn and fear. I (with some help) taught the OH to ski, after about 4 weeks she was happy and confident on most blacks, she now 10 weeks in an I would say is a very good skiier both on and off the piste -
But (and this is why I think she progressed so fast) she is an ultra marathon runner, so is stupidly fit, skiing 7 to 8hours a day is, in her words "is quite easy really"... she has no fear and gets the body mechanics needed to drive skis as she is also a physiotherapist...
I've been skiing for 25 years and i still a bit rubbish and, in her words only do baby ultra running, and when skiing with her, by about 2pm I'm done....then we get of the slopes and I get asked "you coming for a run".... for the love of God woman - give me a break!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It really depends. Overall, level 6 in 10 weeks seems to be about average, unless you skied this 10 weeks in one season or you are 12 years old. I got to 6 maybe in 30 days but I was skiing every weekend, I got to 7 during my second year (40 days) and was stuck at this level for maybe next 3 years as I stopped getting any instruction at all and thougt that mileage alone will make me better. It didn't, and when I was attempting Tortin strating from the second year thinking I'd imroved enough it would take me an hour of stem-christie turns to get down. Took a season off (had sabbatical at work and went travelling to Oz and NZ), when I returned to skiing I resumed taking lessons, I also stopped taking summer holidays and started skiiing about 70 days a season, so now I am level 10, skied pas de chevre last year and Grand Envers in Chamonix, hiked up Mon Gele when the lift was shut for a month for repairs and toured to Rosablanche having started in 2003 at 30. But it took quite a lot of determnation and I realise there is still a big room for improvement (trees and tighter zipper lines in particular) and there are thing I will never be able to do on skis (jumping off things taller than myself). To my advantage was skiing in "tougher" resorts (I haven't really been anywhere apart from Chamonix and Verbier, 1 day in Flaine/Avoriaz each and a Easter weekend in Zermatt not counting) so I had to push myself and also that I had a fairly strong athletic background - ice skating from 5 y.o. and water skiing/wakeboarding for about 15 years before skiing which gave me strong core muscles and my sense of balance was very good to start with but I know that many people who are late learners have to learn balance too and it might not be that easy. My knees have also been very kind to me (touching wood) despite me being not very kind to them (I don't have ACL in my right knee). Stick to skiing, continue instruction, set yourself short-term goals each season ("getting better" is too vague, you need to define what will be 'better" for you to be able to get there, particluarly if you are taking a privte lesson you need to communicate your goal to your instructor for lesson to be successful) and you will keep on improving. It will come if you want it and prepared to work on it.
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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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when I returned to skiing I resumed taking lessons, I also stopped taking summer holidays and started skiiing about 70 days a season
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this puts it into perspective. Except for the most gifted and natural skiers (and there are some, I think) it takes a long time and a lot of lessons even for someone who has ice-skated since the age of 5 AND has strong core muscles. I've had both a lot of time AND a lot of lessons and am nowhere near level 10.
The strong muscles are within reach of us all though, if we put in a bit more effort! I have reasonable core strength for an old person (can do planks for 60 seconds etc) but I discovered when I struggled to get back into my dinghy after a capsize on Sunday that it's not as good as it could be!! But I have a lot of other things to spend my time doing, and have accepted that I am just not dedicated and disciplined enough to put in that kind of effort. For me, the goal now is to learn to ski ordinary stuff sufficiently efficiently that I can do it for many more years. That still needs lessons, though. From observation I'd say that few people - particularly older ones, and not very fit/strong ones, improve much just stooging around. Needs conscious (and expertly directed) focus.
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FAQ
which I don't think I will.
