 Poster: A snowHead
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Megamum, when we can't be slidin', it's great to be thinkin' about slidin'!
Each of us has our own challenges, too. For instance, thanks to my physiology, I have no issue driving the fronts of my skis. In fact, I have to learn to get off the fronts, since my short feet mean that my boots tend to pitch me forward!  This is certainly a less frequent challenge than the typical tendency to get in the back seat, but some of us have it, nonetheless.
I love that feeling of being pulled into and through the turn, don't you? It's almost as addictive as the sensations of blower pow (and, admittedly, more easily got!).
Enjoy! I'm looking forward to getting back on snow next week; my plan for yesterday didn't come to fruition, and with Thanksgiving and holiday prep this weekend, it's looking like mid next week before I'll have another opportunity...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum,
If you're a keen driver then you will appreciate the qualities of rear wheel drive 
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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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under a new name, I hear that! I always have "snappy" skis that give me the kick in the behind out of the turn. That said, a ski with a nice, smooth flex that pulls me into the turn gets that whole process started and leads to that jet-propelled feeling coming out... all one big happy experience! 
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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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ssh, yep, hard to find a bit one doesn't like...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| fatbob wrote: |
10 weeks is nothing, lots of people ski their whole lives without ever really "getting" skiing - at least from the numbers of people I see on the slopes fighting their equipment rather than using it elegantly. |
Yes, I probably ski about 5-6 weeks a year, still working on the same problems I had 2 years ago, still working on the same problems I had 5 years ago 
The difference I hope is I now make those mistakes less often.
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lynseyf, may I encourage you to consider a vocabulary change? Why not "play" with your skiing? Especially those areas that will give you the greatest benefit to improve?
It's curious to me that we often talk about "working" on our skiing, when skiing is all about play. I think of a guest with whom I frequently ski and how he used to curse himself profusely, especially as he attempted steeper moguls... after I helped him shift to "playing," he found a new joy even when it didn't go as planned--which it did more often than it had previously!
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 ssh, I do enjoy my skiing, maybe "still thinking about" would be a better term rather than "working on" I don't really see anything wrong with working on though to be honest. I ski a lot and I enjoy most of my skiing but I could probably stay at this level for ever if I didn't put any effort into skiing so I do find I have to consciously think about things, not all the time but when I'm skiing an easy piste or having a quiet day on my own, or I don't think I would improve.
I would be pretty happy if working on my work was as enjoyable as working on my skiing.
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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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ssh, what kind of things did you do with your guest to encourage him to play in steeper moguls?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ssh, I keep kidding myself that I'm "playing with" moguls when in reality they're playing with me, much like a cat plays with a mouse.
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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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kitenski, there is a series of concepts that we use in a 2-day clinic to help our guests improve their mogul skiing, including absorption (the classic "back-pedal" move), rotary with flattish skis ("buttering" the turn), and line choice (finding the "green spots" so that the effective slope is lower). I find that the "green spots" idea really resonates, and gives guests a "play" target.
adithorp, I'm sure you know that it is your own brain which is playing with you! 
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No they're evil. Individually they're easy to overcome but they gang up...
Ok, I get the back pedal and buttering; Explain the "green spots".
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You know it makes sense.
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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: |
think that's below me
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I don't. I have no problem with a lift down at the end of the day if snow conditions are difficult; classic knee-destroying stuff, that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Megamum, well done, you!
adithorp, if you "butter" on the "green spots," you'll find an amazing result, I think. If you look at a mogul, you will see there is a green spot (the top of the mogul where the snow is virtually flat without any slope), a blue spot (usually the sides of the bump in the troughs), a (red) black spot (the sides of the bumps not in the trough), and a double-black spot (the front or prow of the bump). Each of these areas of the bumps has a different slope. If you link the "green spots" through a mogul field, you will find that it's easy to maintain a comfortable speed, even in very steep bumps. If you lose track of turning ("buttering") these spots, you will likely experience speeds and control outside your preference.
Hope that helps!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ssh, can you find us a good video which illustrates that technique?
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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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pam w, TBH, I have also taken the lift down (I think twice when I've been tired - it's a very log way down finishing with that pitch I described). However, I do like to ski it just to prove to myself that I can. The prize when I take the lift is watching the kids free ski down without us. Talk about proud mother. To watch that pair carve that piste up safely and with due regard to other skiers, stopping every now and again so they stay together and working out which way they will go is an education. Great big sweeping arcs as they scythe their way down. Talk about me cramping their style - it's worth the lift down a few times each week just to watch them.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| ssh wrote: |
adithorp, if you "butter" on the "green spots," you'll find an amazing result, I think. If you look at a mogul, you will see there is a green spot (the top of the mogul where the snow is virtually flat without any slope), a blue spot (usually the sides of the bump in the troughs), a (red) black spot (the sides of the bumps not in the trough), and a double-black spot (the front or prow of the bump). Each of these areas of the bumps has a different slope. If you link the "green spots" through a mogul field, you will find that it's easy to maintain a comfortable speed, even in very steep bumps. If you lose track of turning ("buttering") these spots, you will likely experience speeds and control outside your preference.
Hope that helps! |
Only in so much as it demonstrates that some times a description that works for one, can mean nothing to another. I know it's exactly how I've been taught to ski them but if I'd no idea before reading it, I'd be no wiser after. Likewise after watching the first video (without demo).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, A very good post there I think you are right on a number counts, and regarding the fear issue, you have always known that because you were a bit scared of getting too fast and out of control you got overly defensive and tensed up on skis. Yet you rode horses with no problems. I only took riding lessons a couple of years ago, and I found that a lot more scary than skiing, especially on jumps. then again, I get scared by jumps on skis too 
I saw you skiing last year and even then you had started to relax a lot more. OK, you probably won't ever outrun your kids, like 90% of parents find, they often just pick things up so quickly and without the hang ups that life accumulates in us.
Although I got into skiing fairly late in life I've really packed in the weeks since then, but still take lessons and then spend time practicing the drills. A good instructor that you click with is worth their weight in gold 
Hopefully I'll grab a days skiing with you again this year and see the results for myself.
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ssh, thanks for that - useful.
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Avalanche Poodle,
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Hopefully I'll grab a days skiing with you again this year and see the results for myself.
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We are already looking forward to it, esp. the kids so I hope we can fit a day in. We are out next Feb. half-term as we were this year and are looking forward to seeing everyone. If the kids will benefit from the hire of a set of wider skis for the day then let me know so I've got time to sort something out. Thank you for the vote of confidence re: looking more relaxed on the skis, I hope I've been improving on that. I will have had the week in VT in April (which was lesson heavy) and several snow dome sessions during the year for some focussed practice since I last saw you so with of luck it shouldn't be any worse!! We all had a great time the day we skied with you and Kooky last year.
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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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If it's the 15th to the 22nd Feb I'll be spending a week with a bunch of friends from the UK. Not sure of the location yet as we need a self catering chalet for 12. Looking like the Saalbach Hinterglemm area so far. So I can't promise anything, but if I'm close enough I'll pop across for half a day
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Avalanche Poodle, it is that week, we'll cross our fingers it will be great to ski with you again. If necessary we will have the car so could probably travel within our lift pass region if it might help.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Should be able to sort something, I have a car too I'll be in the region, well the super one which is a little bit larger.
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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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Seems a bit 'shouty' to make a separate thread, but I am booked for Chill Factor-e, Manchester tomorrow from 0930 - 1130 if anyone is about to say 'Hi' I sport a white helmet with SH stickers on.
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You know it makes sense.
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Megamum, A Vid or it didn't happen
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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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Megamum, Terrain unweighting, it just puts a big smile on your face. Once you know you can catch little bits of air and nothing bad happens you start relaxing... and then the skiing really flows Once you feel confident start using the little rises to change your edges in the air, set it up and BANG!!!, you are going in a different direction with minimal effort.
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
and I can now get down across a track 4-5 bumps wide rather than the entire slope 25+ bumps wide. 
and it was under my own direction 