 Poster: A snowHead
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Also, I tried the park but soon decided that I like my skis firmly on the ground. When I go along with the park rats, I always hunt out the boarder/skier cross as the tame jump alternative. No, I am not going fast enough to fly over the tops (usually) 
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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 am pretty average but can get down most things in most conditions that don't require jumping off cliffs. Having said that I am a fair weather skier and won't be skiing from the first lift to the last one unless it's epic.
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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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Think I'm an 8 on that scale, poss heading towards a 9. Just back from 2 weeks' skiing through, including a 5 day off piste course last week; my legs are utterly knackered, no edges left on skis, and feel standard has declined!
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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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despite my deluded desire to rank myself as IO level 13 I am realistically just about IO 8 but not sure I can get much better without investment of more time and money than I can afford. In Les Saisies at Xmas I was skiing Girolles with what I thought was pretty good turns and progressive but safe speed feeling very chuffed as conditions were pretty difficult. Then....a proper skier came down and I stopped and watched him in awe!!!
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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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CSIA level 2 instructor. So; alright, confident going down anything, but constantly watching the skiing of the level 3s and 4s and knowing I've a long way to go. Always training, always tweaking, fortunate enough to have done 4 seasons on 3 continents now, experiencing the best snow in the world.
Would put myself at between 10 and 11 on that IO scale (but closer to 10 than 11).
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 12-01-14 14:11; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Level 8 sounds just like me except for the BASI bit, but I'd hesitate to attach the label "advanced" to my skiing... I would describe myself as a competent intermediate. I had a few lessons recently and am trying to iron out all the bad habits I have. Living in Scotland now I'm hoping to get a lot more skiing in, so who knows, by the end of the season I might be happy saying I'm level 8.
I fractured a vertebra on moguls in La Plagne at the beginning of 2011, since then my skiing has become more controlled and I work a lot harder on technique; I think I'm a much better skier for it! It's just a shame it took that much for me to see it.
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I'm superb. Absolutely incredible, the best skiier ever. I take lessons from experts and end up giving them a few pointers. I'm so good, moguls actually melt into flat piste before me - in fact, the French national skiing team once asked me to ski down a difficult black in front of them in lieu of grooming. Most of the time, my skis actually hover a few inches above the snow, and I've been known to ski over water. Why do you ask?
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| philwig wrote: |
| Males tend to overestimate their skill, where as women do the opposite. |
That is the conventional wisdom. However I used to organise sailing race crew for various boats and my experience was the opposite.
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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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IO Level 6.5 on a bad day, 9 on a good day with lots of sun, would be much better if I lost a lot of weight at least another one possibly 2 points higher, not worried about conditions but don't enjoy white outs, prefer to enjoy my skiing and take things easy rather than race everywhere (It's a holiday) however on a good day I can and do get up a good turn of speed, the weight hinders me off piste.
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CSIA Level 2 Instructor
PSIA Level 2 Instructor
Best skier in my street.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Realistically I think my best skiing is now behind me, started at 10 and probably peaked in mid 20's.
Now middle age and very unfit body hold me back significantly, on the 1st or 2nd run of the day I could be a 9, but most of the time i'm an 8. After a memorable hard days skiing then a 'quick' visit to the Folie I probably approached a 2/3 on the ski back over to Tignes in a white out 
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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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My son is a very good skier - natural athletic ability, no fear and several seasons. By far the best amongst our friends and family, and has been since he was about 12. One day when we skied together in Meribel I didn't see anyone who seemed better. But on one of his seasons he shared a tiny apartment with a highly qualified British instructor working for BASS Val d'Isere and sometimes used to go out with the instructors on their day off. He said that compared to them he felt a total beginner.
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Averagely ordinary.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thought I was better than I was until I started taking lessons, now probably better than I think I am.
Seriously, on piste early intermediate, off piste beginner.
I can now get down anything that's been pisted in control. I have moments where I feel I can ski like a god, but those are few and far between. Off piste skills are ok ish until we get to steep and deep, then it all goes to pot, but I am getting better thanks to lessons and a bored boarder of a brother in law!
Starting to ski moguls to a rhythm until my knees give up, starting to get both skis over onto the edges with no pushing out of the ankles.
Have now executed a few powder turns which seemed to launch me into weightlessness in between every turn...and felt amazing!
Not fit enough despite taking up mtb.
Experience is 13 weeks on planks with 11 of those in the last 6yrs with 2 more weeks in Canada very very soon! (Can you tell I'm excited?)
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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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I've now skied for long enough, and had enough lessons, to realise how poor I am. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Delighted to be where I am which I think is about level 6 in the inside out scale (if anyone thinks I am deluding myself then please let me know). Can still easily remember being terrified to go down a green piste or up a chair lift for fear of what I would find. Confident on most reds (if not mogulled or left deliberately unpisted) it still isn't pretty on steeper reds, but at least being confident able to ski (after a fashion) them means I can get around most locations. I have voluntarily skied very short sections of blacks (that were steeper than surrounding reds at that point) on two occasions. I still avoid the dreaded black poles like the plague, but if faced with them could probably fearfully struggle down with side slips and every mistake in the book, but would no doubt get to the bottom before dark.
BTW - this is a really interesting and eye opening thread.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 12-01-14 16:04; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
honestly - how good are you?
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Who cares, go have fun, that's what its all about!
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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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Probably level 10 on the IO scale (had not seen it before, some very wooden park&ride skiing in the vids!)
Sustained steeps over 45deg can give me some trouble, any lines with mandatory air are beyond me
Powerful carved slalom turns on steep sections of blacks and some reds are bit beyond me at the moment especially in hardpack/icy conditions but I get better each year. I struggle a bit with aggression.
Crummy mogul skier because I hate them
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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According to one of the IOS coaches "a solid 8" on the IOS scale. This means, queen bodecia, that you are under-selling yourself, as you ski better and faster than I do.
Never tried the park, nor do I intend to do so, but still aiming to ski better all round, particularly off-piste, where I have confidence issues (which are largely centred around getting back on my skis when I've fallen over. Don't mind falling, but getting up...  A combination of creaky knees and puny upper body strength makes this off-puttingly hard.)
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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 have confidence issues (which are largely centred around getting back on my skis when I've fallen over
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+1
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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World class 
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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: |
(which are largely centred around getting back on my skis when I've fallen over. Don't mind falling, but getting up... A combination of creaky knees and puny upper body strength makes this off-puttingly hard.)
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Perhaps we both need a class centered around learning this skill? I soooo relate to that comment.
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I'm about a 5.5 on the IO scale I reckon - I haven't reverted to snowploughs at all recently 
Technically I'm a good skier but I tend not to venture beyond blues, and I can struggle on bumpy/steep bits. Oh, and I hate ice.
There's some complex history with boots and stuff, but suffice to say I've improved hugely in my last two ski trips, since I got my own. Before that I was going down the same kind of stuff (and blacks and so on - I used to be able to ski anything on the mountain) but I lost confidence as I got to mid teens.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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I ski ugly - no style whatsoever - but pleased to have reached 6/7 on the IO scale as I didn't have my first ski trip until I was 60, some 6 years ago - and I ski all day without thigh burn.
Confident and competent to take on anything on piste - steep, ice, black - not a problem, although I am not so keen in poor visibility.
Tried off-piste lessons at PSB13 - couldn't cope with it - didn't enjoy it - and just too old to bother so I'll stay on the corduroy.
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| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| Like rob said, you know when you see truly good ability, but that's not me. I can get down most stuff but aspire to that effortless smooth action of the skilled. |
would fully agree, not enough lessons, to many distractions ie: work, kids expense would have loved the opportunity to do a season......but hey ho it will get better, goal is to sell up & move to the mountains.
I guess I am pretty comfortable on reds, blacks really don't get me excited would much prefer to ski within capability & enjoy it rather than sheet ice...no fun 
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You know it makes sense.
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Good enough to know that I'm not especially good. I sometimes ski with people who are genuinely outstanding skiers and is is humbling and inspiring in equal measure.
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This, SO much this!
The minute you stop learning is the minute you can hang up your skis forever.
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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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landlockedpirate, as a general comment. I am 47. reasonably fit. Started when I was 4 or 5, historical accounts differ (no-one can quite remember, even those who were there).
I still think my skiing is getting better each year. I know that there's a crest looming somewhere, there are definitely things that I would have wanted to do at 18 (had they existed) that I'll never now do (I don't want to, now, but I would have then) but I am 100% sure (according to independent witnesses) that I ski better now than I did 5 years ago. (Credit must be offered to Phil and Ewan at Impulse Racing who did a thorough (enough) take down and rebuild early last season).
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Poster: A snowHead
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I should be an 11 on the IO scale after skiing since the age of 4 with 7 seasons under my belt. I do ski an 11 for about 10 mins a day until I realise that I'm not 21 anymore and skiing every day and not just 2 weeks a year. This year I'm having lessons as my technique is lazy and I've had no lessons since I was 12.......
I just wish I wasn't so overweight, unfit and able to afford to ski more.
But at the end of the day I love it and will be skiing every year untill I can't anymore
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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codyaitch, Then you must be higher than IO 6 def. towards a 7+ because I am not at this point and I think I have managed to achieve a 6:
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Confident and competent to take on anything on piste - steep, ice, black - not a problem, although I am not so keen in poor visibility.
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I must admit that providing I have got a decently serviced set of edges I am not scared of ice (I would sooner not have to ski it, but I won't hesitate if I need to ski over it) - I had a positively dreadful week in Les Arcs and learned dancing on ice (or an ice like rock hard surface). My bête noir is poor visibility.
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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, poor viz is where you learn to really ski with *feeling*!
Just take the speed out and slowly think about every turn you make.
When LB was about 10, his trainer gave him a pair of completely blacked out goggles and skied in front of him letting him know if there were dangers ahead, but he had to ski blind. It was a really great learning curve indeed.
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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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I am still struggling to understand this thread.
Are you doing what you want to do?
No.
- fix it
Yes
- enjoy and mines a large Bec Jaune IPA, cheers.
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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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kooky, Strange you should mention that particular point (BTW great to see you online, long time, no see). When I typed that I debated a new thread. 'Blind skiers manage to ski so why does poor vis do my head in?'
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| the_doc wrote: |
| Quote: |
honestly - how good are you?
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Who cares, go have fun, that's what its all about! |
Indeed Doc
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I think I'm at IO level 8. Looks about right. Started skiing at 11 years old, 45 years ago, but alas, no more than a holiday skier. Love to watch people a lot better than me, and occasionally surprise myself, with being I think quite decent, but it takes half a weeks holiday to get there. However it does not really matter too much as I love being there, and everything about a skiing holiday, like most 
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I'm good enough to have fun on any slope that I want to ski, and that's what matters. Others may be faster and more stylish, but I bet I have a bigger grin on my face at the end. Perhaps perversely, I'm a little wary of improving too much. I don't want to need to ski ridiculously fast or down dangerous terrain to get my kicks.
My ideal ski instructor starts the lesson with a hearty, 'Let's go have fun.' Learning to get the buzz without putting myslef or others into danger is an important skill that I could usefully develop more fully.
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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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I'd put myself at about level 7 on the IO scale by the end of a week, 6 at the beginning of the week.
And my biggest issue with improving is lack of fitness.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| I am still struggling to understand this thread.. |
Why? I simply asked how good people think they are?
There's absolutely no shame in being an average, recreational skier if you enjoy it.
Not everyone aspires to be Bode Miller, but I'm sure most if not all skiers would like to be a bit better - even the experts!
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FAQ
