 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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I never really get the 'ankle flex' thing as the ankles are largely immobilised by being in the boot surely?
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Hurtle wrote: |
| @rob@rar, oh, CAKE! How could I forget?! |
You'll have to remind me what it means, as all I can remember is that it makes me giggle. |
It doesn't mean anything except that cake is a solution to many problems. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@rob@rar,
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I think it also stems from a very fine cake shop in the Brenta Dolomites, but beyond that my memory is a bit hazy
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Indeed. And the haziness of your memory derives from one of the other great problem-solvers - prosecco! 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 15-02-17 21:00; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Hurtle wrote: |
| It doesn't mean anything except that cake is a solution to many problems. |
Well, it almost sounds like fun, unless you're the Prague schoolboy who walked out into the street, straight in front of a tram. He thought he'd got a month to cross the street...
qv Noel Edmonds[/quote]
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| red 27 wrote: |
| I never really get the 'ankle flex' thing as the ankles are largely immobilised by being in the boot surely? |
No, you have to flex the boot. Boots have different levels of flexion: as a small, intermediate skier I need boots which are quite flexible, race boots are much more rigid and need more strength to flex them. Or so I understand.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, ?? I think I'm being dim.
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Brass Eye available on All 4. Drugs episode.
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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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@Dave of the Marmottes, classic!
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The best advice I was given was at 3 different stages of my skiing development
1. When progressing to looking directly down the fall line more consistently- "look ahead, not at your skis" great at helping balance
2. When wanting to not be "ruled" by icy moguls "use your knees to absorb the moguls and launch off the back of them to to turn, don't turn around them"
3. When wanting to extend a sense of style to powder/slush/crud "Imagine you are a boat i.e. even weighting, keep weight centred on middle of ski as much as possible, long smooth turns with plenty of time taken to initiate them"
When I feel I'm feeling a bit unbalanced/off/skiing feeling hard work, I usually just have to go back to one of those 3 pointers and things magically correct themselves!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You rented the skis, the skis didn't rent you....
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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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@Dr. Will, appreciating and agree with your comments...
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One I got early on and try to remember is "Never do anything that surprises your skis"
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't eat the yellow snow.
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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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"Never do anything that surprises your skis"
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Ah, thats the birthday party cancelled then... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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This one is for tele: Don't think about lifting the heel - the trick is to flex the ankle and drive into the cuff of the boot (just like when you have your heels locked really).
This has helped me and friends transition from faking it (alpine on one leg with a ski trailing behind) to driving both skis properly.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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on the hand position/weight forward thing we like
"drive the bus" - think a big steering wheel
"hug the fat man" - big, loose/rounded arm shape. Just the same as hug the bear of course but gets more giggles
couple of off piste ones:
traversing in peoples' tracks you can sometimes build up more speed than you want but you are in a bit of a rut which makes a pivot/drift/stem a bit awkward. An instructor looked over his shoulder one time and just said "just sink down to control your speed" - the flex as you sink creates angulation which carves you smoothly a little up the hill and slows you down. Very elegant
patience! - this is less and less necessary the fatter the ski and the greater your speed but was very valuable on old school skis and still handy at times. If you are making short turns in powder - wait just that bit longer at the end of the turn before starting the next, gives you more rebound which means you can "ride" the skis round rather than "force" them.
when it's tight, stay low in the ready position - if you skiing through trees, bushes, rocks then stay a bit more flexed. It means you can release the flex in an instant if you need to pivot to take a gap/avoid an obstacle
when it's steep reach further down the hill with your pole plant - seems to get you through the fall line quicker
BTW - on bump skiing on standing tall vs being low of course the answer is BOTH at the appropriate moments!! The main secret in mogul skiing in my opinion is absorbing the bump. You do this by keeping your "suspension travel" as long as possible so you extend your legs down into the trough (TALL) and suck your knees to your chest as you ride up the bump (LOW). As UANN says once you can do this on one bump you are in business. As you compress you are do ing a big down-unweighting which makes any pivoting easy. Like I say once you get the absorption right the turning is easy.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I know a lad who loves a beer and skied with a back seat stance and wayward shoulders, closed to the hill on anything more than blue. Got him to imagine a round of Stella (reassuringly expensive) on a big tray and carry it down the hill. Don't spill it or back to the bar for another round.
Queue nice posture - great weighting, good shoulder position, stable arms and nice carves.
When he dropped his guard, we yelled "Stella" and "Your round". Back in the game. He made it down Grands Montets, from the top lift, with that one tip.
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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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| sheffskibod wrote: |
Another tip was to imagine you have headlights on your shoulders , and try to keep them illuminating the valley...[/b] |
Or, as a female friend of mine was told many many years ago by her Austrian ski instructor "Keep ze tits pointing down zer mountain ".
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Short turns - Shoulders perpendicular to the fall line
Long turns - Shoulders perpendicular to the skis
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'Check your Hoop'
The great Ali Ross ( this certainly ages me!) used to keep saying if you're in trouble, feeling unstable etc, first 'Check your Hoop'. This is an imaginary Hoola Hoop around your waist that your hands should be positioned on. Slower speeds a medium sized hoop, faster speeds a larger hoop, for me at about 10 past 10 at waist level works really well.
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
Short turns - Shoulders perpendicular to the fall line
Long turns - Shoulders perpendicular to the skis |
Shoulders at right angles to the skis? That can't be right
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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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For me it's more helpful to remember that I should face the line of travel, so for short turns it's down the hill and for long radius turns it's the way the skis are pointing. At least I think that's right...
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Regardless of how much remains on the table, order another bottle of wine as coffee is served
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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To help with hip position through the turn, an Italian instructor told my friend 'it is like when you fu&k' - seemed to do the trick!
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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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@element, fornicate not defecate
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You know it makes sense.
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Put your downhill ski on first.
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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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| Hurtle wrote: |
| For me it's more helpful to remember that I should face the line of travel, so for short turns it's down the hill and for long radius turns it's the way the skis are pointing. At least I think that's right... |
I think that is what FtS said...I concur
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Poster: A snowHead
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In hideous slush puppy wet snow paddle your skis. Wow! what a difference. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@king key, what does that mean?
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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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Yeah,@king key, WTF
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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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OK, when you reach nasty afternoon slushy sinking snow, shift your weight quickly between your skis (quick paddling), it prevents the skis from sinking and keeps them up high. Your skis won't run away by taking weight off the downhill ski as the snow is too heavy to allow it. An instructor 30 odd years ago told me this and it completely popped out of my head until a couple of years ago when I met some of this snow type and it really does help.
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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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@king key, ah...paddling like in the sea not in a canoe. Still not sure i get the point but it is clearer
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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 instructor called it 'paddling' so the name just stuck. Quite possibly not the best term now you mention it...... Alternate rapid shifting of weight between the skis is what he meant.
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| king key wrote: |
| The instructor called it 'paddling' so the name just stuck. Quite possibly not the best term now you mention it...... Alternate rapid shifting of weight between the skis is what he meant. |
As you're turning, repeating the weight shift from inside ski to outside ski?
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If the slosh is heavy it works while traversing and turning. It simply prevents the sinking and thereby making it much more manageable with less of a strain on your limbs. Try it out next time you meet the heavy stuff.
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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 its slushy and close to water skiing I sit back on my heels so the tips come up and enjoy steering the the boat through the mush.
I know its not right, but I like it.
And that's what its all about.
A very good tip I was given by a Canadian coach who claimed 40 years of instructing.
It was one of those free lessons you get if your in the right place at the right time.
He got me and the instructor I was with to "Skate down an easy piste" as you would skate across a flat bit.
He said "now keep that skating stance leaning forward as you ski down the hill"
Also I took @Dave of the Marmottes advice a couple of seasons ago and have been cutting poles back from 125cm to 115cm or even 110cm.
We just don't need such long poles anymore.
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| king key wrote: |
| If the slosh is heavy it works while traversing and turning. It simply prevents the sinking and thereby making it much more manageable with less of a strain on your limbs. Try it out next time you meet the heavy stuff. |
Do we really sink in slushy, end of season, wet snow? Or do the skis grab and stick? Slushy snow is pretty dense, so it's not like sinking in champagne powder.
I find it hard work to make turns by twisting the skis, so will often crank them over and turn by edging the skis much more, which keeps the speed up so minimises the grabbing action of stiction. If it's too steep for skiing like that I'll ski slushy snow as if it's "slow powder" trying to bend the skis much more through pressure. And I'll make sure the skis are well waxed, with warm wax if I have any.
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FAQ
's ever worry about thread drift? 
