Ski help for lady trying to improve

A snowHead

Hello,

I am thinking of getting some skis and am a bit confused - so much choice.

I've been skiing for 4 weeks in total but I seem to be getting worse despite lessons all the time ! I had a lovely holiday in Combloux in Jan where I could manage nice parallel turns on blues and even on an unsteep deserted and wide reds and felt confident. I think I was spoilt by the lovely snow and deserted pistes.

But I have just returned from a week in Les Arcs where by the end I was snowploughing and slithering anxiously down anything remotely steep on a blue run. I was a bit freaked out by the busyness, being taken out by another skier on day one, and loads of fresh snow on the pistes that made everything seem tricky. Also I was skiing on my own a lot which I didn't really like. Well those are my excuses !! Also my instructor was horrified by my turning technique deteriorating during the week - when turning right I had started lifting up my uphill (right) ski to turn it round as it wouldn't go on its own.

Anyway next year I am determined to improve or at least get back to where I was before. I was thinking of getting skis as if I go for 3 weeks it probably will work out about the same cost wise as buying some, and then I could use them in subsequent years too. Plus maybe if I get used to a pair it might help ( as long as its the right sort)

I was looking at these lady skis that are around £200 in sale with bindings
Rossignol temptation 75 - One old discussion on here says these are very beginnerry but on websites it says they are good for intermediates too
Dynastar Glory 74 ( I hired these in Jan and liked then except when I went off piste and tried to turn I fell over spectacularly but I think that was me not the skis!!)
Head Pure Joy

Although I am only going to ski on piste obviously, I wouldn't mind something that can cope with a bit of snow on top of the piste and i get the impression that the Head ones wouldn't so much. I really want to be able to get to parallel turn nicely on blues and easy reds

So if anyone has any advice or experience with these skis or has found any others good any thoughts would be great appreciated.

Cheers
Claire

PS I'm about 53 kg and 5'7 if that makes any difference

A snowHead

It would be lovely for skiing to be a completely linear learning process. Every day just getting a little bit better. However in my experience it's a series of ups and downs...

Things like poor visibility, crowded slopes, fresh or poor snow can all make what was easy one day into something a whole lot more difficult and when that happens I find I revert back to what is familiar and known in my case I ski like I have just emerged from the 80's with my skis so close together you think I'm on a mono board along with very poor weight distribution put a all in one on me and you'd think Aha were still number one.... It's not pretty but it gets me down.

So don't be disheartened that your skiing has 'got worse' it hasn't but the conditions were worse. Skiing is very much a mental sport as well as a physical one so personally I think you should edit the title to reflect that you have skied for four weeks and are looking for a first pair of skis that you want to last a while.

As to what skis to get, I don't know I'm afraid I still ski on mid range rentals, but I'm sure some helpful person will come along soon to make some suggestions.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thank you for the pep talk pieman. It was a bit disheartening, but I am determined to improve ....I was thinking that I should improve all the time but it makes sense that conditions give you ups and downs and it is comforting to know it is not just me !

Have edited the title for something less negative Wink

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hello, I dropped you a PM as wanted to tell you about my experience and it involved a bit of advertising of a course and not sure we are allowed to advertise that type of thing on here me being a forum newbie:-)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@clairep, first up, don't be so disparaging! You might not be competing in the GS, but that doesn't make you incompetent, just learning.

The second problem is trickier. These skis are pretty much the definition of noodly women's offerings we generally aim to avoid. Yes, they will be soft and turn easily, but they may well hold you back as they are the very bottom end of their respective ranges.

Also, for skiing more mixed conditions on piste and soft snow down the edges, you may want to go a bit wider in the waist. Not too much, as you are primarily going to be using them on the piste still, but consider something 80-85mm and slightly stiffer then these.

You'll need to Register first of course.

do you have your own boots ? - I would get boot before skis..

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Skiing is at least 60% confidence, especially at the Intermediate and early Advanced level....and what you experienced is incredibly common.

A few years ago when skiing in EK, we woke up on our last day, to find a lot of snow had fallen during the night and the storm was continuing during the day. I had arranged to meet up with a friend, who was skiing with a group of his mates. One of those was a bloke of about 60. He had made fantastic progress in his lessons during the week and felt he was now skiing to a reasonably decent advanced level.

As we set off, the conditions were very difficult....poor visibility, over a foot of snow on the piste which rapidly turned into soft moguls and a wind strong enough that you had to pole down a Blue run, if it was blowing up it.

Well, this poor gentleman's skiing deteriorated to the point where he couldn't turn in any direction, without falling over. I literally watched his confidence completely drain away....and this was the same guy who was bombing down difficult Reds only a day or two before.

After an hour he simply gave up and went in, with a view that he could no longer ski....the gains made in his lessons now a distant memory.

I never met him again and assume he got his Mojo back on subsequent holidays where conditions were more benign.....so never underestimate the effect that difficult conditions can have.

After all it is free

@albob, yep, I'd go for boots before skis.

@Old Fartbag, agree with that too. My skiing gets pretty bad in poor vis, I'm actively trying to embrace it a bit to relax myself.

@clairep, Sorry to hear your last trip was such a negative experience.

Wise words above about it being all about confidence. Both wife and daughter were pretty miserable in their ski school groups after two days last time out. Confidence and competence were in full reverse so both dropped a level. Confidence, competence and most importantly happiness soon returned and all was right with the world.

It's all very well your instructor being horrified at your deteriorating technique but the solution clearly eluded him. My advice, for what it is worth, would be that if the teacher / pupil relationship isn't working for you, to change it asap.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@clairep, don't get disheartened, it's a never-ending learning process and it has its ups and downs like everything else.
I also agree that boots are the best investment first, then try and research (loads online - even just trawl Ebay for ideas, then google names and reviews - you'll learn lots) as many skis as you can, in resort or at UK snowdomes. And don't restrict yourself just to ladies' skis. They may or may not, suit you, certainly are not necessary just because of your gender.
Having your own skis does in my opinion take the variation out of having different lengths, widths and makes from hire shops, and at your stage I can't see that it would harm as long as you get a pair suitable for where you are and upwards.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Thanks so much for all the encouraging replies. I thought it was just me but it is kind of comforting to know that others find it hard sometimes when the conditions change ! Everyone in my ski group was lovely, but they are all really good skiers and loved all the fresh snow and didn't even seem to mind it when you can't tell where the snow ends and the sky begins whereas I hated that.

I think you are all right it is all about confidence, next time I am going to pootle around with my husband ( a cautious skier, the same experience as me who didn't come on my last trip) on easy blues somewhere deserted for a while again and hopefully regain it !

To be fair the instructor did try and help by making me snowplough turn again instead and ski with weight on one leg and helping me point downhill more and go a bit faster before turns and do Ss not Zs. I just couldn't seem to do it properly though I understood all the theory.

I had already dropped down into his group because I didn't like the instructor I had to start with. We had to do a test run first off on our first day, so we all skied down this little nursery slope. The other instructor turned to my first instructor at the bottom and said 'What are your group like', she replied ' My ladies are all rubbish' and blew a raspberry, right in front of me ! It wasn't a joke either, so I was really put off and changed groups the next day. To be fair it was probably true but didn't really give me much encouragement ! Luckily the others in the group didn't hear.

I do have my own boots which I got fitted and used for the last week and they seemed fine, comfy ish but not loose.

Thank you for the ski hints, I will look at slightly wider/stiffer ones, do some googling, or maybe just keep hiring them for now .

Many thanks again, I really appreciate you replies
Claire

snow reports

Are you able to get to a snowdome at a quiet time? Consistent gradient and lack of camber would allow you to get back to the fundamentals. Good luck.

I'd echo everything above - especially don't beat yourself up when things aren't going well.

Your message above seems to suggest your boots are new - that may take some getting used to, particularly if you've been in sloppy rentals. Small movements in well fitted boots go straight to the skis, so little things you may have got away with before might occasionally catch you out. You'll soon get past that (and start to enjoy the extra control), but unfamiliar equipment and more difficult conditions are good at denting confidence.

Regarding skis, it's a very personal choice. It's possible to get hire skis that just don't work for you, so don't be afraid to go back to the shop and swap to something different. I've had days on hire skis where nothing has been working, taken them back and swapped them and voila! I've also had experiences in domes where swapping a pair of skis for a supposedly identical pair has fixed a problem. By trying different skis in the same conditions you'll learn what works for you and what doesn't. As you progress this changes too, so beware of committing to buying too soon.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@clairep, you sound like a perfect fit for Inside Out Skiing, who many people on here can testify have improved greatly thanks to their year-round instruction.

Lots of people have similar issues to those that you describe. It is very difficult to improve technique when you don't have confidence in what you're doing. That lack of confidence can be caused by many things, but you mention all the classic ones: busy slopes, difficult snow conditions, poor visibility. Combined with an instructor who lacked understanding (though your second one sounds much better) and I think it is perfectly understandable that you found it difficult. In that situation I think the best course of action is to go back to skiing in a situation where you feel comfortable, e.g. by skiing easier terrain or at a pace you like, and once you have regained your confidence you'll be able to start improving your technique again. As you point out "you understood all the theory", it is just putting it into practice that needs you to be on terrain and snow that you are comfortable with. Your suggestion of pootling about with your cautious and hopefully encouraging and sympathetic husband would I think be a good idea rather than trying to keep up with a group that you're not happy with.

The Skills Development coaching sessions at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead would also be a good way for you to improve between skiing holidays. There are many others who regularly come along to those who are working on similar issues to you, and improving. I often coach the Saturday evening session.

A snowHead

@SnoodlesMcFlude,

A snowHead

@kieranm,

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@clairep, the recommendation of Inside Out is a good one. I'd also suggest considering some private 1-2-1 tuition on your next holiday to get your confidence back. Ski school doesn't work well for everyone, and it sounds like your experience was very poor. How big was the group? What ski school was it?

Is the "ski group" you described the people you travelled with, or your ski school group?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@SnoodlesMcFlude, not my experience. If booked in a timely fashion and using a few Avios if possible, the cost compares well with EJ. The 23kg is allowable in Economy.

You'll need to Register first of course.

The main thing though is that the cost shouldn't be relevance. If you find a pair of skis which are genuinely the right skis for you, you will have more fun skiing them than you will skiing whatever the ski rental shop guy has too many of in stock that week. End of story. So if the price is the same, it makes logical sense to take your own; and ski something you know you enjoy skiing on, you know works for you, and also gives you a better ability to observe your skill / improvement as you can't blame a different ski.

Anyway, beyond that, my number one piece of advice to @clairep would be, especially as your first ski and especially in your current situation of not feeling 100% about yourself... buying a ski blindly off the web would be 100% utterly pointless. First day out on it you'd have no idea whether you were skiing well, if it was a good ski... or conversely if you were having a bad day or if it were a bad ski. And you'd have no idea how it ranked against other models. Comparing it to a 52-week old memory of a ski which might have been old, badly tuned, incorrectly fitted etc. does not constitute a good test!!!

If you're not skiing again until next year, you have no excuse not to attend the Snowheads OktoberTest. One in Milton Keynes, one in Manchester... and you can spend a whole 4 hours test driving as many skis as you can get your hands on. This is a brilliant opportunity for everyone really, since testing skis back-to-back is the only real way to say "this ski feels better than that ski". I mean, after a week on our own skis we can all try something different and say, I like it or I don't like it. But Oktobertest is a brilliant way to try things that you wouldn't necessarily normally try, and do something a bit different, and find skis which you might have previously dismissed that actually you really like... or in my case, a ski which I very nearly (blindly) bought (from a cheap website) which when I tried it I positively hated.

When you're new it's hard to gauge where you're at with ability. Conditions can change a lot. Hire skis can change things too. Trying to progress too fast can help you challenge yourself, but can also lead to a loss of ski mojo if you're try too much too soon. Even once you're technically 'able' to ski a black, there's nothing wrong with sticking to blues until your technique is absolutely perfect. And confidence is a big player and sadly it's kind of exponential. The more your confidence gets battered, the less confident you are, the worse you ski and the more it gets battered. So you really have to train yourself to push through the confidence barrier, and even when you're feeling crappy you have to just throw yourself forward and commit to it and if you fall off you have to just take that as a part of learning, get your skis back on and get back out there. Ill confidence tends to push your body into trying to take the safe route, which means snowploughing, trying to cling on to everything and freezing up like a big statue because you're so tense. All the opposites of good ski technique.

I think having your own skis might help you. But:
- for gods sake choose them by trying them out, not by buying them based on internet reviews
- get your technique right before choosing a ski. if your technique isn't good, you will simply choose a ski by what is most forgiving to bad technique, not what performs best with good technique

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thanks again for all the help and great suggestions. It is good to know that it is a 'normal' part of learning to ski and I am not a hopeless case !

I hadn't heard of Inside Out before but I have looked at their website and the Hemel stuff looks great, will go for that in the quieter summer months, its only about 90 minutes away so very doable. Also private tuition would probably be better as you guys suggested - did have some private lessons with husband earlier this year and loved it. Went for the group one this year to meet other skiers my level to ski with - the 'ski group' I mentioned was the friends I travelled with @sugarmomma (sorry not sure how to do the bold reply thing people do!), and it was good for that, and there were only 4 of us but still.

Strangely I hadn't really thought about trying skis (!) - but of course it makes complete sense, will hold off buying cheap skis in sales for now and try and get to test some - Oktoberfest thing looks good, or try some different ones next holiday to get an idea.

I think you are all right though it is confidence, I skied a lot better after an afternoon vin chaud ( just one little one, I wasn't drunk or anything just a bit more relaxed). And going for it a bit more - I am a bit older than some learners at 45 (though I know some are older still so its def no excuse) but I do worry a bit about hurting myself which I need to stop thinking about. And practice - skiing must be the only sport I have tried where I expect to improve so quickly, all other sports I accept it will take years of regular practice to get good, for some reason with skiing I expect to be good in a few weeks.

Thanks again for all the great advice !

Help!!

Ski help for lady trying to improve

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