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New here, addicted to skiing!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
New here, 100% addicted to skiing! Old guy, new skier, self taught, thanks YT! Skiing out of Cypress Mountain in Vancouver BC, Canada! Love this place, within 30 minutes I can be off the Cypress and in my boat in Captain's Cove fishing for salmon and home by lunch!









ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Welcome to snowHead ...and you're in the right place if you have an addiction problem.

BTW. Lovely photos.
ski holidays
 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?
Thx! You know you have an addiction problem when you avoid **x b/c you're skiing the next day.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
And now a photo of where you fish, perhaps with mountains in the background. We may be addicted, but we at least try to claim a passing interest in other things.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
snowball wrote:
And now a photo of where you fish, perhaps with mountains in the background. We may be addicted, but we at least try to claim a passing interest in other things.


ok haha

So its a 30 min drive from the top of Cypress Mountain to where I used to moore the boat at Horseshoe bay (sorry, not Captain's Cove)

This view is about a 20 min boat ride looking north-westerly into Gambier Island / Howe Sound


Truck is a 2004 GMC 2500HD CCSB Duramax diesel, boat is a 1998 Bayliner Ciera cabin cruiser, kind of a do-it-all type of boat.


And just to keep things on track here, again I'm an old guy but novice skier. This is only my 2nd year skiing but I have a season pass and been skiing at least once a week, sometimes twice. But again I'm old and hard to learn new tricks haha... went skiing all day with my son today. First time skiing this much powder, about 4-6". I was excited, I was told powder is like gold for skiers, but I had a hard time.

The skis sank and I had a hard time turning and keeping them parallel. I basically had to lift the inside foot or else it would get stuck in the powder. My son and I got there when they opened so we were one of the first on the hills. But I noticed that as more people ski and boarded, they pushed away the top powder layer revealing ice. So one ski could be in powder while the outside ski hits ice, then your legs are splitting apart. Anyways, I was only able to do 6-7 full length runs before my legs gave up (sore, tired, old haha) and then sat in my car for 2 hours waiting for my son to finish. Not a bad day but I don't think wider powder skis would have helped. They would still sink... pics don't really show the powder.

I'll try start a new topic on this, would love some advice.





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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
daddytroopa,

Welcome to Snowheads.

Great photos - that we, in the UK, can only salivate over as it's illegal for us to travel anywhere at all - never mind skiing. rolling eyes

Enjoy it and savour every turn, on our behalf wink .

No doubt you appreciate how lucky you are. Very Happy
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Welcome to snowHead

daddytroopa wrote:
...new skier, self taught...


Suspect this will be the route of your problems in fresh snow. Inevitably you'll have self learnt some slightly dodgy technique that becomes more of an issue in less forgiving conditions. I learnt that the hard way. Lessons are your best option and the longer you leave it the more it'll take... I'm still learning that the hard way Mad snowHead
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Very jealous - not many of us have managed to ski this winter Crying or Very sad and no realistic prospect of getting to the alps at all before the end of this season at the moment.
But I still get a bit of joy from seeing someone can get out there. Very Happy
Pics look great. BTW..What age do you consider means you qualify as an old guy (plenty of us “young” over 50’s on here!)?
Another vote for getting some lessons, and asking for advice online is sadly no substitute, particularly when we don’t know what your current skill level is.
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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.
@daddytroopa,
Welcome to snowHead
Many questions raised but first I need to address the 'old' excuse. I don't think anyone is an old skier until they are over 80 - I ski with an 85 year old who learnt at 75 and he still cruises red runs with little problem. Positive mental attitude is the thing. Of course we all gather various physical problems (knees are a perennial favourite) as we get older and these can be more of an issue but there is usually a way to adapt.
Skiing powder takes a bit to learn and you will love it when you do but like anything new in skiing there is the frustrating part initially as you are taken out of your comfort zone and I well remember being freaked out by my skis disappearing under the snow. Fatter skis make it a bit easier and a rocker tip makes turn initiation easier but you still need good technique and remember that fatter skis take a lot more effort to use on piste which is probably where you will spend most of your time at present.
If you are self taught then it would be remarkable if you didn't have some bad habits which will inhibit your progress so as @adithorp, says it will massively help you to get lessons and stop the bad habits before they get too ingrained into your skiing - you then need to undo what you have learnt and relearn it properly.
Skiing untracked light powder is generally pretty easy once you have mastered thigh steering but tracked , washed out and heavy powder are much more challenging (and tiring) as it involves constant changes in balance, a lot of core strength and technique changes (when you hit ice you will need to edge more for example).
However the main thing with skiing is to enjoy it and you seem to have that mastered Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Bergmeister wrote:
daddytroopa,

Welcome to Snowheads.

Great photos - that we, in the UK, can only salivate over as it's illegal for us to travel anywhere at all - never mind skiing. rolling eyes

Enjoy it and savour every turn, on our behalf wink .

No doubt you appreciate how lucky you are. Very Happy


I apologize, I didn't know that many were under such strict conditions that it was actually illegal. I live in a suburb in the Vancouver Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada. We have three local mountains - Grouse, Cypress and Seymour (public). Cypress is the largest spanning about 3 peaks and a 40 min drive from home. We only have a travel advisory saying that we're "supposed" to stay local, which I did by skiing a local hill.

The more populated regions in Canada are in full lockdown.

This will be over soon and it won't be long before we forget about it. Does anyone even remember swine flu? Or H1N1? COVID will be the same I'm sure Smile
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
adithorp wrote:
Welcome to snowHead

daddytroopa wrote:
...new skier, self taught...


Suspect this will be the route of your problems in fresh snow. Inevitably you'll have self learnt some slightly dodgy technique that becomes more of an issue in less forgiving conditions. I learnt that the hard way. Lessons are your best option and the longer you leave it the more it'll take... I'm still learning that the hard way Mad snowHead


I think I figured out the problem. I'm not going fast enough. Generally, I'm a slow skier though I feel my level is intermediate as I can do any blue run and some of the easier black runs. But I ski slow because at my age (49), I just can't take a big tumble anymore. If I ski faster, I believe I'll float on top of the powder and make it easier to maneuver. I'll try that next time. It was quite difficult skiing in that much powder ... first time actually.
snow conditions
 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.
snowheid wrote:
@daddytroopa,
Welcome to snowHead
Many questions raised but first I need to address the 'old' excuse. I don't think anyone is an old skier until they are over 80 - I ski with an 85 year old who learnt at 75 and he still cruises red runs with little problem. Positive mental attitude is the thing. Of course we all gather various physical problems (knees are a perennial favourite) as we get older and these can be more of an issue but there is usually a way to adapt.
Skiing powder takes a bit to learn and you will love it when you do but like anything new in skiing there is the frustrating part initially as you are taken out of your comfort zone and I well remember being freaked out by my skis disappearing under the snow. Fatter skis make it a bit easier and a rocker tip makes turn initiation easier but you still need good technique and remember that fatter skis take a lot more effort to use on piste which is probably where you will spend most of your time at present.
If you are self taught then it would be remarkable if you didn't have some bad habits which will inhibit your progress so as @adithorp, says it will massively help you to get lessons and stop the bad habits before they get too ingrained into your skiing - you then need to undo what you have learnt and relearn it properly.
Skiing untracked light powder is generally pretty easy once you have mastered thigh steering but tracked , washed out and heavy powder are much more challenging (and tiring) as it involves constant changes in balance, a lot of core strength and technique changes (when you hit ice you will need to edge more for example).
However the main thing with skiing is to enjoy it and you seem to have that mastered Toofy Grin Toofy Grin


Yea I should but they're upwards of $100 / hr and my son takes private lessons so that soaks up the $$ Smile Funny you mentioned that I was in the gigantic COVID ski lineup because of the 2 person per chair policy, so the single skiers like me they pair us up with other singles. I was listening to the pair behind me, this guy just turned 77 and still skiing. They were talking about beer from around the world, making my thirsty haha

I'd like to think I'm doing OK with the skills. Since getting hooked on skiing, I've scoured YT for ski videos preferring Elate Media and Stomp It. Sometimes when I ski, I don't do any runs at all. I just do the bunny hill like 30 times practicing these skills.

The guy that bought my 21' boat years ago was a 76 year old man. I mean it takes some muscle and stamina to haul, launch and recover a trailer boat. I was super impressed that he was getting into a TRAILER boat at 76! He was an ourdoorsman. He had leathery, permanently tanned skin, wrinkles around the eyes ... I'm guessing life time hunter and fisher if I could profile him by his redneck truck LOL

I know a lot of you from Europe may not be familiar with the idea of launching a boat. This is a popular thing here in North America (Canada and US).
Looks like this.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Less entertaining than slip launches and less frequent in Uk. Often, we launch from drystacks as few of us keep boats at home and even fewer of us can ski on our local hill. Welcome to Snowheads but stop torturing us ;o)

http://youtube.com/v/AwNoDuemRKs
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

I just do the bunny hill like 30 times practicing these skills.

Thats really good discipline Madeye-Smiley . If you can't do lessons then get someone to video you doing different drills and free skiing. Then you can study these closely and try to identify any problems to work on.
I find that watching myself ski is always disappointing as the things I feel I am doing right is not the case and I have to go back to do the drills again. Also beware that the more you repeat a drill the more your muscle memory gets imprinted so if you don't catch bad habits early then it gets harder to correct them (speaking from my own experience here!)
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Grinning wrote:
Less entertaining than slip launches and less frequent in Uk. Often, we launch from drystacks as few of us keep boats at home and even fewer of us can ski on our local hill. Welcome to Snowheads but stop torturing us ;o)

http://youtube.com/v/AwNoDuemRKs


Ok haha, I really apologize, I didn't stop to think that some may not be able to ski b/c of travel restrictions.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
daddytroopa wrote:
Grinning wrote:
Less entertaining than slip launches and less frequent in Uk. Often, we launch from drystacks as few of us keep boats at home and even fewer of us can ski on our local hill. Welcome to Snowheads but stop torturing us ;o)

Ok haha, I really apologize, I didn't stop to think that some may not be able to ski b/c of travel restrictions.

You enjoy yourselves. We’ll get back to it in good time. Fantastic vistas
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
daddytroopa wrote:

Ok haha, I really apologize, I didn't stop to think that some may not be able to ski b/c of travel restrictions.


Yes, it is actually illegal to go on holiday here at the moment, let alone abroad to the Alps or wherever.
ski holidays
 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?
snowheid wrote:
Quote:

I just do the bunny hill like 30 times practicing these skills.

Thats really good discipline Madeye-Smiley . If you can't do lessons then get someone to video you doing different drills and free skiing. Then you can study these closely and try to identify any problems to work on.
I find that watching myself ski is always disappointing as the things I feel I am doing right is not the case and I have to go back to do the drills again. Also beware that the more you repeat a drill the more your muscle memory gets imprinted so if you don't catch bad habits early then it gets harder to correct them (speaking from my own experience here!)


That is a really good tip, thanks! I wonder if anyone will notice if I stuck a camera on a monopod in the middle of the bunny hill as I ride up the lift haha

Ok I'm not proud of this but since I'm relatively anonymous, lol what I do sometimes is I ski alongside an instructor giving lessons to someone roughly my level so I can hear what they're doing. But that doesn't work so well anymore since I'm probably intermediate and most of the instructors are teaching complete novices learning how to pizza. When I do find an instructor teaching an intermediate student, they're hard for me to catch up wit them Smile
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@daddytroopa,

Great pics. I especially like the Howe Sound one as it reminds me of a trip to Nootka two summers ago. Beautiful part of the country.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@daddytroopa, Welcome to snowHeads snowHead

Once you've got the basics, as you seem to have, the sort of instructor you need is the one that looks at you and what you are doing and can help guide you to a better place. Yep, watching others, whether on the hill or on YT is worthwhile and a bit of video feedback will help for sure. But, nothing beats someone who really knows what they're talking about, who can look at you and understand what you're doing, what you need to be doing and has methods to get you there.
Personally, I like a 90 minutes intensive lesson as it's enough for an instructor to:
1- See what i'm doing.
2- Get me to try something new.
3- See whether I can do it and to what degree: If I can do it, goto 2.
4- Try a drill or technique or two to help me acquire what's missing eg. body position, balance, movement, timing.
5- Go for a quick blast to catch a feeling of how much difference it makes.

I'll then spend weeks, practising that and evolving it from the bunny slopes where it was first acquired, to ever steeper and more challenging situations until I'm coming home raving to the Mrs. "U know that blah blah thing that Dave made me do in December? I just did it off-piste!"
She nods and smiles politely.

Not every instructor teaches that analytically, and those that don't, don't really suit me. But I know a good set of guys now that are capable of it so I tend to aim for 2 lessons like that per season. Although I may well grab others if good opportunities present (as they usually do snowHead )

So I suppose what I'm saying is, no don't just grab lessons for the sake of it: you sound like you're getting on fine. But look for someone who can really tweak your skills and empower you by helping you understand how to ski better and that'll really be worth the investment. Honestly in 90 mins you can just find the skis doing stuff for you that you had no idea you didn't have to do for yourself Smile Sometimes I've had a 90 minutes lesson and although it's hard to put a figure on it, I can say that it has improved my subsequent enjoyment of skiing by as much as 100%, for weeks. Sometimes because it fixed a problem I knew I was struggling with, but sometimes because I learnt something I didn't even know existed.

And btw. one of the most important things I've learned over the years is: I was copying the wrong people Embarassed
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