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Beginner Quiver out of control

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Poor guy getting all this flak, any chance if could be because he’s skiing and we’re not?!

I’m pretty sure Spyderjon could sell him a few pairs of new skis to improve his quiver though.....and even a few more backpacks.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Markymark29 wrote:
Poor guy getting all this flak, any chance if could be because he’s skiing and we’re not?!


Imagine this thread on TGR Happy
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?
Quote:

3) Nothing wrong with having more than one pair of ski's - though probably better off spending more money on boots and lessons than stacking them up.

It's the "stacking them up" part that gets me. I don't know all those skis, but just from their geometry looks to be far too much overlap. Having a whole bunch of skis that are essentially identical (and in the wrong size too) really speaks of madness.

Markymark29 wrote:
Poor guy getting all this flak, any chance if could be because he’s skiing and we’re not?!

I’m pretty sure Spyderjon could sell him a few pairs of new skis to improve his quiver though.....and even a few more backpacks.

Before I joined a ski forum, I never knew there're people who own more pairs of skis than the number of days they skied!

Being a shop-a-holic is nothing new. I don't understand it at all. But I see it in other walks of life too, e.g. women who has hundreds pairs of shoes! And yes, I've been there when she asked "which pair of my shoes I should pick?" which went on for hours! Shocked


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 25-02-21 16:28; edited 1 time in total
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Scooter in Seattle wrote:
Not sure SL skis are the ultimate groomer weapon. I agree up to around 25 or so. Any faster, you're on the wrong board. They're a gas for a couple runs though.

+1 on #4 above.


Well GS skis are probably a better weapon where there is space to use them which isn't that many groomers in my experience because they are groomers. SL skis are proper knackering though because you do at least 3X as many turns on them.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Nice to "have" a ski problem though to work through.

We're all stuck at home home watching Bob get all the tasty bits in Verbier Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
ski3 wrote:
Nice to "have" a ski problem though to work through.

We're all stuck at home home watching Bob get all the tasty bits in Verbier Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


Good point.
I need to start deciding which of my many pairs of skis I should take skiing tomorrow. Twisted Evil
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
TBH, I don't have a problem with SLs at all. I used to use GS but prefer SL. Maybe I'll try something more GSy next time to see if a few more weeks skiing enables me to use them better.
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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!
stuarth wrote:
ski3 wrote:
Nice to "have" a ski problem though to work through.

We're all stuck at home home watching Bob get all the tasty bits in Verbier Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


Good point.
I need to start deciding which of my many pairs of skis I should take skiing tomorrow. Twisted Evil


Very Happy Ha ha, it falls upon those that can, to get out and do their duty in making use of the prevailing conditions with best application for all us sofa skiers.

Don't let us down, and that includes you Matt Dumas. We're expecting results from our efforts, hope you enjoy the learning process. snowHead Laughing
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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.
@Matt Dumas, you’re in the 95 percentile for male weight in the USA. Your weight is the biggest factor in selecting ski length therefore whatever skis you’re buying you should be getting the longest one in the range. Try renting a pair of good piste skis in the longest size, probably around 180cm and see how you get on with them. Boot stiffness is another issue. Generally beginners start in softer boots, but bigger guys need stiffer boots. Do you find it easy to flex your boots? Once you’re on the right skis you’ll probably need stiffer boots, I’d suggest at least 120.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks again for the replies. I am a big guy. I am not going to say that I am a fit athlete, but I am very active. I climb mountains all summer long. My boots are soft. I can't edge my skis with any kind of confidence. I am not sure how easy my boots/skis flex because I don't really have a frame of reference. I was on the the mountain 7 times last year when I first started learning. I was making parallel turns within an hour of my buddy "teaching" me the basics. Loon Mountain rental shop put me on Head 160cm. I have been on the mountain 10 times this year. I can skid and smear my way down blues and I enjoy greens, but I still skid and smear them.

Lesson tomorrow night at 7pm. Let's see what comes of this!!!

Valkyrie, long skis scare the hell out of me! I understand what you are saying though. I really enjoy skiing and being in the mountains. I know I will never be Bode Miller, but I want to be able to ski more of the mountain in a relaxed fashion instead of stark panic!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Matt Dumas wrote:
Thanks again for the replies. I am a big guy. I am not going to say that I am a fit athlete, but I am very active. I climb mountains all summer long. My boots are soft. I can't edge my skis with any kind of confidence. I am not sure how easy my boots/skis flex because I don't really have a frame of reference. I was on the the mountain 7 times last year when I first started learning. I was making parallel turns within an hour of my buddy "teaching" me the basics. Loon Mountain rental shop put me on Head 160cm. I have been on the mountain 10 times this year. I can skid and smear my way down blues and I enjoy greens, but I still skid and smear them.

Lesson tomorrow night at 7pm. Let's see what comes of this!!!

Valkyrie, long skis scare the hell out of me! I understand what you are saying though. I really enjoy skiing and being in the mountains. I know I will never be Bode Miller, but I want to be able to ski more of the mountain in a relaxed fashion instead of stark panic!

IMV. A lot of what you are doing is wrong:

- Your Skis are too short
- Your Boots are too soft
- You were being coached by a Buddy

On the upside - you are active and are now taking lessons (ask the instructor about Ski Length and who is the best Bootfitter). If you take on board the advice on here, you will be well on your way to turning things around.

Re Boots. Find the best local Bootfitter (often the one used by the local instructors and racers).....and go with what they recommend.
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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.
Quote:

IMV. A lot of what you are doing is wrong:

- Your Skis are too short
- Your Boots are too soft
- You were being coached by a Buddy

I would reverse the order of how "grave" the mistakes were:

- Taught by a buddy
- Boot too soft
- Skis too short

Quote:
I was making parallel turns within an hour of my buddy "teaching" me the basics. Loon Mountain rental shop put me on Head 160cm. I have been on the mountain 10 times this year.

That 160 skis maybe appropriate for your 1st day on slope. But it's too short for skiing on (North America) blues for a 290lb guy!

Had you taken any lessons, you would have been advised to get longer skis. Heck, had you been renting skis, they would have probably suggest you to get progressively longer skis already.

Your biggest mistake isn't on the size of the skis. It's your decision to buy skis mirroring what you were given as a never-ever skier!
ski holidays
 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
I will keep you all updated. I have a feeling that I am going to have a ski fire sale!
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@abc, TBF. I wasn't putting them in any particular order.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
IMHO I think you are being a bit harsh on the OP....

Yes buying a bunch of the same type of skis that may have limited future use is a bit non-ideal but....

-As a beginner, better too short/soft than too long. You only really start to notice it getting into different terrain, or when you want to start getting performance from the skis
-Having just started out, and being able to schmeer turn is just fine, eventually those schmeers can have more edge control and timing applied to turn into carves...
-Already planning to get a few lessons to iron out the technical bumps which seems like the right plan.
-Enjoying being out there on the mountain

So generally sounds like he's heading in the right direction


My son skis on 164s and 90 (I think) flex boots this year, despite him now being almost as big as me, mainly because he sprouted super fast. I cannot ski anything like as well as him on my 190s and 130 flex boots, and I suspect few that post here could either, so best not to get too obsessed with all the gear and all that.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Without wishing to appear too rude, I reckon your dad might have a point! Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

Markymark29 wrote:
Poor guy getting all this flak, any chance if could be because he’s skiing and we’re not?!


Imagine this thread on TGR

@snowdave, You clearly don’t do irony then?! Laughing
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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?
@Matt Dumas, I think you are just too keen. But I admire you’re keenness. I’ve been skiing for 40+yrs, and you already have more skis in your quiver than I have ever owned. Nail the basics, there really aren’t that many basics to learn. Then add your own flourish.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
abc wrote:
TheGeneralist wrote:

Um, I hate to say it, but having loads of skis and 15 backpacks doesn't make you a manic skier or rambler. It defines you as a manic shopper, that's all.

Focus more on doing rather than buying.

Laughing Laughing Laughing
Yes this I agree with.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Took the lesson. Learned a lot and I am already feeling better and I am looking forward to working some of the drills that I learned on this Wednesday on Loon Mountain in NH. I am now in Rosignol Speed 100 boots (comfort fit) and Head Rev 70 170cm Skis. What a difference getting out of those Salomon Quest 80 boots. Way too soft for a 290lb 6 foot guy and I feel the difference. The 170cm length seems to be where I need to be until I can get up on this edge and build confidence. 163cm definitely feels too short. It gave me a sense of comfort . . . .

My parallels looked good (although skidded). I need to lean forward more and get the balance thing down. Learned about BREP. I also need to stop leaning back into the slope when turning. Keep my hands way out in front.

Very excited about progressing!
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Matt Dumas wrote:
. . .

My parallels looked good (although skidded). I need to lean forward more and get the balance thing down. Learned about BREP. I also need to stop leaning back into the slope when turning. Keep my hands way out in front.

Glad you are heading in the right direction.....what is BREP?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BREP is the acronym for skiing basics as taught to me by my instructor:

B - Balance
R - Rotation
E - Edging or Edge Control
P - Pressure
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

Very excited about progressing!

Thats the attitude - you seem to be on the right track now with equipment sorted out. If I may offer a word of wisdom it pays at your stage to keep periods between lessons relatively short (say one lesson per 7- 10 days skiing or even more frequent) as you can progress very quickly at this stage and you need to continually take yourself out of your comfort zone to build your technique.
It is all too easy to reach a stage where you can ski most runs and think you don't need more lessons for a while but then end up with a very ingrained poor technique which is difficult to correct -the classic is skiing with a 'wooden leg' plus using the whole body to turn the ski which is inefficient and makes more advanced techniques difficult to learn. Once you reach the point where you have angulation in your skiing plus separation of upper and lower body then the risks reduce and longer periods between lessons are ok.
Even now after 50 years skiing I still take lessons a couple of times a season as there is always something new to learn - that is one of the things that makes it such a fun sport Very Happy
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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.
Matt Dumas wrote:
BREP is the acronym for skiing basics as taught to me by my instructor:

B - Balance
R - Rotation
E - Edging or Edge Control
P - Pressure

Ah, a trendy acronym for the skiing essentials.

Personally, I found it helpful to understand how a ski's shape helps you to turn - I think it was Ali Ross (famous Scottish Instructor) in the late 70s, who first highlighted it for me....and suddenly the movements I'd been taught made sense. He also explained why we get into the "shapes" needed for skiing ie. as a result of resisting gravity - illustrated by taking the ski poles of his pupil and trying to pull them downhill (mimicking Gravity), resulting in the hips of the pupil going to the inside and the body going into a C-Shape ie. a good position for skiing

- You have probably seen, that if you tip a ski over on its edge and press on it, it bends in an arc.

- What is often less explained, is how the tip works in a skidded turn. The tip is the widest part of the ski, so produces the greatest amount of friction - so in a skidded turn, the tip digs in and the rest of the ski pivots around it (like a windscreen wiper). The more forward pressure from the knees, the more the tip digs in and the tighter the turn becomes (skidded turn).


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 1-03-21 21:17; edited 4 times in total
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
snowheid wrote:
Quote:

Very excited about progressing!


Even now after 50 years skiing I still take lessons a couple of times a season as there is always something new to learn - that is one of the things that makes it such a fun sport Very Happy

....and the better you get, the more fun you have.

Mostly what I see when skiing, are holiday skiers stuck on the Intermediate Plateau. They have got to a level where they could get about and stopped lessons.....So your advice is right on the money.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I have a few horrible memories of Loon, blue ice on Lower Walking Boss and huge ice moguls at the bottom of the green run Shrubber, on rental skis which influences my comments. The experience also made me never want to see a Head ski again.

First at your height and weight choose the stiffest, longest and narrowest skis and stick to those while you develop. Only when you have a little more skill and familiarity will you understand what the other skis in your quiver will be able to do for you. Continually swapping skis during this phase will only serve to confuse you and hold you back. Get your instructor to tell which of your skis will best suit your learning and stick to those. If he says none then sell the whole quiver and buy the pair he suggests.

Learn to service your skis yourself, not only will it save you money long term but it will help educate yourself on the importance of good edges, especially at Loon.
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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.
Quote:

you need to continually take yourself out of your comfort zone to build your technique.

Hmm. Not sure that "out of your comfort zone" is the right place to build technique - more like fall back on your old panic mode. You do need lessons fairly frequently to identify the poor techniques and learn how to use better ones.
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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
pam w wrote:
Quote:

you need to continually take yourself out of your comfort zone to build your technique.

Hmm. Not sure that "out of your comfort zone" is the right place to build technique - more like fall back on your old panic mode. You do need lessons fairly frequently to identify the poor techniques and learn how to use better ones.

IMV/IME. It's the Instructor's job to take you out of your comfort zone, if they think it's appropriate. As you get better - they are inclined to do it more often....though a new skill should always be learned on a slope that is not challenging - and built up from there.

When learning, the removal of confidence is the thing that can set you back the most.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Matt Dumas wrote:
Took the lesson. Learned a lot and I am already feeling better and I am looking forward to working some of the drills that I learned on this Wednesday on Loon Mountain in NH. I am now in Rosignol Speed 100 boots (comfort fit) and Head Rev 70 170cm Skis. What a difference getting out of those Salomon Quest 80 boots. Way too soft for a 290lb 6 foot guy and I feel the difference. The 170cm length seems to be where I need to be until I can get up on this edge and build confidence. 163cm definitely feels too short. It gave me a sense of comfort . . . .

My parallels looked good (although skidded). I need to lean forward more and get the balance thing down. Learned about BREP. I also need to stop leaning back into the slope when turning. Keep my hands way out in front.

Very excited about progressing!


Excellent - keep at it!
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