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The Ah Ha! moment

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
skimottaret,

a) don't fall on rse
b) full range of motion including standing as tall as you can without a)
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
comprex, i would be tempted to try that but dont want to look a t**t in the gym

if you fall on rse how do you then know it was the boots fault or just bad posture/balance?
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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?
skimottaret, if you can do it in bare feet you should be able to do it in the ski boot or know the reason why*


* and buy a "forgiving" ski.


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 3-10-07 15:13; edited 1 time in total
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Maybe snowhots hips were moving forward (over the feet) for most of her skiing that day, (prior to this video) maybe not. Someone has already identified that fatigue may have been an issue. And fatigue of one part of the body begets fatigue in another.

When we're tired, we tend to drop into a previously aquired comfort zone. It happens to me.

What matters is that Snowhot wishes to learn, but the best advice needs to come from Snowhot's coach, on the day, on the mountain.

SnowHot, your observation about being "white knuckled, and panicked..." shows good awareness. Being honest with our abilities helps us move on and improve one or two chunks at a time.

In the early days of learning to ski, the client/student learns a lot. Much like an infant growing up. Some folk are gifted and the sport comes naturally to them, but must of us who learn later in life slow down. Then, as in life, we learn through experience, sometimes the hard way, and sometimes an easier way helped along with the directions of an experienced coach. In life, it's our parents, family and friends. On the hill... it's down to choice.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
SnowHot, I hope I'll be fun to ski with one day!! That would be quite cool Cool

I do hope that the EoSB next year attracts a full range of abilities, I would like to find some folks that I can ski with and not worry about holding them back. In Switzerland with my friends I ski by myself in the morning whilst they go and enjoy themselves on the higher steeper slopes while all our children are in ski school. In the afternoon they come and help with all our children on the lower slopes - this is good for mine as I couldn't help in the way they can, and so are around for me to chat to as I practice, but as I shall be holidaying by myself in VT it would be good to have some company sometimes. Lets hope someone finds me fun to ski with wink snowHead
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comprex wrote:
skimottaret, if you can do it in bare feet you should be able to do it in the ski boot or know the reason why*


* and buy a "forgiving" ski.


* or go you go get your boots adjusted? I think i am following your logic in that if you are too upright in your boots you wont be able to go through a full range of movement on a moveable surface. but does doing the drill actually help you fix the problem?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
skimottaret wrote:
but does doing the drill actually help you fix the problem?


Well, diagnosis is half the battle, don't you think? Once you know it's not the ski's fault. . .

But, it's funny you should ask, and select the example you did. Consider the case you picked (too stiff, too upright) as opposed to (too stiff, too much forward lean-> rear cuff blocks upright extension-> must revisit bootfitter) for example.

I actually think the case you picked might have a training correction (tibialis anterior), and I have mild suspicion of an ulterior motive on your part.

What keeps the inside boot flexed when the weight is on the outside ski (and the hips are even/ the inside ski isn't way forward)?


What ever ^that^ is, that is the mechanism one is training by flexing down without overbalancing to one's front.
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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!
Is the ulterior motive somewhere near the anterior cruciate?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
laundryman, agonist.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
NewSkier wrote:

I want to develop confidence/technique at a speed where I feel totally in control, then gradually push the boundaries, not take massive leaps into the unknown and see what happens. I want to have runs like one or two I had in a lesson at the Snowdome where I felt things were actually coming together properly, and then be able to work out what I did, so I can do it most of the time, not just now and then! Yes I know a bit more speed or 'attack' might get me there sooner, but enjoying my skiing whilst remaining in one piece is my prime aim! Oh and actually I am getting a bit faster - it IS happening!


It will happen.... I was far worse than you when I started...(remember I really would NOT let go of the instructor)... Working on technical skills has allowed me to get to the stage where on my first day in a Nastar race course I got a silver medal... on my second I got a gold... and this in 10 years of skiing and being middle aged when I started and having a disability... Ok I worked harder than average and had a lot more lessons... but minus the disability it is pretty doable with a little coaching and practice... Plenty of folks ski for nearly 20 years and despite having twice the years on snow and living in more suitable climates(ie seasons longer than 2-2.5 months) struggle to get more than a bronze medal or even to get a bronze....

I'm no speed demon... and I come from a flat dry land... that medal is simply the result of good technical skiing that I have practised on our flat hills with man-made slush(and rocks and grass)... eventually the technical skill allows you to ski faster with control... beats hooning with buddies and learning bad habits that are hard to break...

Persist - you will get there!! (Fastman cue the poem please)

megamum you too!

Very Happy

Oh if you want any confirmation - just ask easiski...

PS: picking a good instructor is pretty damn handy....especially if you can ski with them every year or even a couple of times a year...
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Interesting thread. I second Snowshark's observation that you should never ski faster than you're comfortable with just to keep up with your friends. If they won't wait for you (at least some of the time) then what sort of friends are they? Too much speed almost always ends up with the skier leaning back, tense and feeling very insecure. Those that love speed (usually men) just don't get it!

ps: Little Tiger generally skis faster than I do, but I think I could still beat her if I put my mind to it! wink

Megamum, Being fun to ski with has absolutely nothing to do with how good/fast you are! Very Happy
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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.
easiski wrote:


ps: Little Tiger generally skis faster than I do, but I think I could still beat her if I put my mind to it! wink



I'm certain you could atm Very Happy but I'm working on that Toofy Grin
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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
I can see a competition coming along here the next time this pair get on the same slope together!!

Now there's an interesting thought does an instructor need to be able to physically ski better than those they instruct, or do they just need to be able to see what is wrong and be able to convey the correct message in an understandable format to the instructee for them to improve.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
comprex wrote:
skimottaret wrote:
but does doing the drill actually help you fix the problem?


Well, diagnosis is half the battle, don't you think? Once you know it's not the ski's fault. . .

But, it's funny you should ask, and select the example you did. Consider the case you picked (too stiff, too upright) as opposed to (too stiff, too much forward lean-> rear cuff blocks upright extension-> must revisit bootfitter) for example.

I actually think the case you picked might have a training correction (tibialis anterior), and I have mild suspicion of an ulterior motive on your part.

What keeps the inside boot flexed when the weight is on the outside ski (and the hips are even/ the inside ski isn't way forward)?


What ever ^that^ is, that is the mechanism one is training by flexing down without overbalancing to one's front.


Ummm,,errr no ulterior motive i am kinda losing where you are with this. I have heard numerous time that it is a good idea to get your boot camber and alignment checked but that few if anyone in the UK can do this. Your idea of standing on an unstable surface would seem to me be a good way to check if the boots are not adjusted correctly, but i still dont get how you can tell the difference between poor boot setup and poor posture.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Megamum, Its not ability, but rather attitude that makes someone fun to ski with.
As for your progress......
With those new skis you got, you'll be gaining confidence in no time. You will be amazed at how much help it is to ski consistently on the same gear.
When in doubt, repeat my signature three times:
Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it!

Have fun!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

Some folk are gifted and the sport comes naturally to them, but most of us who learn later in life slow down.


Snowshark, I don't think that observation is unique to skiing - Oh, to have the learning ability of my kids again, skiing, foreign languages, memory etc. I just hope I've got a little natural ability lurking about somewhere, gotta have something on my side to play catch-up with!!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Megamum wrote:
I can see a competition coming along here the next time this pair get on the same slope together!!

.


nah.... I'm counting on longer term.... I'm younger and have not been mangled by a gung ho out of control slider yet(touch wood I may yet escape for a while).... so I reckon I stand a chance Twisted Evil

then again easiski is older and probably more devious as a result of that Wink
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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?
skimottaret, fair enough!

But do consider the case of flexing down against a stiff boot.

If you are doing it with weight alone then

on skis there has to be pressure against the shovels, and a return force from the snow that keeps the shovels from sinking and the boot flexed

on a soft unstable surface that cannot supply that return force (e.g. soft face of bosu) one gets dumped forward or recoils back onto the heels.

So, in the middle of a turn on snow, if a significant portion of the body weight is on the outside foot, what keeps the inner boot flexed so that the hips and ski tips stay even?

The answer is not "body weight".

options:
a) bracing against the other foot (notice this puts pressure on the inside ski shovel)
b) muscle action inside the boot
c) some other I can't think of?
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easiski wrote:

ps: Little Tiger generally skis faster than I do,



not my fault... blame the guys.... they keep making me go faster.... and Fastman thinks I have a fear of speed(I do Embarassed ) and wants me to ski faster(and I ski faster with him than with you)... Shocked
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
comprex, draw the inside foot back, flexing the ankle.
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little tiger, speed can sometimes mask a lack of finer skills. Can your friends ski well when skiing slowly, or do they occasionally stumble onto the inside ski - out of balance.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snowshark, that's option a) := bracing move against the stance of the long leg from muscle action at the hip and puts pressure on the shovel of the inside ski, and by Newton, on the tail of the outside ski when the heels are even. Unpossible on bosu.


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 3-10-07 20:10; edited 1 time in total
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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!
comprex, not sure.... sorry i would guess active flexing of the ankle and rotation of the inner hip forward so that the frame remains stacked over the skis.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
comprex, sorry, it was your terminology that threw me. What about prudent use of inclination as opposed to angulation keeping things more aligned and level?
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skimottaret wrote:
comprex, not sure.... sorry i would guess active flexing of the ankle



My best guess for the training effect of the exercise.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Snowshark, I really don't think we can use body weight in the argument, but maybe I'm way off.
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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.
comprex, Also progressive edge control: driving knees and hips forward through the turn; keeping feet and knees equidistant through the turn to keep a stacked skeletal balance over the skis.
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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
Snowshark, My "friends" are my instructors.... most are instructor trainers many are examiners and or coaches also... until not long ago(maybe 4-5 years) I had never skied a day without a lesson .... when I started I could not really take the risk of skiing without a source of outside feedback as I am missing the regular feedback on limb position/muscle tension and hence movement speed.... Based on the initial assessment I do well to ski at all independently.... To ski as well as I do is a testament to the persistence and ingenuity of my instructors!

Unlike some folks who learn to ski from well meaning buddies I spent so much time with coaching I developed more technical understanding and skills than balls.... I'm the worlds biggest chicken... I ski as fast as I do only because I have had a lot of coaching to develop my skills to allow comfort at those speeds... Fastman is a race coach who is kind enough to have helped me out over the years online... and last winter I was lucky enough to ski with him... he is a very good coach.... I have also skied with Easiski a few times... she is also a great instructor and very good at thinking through each particular student's problem and finding ways to teach them exactly what she thinks they need to learn...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
comprex, I never mention body weight.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
little tiger, Nicely put. I'm a little wiser now. Your coaches obviously have good reasons for getting you to ski faster. Keep at it. I know Easiski from years back and know she always has the best interests of the client/performer/or friend at heart.

I have another friend who never experienced skiing on her feet. She has however developed a great understanding of technique and is quite capable of observing and advising people, such as myself how to improve something.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
comprex, do you do this drill with ski boots on, and on a BOSU? i do a lot of jumping onto a half bosu but never thought to try standing on one with boots on.....

are you saying we agree then on the active flexing of the ankle? ps what did you think my ulterior motive was i am curious wink
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Incidentally, I ski quite quickly, very fast even, occasionally getting boot out. But I have to return to slower skiing, practicing drills; working on finer joint control and body management with a view to getting it right at higher speeds. Experimentation is a valuable part of the learning process as is guided discovery. (With a coach.)

I don't think anyone ever stops learning - even in snowsports.
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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?
Thick question coming up............I seen reference to it many times, but haven't understood before - what is a BOSU?
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Have to confess I use speed to mask a lack of fine control. I don't have the fluency on skis to master some drills when done at low speed (just ask easiski!)
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar, that's the beauty of drills. When you get 'em right - you know and feel it.
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Megamum, http://www.bosu.com/
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snowshark wrote:
rob@rar, that's the beauty of drills. When you get 'em right - you know and feel it.

Yes, that was certainly my experience with easiski in April. More drills for me this season I think.
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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!
Snowshark wrote:
little tiger, Nicely put. I'm a little wiser now. Your coaches obviously have good reasons for getting you to ski faster. Keep at it. I know Easiski from years back and know she always has the best interests of the client/performer/or friend at heart.

I have another friend who never experienced skiing on her feet. She has however developed a great understanding of technique and is quite capable of observing and advising people, such as myself how to improve something.



Easiski and I were playing with each other - little bit of an in joke I guess... as we do enjoy skiing together...

Yes my instructors are trying to improve my "aggressiveness"....

the general feeling amongst the gaggle of trainers I have skied with is that I would pass the slower technical skiing sections of the APSI 2 exam (demos etc) with not too much trouble... but would struggle with the freeskiing sections due to my hesitancy when I get worried... (This is before leaving australia in 2005).... Hence sending me overseas to bigger mountains and better snow... They wanted me up to the skiing standard for APSI 2 as my next step...and then Masters racing....

One of my instructors is canadian and beat the level 4 CSIA pacesetter by 1 second... so you can see why he might "like" it if I'd ski a little faster than my current crawl!!!

I have a young friend who is blind and is wanting to compete at the next paralympics... I've offered to guide him for casual skiing... My ex is a trainer - but also substantially deaf


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Wed 3-10-07 21:57; edited 1 time in total
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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.
skimottaret, Cheers - I wondered if it was some sort of full ball - I wasn't expecting a half ball - it looks a bit squidgy, but not significantly so - I guess the wobble helps develop balance muscles in the legs.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
skimottaret wrote:
comprex, do you do this drill with ski boots on, and on a BOSU? i do a lot of jumping onto a half bosu but never thought to try standing on one with boots on.....


<shrug> Top of a BOSU or top of a mogul with tip&tail in air, what's the difference?

Quote:
are you saying we agree then on the active flexing of the ankle?


Yes, as I see it. I'm still waiting to be corrected/ slapped on the back of the head. I value Snowshark's responses but I see them as primarily addressing lateral balance. Maybe I'm confused. It's highly possible.

Quote:

ps what did you think my ulterior motive was i am curious ;-)


Heh. I assume that winky means you have read some of the boot balance threads from last season, starring keepers and instructors, the short summary of which being "Not just a closely fitted boot, but balanced in the boot".

I did not want to start that hare.


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Wed 3-10-07 20:59; edited 1 time in total
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