 Poster: A snowHead
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Teaching beginners on ultra-short skis is nothing new - it was catching on more than 35 years ago in places like (the then new) Les Arcs, with its Ski Evolutif method, and resorts in the States that used the similar Graduated Length Method.
The idea is to ditch ski poles, put novices on skis of about 90cm or 1m (or maybe even blades), and teach parallel turns from day one. Awkward unfamiliar positions like the snowplough are avoided. Simple familiar ideas are emphasised.
Here's a report on a ski school at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, which is using a programme called 'Parallel From the Start', reported by the Sacramento Bee.
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| "We can teach a monkey," said Ed Kreil, the ski school director. "It really is that easy. I have seen people who can barely walk or see become avid skiers. People over 70 learn how to ski." |
... and a taste of the first lesson:
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The class makes its way up a small hill and sits on four wooden benches. Sperling asks them to imagine holding a couple of glasses of wine, all the while flumping in their boots.
"I'm just going to let gravity and the snow take me," he says as he slides down a slight incline and makes a parallel turn.
Ryan follows, smiling widely as she slides into a turn holding those imaginary glasses. |
Did you learn this skiing this way? Or do you wish you'd learned skiing this way?
Have you taught people to ski with ultra-short skis? Would you teach skiing this way?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 17-11-04 23:19; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, I used Snowblades on plastic a couple of times. Very good for younger types..but a lot of falls, so now use skis all the time.
They were very easy for people to move around on, but (obviously) not to great for folks without a highly developed sense of balance. This, of course, made much worse by the surface.
I do spend a lot of time getting people to ski on short skis however, at the lower speeds (Alan Craggs, Martin Bell exluded of course !) reached on plastic you just don't need 210s anymore......
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Julian and I learnt to ski in Flaine by this method about 9 years ago. Our friends were amazed that by the end of the week, we both skiied the Serpentine from top to bottom. They were more worried than we were.
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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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My mother only ever skied for 1 week about 12/15 years ago. It was in Les Arc and with the Evolutif method for her instruction. She was cracking along with the (much younger) group in her lesson midway through the holiday, having progressed in ski length. I think they even tackled a red or two!
Keep trying to persuade her to give it another go, but I think the fear factor has taken hold, unfortunately.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I learnt in Les Arcs a good few years ago, using Ski Evolutif. Progress was certainly rapid; we went down a black on the last day of the week. Started on 100cm, then 130, then 160. The snowplough was taught to us on the fourth day on the basis that 'we might find it useful in a lift queue'.
Having said that, my progress since has been less than I would have hoped. I did a second week with the same school the next year and didn't feel I progressed very much. Since then, I haven't been to ski school as much as I probably should have - something I intend to put right during the forthcoming season!
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| "We can teach a monkey," said Ed Kreil, the ski school director. " |
They do boarding lessons then 
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