 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm new to all of this so if this is a stupid question please humour me...
I was wondering when I get to the mountain which group I should put myself in for lessons etc. I remember last time they asked what kind of level you were at to put you in groups.
Will I have forgotten what I have learnt?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No, I don't think that you can entirely forget how to ski. But it can take some time, from hours to days, to 'get your ski legs back'. This is about confidence and timing as much as anything else. If in doubt I'd say slot yourself into the lower group if you have a choice of two levels - much better to work on the fundamentals than to survive skiing on terrain which is too steep for you.
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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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I didnt take me very long after a 7 year gap. It took me little over an hour to get my ski legs back. A few runs and things, then the confidence just comes flowing back... 
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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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rob@rar, thanks for that.
I'm considering a sneaky visit to castleford for some lessons beforehand - I want to be better on my next trip and not be restricted as much as my first trip.
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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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No, I don't think you can forget how to ski. Last year my girlfriend (now wife) came skiing, having skiied for two weeks about ten years earlier. She was rather concerned about whether she would pick it up again, but everyone from the man in the ski hire shop to a lady we were sitting next to on the chairlift told her it was just like riding a bike and she'd remember it all again. We got to the top, she starts off in a snowplough, I ski about 20 yards and look back - and there she is, parallel turns, coming down like she owns the mountain. 
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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've had five year plus gaps a few times and never had any problems. I haven't had tuition since the 80s and I really don't remember any of that, but the ski legs seem to work OK.
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Almost everyone arrives rusty, and different people take different lengths of time to get their legs back.
Keep smiling, it's almost always fun.
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| fr0sty wrote: |
| Keep smiling, it's almost always fun. |
Totally agree with that.
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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.
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| v1cky24 wrote: |
| I'm considering a sneaky visit to castleford for some lessons beforehand |
Very sensible. Get the weirdness (slippery feeling underfoot, leaning to turn etc) out of the way before you're even near a mountain. Plus it will pique your anticipation.
Edit - depending on how long it is since you've skied, you might need to get used to carving skis. If you haven't used them before, they're much easier.
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It's important to design a refresh routine of specific drills that got you to the skill level you're at, so you can quickly reestablish the fundamental skills you've already developed in prior lessons. Doing this the first day (first runs) back on skis after being away from it for a time will rapidly jump start you right back to the level you were before your break.
The drills used in this jump start program should be focused on various fore/aft and lateral balance skills, along with basic edging skills. The exact drills used will vary slightly from person to person, based on their current individual skill level.
This refresh approach also works well as a daily warm up routine, even when no hiatus away from the snow has been taken. I still, after decades of skiing and teaching, start out my day with a set of balance drills, to start the day dialed in.
I still have on my to do list to write an article with a few of these routines designed for various skill levels. I'll post it up here when I get it finished. Hopefully before the winter lifts start running.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I had a twenty two year gap from skiing and had no real problems on my return. This was due in some respect due the the huge improvement in equipment that took place in the years i did not ski.
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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.
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v1cky24,
Top Tip. Take it easy for the first few hours of your trip. You'll soon get it back, but it may take a while. Just as you finished the last trip down a black run covered with moguls doesn't mean you can start the next trip like this.
Take it easy and you'll soon get it back.
Have a great trip.
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FastMan, as always sensible information.
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This refresh approach also works well as a daily warm up routine, even when no hiatus away from the snow has been taken. I still, after decades of skiing and teaching, start out my day with a set of balance drills, to start the day dialed in.
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I do this now as well... my boss who is an ex Olympian always starts off with a few falling leafs in the morning i have noticed and he said it helps him "feel the snow"
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You know it makes sense.
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v1cky24, I am only recently in my skiing terms now revelling in a bit of newly found confidence, but I still mull over in my mind the same question. The more I now do the less it starts to bother me, but its only been recently that I could even visit a snowdome and not think the thought on the first trip down - I think the question is quite natural and not at all stupid, fwiw I have not found any problems beyond the first 5 minutes of any mountian based trip since I discovered the magic thing that is 'confidence'.
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