 Poster: A snowHead
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The black run thread got me thinking. I panic about black runs, steep bits, icy bits, waist-high bumps because that's where I'm most likely to fall. I don't like falling and do my best to avoid it. I stayed more or less within my comfort zone in Courmayeur last season and didn't fall at all. The previous season in Kitzbuhel I fell once during the week on nasty icy black run number 69 (result: big bruise up the side of my thigh). Passo Tonale in 2006, again no falls. So that equates to one fall in three weeks. I probably fell a lot more when I was a kid on school trips, but I don't remember and it clearly didn't hurt as much then.
So who's a cautious avoid-falling type like me and who's a crashy-happy lunatic? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm certainly not crash happy, but I seem to fall 2 or 3 times in a week. These are mostly catching an edge, 180 and down.
However, last April, I went to Flaine for a weekend - 3 days of skiing, so we put in a lot of miles. I fell more in those 3 days than I care to remember. I even fell getting off a chair lift 
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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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Are you talking about a voluntary or involuntary flop down on to your side, or a high speed, cartwheeling, kit-all-over-the-place crash?
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Skiing, almost never. Maybe once or twice in about the last 5 weeks.
Boarding, about once an hour or so. Usually extremely hard.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 17-11-09 14:48; edited 1 time in total
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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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I hardly every fall (been taken ot badly a couple of times), but I think that this
has probably hindered my progress/confidence......and because I won't try what to me looks like a very steep/busy run.
Bikergirl
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar, my Kitzbuhel moment could probably best be described as an involuntary flop on to my side. I've definitely never done a high speed cartwheeling thing thank heavens!
Bikergirl, like I said on the black run thread. I avoid anything that looks/sounds too steep. If I was interested in progression, this probably hinders me a fair bit. But I'm not the progression type, I'm happy to just bimble about where I know I can handle it.
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I used to crash a lot, I think because I skied with Mrs Psycho who was (is) much better and I didn't want to keep her waiting. These were usually high speed edge catching falls. It reached the stage that when I was in the air I would consciously tell myself to relax so it didn't hurt so much. This technique worked well apart from the time I managed to skewer my buttock with a pole tip!
Nowadays , apart from off piste lessons, I fall a lot less. I have twice managed a whole week without falling, the Psychettes are always disappointed when that happens.
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I'd probably 'wipe out' - proper fall which would usually result in detached skis and I would end up shaken up, bruised and stiff next day - 1 to 2 times during a week. Wiping out more often probably suggests you are out of control too often. Stupid falls - get up and ski off immediately - once a day or more.
I reckon falling is part of the learning process and therefore if you are not falling then you probably aren't pushing your limits and won't progress as quickly.
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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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A couple of times a day usually - a mix of pathetic 'going-splat' (usually from a stationary position) to spectaular kit-going-flying crashes. To be fair, I fall over when out running, walking upstairs etc etc as well!
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Quite a bit: "Stupid tree", "Stupid landing", "Stupid double eject when taking off" (no idea either), "Stupid rock", "Arrrgggh SNOWSNAKES"...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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queen bodecia, Loads
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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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Depends on the type of crash and where I am.
e.g. last season I had two proper high speed crashes, cartwheeling down the slope smashing my kit (goggles, glasses etc.) jobs. Countless small overbalances that don't really matter, normally a result of pushing it or not concentrating on less than perfect snow. Finally I had no (probably why I can write this) slips or falls in no fall territory: I ride very differently here though each turn is an individual event possibly stopping before and/or after maybe sideslipping a bit to get to better snow or to pass a rock or ice.
The first two categories I put down to a mix of pushing it, I don't care about falls where the worst than can happen is ragdolling down a slope, and the fact boarders seem to fall over more than skiers anyway. I don't know why this is, possibly there is less chance to recover on a board, or, more likely, we're all crap and should have kept having lessons. The final catergory I only go onto that terrain when I'm 100% confident I can ride it safely: I don't want to die yet.
I fell off a drag last winter, several times in one day
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You know it makes sense.
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ahhh the catching an edge bum bounce. Pain like no other 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I can't remember falling on-piste for years (except when someone hit me at speed 3 seasons ago), but since most of my skiing is off piste - probably around 3 times per week for all kinds of fall.
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Poster: A snowHead
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That "if you're not falling over you're not trying" motto is utter pish.
The fact is I fall over when boarding because I'm mucking about. I try much harder when skiing, hence fewer falls.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| ..or a high speed, cartwheeling, kit-all-over-the-place crash? |
My speciality!!
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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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Can only remember one 'proper fall' over the past 5 or 6 seasons. One of my ski's is still missing in action as a result........
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Couple of good 'uns per week I'd say.
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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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I don't really fall apart from the fall on one side/get up quickly thing but then I know I don't push myself outside my comfort zone. I did have a big flying fall last year but that was only because a soft patch of fresh snow was heavily disguised as hard piste.
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If I am ski-ing off piste and come across my nightmare of nightmares - breakable crust - fairly regularly. It is the one type of snow that I am still trying to master, but I know I am not alone. I shall have to carry on wasting my hard earned cash trying to conquer it - but hey ho - who said life is perfect?  . I am obviously an addict.
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Last year two memorable ones amongst a number of routine ones. One high speed, cartwheeling, breaking glasses etc. when I was going too fast for the conditions, the other when I was going very slowly down a blue, looking ahead to see where the next lift was. Unfortunately it was a warm Spring day and I had just opened my pit zips fully and had my front zip almost fully open to cool down - it took me a while to shake all the wet snow out!
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Used to fall a lot (for someone that is pretty competent). Like most days.
Fell and cracked a rib a couple of years ago. It hurt. Cramped my style a bit for the rest of the holiday. Hardly fallen since.
I used to think that if you weren't falling you weren't pushing yourself. I've found that I didn't have to change much to stop falling - just a little more attention, discipline, focus.
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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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Not very often on piste maybe once or twice a year, but more frequently off piste particularly if I'm trying to do tele turns.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 17-11-09 17:52; edited 1 time in total
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| paulio wrote: |
That "if you're not falling over you're not trying" motto is utter pish.
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But then nobody has ever said quite that. (Well not in this thread anyhow)
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The fact is I fall over when boarding because I'm mucking about. I try much harder when skiing, hence fewer falls. |
It isn't about whether you are trying hard, it is about whether you are pushing your limits. There is a difference.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| eithnem wrote: |
| I'd probably 'wipe out' - proper fall which would usually result in detached skis and I would end up shaken up, bruised and stiff next day - 1 to 2 times during a week. Wiping out more often probably suggests you are out of control too often. Stupid falls - get up and ski off immediately - once a day or more. |
That pretty well exactly describes me too. In a 6 day trip, I will often have one or two days without any falls, and I will usually only have one or two spectacular falls in the week.
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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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| Quote: |
This technique worked well apart from the time I managed to skewer my buttock with a pole tip!
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Having fallen a lot snowboarding helped me - I think I fall better now, and rarely do any damage. In fact haven't done any damage for 3 years. But fall fairly regularly - usually trying something new (skiing on the wrong leg, notably) or off-piste. Falling doesn't bother me, though I would prefer to avoid it and have become much better at recovering. I find ski falls more bothersome than boarding falls - it's so much easier to get up on a board.
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Viz's Mr. Logic, apart from the word 'over', that was a direct quote.
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You know it makes sense.
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Jan last year , le face in val d , twice at the same spot after the traverse , was being prepared for the World Cup downhill , stopped sliding about 150yards down the piste.
Cairngorm February 2009 , caught a rock on the East Wall , head plant into the powder.
Caught an edge on the home road at Cairngorm on the same day , very undignified on a very flat section back to the car park .....blame it on being over 40 and tired.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Skiing, I fall in a minor way (not concentrating, catch an edge type falls) once or twice a week, and I fall in a big way maybe once a month. However, I plan on trying some freestyle skiing this winter, so am preparing to fall a lot more. I'm a gymnast though, so falling doesn't scare me in a big way.
Snowboarding, the last time I tried I fell about 10 times an hour, most of which was on the t-bar.
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Poster: A snowHead
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depends on the snow. if i'm skiing in knee deep poweder with hidden moguls and ppor visibility then i can' hardly manage a red run without falling 2 or 3 times!!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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During the day - none
After Mooserwirt - several
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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 don't tend to fall very often and "apparently" it's because I don't push myself enough and stay in my comfort zone! I used to find it very difficult to stand back up again when I was a beginner and would keep trying and slipping down again and ending up exhausted. I guess this gets easier when you fall on steeper slopes.
However, last year I fell at least once every 30 seconds whilst having a powder lesson in ski school and had to dig out my buried skis every time. Next time I go in powder, I'm tightening my bindings!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Skiing On piste - once per 10 days
Skiing Off piste in powder - once per 10 turns
Snowboarding - once too often (and never again)
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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i tend to ride a lot of park which inevitably means I fall over (a lot) 
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Most painful fall last year was on a really easy greeny blue (from the free chair in Tignes!). Was debating whether to go fastish to get as close as possible to the lift on the other side of the flat bit, or to do another lap of the piste while waiting to meet someone. While my attention was on the decision my skis decided to cross, and down I fell with a bump!
Fell a lot (i.e. every turn) on my first attempt at moguls, and also in the soft stuff on a track through some trees to a non-mogulled piste (instructor's decision). Took ages finding my ski in the soft stuff. I expect that the first time I encounter soft snow on the piste, I will do a lot of falling until I work out how you turn on the stuff. Ice doesn't bother me too much as I learned on a glacier, but am horribly aware of having no experience of softer stuff...
Almost all of my falls are of the catch an edge and slither a bit type, although I did have a big wipeout at the start of a chairlift in La Rosiere once. No idea what happened - one minute I have the pole between my legs waiting for the pull, next minute I'm in a heap on the floor!
I don't mind silly falls, apart from the embarassment/hassle of collecting the escaped ski or pole - I always seem to lose one out of my reach with my companions below me - but I don't push out of my comfort range to the point of major cartwheeling falls where I go a long way.
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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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Quite a mixture here. Glad to see I'm not the only cautious non-faller.
I accept the point about not falling = not pushing yourself. That's precisely why I don't push myself, I really don't want to fall or get out of control. It's not about progression for me, it's about enjoying my holiday.
Having said that though, when I see a spectacular wipe out (one of my ski buddies did it last season) when the skis fly off and a big cloud of snow erupts, it does look kinda cool. As long as the person concerned is uninjured of course.
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on piste hardly ever to be honest but when i do it is normally a big one!!! 2 years ago in avoriaz i was with the other halfs dad and little bro and he is only 11 and wizzing around everywhere, he shot off into the bloody "stash" a freestyle park made from natural stuff. He finally stopped and rightly so because what we were left with was a kind of 80 foot drop, icy cliff face with trees, rocks and boulders sticking out of it. There was no way back at all and i wasnt comfy skiing down it (only done 3 weeks then) it was literally a sheet of ice and i was pretty scared to ski down to it so i took my skis off - first mistake!! i started to scramble down and then all of a sudden, whoosh, i lost my footing and just went down, down, down. At the bottom there was a tree sticking out of the ice and i landed on it with my backside and leg and instantly was in pain, couldnt feel a thing, thought i had broken it to be honest. after a long while and still in a lot of pain we finally made it down!! moral of the story, never ever take your skis off to walk down something, it is always better to ski it, especially if it is that icy!!!
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FAQ
