 Poster: A snowHead
|
I don't know if anybody has been following this blog.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/gap-year-ski-instructor/7471417/The-40-something-ski-bum-blog-22.html but this piece is quite interesting. The guy has the instructors unbuckle their boots completely and ski, in order to obtain the zen in balance.
"To be a good skier it’s not enough just to have raw power,” he says. “You need rhythm, coordination, flexibility – and especially good balance.”
"One of G’s suggestions is that to work on improving my balance back home, I learn to ride a unicycle, take classes in ice skating, and if I go to a gym, do my workouts perched on a Swiss ball or a wobble board. Balance, it seems, is all-important. "
[/url]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Layne, It sounds as though you should get Fastman's DVDs look at www.yourskicoach.com. Balance is critical because if you're not well balanced your skis and your body don't work as well. If you are well balanced then everything gets easier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Balance is king.
Just copy highliners.
Stand in a T shape, like a coathanger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Layne, Awsome trick for skiing and getting balance right I fixed my short radius turns in a single day using it and regulary use it teaching more advanced students.
Fellow instructor was made ski an itiniary run filled with Moguls wiht his boots open said it was one of the scariest and most valuable ski lessons he had ever had
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That Instructor obviously hasn't been sued yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
My balance practice includes doing the ironing standing on a Bosu ball and brushing my teeth standing on one leg with my eyes shut. I don't do these at the same time, however. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
G can ski and speaks the truth
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 31-03-10 22:25; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Hurtle, I would do the same but I'm too afraid of dropping the teeth into the drain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meh. For anyone who's ever had major boot woes skiing with open buckles is "normal"! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
RPF skies with "G" around Verbier. Speaks highly of the guy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I always do my first runs of the day with buckles undone gets you into the groove, rehabbing an ACL I've grown to love my Bosu ball, I'm thinking of taking her on holiday (not)!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
| Just watch for wet feet |
or even Frost bite !
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| bobinch wrote: |
| RPF skies with "G" around Verbier. Speaks highly of the guy. |
I sure do. Really great guy. I only ski with him on his days off so I get to keep my boots buckled up 
He says the most important thing of all is to have fun. He has an infectious love for skiing and is like a child on Christmas morning when he finds powder.
Despite being on his 20th season and being qualified to the top level in 4 countries he still strives to improve his own skiing by trying new things at every oppertunity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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: |
That Instructor obviously hasn't been sued yet.
|
First time I was asked to do this was by a well known BASI L4 she got down and opened out my boots fully and told me to go off down a steepish slope doing short radius in a narrow corridor.
My first question to her was how is your insurance
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Fattes13, Many years ago a Grade 3 training course was told to ski down the (icy and big) Ciste bumps with their boots undone. One broke their leg, and BASI banned the practise. I don't know whether it's been re-instated or not. It can work quite well but careful control of slope and conditions for the level of skier is essential!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Fattes13, easiski, It's still a big no-no. Using the equipment against the manufacturer's recommended instructions, which can affect the release values of the ski bindings. Any injury caused through using this practice leaves yourself wide open to be sued off the Planet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think it's still common on BASI courses, i certainly did it on my L2 (7 yrs ago - eek!) But i know pwoplw who've done it more recently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
beanie1, It was a big no-no on mine 5 years ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fattes13, It's a great drill, the extra feel you get when you re-clip afterwards is great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I always teach with my toe clips undone (and when i have a hangover!). Where do they draw the line at using equipment correctly? Would the insurance company refuse to pay out because the clips weren't done up?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
beanie1, Probably! When teaching on the Dendix I rarly have the boots closed may have somthing to do with teaching in 140 flex boots but I find it helps distract the clients when the notice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spyderman,
| Quote: |
It was a big no-no on mine 5 years ago
|
I don't think it's banned, i think it's down to the trainer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
beanie1, I've been told by 2 BASI Trainers not to use it with clients as part of a lesson, whether I "suggest" it as being a good drill to try, pointing out the safety implications is up to me. So, probably not "Banned", but you would leave yourself wide open in court should an injury occur resulting in litigation.
I've chosen to delete it from my teaching repertoire. I still use it in my personal skiing though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Spyderman, I don't use it either - I don't teach high enough level skiers for it to be appropriate. But i can see it's use and relevance in instructor training courses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
I use it - ask TallTone 
It's an OK drill "if" perform by the students "under supervision" and as a method of self-appraisal of balance - eg. Not... undo your boots then ski down the hill and see what happens. In my lessons I get people to undo the boots and ski for a short while then, after redoing up boots to try and ski as in balance. Sometimes it works other times not. But you can notice a student that it does work with.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
do it all the time with clients and race kids. I also ski em on one ski, eyes shut, no poles, hands behind back, switch and anything else i can think of which might be difficult and help their balance...
has anyone ever sued a ski instructor in the UK and won?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 wrote: |
has anyone ever sued a ski instructor in the UK and won? |
Question is, do you want to be the first?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
the question for me is do i worry about it and give it any more than a cursory thought, and the answer is no not really as long as i feel what i ask people to do is not beyond their ability and they may learn something. i hold my head in my hands every time a suing the leader discussion comes up during first aid courses, race & instructor training, off piste guiding etc etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Spyderman, skimottaret, I guess the test is, are you being negligent in asking pupils to do those exercises 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I'd like to think that professional liability insurance would cover me if someone broke themselves under my supervision (haven't actually had to call ski patrol yet in two seasons!)... but I do always have an uneasy moment when a kid's fallen awkwardly - I know a couple of people that had legal stuff thrown at them after picking up a kid with an injury.
skimottaret, working in Canada I'm all too aware of the lawyer happy culture and I agree it's horrible - but eyes shut/no poles/backwards and boots unclipped are very different beasts - physical equipment is dangerous territory, we're entirely forbidden from even touching bindings and advised against mentioning DIN to clients etc. Obviously these rules get broken, but the fact they're even being forbidden is a pretty miserable thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DaveC,
| Quote: |
| I know a couple of people that had legal stuff thrown at them after picking up a kid with an injury. |
Why was that ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
well I was told to ski with boots undone at Hemel by a well known SH instructor working not a million miles from skimottaret, and very valuable it was, too. And side slip on the uphill ski and - when getting cocky about that - without poles. Would we have sued? And if we had, would we have won? Hopefully the answer to both questions is "no" but I wouldn't ski with boots undone down some big dangerous hill, that's for sure. Whoever the instructor was.
Presumably you instructors all have insurance? My daughter is an RYA dinghy sailing instructor, and membership of the RYA automatically includes insurance cover for anyone teaching in an RYA approved centre. You'd be mad to teach without it. A child lost the sight of an eye in a freak accident in very safe, and very well supervised, conditions in our local sailing club - really made everyone think though it was nobody's fault.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| DaveC wrote: |
| ... (haven't actually had to call ski patrol yet in two seasons!)... |
I had to call in a blood wagon on my very first day of teaching. And on my second day. On the 2nd day when I went it to the office to fill out another accident form I'm sure I overheard someone at the back mutter "child killer.." 
I use the boots undone drill as and when. Almost always with good skiers, and always warn them that they will lose a lot of the control they normally have. I always ask them to ski at a slower speed.
So what about skiing with eyes closed? One for the lawyers...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| pam w wrote: |
| Presumably you instructors all have insurance? |
Yes, public liability insurance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Boots undone and no sticks - even better 
