So.....I quite like the 'single point of balance' which comes from having your skis really close together. It seems that a number of skiers agree with me, as I look around at the people blatting down the reds at Crans. You can cut through crud better, in my view, since different skis are not wandering through different types of snow. Feels better in powder, too.
'That's OLD SCHOOL...' I was told on another forum - with a lot of other insults I won't repeat here - even though I'd just come back from being taught exactly that technique as being very up-to-date by the ex-coach of the British Youth Team.
That means that OLD SCHOOL is the NEW, NEW SCHOOL. And NEW SCHOOL - ie that which came in with second gen carvers, where you were told to ski everywhere with your skis apart, has become the NEW OLD SCHOOL. Or perhaps the OLD OLD SCHOOL has been changed a bit, since the skis are indeed wider, you carve, and you need to make sure you don't cross tails when skiing with skies close together. This means that OLD OLD SCHOOL has become NEW OLD OLD SCHOOL.
Or, as the philosopher and pundit A.Cooper once said '...SCHOOL'S OUT, COMPLETELY...', indeed, '...SCHOOL'S OUT, FOREVER...'
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
valais2 wrote:
just come back from being taught exactly that technique as being very up-to-date by the ex-coach of the British Youth Team.
Maybe this goes some way in explaining the stunning results team GB obtain in ski competitions.
or why they are the "ex"-coach.
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:
where you were told to ski everywhere with your skis apart,
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Ahem....surely the correct spelling in this context is Skool?
Bring back long boards too...short skis suck long skis truck. And the shortest skis belong to "born again" instructor evangelists
After all it is free
After all it is free
Skool, schmool. The real world lies outside the tunnel visioned Klasssroom.
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.
Hmm my daughter is 15, skied since she was 7 or 8 and has instructor ambitions next year for BASI1. We had a few sessions at Tignes in October with a very good British Intructor there. His verdict was that she skis with her legs too close together which would not prevent L1 or possibly L2 but past that would cause her real problems. He had had exactly the same issue himself and had to sort it out.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I read this opinion just the other day on another site:
Quote:
Oldschool is a state of mind where you feel you're better than others, and that your style of skiing is the only thing that makes people a real skier.
Newschool is a state of mind where you want to do something new and have fun on skis wherever you possibly can.
IMO there are only two rules in skiing:
1. To have fun
2. Do not forget rule #1!!!!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
In reality as has been pointed out, your stance width should be changing as conditions underfoot change.
The terrain and the snow is not constant and fixed so why on earth should your stance be? you should not be hooning down a red with your feet fixed together (unless you have a fetching pink fartbag) anymore than you should be in the bumps with a 'john waynesque' stance.
Lack of adaptability makes for a poor technique overall
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.
FastMan wrote:
Skool, schmool. The real world lies outside the tunnel visioned Klasssroom.
Fair point but in reality most instructors are products of their "regime" until they achieve "enlightenment". If say a L2 has been told he must widen his stance if he's going to be able to demo the house style what is he going to tell his pupils? I realise accrediting bodies want to achieve a measure of consistency but is the same also a straightjacket? It always surprises me as an outsider when instructors talk about having to go work on their "variable snow" technique - isn't that just what is known as skiing to the man in the street.
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've never been told while on a BASI course what the 'correct' stance width is, but I have been told by several different Trainers that a good skier should be able to ski with varying stance widths depeding on conditions. Today I've skied bullet-proof ice, perfect on-piste snow and leg-breaker slush. My stance width has varied from wide to narrow as appropriate. If an instructor tells you that you must have X stance width it's best to stop listening to them...
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
rob@rar,
Quote:
I have been told by several different Trainers that a good skier should be able to ski with varying stance widths depeding on conditions.
And I, for one, am delighted that you now pass this wisdom on to your willing pupils.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Hurtle,
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
fatbob, yes, all of it is just what is known as skiing to the man in the street. However instructors need to clarify and classify in order to bring order to all the gnarly hard core rad hooning chaos, for their own development and the development of their clients so will artificially divide skiing into different categories like piste performance, bumps, variable, freestyle etc etc.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
slikedges, Sorry not trying to have a dig at BASI or any other individual organisation (I've heard the sameon variables from CSIA alumni). In my mind it always conjures an image of a world where instructors are always sking on pristine corduroy or powder until they have to slum it with mere mortals on the "variable". I know learning styles play a big role but I've always got more out of lessons where instructors have concentrated on drills and explanation or even lets ski then do some tips than those who've been overly obsessed by form. To be fair the former are probably more of the old school "Face the Walley/ Bend Ze Kneez" type instructors from the dim 'n distant past.
I really should take a BASI course I think to get to grips with how modern instruction really works.
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?
I think there's a fundamental issue with ski instruction - I know why I want someone to widen their stance in general, or to feel the front/back of their boot, or do anything else that's simply a cue. Thing is, people come out of lessons and things they've been told to try become the rules, and word spreads. Then you have some instructors that don't really know why they want a change, they just see someone as not fitting "the picture", so it's easy to see how things start sounding gospel.
fatbob, I agree that hearing anyone talk about their "variable snow" technique is ridiculous. The direction that I've been trained by a few different people is that it's all just skiing, regardless of if you're skiing a foot of pow or icy crusty bumps.
Personally I feel variable snow can definitely be something that needs practicing, for example skiing semi breakable crust with hard wind blown sections and soft powder pockets takes serious practice and constantly varying stance, balance point and turn shapes/styles..
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
fatbob, I think it's more that fundamentals and basic ski technique are best drilled on groomed - a consistent surface helps to get the good balance/posture positions and movement patterns ironed in quicker, so that when they have to slum it on real snow they can do it better and safer.
Form is important because to a large extent it is a product of a good skill base and illustrates that the skier can feel and always strives towards an optimum basic/default/baseline position. It's from this basic position that they may then make the widest range of adjustments for whatever the turn/snow/terrain throws at them ie be in position to be as versatile as possible = skilful skiing. In fact one way of looking at skilful skiing is the ability to employ the skill base to keep you in or return you to as close to the default position (ie most stacked and best balanced in all planes for that point of that turn) as possible. Form for the sake of it is a bit poncy and pointless.
Having got comfortable with the good basic position and done a lot of skill development on groomed, an instructor may indeed find that they can't instantly transfer all of what they have learnt to variable snow or more difficult terrain. Of course it is transferable but like anything they then need to gain more experience using what has been built into their skiing on all surfaces and terrains. Wanting to work on their "variable" is often simply recognition that they need to practise applying something they have quite rightly learnt on easy snow to all snow conditions. And of course certain snow conditions do require adjustments to technique that need to be practised in those specific conditions.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 11-04-11 17:14; edited 1 time in total
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:
those who've been overly obsessed by form.
well I, for one, don't think I've encountered any instructor of that kind for many a long year. Is this a bit of an Aunt Sally? Has anyone actually had an instructor "overly obsessed by form" recently?
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Poster: A snowHead
