 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GrahamN,
IMO Dendix is just better than doing nothing and I don't think any improvement will be too apparent until you get onto real snow.
So I wouldn't beat myself up for two reasons, a, the surface isn't very grippy reagarding edges, and b, Unless you use very good skis which will shave the mat - good for the skier, bad for the Ski complex - you have another compromise here as well, ie blunt edges
Those issues and the boredom factor of skiing on plastic make dry slopes just better than no practice at all for me.
That said, if I am going to try and get the PSB in LDA then I will probably have a few hours on my local slope...!!
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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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GrahamN, I think it does help in the long run to ski on rubbish skis with no edges. In order to get any edge hold at all you do have to be much more correct, therefore your technique will improve. As JT, says, you may not notice the technical improvement until you get back on the snow (PSB), but you'll REALLY appreciate your good skis then.
I've just about got the hang of my old P50s again now - but I can't wait to get back on my Fischers!!!
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easiski, thanks for the confirmation, but I suspected you'd say that from preveious posts on related subjects  .
JT, I think you a) slightly misunderstand me and b) are wrong  . The point of the exercise isn't to try and get orgasmic skiing on Dendix (we both know that only comes from the great off-piste ), but technique improvement/refinement - so I'm not beating myself up, but engaging in "constructive self-criticism".
While I agree with you that Dendix is not a patch on real snow for enjoyment, and that just cruising down a dry slope is marginally less interesting than examining your belly-button fluff, putting gates on there completely transforms the exercise - my first run down was a complete disaster and major eye-opener. I can already see a major improvement in my skiing, although that may not have been too difficult as I'd not really tried too hard on-piste for the last few years, concentrating on getting to grips with the heaven that is off-piste. If nothing else the decreasing frequency of falls is evidence of major improvements! I just hope it's not instilling any habits that will screw up my (albeit still pretty variable) off-piste technique.
As for the "how can you tell when you've gone as far as you can with rubbish skis?" question, I'll try answering it myself. The trite answer is "almost certainly quite a way beyond where YOU think it is". Maybe the more helpful one, in a gates context, is "when you ski any course reliably, and don't get any faster however hard you push yourself".
Clearly I still have a way to go before I exhaust what the club skis can do, as even with a fairly tight bendy course I can normally manage just one run when everything clicks and I make it down. It will also force me to start assessing when I need to make a step turn or something similar to get around a sharp bend (one that those with excellent technique and skis, e.g. easiski, like Tom or that young lad I mentioned, carve with no apparent effort), as at the moment I haven't the presence of mind to try something different when a carved turn isn't going to work. What was that Klammer quote "Aim for the skier to ski as slowly as possible consistent with the skis going as fast as possible" - or something like it? The possible danger is that you get used to taking a line that would be far too conservative if you had decent skis. In my case that's probably still a good thing, though, as I still end up heading too straight at the gates after I get past the first couple and my good intentions head out the window.
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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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GrahamN, Sharp skis will help - developing the correct angles and sensations with blunt ones will be harder. See if you can find a s/h pair ....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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GrahamN,
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I still end up heading too straight at the gates after I get past the first couple
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Whilst wearing a Helmet+Chinguard, I hope
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GrahamN, You are quite right in your assumptions, but I don't think you should worry about a conservative line at the moment. This is all quite new to you as I understand it, and you cannot go fast in a race until your technique is good, after that you concentrate on line. If you can ski a good line smootly you will be fairly quick anyway. After that you can think about TRYING to go fast. Trying before you're ready will just make you slower (due to mistakes or loss of line).
ski, "developing the correct angles and sensations with blunt ones will be harder." I thought that was the point! I don't suppose you're going to be able to join us in October?
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easiski, Working on October.
What I was trying to get to is that you can carve, to a limited extent, with blunt skis on plastic, but you can't develop the same edge angles or pressure on the skis, compared to sharp ones - meaning that IMHO you won't get the same feelings through you feet.
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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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ski, No, but you learn to be more delicate and responsive to the skis - I think it helps awareness. After all, if you can carve on crap skis on Dendix then you're not going to any probs on good skis and good snow!
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easiski, Have to be pretty sensitive to carve sharp ones... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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snowbunny, I actually wear a facemask (a bit like a welders mask without any glass in it) but have a helmet on order. I've never had a pole hit me in the face, although the psychological effect of the guard (stopping you shying away from the pole) is quite noticeable.
easiski, ski - sort of agree with you both, but wont be rushing out to get new skis just yet - or at least until after the Mondiale. I did see the guy who I got my Legends from is selling off some new Omecarve 63s though......must resist (anyway brand new skis on Dendix would be a waste). I expect there will be a crop of 2nd hands showing up when people have to indulge themselves with the new season's gear and start selling off their old ones.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GrahamN, er - I think easiski, thought I meant sharp turns...... 
and - go on - you know it makes sense ! If it helps (on our little slope) sharp skis are worth about a second - on a 8 second course......
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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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GrahamN, Surrey - Sandown ?
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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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ski, Hampshire - Aldershot I think. Sandown's too tiddly for words! I know I worked there!!!
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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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GrahamN
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snowbunny, I actually wear a facemask (a bit like a welders mask without any glass in it) but have a helmet on order.
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Sounds awful, bet you can't wait to get the helmet delivered
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ski, thanks for the explanation...so it is my turn with the thicky baton for a while. And yes, it's Aldershot, which is only 10 mins down the road from this bit of Surrey. Didn't even know they had a slope at Sandown. The other close one is Bracknell, but they've gone Permaslush - and I believe their bunch have actually come over to us for a session or so.
snowbunny possibly my description doesn't do it any favours, but it's not too bad and is actually nice and cool - not looking forward to the helmet actually on that count!
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GrahamN, I really hope that you will be pleasantly surprised on the cooling capabilities of modern helmets. I skied in a helmet 1st time last winter, no overheating at all- and most importantly it did'nt mess up my hair
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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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GrahamN, See you at the last regional then ? High Wycombe - October ? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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GrahamN, after you've got a taste for it at the PSB? 
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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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You know it makes sense.
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In the depths of the snow-free period of winter 1988-89 in the PDS I spent a couple of weeks repping on my boss's old Atomic ARC Bionic GS red sleds. Obviously had been a totally fantastic ski as they were still occasionally a delight to ski on in the right conditions. Had to be exactly the right conditions, edge angle, etc. as both skis were missing 60 cm long and 1.5 cm wide strips of PTex underfoot and had rivets protruding to edge height where the edges had been rivetted back in.
They certainly taught me sensitivity and the need to get edgeing "just right"!
No-one else could believe I was using them...
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GrahamN, Also - muck about on a wobble or balance board. That will teach your left foot to pay attention !
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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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| ski wrote: |
| Try skiing just on you left foot ... likie a video I'm sure you have watched. |
Great minds think alike...and on the proviso too  . The slightly strange thing is that I'm better balanced on my left than right foot, but happier to make a more angled carve on the right - I guess with being right footed I'm more used to standing on my left and controlling with my right, not that I've played footie properly since primary school. The basic problem that I need to sort out here though is to get rid of a tendency creeping back in to bank rather than angulate when turning to my right.
I was actually taking similar steps on Sunday with my first shot at dropping a ski (to go to monoski) on waterskis. Just about managed it, wobbled a lot and then fell off after about 3-4 seconds. Here also I very much preferred leading with/standing on my left foot
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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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GrahamN,
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The basic problem that I need to sort out here though is to get rid of a tendency creeping back in to bank rather than angulate when turning to my right.
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I had a few problems with my left ankle (fell of a climb some years ago and sprained VERY badly). For about 2 years my left boot would not fit correctly... Anyway it felt (and sometimes still feels) as if it has learned to stiffen (i.e. protect the damaged area) as a response to almost any stimulus...if I'm walking up something steep (i.e. a mountain) it will not flex as far as my right one. So lots of time on the wobble board, and (when skiing) working on being soft and supple on that foot.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Amost anything is better than nothing, but if you want to learn how to make hard tight turns on good equipment with sharp edges and solid construction that will transmit good force to those edges, then that equipment is what you need to practice on.
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| Ghost wrote: |
| but if you want to learn how to make hard tight turns on good equipment with sharp edges and solid construction that will transmit good force to those edges, then that equipment is what you need to practice on. |
I'm starting to think I'm getting to that point now...I'm starting to do bad things to get enough grip to make the turns now, so it's probably time to be looking for some skis.
The most common slalom skis seem to be Salomon 3Vs, with a fair few Fischer RC4s around, and the odd Dynastar Omecarve 10 or 63. Anything else I should be looking at - Elan something? I suspect they will be getting most use on a dry slope so I should be looking for about 160cm - right? (I'm 181cm and 90+ kg). I've seen sone RC4s going for about £200 with bindings on eBay.
I have some Salomon 914 bindings no longer gainfully employed - so would these fit on all/any of the above?
This discussion should probably move to the Equipment forum when I'm serious about it - but I'm desperately trying not to be (and equally deperately failing) at the moment. I'll probably still try and hang on until the PSB to try some out on snow before sticking my hand in my wallet - but it's getting very tempting.....
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GrahamN,
If you mean the Elan SLX fusion, which is a slalom ski at about 164, I would think a new set would be a bit of a waste of the dry slope.
I used them in deep snow..I know, I know...bad move.., and they were quite usable but not ideal there, but on the hard pack they cut like a knife. More discerning folks than I rate them better than the Rossi 9s.
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FAQ
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. Almost caught me out 