 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
My daughter has just come back from skiing with the school and I need help understanding her level achieved so I can book her into a correct ski group for January when goes skiing with us in France.
She has achieved cristiania base - which I think means basic parallel. The next technique is just cristiania and the one after that is curve di sicurezza but she didn't achieve these.
Could anybody confirm what this means?
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Why not get her a lesson or two between now and when you go to France at somewhere like Hemel or MK, she'll get feedback on where she is and on what to work on which will:
a/ make things much easier and
b/ probably improve her skiing more.
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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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mini_mo, if you get no direct response here, you could PM Wayne who is an instructor in Italy and will know precisely what those awards mean.
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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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Have things changed with respect to lessons? I remember as a child when we went to lessons (after the very first time) being in a big group and then being asked to ski down a section to observe your level, then being placed in appropriate groups?
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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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Hi mini_mo,
Most Italian ski schools use a 3+ grading system for students
Bronzo/Bronze, Argento/Silver, Oro/Gold, Diamante/Diamond
At its very basic level you could interpret this as Beginner, intermediate, Advanced, And Beyond.
Beyond refers to - snowpark, freestyle, bumps, race, off-piste, etc. If you speak to any BASI instructor they will explain the meaning of the phrase “beyond the Central Theme”
There's a small problem is that all regions (and even some schools within those regions) use their own grades/levels, but in general by looking at the grade you’ll be able to have a good idea of the student’s previous ability.
Another problem is the use of descriptive terms for certain techniques that simply don’t translate correctly. As an example you refer to a Cristiania Base (a lower level Cristiania turn) and this has different meaning in English and Italian. The English term (as all BASI instructors will know already) refers to a type of step turn which is most normally used by telemark skiers or alpine skiers as a drill – one ski is lifted up and placed at an angle (with the tips apart) and the weight is then transferred to that ski as the other ski is lifted and brought into parallel. Having said this, the most common use of Cristiania turn is for ski jumpers to slow down. In Italy it means something different. A Cristiania turn would be a basic parallel turn where the skis are kept the same distance apart throughout the turn with the inner ski slightly in front of the outer; the instructor will be looking for (at this level) a good amount of un-weighting to initiate the turn and positive control and steering of the skis. The progression of the Cristiania will be for the student to control the arc of the turn. In fact many assessment cards show this; arco breve, medio, lungo (arc – small – medium – long).
The term “curve di sicurezza” (security turn) is quite self explanatory. Basically can the student turn when they want to, rather than when they fell like it. We have all seen students traversing across a slope then doing a turn and then traversing again before the next turn. To assess a curve di sicurezza the instructor will be looking for the student’s ability (and confidence) turn freely when needed or when asked for. The ability to perform a curve di sicurezza is very important as it allows the student to avoid obstacles on the piste.
So your daughter has been assessed as being able to perform basic parallel turns and then next level would be the same thing but at a more proficient level. Once she can do this she will progress onto securty turns - can she do her turns when needed.
Hope this helps
Edit – just had a thought. Don’t confuse the Cristiania turn with a christie (or stem christie) as there are almost exactly opposite. In the Cristiania turn the tips of the ski diverge whereas in a stem christie the backs of the ski diverge. There are many uses for both types of turn eg. Cristiania can be used to change direction when the heels are not attached and a stem christie is often used in deep snow
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi many thanks all. Wayne, yes this is the system they used: Bronze, silver, gold and Diamond. She just got to silver. Anyway I have spoken to the ski school and they have put her up to the next group.
I just thought it would be better to double check than take an 11 year old's word for what they had achieved!!! 
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