 Poster: A snowHead
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Where do I start?
I've only been skiing a few years but have gone through reasonable amount of instruction and falling to get to where I am. Somewhere between a level 7 and 8 skier (self assessed). I can get comfortably down all runs but the style with which I do it may leave a lot to be desired.
I've just returned from a week at Val D with UCPA. Lots of fresh snow and lots of powder and an instructor who was more than willing to push us. And here began my problem. I fell. A lot. Mostly faceplants. Some bumplants. I ate a lot of snow. In fact, I'm surprised there is any left on the mountain. The very patient instructor tried his hardest to impress the importance of technique and I understood. I tried talking to myself through turns. I tried a big dose of MTFU. I even cheated and tried fat skis they helped a little but.... But everytime I made a turn, I was doing the 'Whoa! You want me to go down THAT???' stance that we often see people learning to ski do.
Show me Le Face and I smile and go. Show me a gentle green run covered in powder and I can barely link 3 turns before falling. I feel terribly disappointed in myself.
I'm back skiing in a month's time and have identified some to-dos.
1. MTFU. A lot.
2. Talk myself down the slope
3. Get more instruction.
4. Ski lots of powder.
Which brings me to where I need help. I'm back at Val D. And not with UCPA. Who would be patient enough to instruct me there? And what else can I do? I feel that this is holding me back from progressing. I don't want to be able to ski the steepest powder but just ski the simple stuff competently.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Rishie, So basically you just have a prob with powder? . . . I'm sure there'll be lots of us along to talk about balanced weighting and suchlike for powder skiing . . . but not being facetious, have you thought about learning to snowboard in it? The sensation is wonderful. I suppose I'm lucky, boarding is my first love and that gave me the ability to 'surf' in powder and I essentially lock my skis together to create one surface and use mass transfer and minimal foot separation to steer just like an old monoski . . . don't know if its right but it works for me. Though honestly, if there's a chance of powder, you won't find me on skis as a choice 
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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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Rishie, it might be a psychological problem, in which case more experience will help you overcome your fear. Or it might be deep snow is exposing weaknesses in your core technique, in which case having an instructor look at your skiing might give you valuable feedback. What did the UCPA instructor say?
Steve Angus of TDC is a good and patient instructor based in Val d'Isere.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
Steve Angus of TDC is a good and patient instructor based in Val d'Isere. |
Id recommend Steve as well.
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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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Rishie, see, told ya 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Masque, I have considered it but the thought of losing valuable (and limited) on mountain time is unbearable. If I ever get to do more than a few weeks, it'll definitely be one of the first few things I'll learn to do.
rob@rar, you're right. There is definitely a psychological aspect to it. I don't think we skied that much deep snow; thigh deep at most whilst hunting skis.  The UCPA instructor thought my on-piste technique was generally ok but I got in the back seat a bit when tired towards the end of the day. In powder, tips given were:
1. Maintain a rhythm. This helped but not that much whilst I kept eating snow. I suspect this is key to being able to stay upright.
2. Keeping feet closer together. I had a problem with this just after turns as my piste technique kept creeping in and also if I picked up speed.
3. Weight forwards on skis ( on my cheating fatties). I struggled with this, in most part due to fear.
How does one get in touch with this Mr Angus of TDC? And what is TDC?
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What always helps if I find myself getting unsteady is to count myself through it. 1,2,3, turn, 1,2,3, turn, etc. This rhythm helps to relaxant ski those easy slopes like you were made to instead of over complicating them.
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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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Rishie, if you are skiing nice, untracked snow one thought that might help is to imagine you are making all your movements in slow motion. Don't rush your turns, just get in to a slow and steady movement pattern. You can work on this mental image on piste until you feel it, then take that feeling in to deep snow.
If you are skiing less than perfect powder, perhaps cut up with lots of tracks or a bit lumpy, make sure you have a measure of muscle tension in your core. If you are floppy at the waist you are going to get pitched forward and back all the time, making it more difficult to manage your skis. Again, work on this on piste until you feel it, then take it off piste.
"Keep your weight forward" is often said as a way of counteracting the psychological response of leaning back. I don't think that tip works at all because mostly you won't be leaning back as a deliberate technique, but as a subconscious response to being in deep snow. I think it is better to focus on making big flex and extend movements as a way of replacing the static lean back position, with more centred movement.
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JohnHSmith, thanks.
RibenaRockstar, tried that and it truly helps. Until I start falling and then all rhythm goes out of the window.
rob@rar, there was some untracked powder and lots of tracked stuff. I think you've made two key points here:
1. Not rushing turns. I did a lot of this which didn't help.
2. Core muscle tension. I didn't really do this and got unbalanced a lot of times, but not so much with the rockered skis. The instructor did discuss the flex and extend movements and they definitely help but my confidence was knocked enough to go backseat skiing.
Wish I had video to demonstrate my point.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi Rishie, can you describe the manner in which you fall, please, detailing where in the turn (start, middle, end); what happens to your skis (do they split apart, for example?); does your body fall uphill/inside the turn or downhill/outside etc? I'd be happy to try and help. 
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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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Rishie, I had hell with powder for a while even tho' I am decent on piste. I know it's a bad workman who blames his tools, etc, etc. BUT going on to elliptical skis was a revelation for me. I weigh... well, lots (most of it muscle at one time or another). I know technique can compensate for weight in powder but when you are learning the technique it's really difficult to compensate. With old style skis I was keeping my weight centred/forward and all I would do is plow my tips into the snow and either face plant or glide to a balanced halt with my thighs level to the top of the snow. I don't care what anyone else says - weight makes a significant difference and with the old style skis I could not get the tips to stay on the surface with my weight forward - they just constantly made like powder submarines.
I learned to overcome my issues on my own in two ways: 1.) I lean back slightly when starting off and feel and steer with the backs of my skis (2.) as the speed picks up I shift my weight to centre - NOT forward - and steer from under my boots, not the front of my skis. As the slope steepens, I lean forward a little more and jump turn more and try to maintain a relaxed, non-hurried series of turns, not a ton of quick linked turns that you see people laying down in powder normally. This works for me I hope it helps you. The key as Masque, points out is to think of your skis as bonded together at the same angle all the time (the monoski analogy is a good one). You are not grinding a turn but pushing off a moveable medium like thick water in order to go the opposite direction. If you push too hard you will just push the 'water' away. Keep the movements smooth and even and the 'water' will hold you up enough to push off. Get jerky and it will just move from under you. I agree withrob@rar about the 'core' feel as well, it gives you the 'base' to rotate around. I also find that doing a few 'flat ski' jumps (i.e. skis parallel/together in the air and even with the surface after you compress and jump) prior to hitting the powder helps my body memory re-set 'centre balance' as well as being a nice warm up for the extra work that's coming up.
I found that training on my own and experimenting with different techniques and styles helped a lot in working out what did or did not work for me, lessons seemed to be just a repetiton of advice that did not seem to work (altough it helped others in the class). Find a nice small patch of off-piste and start to experiment with the above in mind. 
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