 Poster: A snowHead
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Sat on a chairlift in Austria over christmas for a solo run as Mrs.D was having a refreshment stop and I was next to what sounded like two people out of a group.
They sounded quite snobby, for want of a better word.
The lady was spouting about how her and "X" were lah-di-dahing down a blue and she was leading to set the pace and was "practicing turns".
I sat there thinking "if you're up here in the best place possible why on earth would you want to practice? surely the whole idea of going skiing is to ski".
Am I wrong in my opinion?
As a point of note, they DID NOT sound like they were beginners in ski school where I can fully appreciate someone "practising turns"
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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homers double,
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Am I wrong in my opinion?
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Yes
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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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Based on what?
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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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Both – if it’s a great day, and everyone is the same level, we all just go and ski. And ski and ski and ski, and occasionally stop for a drink.
But, I’ve decamped to low easy slopes on a day of poor visibility and practiced some drills as it was the best option at the time. And the first day back on slopes after the PSB I was definitely practicing rather than skiing – I’d taken away loads from the lessons there that I really wanted to consolidate quickly, rather than just bomb round and forget it all. And if I’m skiing with some beginner friends, I’d much rather stick with them on easy slopes to make sure they are comfortable and enjoying themselves, and I’ll just practice what I can to amuse myself and improve myself at the same time.
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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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I practise skiing quite a lot ...........in the fridge at Hemel 
However, during the trips I have planned over the next 3 months, although I do intend to do some practice at the start of the day, that will be to 'tune up' in order to get the most out of my fun skiing.
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If said in a lah di dah voice I can see it's a bit affected but it's really only about mental attitude - consciously thinking about the type of turns she was doing rather than unconscious competence etc. I'll sometimes think , I'll sometimes just ski, thinking excuses the bit where it goes wrong.
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fixx, Also agree with what you've said.
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I don't see the difference.. when I'm skiing, I'm always aware of what I'm doing, and trying to improve... If I was racing or had a particular event for which I had to perform, then I might consider other skiing as 'practice'. Jsut go for it and be self aware and it all becomes one
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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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As I don't go out of my way to ski badly (though I'm sure I manage it - but that's a separate issue), the corollary is that I spend my entire time trying to ski the best I can, therefore I guess, yes, I go skiing to practise it.
A bit like practising the piano. There is no other way to play it; even when performing to an audience you hope you manage to do it a bit better than the previous time.
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.......... and today's prize goes to Iski for knowing the difference between practice and practise. You win a free day pass. 
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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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I don't see the difference.. when I'm skiing, I'm always aware of what I'm doing, and trying to improve.... Jsut go for it and be self aware and it all becomes one
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This.
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You know it makes sense.
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I sat there thinking "if you're up here in the best place possible why on earth would you want to practice? surely the whole idea of going skiing is to ski".
Am I wrong in my opinion?
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If you are unconsciously competent at anything the mountain can throw at you in your normal skiing environment, you are correct in your opinion that you have passed the practice phase.
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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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Cynic,
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If you are unconsciously competent at anything the mountain can throw at you in your normal skiing environment, you are correct in your opinion that you have passed the practice phase.
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Does anyone stay unconsciously competent (especially on just a few weeks a year)? You certainly don't stay unconsciously competent as a piano player, even as a top professional: you have to practise as well as concertize and I should have thought the same would apply to any activity involving motor skills.
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Poster: A snowHead
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homers double, When I'm 'just skiing' (either because I'm enjoying it so much, or because I'm concentrating on just getting down in one piece, or trying to keep up with others), I'm often reinforcing bad habits. It's when I can slow down and practise that I stand a chance of improving my skiing. (I think.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does anyone stay unconsciously competent (especially on just a few weeks a year)? You certainly don't stay unconsciously competent as a piano player, even as a top professional: you have to practise as well as concertize and I should have thought the same would apply to any activity involving motor skills.
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Pedantica, Errr that was the subtle point.
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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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If you want to improve you practise skiing, if you just want to ski you practise "flow". 
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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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I have fun.....everything else is secondary.
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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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snowmum123, I think you describe, very well, the stage quite a few skiers are at. I've now reached the point, thanks to lots of lessons, when I realise that "doing the right thing" is even more important when things are difficult (e.g. poor vis, very steep). It just goes better, always, if you remember that stuff (e.g. dive down the slope on steeps, don't leave your uphill hand behind, etc etc).
However, I'm certainly not at the stage when I do the right thing all the time (is anyone?). When I feel I'm skiing badly then I absolutely don't enjoy it. Ploughing inelegantly down some (not difficult) off-piste I invariably find thighs aching and am telling myself (aloud, quite frequently) to stand up on my skis. Then it goes well for three turns and boy, does it feel good. Then falls apart again, but maybe it'll go right for four turns next time.
I do have friends who ski rather badly, won't take lessons, and say "As long as I'm enjoying myself, that's fine". And it is, of course. BUT it does make me a bit cross sometimes when I have to stand around in the freezing cold watching them "enjoying themselves" rather slowly down a red run, because if they fall down I am likely to have to scoop up their skis and help them up.  I ski a lot with beginners, and I really enjoy it providing they are trying to improve and practising what they learnt in a lesson. When I ski with my son I appreciate his hints and tips, though his skiing is so many light years better than mine that they are not always manageable.
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pam w, You're right, of course, that things go better when you remember to do the right things. I hope that 'practising skiing' at least some of the time will help me to do the right things more of the time, so that I can enjoy 'just skiing' even more in the future. But I wouldn't enjoy my holidays nearly so much if I spent all the time practising. All work and no play, and all that ...
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| .......... and today's prize goes to Iski for knowing the difference between practice and practise. You win a free day pass. |
Ooops, good point 
| feef wrote: |
| I don't see the difference.. when I'm skiing, I'm always aware of what I'm doing, and trying to improve... If I was racing or had a particular event for which I had to perform, then I might consider other skiing as 'practice'. Jsut go for it and be self aware and it all becomes one |
I’d love to be able to say I do this, but I have a long way to go, and still find myself panicking if it gets tricky, and then my brain shuts down and won’t think about ‘practising’.
But I do like it when I feel confident and comfortable, and can look around and enjoy the scenery, and let myself unconsciously ski a little.
Most of the time my brain is working quite hard though, and I do talk to myself even when skiing around thinking “weight is too far back, stop it” or “MTFU, point down, feel the balance shift, you know how to turn” etc 
But I do see set periods of doing drills etc as quite separate, and definitely needed for me. Worth the investment though! (As are lessons)
pam w, +1 to all of that!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 18-01-13 14:50; edited 1 time in total
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But I do see set periods of doing drills etc as quite separate, and definitely needed for me. Worth the investment though! (As are lessons)
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Yes - drills ARE different. I spent four days doing quite a few, week before last, because I was skiing with brother in law who is slow, on blue slopes. I stayed behind him all the time so he could pick his own speed, and had plenty of time to practice drills - had new skis which took a bit of getting used to, so one-footed drills, pivot slips etc were all good. Plus, it was brilliantly sunny, warm and with perfect piste snow. 
I can't imagine ever setting out saying "I'm just going to enjoy my skiing today and not worry if I ski badly or get into bad habits".
I can usually now settle myself down, if alarmed/scared/a bit out of my depth and get myself to do the right things to get down safely, even if I wouldn't have chosen to be there.
I find it much more enjoyable to ski a red run I can ski well, than a nasty black one which I can "get down". Last time I did one of those I did find I was skiing no more badly than 95% of those around me. The skilled 5% showed us how it should be done - the rest of us should have been somewhere else.
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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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pam w, on the other hand, those 5% were probably in the 95% for a while themselves!
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I find it much more enjoyable to ski a red run I can ski well, than a nasty black one which I can "get down".
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Absolutely, me too! I wonder how many of the rest of the 95% would have had the grace to admit that they should have been somewhere else.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have to admit to often look for or repeatedly seek out places I may practise different techniques or turns on but I don't set out with that practice in mind . . . This one always has me slightly misstepping noun/verb/verb/noun? But yes I do consciously work on my skills but not to the detriment of having FUN! One of my favorite moments was a few years ago at an EOSB. SkiSimon and I set off from the top of the Bouchet lift down to Plan Bouchet . . . flat out and no prisoners . . . glorious run at stupid speeds on virtually empty piste just one group of blue run bimbles that were gone in a flash. The light, the snow, the pitch, everything was just bliss.
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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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homers double, how dare they practice!!! 
Personally, I like to practise because when the snow isn't perfectly groomed, and condescending people such as yourself have retired to the bar, I am still out there having a great time. I cannot believe that someone could possibly be frowned upon for practicing. Ridiculous.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 18-01-13 15:42; edited 1 time in total
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on the other hand, those 5% were probably in the 95% for a while themselves!
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finestgreen, indeed. But I know that I will only learn how to become one of the 5% by doing stuff on easier runs, and really nailing it. Or, more realistically, I will never become one of the 5%, having left it a bit late to start. Good ski lessons, when you feel you've learnt something, always seem to take place on relatively "easy" terrain for the skiers involved. I find I can only learn new stuff when I feel comfortable, though having learnt it, I can use it on harder terrain (anyone who has had easiski yelling at them "dive..... more...... dive.... more..... yes!!" will know what I am talking about).
One enormous benefit of becoming a better skier is that your energy use goes down dramatically - you become much more efficient. As I intend to ski till I'm 80 that is a v important consideration.
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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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Typically I slide. Down the hill... on my face because I don't practise enough.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Elston wrote: |
homers double, how dare they practice!!!
Personally, I like to practise because when the snow isn't perfectly groomed, and condescending people such as yourself have retired to the bar, I am still out there having a great time. I cannot believe that someone could possibly be frowned upon for practicing. Ridiculous. |
See you just typify this forum, you assume that because I post here that I'm some sort of up my own back bottom pillock just like how you came across. I didn't frown upon them, I just questioned their train of thought.
As for stating that because you practice it automatically means you are better than me, you have no idea who I am, how I ski and how good, bad or indifferent I am. In fact you probably never will unless you see some guy in a green jacket zipping past you leaving you with a feeling of "ooo, he looks like he's having fun".
Anyway, I think you'll find me out til 5 even on the rough days.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 18-01-13 18:43; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard, if you didn't spend so much time looking out for grammatical errors, you might have some left to sell some passes rather than need to give them away.
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I don't have to look for the sodding things, they leap off the page and go for the throat.
And I'll have you know I sold at least a dozen lift passes today, we were positively mobbed.
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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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| Elston wrote: |
| frowned upon for practicing. |
Oh, oh oh.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| homers double wrote: |
| Elston wrote: |
homers double, how dare they practice!!!
Personally, I like to practise because when the snow isn't perfectly groomed, and condescending people such as yourself have retired to the bar, I am still out there having a great time. I cannot believe that someone could possibly be frowned upon for practicing. Ridiculous. |
See you just typify this forum, you assume that because I post here that I'm some sort of up my own back bottom pillock just like how you came across. I didn't frown upon them, I just questioned their train of thought.
As for stating that because you practice it automatically means you are better than me, you have no idea who I am, how I ski and how good, bad or indifferent I am. In fact you probably never will unless you see some guy in a green jacket zipping past you leaving you with a feeling of "ooo, he looks like he's having fun".
Anyway, I think you'll find me out til 5 even on the rough days. |
No, I don't but please check your sarcasm meter because it must be broken.
I just find it very sad that you thought about 'questioning someones train of thought' on snowheads because they were practising. That is nothing less than pathetic.
They weren't skiing out of control. They weren't being reckless. If someone is out there enjoying themselves then, provided they were not being a reckless lady's front bottom, great for them.
It doesn't matter WTF you, me or anyone else thinks.
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I thought about posting I a while back then forgot about it. It's only invite debate and isn't that what a forum is all about?
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I'm definitely more conscious that I'm 'practising' if I'm - say - out with Pie Jr on some absurdly gentle terrain... I start doing artificially short turns, or skiing on one leg, or doing (extremely extremely shoddy) 360s - the kinds of things you might consider 'drills'. If I'm out with the wife or the lads and we're just hooning around, I'm moderately happy to ski in a fairly sloppy manner if I'm having fun. i.e. with the toddler I'll probably 'practise' carving as exactly as I can manage whilst on a gentle blue, whereas with 'the gang' I'll more likely just near-straightline it whilst shouting "LEEEEERRROOOOYYY JENNNNKINNNNS" at the top of my voice.
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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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homers double, I must admit that this has caught me on a bad day. I am not normally rude or sarcastic and for that I apologise.
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FAQ
' It was worth every bit of having to ride a wretched T-Bar just to ski 300yd of decent snow that year - I think we went around 3 times 
