How to improve as an adult

[recbumper]

We're way too informal to have a FB page or anything. Most folks are up pretty often, so peeps are just there. We mostly just roll up together and whoever's there that day hangs out if they feel like it

 

[ScottB]

If you want to hold an edge on ice, race skis sure help, but sharp edges are the secret. I mean razor sharp, you have to use ski bands and be careful otherwise you will cut yourself. If I want to hold on ice (and hold is relative term) I sharpen to razor sharp the night before, otherwise (as they say in Jersey) Fuggedaboutit. Probably not very helpful advice, so maybe better off to say, if you don't have razor sharp edges then look for soft spots to turn on.

 

[Wendy]

@hollyberry

Lots of great advice here. The one thing I can add is, maybe not try to “get down” anything just to do it. That’s a way to introduce a lot of bad habits unintentionally. My first few years skiing I was able to hack my way down a lot of places on Mary Jane in CO and because I could do that, thought I could ski MUCH better than I could. I picked up a lot of bad habits that took clinics and lessons on easier terrain to fix. And some are still works in progress to fix.

That said, you may just be much more talented than I. But it’s something to think about.

Blue Mountain used to have an adult race clinic that I attended for 2 seasons and I got a lot out of it, AND had a ton of fun. I don’t think they are doing it this year but it might be something to look for next season.

 

[Wendy]

Hey everyone,

I have been skiing for about 6 years now, some years with a decent amount of time on the slopes, (25-30 days when I lived near Hunter Mt) but other years, like 2020 & 2021, not a single day because of grad school and lack of money. I’m at the point where I can get down pretty much any terrain, even the tough ungroomed stuff at JH, Snowbird and Mammoth, safely and keeping my speed in check, but I definitely don’t look ‘cool’ doing it, and I suspect that I could be keeping my feet in much better parallel at all times, more balanced stance, etc. I still struggle to get edge on icy steeps a bit and usually just ski straight over true ice patches and look for softer pockets of snow to turn on. I can do various size/ pitch moguls, but again, definitely am not the fastest or most suave-looking on them! I estimate that I have had about 6 or 7 small group ski lessons in total.

I have a few questions:

1. Since I likely will be mostly skiing at my small, local resorts in PA this year (Roundtop, Whitetail) except for a few short trips to Stowe, what are good drills I can do to improve my technique on groomers and less steep slopes?

2. If I can get a friend to video me while skiing, what would be a helpful thing for me to do in the video to ‘diagnose’ potential technical flaws? What are things I should look for when analyzing the video?

3. Any instructor recommendations near Roundtop, Whitetail or Jack Frost? Any adult ski clinics in those areas worth checking out?

4. Do any of those areas run adult race leagues? I am interested in joining one to work on my technique, but it seems like those mountains only have youth race leagues, no ‘beer leagues…’

Thank you!

Jack Frost instructor rec:First name is Dorsal (I forget his last name but honest to God it may be Finn.)
I taught with him at Bear Creek. He also teaches at JF. Pretty sure he’s L3 and an incredibly talented skier and teacher. Also, he’s fun and has a great sense of humor.

 

[Ken_R]

Hey everyone,

I have been skiing for about 6 years now, some years with a decent amount of time on the slopes, (25-30 days when I lived near Hunter Mt) but other years, like 2020 & 2021, not a single day because of grad school and lack of money. I’m at the point where I can get down pretty much any terrain, even the tough ungroomed stuff at JH, Snowbird and Mammoth, safely and keeping my speed in check, but I definitely don’t look ‘cool’ doing it, and I suspect that I could be keeping my feet in much better parallel at all times, more balanced stance, etc. I still struggle to get edge on icy steeps a bit and usually just ski straight over true ice patches and look for softer pockets of snow to turn on. I can do various size/ pitch moguls, but again, definitely am not the fastest or most suave-looking on them! I estimate that I have had about 6 or 7 small group ski lessons in total.

I have a few questions:

1. Since I likely will be mostly skiing at my small, local resorts in PA this year (Roundtop, Whitetail) except for a few short trips to Stowe, what are good drills I can do to improve my technique on groomers and less steep slopes?

2. If I can get a friend to video me while skiing, what would be a helpful thing for me to do in the video to ‘diagnose’ potential technical flaws? What are things I should look for when analyzing the video?

3. Any instructor recommendations near Roundtop, Whitetail or Jack Frost? Any adult ski clinics in those areas worth checking out?

4. Do any of those areas run adult race leagues? I am interested in joining one to work on my technique, but it seems like those mountains only have youth race leagues, no ‘beer leagues…’

Thank you!

I have gotten some awesome ski tips / exercises / movements from a lot of people in this forum. Quite a few have been on the hill while skiing with them. They have helped me get better. I still dont ski great but better and aquired much better awareness of what works.

On top of this having the right gear has helped greatly. Skiing is hard enough without having to fight your gear.

 

[Johnny V.]

Lots of good advice here! I'll just reiterate a couple of things: Yes, work on stuff on flatter terrain. I can't wait 'till next week when I can get our long green slope back with no one on it. Perfect for many of the drills that have been mentioned like one footed skiing. If you can find an adult race league, great! Unless you're contented with your times, you'll want to improve and will look for ways to do it. There's no shopping for turns in a race course.

 

[Tony S]

I mean, the only difference between me and them is 20+ years experience, 10,000 hours of practice and drills, and training from top coaches…. That’s all…

Don't forget extremely high risk tolerance, bravery, youth, and - generally - lack of obligations to children, other jobs, etc.

 

[slow-line-fast]

Worth looking for seasonal or multi week lesson programs, these can lead to more long term improvement than a one-off private lesson (which also isn’t a bad thing). Some ski areas offer long term group programs, like a Saturday morning each week for 6 weeks, or similar. Either way Instruction from a professional who will watch you ski and adjust exercises accordingly will go much farther than random tips from the internet.

 

[hollyberry]

Don't forget extremely high risk tolerance, bravery, youth, and - generally - lack of obligations to children, other jobs, etc.

I am fairly adventurous, but I am on the edge of my seat just watching videos of downhill events in past Olympics. Even if I physically could go that fast, I don’t think I could handle the fear of serious injury.

 

[Johnny V.]

I am fairly adventurous, but I am on the edge of my seat just watching videos of downhill events in past Olympics. Even if I physically could go that fast, I don’t think I could handle the fear of serious injury.

Yep, you may want to aim a little lower if you start racing...............................

 

[geepers]

I am fairly adventurous, but I am on the edge of my seat just watching videos of downhill events in past Olympics. Even if I physically could go that fast, I don’t think I could handle the fear of serious injury.

Keep in mind that those athletes train continuously, both technique and strength (to take the skiing loads and the punishment of a fall) under the watchful eyes of expert coaches, are usually young (Johan Clarey is pretty old at 40) so they hopefully have time to recover, have the finest medical attention immediately available, ski a pair of skis one run before it goes back to the techs for re-sharpening and are it for love/glory/money.

Contrast with the typical rec skier with indifferent training, highly variable fitness and strength, some at an age where one crash could be season or career ending, on edges probably last tuned a weeks/months/seasons ago and motivated only by a (generally) misplaced sense of bravado. Luckily, for ourselves and others, most of us have some sense of self-preservation.

 

[tomahawkins]

Hi @hollyberry. I came back to skiing as an adult after leaving the sport in my early teens (thanks snowboarding). Folks have already stressed the importances of a good boot fit and fitter. The unstated corollary here is putting the boots on correctly. I skied a year or two not doing it right. Lots of videos here, but in summary:

- A long, thin, moisture wicking sock. Ski socks are great, but I use soccer socks (cheaper, easier to find). I recommend the color red: much easier to find in a pile of laundry.
- Only your foot and sock goes in the boot. Unless you're wearing jeans, then tuck them in.
- Rolling up the base and mid layer pants above the boot can get crowded around the calf. I recommend either cutting off the mid layer below the knee or getting 3/4 length mid layer pants.
- Once your foot is in, light heel tap to set the heel in the pocket.
- Ensure the boot layers are in the correct order: tonge up against your shin, liner sides around the tongue, followed by outer lower boot shell, inner lower boot shell, outer cuff, and finally inner cuff.
- Different procedure for a 3-piece boot and/or wrap liner, both of which I recommend trying BTW.
- Iterating between the ankle and shin buckles, start cinching down the boot cuff. You want it snug all around: no play, but no pain.
- Look closely and you'll see lots of people walking around with a sloppy ankle fit.
- Cinch down the power strap. Some debate whether to wrap over the liner or over the boot cuff. I do the later.
- If you have the right boot fit, the lower two buckles are just for looks. Lightly clamp them down. When you reach advanced to expert, you're allowed to let them flop around.
- After a couple runs, recheck the ankle and cuff buckles and power strap. They almost always need to be tightened.

 

[Jenny]

First name is Dorsal (I forget his last name but honest to God it may be Finn.)

noooo

 

[Tony S]

<interlude>
When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought, Boy, have you come to the wrong place.
</interlude>

 

[Henry]

2--Get the video, especially shot from the side. Do it on a slope where you can think about your skiing, not the terrain nor the traffic. Look for your stance. If your hips are behind your heels, nothing will work as it should. You need to be standing tall with loose joints and up on the balls of your feet. Look at your arms. Try for a position about where your body would place them if you're walking over the slipperiest ice--natural balance, and not waving around. Your feet should be side by side about walking width apart where you've been balancing since you were a wee tot. Also get some footage of you skiing a steeper slope. The first things down the hill should be your hands, head, and shoulders. If you're leaning back toward the hill or swiveling your shoulders around in the direction of the turn, you're doomed. If you're heavy on the inside foot with the outside ski out there like a rudder--

For your equipment I can't find a review of the Viva 88. Does it have the backbone to hold on ice? As noted above, the edges need to be sharp enough to cut your pants cuffs. Your 95 flex boots are pretty soft unless you're a featherweight. In any case they need to fit like a lobster's shell. Comfy with no movement between your foot/ankle and the boot. Every movement of your leg needs to be immediately transferred by the boot to your ski. A good bootfitter can snug them up a bit if needed. For skiing on ice you need to make very smooth turn initiations. You need to slide the edge along the ice, not abruptly jerk it sideways. Once it breaks loose is skids along the surface until the next turn. C turns, not Z turns. The video will tell the tale.
(
)
(
) good turns

/
--
\
--
/ not good

 

[Henry]

I like this series of videos for realistic ski technique improvement. They're from a Swede in Switzerland. Jens seems to be a character.

 

[hollyberry]

<interlude>
When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought, Boy, have you come to the wrong place.
</interlude>

LOL I suppose I could have been more specific, although I do feel like some of the coolest people I have met are skiers. If someone in their 70’s still has a zest for life and is out getting turns at the local hill, all smiles, they’re doing it right as far I am concerned.

 

[Wendy]

noooo

Yep! It’s either that, (Dorsal Finn) or his father’s name is Finn. I can’t remember. Either way, it’s bad.

 

[hollyberry]

Yep! It’s either that, (Dorsal Finn) or his father’s name is Finn. I can’t remember. Either way, it’s bad.

Now I want to meet this person just because of his name alone!

 

[dbostedo]

Now I want to meet this person just because of his name alone!

I wonder if he's any good at dolphin turns...