• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Tim Hodgson

PSIA Level II Alpine
Instructor
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
688
Location
Kirkwood, California
There's a lot of people who see no point in reading what has happened in a thread before they show up.

Agreed. Those people fall into the following category:

"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."

(mis-quote of George Santayana)

I think this is a very instructive thread for the ages...
 

Tony Storaro

Glorified Tobogganer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
Posts
7,806
Location
Europe
Her idea of skiing was going then crashing to stop.

A girl after my own heart! :roflmao: Go real fast and when it is time to stop....well, we'll improvise.

The other one is the typical right handed newb-right turns are the horror...:)
 

Tony Storaro

Glorified Tobogganer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
Posts
7,806
Location
Europe
crabjoe: She has trouble with right turns because right turns use the left foot and she is right handed. When we are scared, we don't lean towards our fear - we lean away from it.

Yes and no. Right handed people are also right-footed in most cases, their right leg is better in terms of strength, dexterity etc. That's why if you play football, you kick the ball infinitely better with your right foot.
In terms of skiing, the right foot just "listens" to the commands from the brain better and does what it is told, unlike the left one, which requires some more attention, focus and persuasion.
That's why the left turns are much easier for the beginners than the right ones. Their mind knows what they need to do but the left foot simply refuses to obey.

Backing away from danger is something everyone experiences at certain point-first black run (that'd be double black in US) for instance. It takes experience and time to overcome the natural instinct to lean back from the abyss and dive into it instead. It is very very counterintuitive move that goes against a basic instinct, hence-not easy to learn.
But when you learn it-that's the best feeling in skiing-when you are almost in a free fall... :)

P.S. I had that experience this season instructing my sister-a grown woman, yoga instructor, perfectly able to control her body and find the balance. She was doing great on greens and flat blues-learned the techniques pretty fast and was parallel skiing with ease after only 4-5 days, BUT when it came to reds she was just standing there, paralysed with fear having forgotten everything she learned.
And it took her quite some time to realise for herself that if she leaned INTO the slope and not BACKED from it, she'd be able to do it no problems. But it takes time.
 
Last edited:

Tim Hodgson

PSIA Level II Alpine
Instructor
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
688
Location
Kirkwood, California
Tony: I like this discussion and I have considered your explanation and believe it is part of the problem of teaching right-handers to turn right.

But your explanation that it is harder for right-hander brains to command their left foot to turn right does not address the fact the right-handers are also edge locked on the tail of their right ski which fights any pressure or rotation of the left ski to the right.

"You always go where the ski on edge is pointing..." Or "Rock, Paper, Scissors" but in skiing it is "Pressure, Edge, Rotation, but Edge always wins.")

If your theory is correct, their rightdominated brains should be able to command them to disengage the right tail.

But they don't. So I am sticking with my theory, explanation and observance.

I also think it is easier for right-handers to "lean into the fear" when leaning on the right foot turning left which also reduces tail engagement on the right ski.
 

Tony Storaro

Glorified Tobogganer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
Posts
7,806
Location
Europe
But your explanation that it is harder for right-hander brains to command their left foot to turn right does not address the fact the right-handers are also edge locked on the tail of their right ski which fights any pressure or rotation of the left ski to the right.


Yep. Fully agree. There is that as well.

But here they are in a even worse position as they are locked into their right ski, cant unlock because their leg foot cant do what they ask it to do.

To check the theory of leaning back-put one of your students on a steep slope, first facing to the left and then-to the right. I bet you will see the same urge to lean back, perhaps to a different degree but it will be there no matter which ski is the downhill one.
The best way to overcome this I have come up with so far in instructing my family is to make them NOT to look down the fall line. Just look at the traverse line, it is not steep there, it can be as steep as you want, and as long as you do a quick turn at the end, you'd be peaches :):)
 
Last edited:

Tim Hodgson

PSIA Level II Alpine
Instructor
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
688
Location
Kirkwood, California
Not looking down the fall line is a good idea!

Or on Sundays, I sometimes tell my First Timer and Beginner students that skiing is a "religious activity."

And then I demonstrate what I mean by turning down the fall line and screaming:

"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

(Flailing arms adds additional drama.)

And then I tell them:

"If you have Faith, put all your weight on the right ski and look to the left and pressure the right boot cuff and twist the ski it to the left, and the ski will turn you uphill to safety."


My students must think I'm a goofball and think that "If that goofball can do it, then I can do it too."

Anyway: Safety, Fun and Learning... and in that order.

Tony, you clearly have an interest and an ability to teach. I think it is time for you to sign up as an instructor...
 
Last edited:

Tony Storaro

Glorified Tobogganer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
Posts
7,806
Location
Europe
Tony, you clearly have an interest and an ability to teach. I think it is time for you to sign up as an instructor...

Thanks man, but I am not that good. When you put me on a slope, I can do left turns, right turns and on a good day even link them... :) :) Sometimes even quite fast. Not an expert by any stretch.
My only goal is to put as many members of my family as I can on skis so we can have fun together and show them the winter season can be great. This season 3 out of 4 test subjects got hooked, so I am reasonably happy.

BTW, you may be joking, but you are absolutely right about faith. I ask my people to repeat to themselves the mantra THEY. WILL.TURN. when approaching the turning point and then do what they have learned. Confidence and trust in your equipment however also comes with time, they need to feel it for themselves.
 

Sponsor

Top