Tips / Drills / Advice for keeping weight forward...

[RelaxedNinja]

You mean outside of the mountain's own instructors? If so, that's pretty universally illegal, and can get you and the instructor banned. Most resorts have a monopoly on instruction at their resort, except for special arrangements like camps and race training.

So I've heard, but how would they know unless they were watching closely for a period of time? It seems infeasible. Also, at $129/hour and no packages/discounts that I'm aware of...I'm just not going to get lessons there.

 

[dbostedo]

So I've heard, but how would they know unless they were watching closely for a period of time? It seems infeasible. Also, at $129/hour and no packages/discounts that I'm aware of...I'm just not going to get lessons there.

Well then you'll be breaking the law and we can't be discussing it on here anymore. (Note, we can discuss the situation with resorts monopolizing lessons - lots of threads on that. But we can't allow recommendations or specific talk about lessons outside of legal means.)

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Well then you'll be breaking the law and we can't be discussing it on here anymore. (Note, we can discuss the situation with resorts monopolizing lessons - lots of threads on that. But we can't allow recommendations or specific talk about lessons outside of legal means.)

No worries. I didn't know it was actually illegal. Seems like a hornet's nest. Is there a third option whereby resorts allow private instructors to register with them and coordinate lessons/access to the mountain?

 

[raytseng]

No worries. I didn't know it was actually illegal. Seems like a hornet's nest. Is there a third option whereby resorts allow private instructors to register with them and coordinate lessons/access to the mountain?

yea, apparently you jump on a plane and then go to europe and then that is where you have that option.

This is like asking is there an option where you can bring your own booze into a stadium NFL football game or a movie theater because you don't like to pay the stadium price. I suggest you think of it in those terms, and just drop the subject.

 

[dbostedo]

Is there a third option whereby resorts allow private instructors to register with them and coordinate lessons/access to the mountain?

There are a few resorts that have been known to do that... particularly in the Pacific northwest for some reason... but they're few and far between. It is much more common outside of North America.

 

[Scruffy]

So I've heard, but how would they know unless they were watching closely for a period of time? It seems infeasible. Also, at $129/hour and no packages/discounts that I'm aware of...I'm just not going to get lessons there.

A lot to take in. I just bought some gear...boots/skis/poles. I'd like to find some private instruction off the mountain and maybe pay for the whole day if I can get someone for $300-400. Thoughts?

If all you can get is the $129/hr, and at your stage of development, it may be worth it for just 2 hours. Then take the instruction they give you and go work on it yourself. A whole day may be overwhelming with new information. Save the whole day lesson for next year.

 

[LiquidFeet]

No worries. I didn't know it was actually illegal. Seems like a hornet's nest. Is there a third option whereby resorts allow private instructors to register with them and coordinate lessons/access to the mountain?

Unfortunately skiing is expensive, and for many prohibitively so. There are many threads on this topic here.

But ... lessons at small mountains can cost less than at big mountains. Group lessons cost less than privates. And on weekdays at small mountains those group lessons can sometimes have only one student in them. A skier doesn't need a big resort or big mountain to learn and improve fundamentals. Working on stance is the most basic fundamental of all.

Good luck on finding the guidance you need.

Oh, and guess what ... your instructor makes maybe $18-20 for that hour spent with you, no matter how much you spent. The rest goes to the mountain. Ski schools exploit skiers who want to teach. They can get away with that because of the legal restrictions establishing the mountain's monopoly on teaching. So, if you can do it, a tip for your instructor will be appreciated.

 

[LiquidFeet]

...in the front of my boots? This is what I've heard or read quite often: that I need to press forward into the front of my boots so I can maintain control of the skis.

As a beginner, I have to remind myself of this often because I forget, or more likely sit back in apprehension when I'm not comfortable or confident.

Is it true that I should be doing this 100% of the time? When turning and shifting weight, it's especially difficult to maintain this forward lean into my boots.

Am I misunderstanding the application of this advice? Is it just repetition over time which solves it?

Thanks.

You are right on all of this. How to "press forward into the front of the boots" is big deal #1. There are numerous dysfunctional ways of doing this, thus the need for instruction. Many skiers never get this instruction and go on for years skiing in the back seat. They develop compensatory movements that get them around on easier terrain. But those movement patterns won't work on more "interesting" terrain and conditions. Replacing deeply embedded bad habits of that type can take a lot of time with a lot of instruction later on if the stance issue is not addressed effectively at the beginning of one's skiing.

Convincing your body (or your unconscious, whichever way you want to label the part of you that makes you lean back) that you won't fall on your face when you are "forward" is big deal #2. It takes time and deliberate practice to do that convincing.

You are not alone. It's common to go back seat when the skis point down the hill, leaning back on the rear of the cuff, then leaning uphill as the skis point across the hill. It's also common to go aft on terrain or conditions that make a skier cautious.

 

[martyg]

You don't want pressure on the forward part of your boots. You want pressure evenly distrib

A whole day may be overwhelming with new information.

Spot on - for the reply and comment about cuff pressure. An entire day of rewiring movement patterns will gas you. Assuming that you have a decent amount of body awareness, and the discipline for purposeful practice, a half day will serve you well.

 

[Wilhelmson]

But try these things on greens. I'm currently trying to teach my kid and I find practicing all the precision movements on greens is great for my skiing

Probably the best advice so far. I could ski a whole trail on one ski. I can’t do this anymore.

 

[Seldomski]

But ... lessons at small mountains can cost less than at big mountains. Group lessons cost less than privates. And on weekdays at small mountains those group lessons can sometimes have only one student in them. A skier doesn't need a big resort or big mountain to learn and improve fundamentals. Working on stance is the most basic fundamental of all.

Yes, pretty much this. If you want to maximize your learning per $$, group lessons on a weekday are the best bet. Even better if done outside the peak season. You can also work on balance outside of ski season with roller or inline skating. Or ice skating.

 

[geepers]

Turn on english captions for this one - unless you can read Hungarian.



And now turn on the Canadian captions.



And the feeling in the feet. Support through the skeleton makes sense. On snow Josh says to maintain contact between shin and boot as a reference - contact, not "push the shyte out of the front of the boot".



This time New Zealand captions...



Balance is ongoing and dynamic - it's not a single position. Reference points help.



Why all this fore/aft stuff?



On mild terrain that's best for beginner/intermediate learning at lower speeds the amount of change required in fore/aft is very small. Middle is good.

 

[Fuller]

Josh Duncan Smith is my new ski hero... something about his demonstrations combined with the spoken word really get through to me.

 

[justplanesteve]

I'd like to find some private instruction off the mountain and maybe pay for the whole day if I can get someone for $300-400. Thoughts

Your learning style and income level might well suggest you would get a lot out of private lessons.
As has been discussed in the forums, others of us learn better in small groups.
It helps me a lot, to watch others trying to follow the same instruction and seeing how they get it. The ones that are better than me, adds peer pressure that helps, too. Including spiking my initiative to practice for next lesson.
Skiing takes a lot of practice. Especially when nearly everything is new. It's not that easy to digest more than a couple hours of -good- focused instruction without another 1/2 day practice and probably another day of intentional skiing to consolidate. You are training muscle memory. It has to be trained.

Look for something like this: https://www.skicny.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Labrador-Return-Of-The-Turn-FLYER.pdf If you can ski weekdays, maybe something like this: I got a trememdous amount out of it this year, and will return next year. The community you end up building can be valuable, too. https://www.skicny.com/masters-in-motion/
If you advance, a program like this might appeal in a year or so. https://www.skicny.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/RecreationalRaceTraining.pdf

The programs are taught by PSIA staff, and the instructors are matched to the group abilities, the group i was in had 3 students but only 2 of us showed up every time, and sometimes there were 2 instructors with us, though the second was shadowing as he worked toward PSIA prep.

I realize that in many ways this is a sweetheart deal that suits my particular learning style. But similar initiatives exist at family friendly areas & through ski clubs around NYC.

OTOH, depending where you live in relation to a "nice" ski hill, it is also easy to recognize the metric: "Save lesson cost by spending money & time to travel"; or "spend more for lessons to avoid cost and time to travel"

Good luck.

smt

 

[Yo Momma]

Hard part for many is learning to also ski the "tails" of your skis in sketchy deep 3D snow, steep and or bumped up conditions . Emphasis on utilizing the entire boot, tongue, center and heels/cuffs. I realize, not the object of this thread but I've found it's generally under-emphasized.

 

[AmyPJ]

Drills for staying forward in 3-D snow on steeps?

 

[dbostedo]

Hard part for many is learning to also ski the "tails" of your skis in sketchy deep 3D snow, steep and or bumped up conditions . Emphasis on utilizing the entire boot, tongue, center and heels/cuffs. I realize, not the object of this thread but I've found it's generally under-emphasized.

Drills for staying forward in 3-D snow on steeps?

Good question. This thread is in the "New to Skiing" section, so 3-D snow on steeps should probably be discussed elsewhere.

 

[Yo Momma]

Good question. This thread is in the "New to Skiing" section, so 3-D snow on steeps should probably be discussed elsewhere.

My Bad..... I'm at the office ... ski hacking for a moment and forgot the category!!! LOL Sorry about that!

 

[raytseng]

Drills for staying forward in 3-D snow on steeps?

the New to Skiing advice would be get really fat/long powder skis, then you'll be on top and won't be in 3D snow.

 

[markojp]

No worries. I didn't know it was actually illegal. Seems like a hornet's nest. Is there a third option whereby resorts allow private instructors to register with them and coordinate lessons/access to the mountain?

In some cases, yes. If you're in the PNW, you can work with Snow Performance. They have hill priviledges a a few different areas west of the Mississippi, Canada, and late spring/summer at Timberline.