Hello! I'm an intermediate skier with a ton of passion for learning proper technique. I'd love to hear your thoughts about what skills I should focus on improving next.
A bit about me: I learned skiing as an adult and have been skiing for 7 years now. I took group lessons for my first 3 years and then some private lessons on and off every year since then. I can ski most groomed terrain (blue / black) comfortably but would love to improve my technique on groomers. I can also ski off-piste runs but I struggle on the steeper blacks with bumps, and I am definitely not doing it gracefully.
My question is: what should I work on next?
(a) become a better skier on the groomers. The thought here is that becoming a better skier on groomers will teach me the right technique that will become useful when I advance to bumps / un-groomed terrain. OR
(b) start learning to ski steeps / bumps more gracefully. This would open up more of the mountain for me. I can already do almost any groomer so this would allow me to enjoy more types of runs.
My personal preference is to start with learning steeps / bumps. But I don't know if that's premature if I'm not awesome on groomers yet.
Would love to hear your advice. Thank you!
Start with a) learning & developing all core skills on groomers. Lots of skiing with intent and lots of specific drills.
Then transition back and forth between the groomer and chopped up stuff along the side. Then make forays off piste.
Use ski runs just a level easier than what you can handle. So that you can really focus on developing technique. Trying to learn in challenging terrain will only develop your athletism and likely crappy technique - your focus is to build muscle memory, proper technique not ad hoc ones.
IMO everything except pumping/porpoising and platforming for powder can be learned on groomers.
For bumps work with an experienced instructor who is a good bump skier
learn to make & practice -
- good brushed SR & ultra short turns increasing in tempo and variation
- check & jump turns
- how to shift your feet back & forth + flex/extend over bumps (the crest, spine, side shoulders & gutter) - all to keep balanced / centered instanteously at will
- how to quickly read a mogul field & choose / adjust your line.
There are lots of drills you can practice & master for the bumps that you can do on the groomers.... then carry these skills to the side of the run into the chop occasionally followed by the bumps.
If you just dive into the bumps, into the trees - yeah you will develop reaction, balance - but technique, functional technique, not to just to look pretty.... highly unlikely.
GL