It’s probably the oldest skiing tip in the book; stay forward! Having trouble with control? Stay forward! Want to start parallel skiing? Stay forward! Want to ski faster? Stay forward! Fine, got it; can do it great in the living room. But just how does one stay forward on slick, uneven, steep snow at speed? Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for December, 2006
The second item of the Your Responsibility Code for skiing and riding is “People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them“.
Winter is a long season in North America and it can be a challenge to stay active during those months. Here in Maine, it’s part of our New England heritage to keep getting outside no matter what the weather and conditions. A non-profit organization called Winterkids promotes those winter recreation activities, including skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and hiking!
Telemark skiing demands a high degree of balance for any terrain, weather, and conditions. The use of the hands can be like the summer intern: they can either be very helpful or sort of just always be in the way. The hand position that will help your tele skiing the most is to keep your hands as low as possible.
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Winter hiking, trekking, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing is a Tale of Two Hats. When aerobic activity in the winter is involved, it takes two hats: one for traveling and one for taking a break. The traveling hat keeps you comfortable on the go while the taking a break that keeps you warm and dry at rest.
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According to the National Ski Patrol, here is your responsibility code when skiing and riding:
- Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
- People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
- You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
- Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
- Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
- Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
- Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.
A good edge set on the snow relies on how you edge your skis. If the skis can move off and onto the edges cleanly, your edge set will be strong and decisive. If you add a steering motion of the skis to the edging, your edge set will be weak and result in a loss of balance and control.
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Good snowshoes are a good investment and a further good investment is a snowshoe cover to protect them. A snowshoe cover makes it easy to carry, pack, and transport a pair of snowshoes that are otherwise bulky and tough to keep together.
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Riding a chairlift is an important part of the sport of snowboarding, and usually something that’s comfortable for experienced riders. Unloading the chairlift can be a challenge, however, for beginning snowboarders.
For about a decade, there’s been a new class of clothing designed specifically to allow freedom of movement while maximizing breathability. The clothing industry calls these products “stretch -woven” (boring), but most folks call them soft shells. This kind of outer wear relies on flexible, durable materials such as Schoeller that are weather-proof, are highly breathable, and abrasive-resistant. Exactly the sort of performance for high-energy activities in cold weather!
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