Here are four simple tips for that same focus, from four different approaches:
Thinking: “Keep your inside leg light”
Seeing: “Put your jacket zipper over the downhill edge of your outside ski”
Feeling: “Make the turn such that it feels like your outside half travels further around the corner than your inside half”
Doing: “Balance more on the outside leg than the inside leg”
Here’s a suggestion to build on that is to allow a little more ‘anticipation’ by separating your upper and lower body more. Read the rest of this entry »
Separate the upper body from the legs at the hip joint.
The ability to twist the legs without steering the body is crucial to short turns. Stand in a hip-width stance without skis on flat terrain. Using your poles to stabilize your upper body, explore twisting your feet with all the parts of your legs from the hips down. The best twisting movement is one where the toes and heels move a similar distance to leave an hourglass shape in the snow.
Next, twist your feet without using the poles and focus on isolating the movement of your legs in relation to your body. Now, apply this move in gentle parallel turns by focusing on twisting your legs together such that the skis turn more than your body. You’ll find your balance is more steady from turn to turn and your short turns more precise.
There’s an old joke that goes “Want to make a small fortune in the ski industry?” “Take a large fortune and buy a ski area”.
Not a very positive spin on a huge winter recreational business, but it’s true that there are half as many ski areas in the USA (502 in 2003; Ski Magazine) as there were in 1975. The financial challenges of a seasonal business would be large enough without energy, transportation, liability insurance, climate change, and other higher costs associated with skiing and riding.
That said, I’d guess every skier and rider has a small, hidden fantasy of wondering what it would be like to own your own ski area? Here’s your chance: Mt. Abram in Locke Mills, Maine is for sale. For $1.8 million, you can own 644 acres including a ski area with 44 trails and the largest tubing park in Maine. Mt. Abram’s has a 1,150 ft. vertical drop and strong weekend and night-time skiing programs for kids. This is your ‘classic’ New England local ski area. The present owner bought it for only $325,000 in 2000 in foreclosure; this sale occurs while the area is operating and apparently succeeding. I’d expect it will be a mark of the strength of the skiing industry if it sells and it will be interesting to see if the buyer is a sole proprietor or a larger corporation.
Here’s a skiing tip, from a feeling approach:
Feeling: “Make the turn such that it feels like your outside half travels further around the corner than your inside half”
Read the rest of this entry »
Snowskills.net has posted a list of websites for Ski Clubs in the USA; check out http://www.snowskills.net/usa-ski-clubs/. There are over 350 clubs on this list and many of them have excellent website, please check them out.
If you would like to add your ski club, please contact us!
The TSA is experimenting with using a ski-industry trail marking system to assist travelers through security. Many skiers/riders are familiar with the green circle-blue square-black diamond progression of easy to intermediate to difficult abilities. The TSA intends to translate that standard system to the selection of various types of security lines; green for families and those who need extra time, blue for travelers with multiple carry-ons who are familiar with traveling, and black diamond for experienced travelers who are familiar with security procedures.
The levels of security are the same; the intention is to reduce stress by grouping like travelers together. The TSA is testing this system at Salt Lake City airport, apparently expecting that a higher percentage of travelers who are skiers/riders will be familiar with the trail markings.
Trekking poles are essential for winter trekking and powder baskets for those poles are, too!
“I’ve only made this mistake once and I’ll never do it again!” I’m referring to heading out for that first snowshoe trek of the winter season, grabbing the backpack, the snowshoes, and the trekking poles on the way out the door. Upon arrival at the trailhead, I noticed that the trekking poles had the small baskets that had served me so well through the summer. Well, they’ll be fine in snow, right? “I’ve only made this mistake once and I’ll never do it again!”
Read the rest of this entry »
It’s only 2 years and counting to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada!
Check out the latest news at the official website. 
Most of the Olympic venues are ready, operating, and available to the public. Compared to other recent games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, maybe Beijing 2008), our Canadian friends appear to have planned for these facilities well in advance and will avoid a last-minute rush to be ready.
An estimated 5,000 athletes and coaches, 10,000 press and media staff, and millions of spectators are expected to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The alpine skiing events will be at Whistler, the nordic events at Callahan Valley (20 miles from Whistler), and the snowboarding events at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver. Tickets for the 2010 Olympics go on sale in October, so now would be a great time to check out the snow, before the crowds show up!
Develop balance that uses the location of the body to allow the skis to turn with ease.
The position of the body in relation to the feet is critical to balanced skiing turns. With your skis across the slope, stand balanced on your uphill edges with slightly flexed ankles and knees. Simultaneously release your edges just enough to begin sideslipping and move your torso slightly ahead of your feet. You will begin to move forward diagonally to gravity; now move your torso slightly behind your feet and move backward diagonally to gravity. Begin to make alternating redirections that sweep forward and backward, similar to the manner a leaf falls from a tree.
Later, do five redirections and, on a frontward movement, fully release the edges to allow the skis to enter a turn. Keep doing sets of five redirections and one turn; focus on the sensation of having your body slightly ahead of your feet as the skis drop into gravity. Now, make gentle parallel turns and focus on moving your body into gravity with the skis as a single unit.