The Delay or the door to expert skiing!

Ha,,,,that delay!

We all know it! Since adolescence we experienced it! That time you wait after you ask a girl to dance!( I am an old man so please forgive old social reference) That time you wait after the first time you ask a girl for a date! It seems so long!

So it is now while skiing!
That time you wait for those skis to turn after you have put pressure on the ski edge!
You are back to that "dance context" or that "first date context"!!!

You must wait,,while the skis decide if they will "dance with you" or if they will "go out with you"!

Here lies the problem! The waiting!

Most skiers have lost the patience to "waiting" ,so they "force" the skis to turn with their bodies!They assume that the skis "want to dance"!

They do not let the skis decide what to do! Rather skiers (at least 90%) turn their shoulders into the direction THEY want to go,,,,,hoping skis will follow!

Look at that post title again. The key word is delay!

Once you have made your proposition to the skis,,like a proposition you made to that girl/boy (we are in modern times),,you must wait for the answer! That is called the delay!

That period from the time you set ski edge and time skis respond is the key to effective skiing! Think of your skis like a dance partner! You suggest a move (with subtle gestures) and partner responds! The poor dance partner uses brute force! The poor dance partner uses loud, large, huge body gestures such as waving arms about,macho shoulder moves,brutish hand pushes! The effective dance partner uses subtle, minute moves that the dance partner picks up!

This delay is so appararent in Spring skiing and it is so clear who the effective dancers are! You see in Spring skiing the dance floor is not as "slippery", the dance partner is not as sharp (after all you have done lots of dancing) so you must learn to delay your "moves"!

Think of that first dance again!

You must be clear in your intentions!
You must be sure (or at least appear to be sure that you want to dance)! Dance partners do not like indecisive dancers.
You must know what music is playing,,so that you can dance the correct sequence! Sorry but break "dancing" while tango is playing will not do!
Also dancing is done on your tippy toes,,not on your heeels so lean on ski tips,,,,,,not on ski tails!

That is why effective skiers, expert skiers adapt skiing to music being played by nature!

That door to the expert level skiing is,,,patience! Waiting for ski to repond to you!

Respect your skis. If they do not want to dance with you,,find out why,,rather than dragging them on dance floor! Dancing with a "rag" is not very pleasing!
Take the time to "seduce" your skis to dance with you,,by learning all those "subtle" moves that make your skis "flow" that brings them to the edge!

Trust me,,the time you take in learning those "moves" will make your dance soft, flowing and full of pleasure!

Delay that moment and the pleasure will be tenfold!

Just last week, I was video taping an intermediate -expert level skier who was "suffering" from this delay problem.
I will try to post it on this site via Dave's expert help!

To most skiers watching this man ,,it appears he is great skier. Skiing in steep,,very steep terrain. Smooth, linked turns.

But if you look carefully,,,you will note that "impatience" to turn, to bring skis round!

Hope to have it here for you soon!

Pavel