Tony, are you a turkey or an eagle ( phase 4 )

Tony,

You deserve a better explanation on why phase 4 coming up in 2009 will be a “threshold” year for you! I hope in this short post you will understand my previous comments.

But first you must answer that question above. You decide what “bird” you want to be!

Know the saying, “it is difficult to soar like an eagle if you are with a flock of turkeys”

It has important implications in where you will go in skiing.

Let’s be honest,,skiing is a great way to “show” your friends your courage, your strength, your physical powers, your great technique! Many people ski just to get the weekend ego boost from their friends!

To show their friends how better they are. That is phase 3. Skiing for the group, for the social reasons. Nothing wrong in that,,,but now you will discover more “personal satisfaction” in reaching higher goals, better long term ego boosting “fixes” which do not require others to confirm that you are a “good’ skier!

That is phase 4.

Now back to that question. Let me first ask you to read that above saying in a positive light. Not pedantic or condescending but as a “true statement” of you skiing competencies and your desire to get better in skiing!

Turkeys are afraid to get away from flock. They ski very close together, often bumping into each other. Turkeys make lots of noise while skiing. Some say to let other turkeys look at them! They constantly move as a flock never more than 3 meters away!

Turkeys do short, wild flights,,then plunk down exhausted. They flap about with their wings here and there pretending to fly. Their path is erratic and often governed by the flock not the terrain. They look down on the ground at all times,,just in case if they trip over their claws.

The turkey also has a noted characteristic. Its outside wear is loose and flapping about. Just look under the beak! Huge flap of skin! Just look above beak,,,another fold of skin often hanging over the beak! So it is with skiers who are turkeys. Huge flaps of material moving about like sails on an ancient three mast with no wind about! Above the beak,,,a huge flap of wool often with wild colored wool, often with decorative tails or tentacles haging about.

Under beak,,,a huge polar fleece neckwarmer even in +10 Spring skiing! Of course you can hear the gooble, gooble even from the chair lift! “hey,,look look a 360”, hey hey look look no hands, “watch this jump”, “look look I am going backwards into the tree”!

You get the picture Tony.

In phase 4,,if you want to get to phase 4 Tony. You will become an eagle. Yes you might have to forget the flock.

Yes you might not get emmediate ego gratification for all the skiing you will do but you will gain so much much more.

An eagle soars quietly. He/she looks for the thermals letting nature do the work! Letting the terrain determine the flight,,always looking for that knoll which will give more speed, looking for that dip for the “G” force effect.
The essence of the eagle is maximum effeciency for longer effortless soaring! Yet when a “prey” is found,,,instant speed with breath-taking dives! You never hear the eagle coming,,,,but you can not but stop to see that flight!

Look at the eagle perched on the branch. It feathers clearly indicate speed. Look at its wings, clearly indicating razor sharp turning. Look at those eyes! Looking,,looking at the slope for better flight.

That is where you are going Tony if you choose to take phase 4 and go to its next level! You can always go back to the flock,,,,but soon you will discover that it will not satisfy you as an eagle! That personal challenge and knowing you have achieved YOUR goals, will be worth 50 clucks from the pack!

It is up to you. You have this Summer to decide.

I can honestly say I have never been a Turkey. Maybe a bit of a seagull previously, and I went through the Eagle stage last season, paeticularly in Verbier in March.

Whats Phase 5, as I think thats next?

Ha,,,,phase 5!!!!

You want phase 5? Really?

First tell me what you did in Verbier in phase 4.

Then tell me how you felt in Verbier.

Finally tell me what you feel NOW about Verbier.

Then I will tell you about phase 5,,,,, where the air is rarified!

Where time stands still.

Where speed does not exist.

And the runs last a lifetime.

paeticularly Tony ? :shock:



More like Dodo :mrgreen:



AJ Adele

Tony_H wrote:I can honestly say I have never been a Turkey. Maybe a bit of a seagull

You squawk a lot and steal old lady's sandwiches :?:
:twisted:

Perceptive Bandit!

bandit wrote:

Tony_H wrote:I can honestly say I have never been a Turkey. Maybe a bit of a seagull

You squawk a lot and steal old lady's sandwiches :?:
:twisted:

I like the sea, I am sleek and stylish, and I make noise when its necessary to, yes. I havent stolen your lunch, have I? :wink:

pavelski wrote:Ha,,,,phase 5!!!!

You want phase 5? Really?

First tell me what you did in Verbier in phase 4.

Then tell me how you felt in Verbier.

Finally tell me what you feel NOW about Verbier.

Then I will tell you about phase 5,,,,, where the air is rarified!

Where time stands still.

Where speed does not exist.

And the runs last a lifetime.

Pavel, all the things you said in your first post, about what phase 4 is about, well thats what happened on my last few ski trips, and particularly in Verbier. I ski'd alone quite a bit, and I hooked up with a guy who was in my chalet sometimes, and we ski'd itinery routes, moguls and offpiste that neither of us would have done alone or with the people we usually ski with. I also managed to pull a few G's a few times when coming down a specific run which has a dip in it. Thats kind of what happened, and probably just a coincidence that it happened there, although the pistes and conditions probably had a lot to do with it.

This suggests to me that according to your first post I have left phase 4. I dont think I ever was a Turkey as it happens, surely not everyone goes through that stage in such an undignified way?

Over to you, oh great one....