Slalom lessons

Hi Everyone,
I am planning on going ski-ing in Courchevel 1550 next Feb half-term, and having lessons with esf.

For people with more than 4 weeks ski-ing they have an interesting program. You can either do:

1.'ski pleasure' - ski-ing around the 3 valleys with them,

2.'ski performance' - 'train at downhill gates (slalom), increase your speed or try a new style of ski-ing',

3.'off-piste' - 'evolve your off-piste, powder, bumps, couloirs, hiking'.

I intend to do morning and afternoon lessons. The afternoon lessons are in French, which I should manage because I've had ski lessons in French before. So, I was thinking about doing the 'performance' lessons in the morning, in English, and the 'ski pleasure' in the afternoon in French.

How hard is slalom training? I've never done it before, but I thought it would be a fun thing to try. I ski carefully, rather than over fast, but I'm hoping they won't shout at me too much for being a bit slow, and anyway I should get faster during the week.

Has anyone had slalom lessons? What are they like?

I don't fancy the off-piste lessons much, because I hit a hidden rock and fell, last holiday, and even the teacher hit a rock and fell, and we were only ski-ing down the side of the piste. Plus, I'm rather anxious about avalanches. A friend of a friend of mine died last week in an avalanche in Austria.

I've only had 3 weeks of lessons as an adult, but I've had 7 weeks of ski-ing altogether, as a child and an adult, so I would think I should be good enough.

Thanks,

Ally

I think 'ski pleasure' sums up pretty much all snowsports.

I am going to alp d'huez tomorrow for 2 weeks of slalom and GS training with an ESF coach. I have had slalom coaching in Austria before but not in France with ESF. I imagine they are very good.

It would definately be better to do the training in the morning when you are more focused and fresher.
You have really have to block out the fear of crashing and risk, as the closer you get to the gates, the quicker you go (generally).
It will be really good fun if you have not done it before and should hopefully allow you to hone carving techniques.

Do they mean slalom or giant slalom training? After 4 weeks, I wouldnt think they are going to send you down a slalom course (which are tight and technical), it will probably be a GS course (youtube it).
If you can find any, download some of the ski sunday episodes from last year. They took celebrities to Courmayer in Italy and helped them with GS technique. Some of the examples and methods were pretty good and easy to understand.

Tom

Running gates is a blast. I would guess, it would be on a modified GS type course, not a slalom course. It's bound to impove your skiing and when you get the chance to let it rip through a course, you'll experience a great adreneline rush. Training is great, but the actual races are another matter, too much standing around waiting (and getting cold).

What skis do you have ?

Trencher

Thanks very much Smirnoff and Trencher,
I will have a look on Utube and see what Giant Slalom means. I'm glad you think it will be fun as well. I did watch some of those 'Ski sunday' programs and I thought they were very amusing - I was trying to explain, in very poor French, to my French ski class about the one when they made the poor guy ski down carrying a tray with drinks of beer on it.

I've got no intention of taking part in any competitions - when I get going I'm madly competitive and I'd have no hope at my age (47) and female, of beating anyone, and I hate losing.

Trencher - I'm ashamed to admit that I don't own any skis (or any boots). I book them on the internet from Intersport, and pick what I fancy when I get there. Last time I booked 'red' skis, and when I was in the shop I asked for longer ones than he offered me, and it turned out they were new and incredibly fast. I overtook everyone, even the instructor when schussing, and it was very funny when I told the shop people this, because I could see them all thinking they'd like to try them out.

I did feel like buying those ones, but as I've said elsewhere, it's totally impractical because we have several very long train journeys to get to the Alps, and we have quite enough luggage as it is (my daughter has multiple food intolerances and we have to bring lots of her special food, plus she brings about 10 novels, and I bring my French study books).

I'm hoping the same skis will do for the slalom lessons, and the 'pleasure' lessons, and I'm thinking about booking 'black' ones this time.

Are you supposed to do carving turns, or skid turns, or a mixture, in slalom? I can do carving turns, but so far only on a wide turn, and I'm much better at it when I'm going fast, because the skis seem to carve on their own then.

Ally

Thanks for the tip about 'Ski Sunday',
I managed to see Frank Gardner on a special disabled ski, learning how to slalom on 'Ski Sunday' (I thought he was incredibly brave), and had a good laugh watching Clare Balding trying to do it with a balloon in between her knees, also on 'Ski Sunday' on the internet. I guess you are supposed to carve, because this seemed to be her problem, as she learnt to ski in the old, pre-carving, days.

And this article in the Times was very amusing and helpful, about having a go at slalom racing whilst on holiday.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/winter_sports/article729314.ece

'It seems I’m too much of a control freak to ski gates properly. Now don’t get me wrong here. I like bombing about on the slopes just as much as any man or woman. But there comes a point on every piste when my rising speed sets off some kind of internal alarm system. “Wheeeeeee!” suddenly turns to “Eeeeeeeeek!”, and I throw out all the anchors. As far as self-preservation goes, it’s a pretty useful mechanism. But when you’re faced with a giant-slalom course, it’s a mountain-sized impediment.'

It looks like a lot of fun, but I can see I'll have to make sure I'm pretty fit before I go on this ski holiday!

Ally

It might good that you don't have your own skis. I would guess that the type of course would be a modified GS. It's like a tamed down version of a full GS course. Gates might be closer together and it won't be as steep. If you are not a strong carver, I would rent recreational skis with a smaller sidecut, maybe about 12 metre radius and no more than 165 cm in length. This will give you the best chance to carve turns in the course. Carving in a course is much harder than when free carving. Do invest in a helmet and you own boots.

I didn't start racing until last year at 50, and there are over 100 in my 50 to 55 age bracket just at my ski area. I know people still racing in their seventies, so don't worry about your age.

btw my daughter is celiac, so I know about having cart food around when you travel

Trencher

Thanks for your input Trencher,
I'll try and rent skis like the ones you suggest. And I was planning on wearing a helmet anyway, after the last few deaths on the slopes.

Hopefully, lessons on tight carving will be part of the course.

I'm glad I'm not the only 'oldie' wanting a go at this.

And I'm sorry to hear about your daughter having coeliac. My husband's niece has it, and she's incredibly ill if she has only a tiny bit of gluten. My daughter isn't as bad as that, but she has problems with a lot more different types of food.

Ally

AllyG wrote:
Hopefully, lessons on tight carving will be part of the course.


Ally

I would hope so too

Trencher