Me ski-ing the World Cup slalom course in Courchevel very slowly!

Hi Everyone,
This is me, on my first and only go at ski-ing slalom in the World Cup Slalom course in Courchevel in my ski lesson.

We were told which side of the gates to go, and to start our turns well before the next gate, and to carve, and that was about it.

So I went down very slowly and carefully, concentrating on not missing a gate, crashing into one, or falling over. I nearly lost it just before the end of the video, and skidded a bit, and then went much too wide around the next gate. And it was actually a lot longer than the video. I got down both courses, one after the other, without any dreadful catastrophes, so I was quite pleased.

Of course, it may well be the slowest anyone's ever been down it :lol:

One of the people in our group lesson very kindly lent his camera (and then posted it up on You Tube for me), and the instructor videod me. All the instructor said afterwards was that I went too wide around the gates, and I said I would have liked at least 5 goes at it, so that I could have gone a bit faster each time. Before this, the last time I'd been through a slalom course was when I was 11 years old and doing a snow-plough in Saalbach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl_SnMHhi7Y

Ally

Who was holding the camera, Oliver Reed?

I think the instructor was just smoking with the same hand he was holding the camera.

My morning ski instructor (the one who's the manager of the Courchevel ESF 1550).

I don't know why it's so wobbly - I wasn't looking at the instructor - I was too busy thinking about which side of which gate I was supposed to be (complicated things like that confuse me very easily) :lol:

Ally

He needs to keep off the Pastis

Exciting though ? Gates make every go to pieces, so that was a great for a first time through. If they were teaching you how to run the course, they would have placed stubbies (little poles), or brushes to guide you. Without those, it takes a bit of gate time to start getting close to the gates. :D


Trencher

Thanks Trencher,
It's very kind of you to be so nice about it. I was in two minds whether or not to put the video up, in case everybody killed themselves laughing at me, and how slow I was.

As you know, it's much harder than it looks, because you have to guess where to start turning to get through the gate. Some markers would have been a great help.

My daughter, who was there of course also doing it, said I snow-ploughed through it, I was that slow (at least the video shows I was definitely not snow-ploughing). I was about the third one to go down it, and I was feeling too anxious to notice how the others got on, but I do know the guy behind me crashed going through the second course, because it was ages before he turned up.

It was fun, really great fun, and I'd very much like another go at it. I don't know why they teach the kids slalom, as part of the basic ESF training, but not the adults. I'd been through all the adult lessons, including the Upper Intermediate ones, without getting anywhere near a slalom course, until I did the most recent lessons in Courchevel, which were supposed to be Advanced Performance lessons.

Ally

I dont think you should take yourself so seriously Ally. I dont like skiing slalom gates, and you did a good controlled job of getting through them on that video (assuming of course it was you).
Not many people post videos of themselves on here because, as you rightly point out, you may expect people to ridicule you. However, everyone skis differently, we all have our own individual style and level we can ski at. But I do think you worry far too much about what other people think about your skiing and what you look like. I didnt see you fall over on the video though, so I am doubting if it is you at all....... :wink: :mrgreen: