Getting fit for skiing

What a good idea Tony,

Now, why didn't I think of that ... :oops:

Ally

Serious questions now Ally: how many times have you been skiing? And why do you think you fall over so much?

A serious question from you Tony :shock:

You must be joking :lol:

Ally

Ally, how many times have you been skiing? And why do you think you fall over so much?
)

Pablo,
Not you as well! It's not fair :evil: Sulk, sulk .... Oh ... okay, here are the details of my ski-ing and falling experiences.

1. Learnt to ski on a dry ski slope at Alexandra Palace in London at the age of 8. Had a course of several lessons, learned to do snow-plough turns and stop.
Probably fell over several times, but I can't really remember now, I used to bounce in those days.

2. Went on a ski-ing holiday with my family at the age of 8 to Sauze d'Ouix in Italy. Bunked off lessons because they were boring and too easy and spent my week hurtling down easy slopes (apparently with my ski poles sticking out at very odd angles) and using the lifts - not recommended good practice to bunk off ski lessons.
Can't remember ever falling over - I used to have good balance when I was young (learned to ride a proper bicycle at the age of 3).

3. Went on a school ski-ing holiday to Saalbach in Austria at the age of 11. Went in a beginner's group so I could ski with my friend. Lessons very boring to start with, and then got a bit more interesting.
Quite sure I never fell over, apart from when my friend and I over-balanced on the T-bar and went 'crash'.

4. Thirty years later decided to take my kids on a family ski holiday so went on a dry ski slope for a series of lessons and practise sessions. Remembered how to ski - got back to my original standard, and then fell in a lesson and broke my shoulder (greater tuberosity in my humerus). My stick got stuck in the mat and my ski got jammed in it and I went over crash with my hand still attached to the stick.

5. Spent our family ski holiday in Bulgaria walking behind my younger daughter's beginners ski class with my arm in a sling picking up all the kids when they fell over because the instructor refused to help them. Fell over on an icy pavement carrying my younger daughter's skis and hurt my elbow.

6. Actually skied next year (took 6 months and hours of physiotherapy to get my arm back to normal) in Zell am See in Austria with my kids. Refused lessons because I'd developed lesson phobia after my break and skied with my elder daughter, but was given a free day sk-ing with the Ski Club of Great Britain rep which was great (thanks very much). Improved quite a bit, starting to do parallel turns. Fell over about twice.

7. Skied in Obergurgl, Austria, but again no lessons because I had to look after my elder daughter who by then had developed ME and could ski very little. Did about 1/3 as much ski-ing as I'd normally do.
Fell over first morning on a blue run and hit my nose (nose okay though and very kind gentleman helped me back up).

8. Skied in Val Thorens, France, in lessons morning and afternoon, and got put in Upper Intermediate classes with my younger daughter. Lessons a bit too difficult for me, but managed somehow. Learnt 'mid-position' stance. Fell over several times, once on a black, and learnt how to do parallel turns on reds and do pole planting and skied the whole 3 valleys in one day with instructor and group, but fell over 3 times in about 5 minutes during this day. Also fell over first morning on a green run because one ski went into a pile of fresh snow.

9. Skied in La Rosiere, France, in lessons morning and afternoon. Got chucked out of Upper Intermediate lessons in afternoon, because too slow for everyone else. Learnt how to do jump turns in fresh snow and began off piste and carving lessons. Fell over a couple of times, nothing spectacular.

10. Skied on snow dome at Milton Keynes for a few hours. Good fun. Didn't fall over.

11. Skied in Val Thorens, France, again. Upper Intermediate lessons morning and afternoon. Learnt how to do parallel turns using up and down movements to unweight skis on turn. Better on blacks now, and pretty good on icy reds. Learnt to carve on reds and schuss at speed, and go over all those odd jumps at the side of the piste, round the piste markers etc. and went through a boarder cross park super fast. Got told to move to advanced classes by morning teacher. Fell over a couple of times.

12. Skied at Manchester snow dome for a few hours, just to remember how to ski, as a birthday treat to myself. Didn't fall over.

13. Skied at Tignes, France, on glacier for 3 days. Very icy, and basically only one red and one black open. Got very good at ski-ing on ice. Had one 2 1/2 hour lesson. Got told to lean downhill on steep slopes to stop my downhill ski sliding away from me. Third day, did red once and black 5 times. Getting less scared of blacks now. Fell over twice - once because tired and hungry, second time because of the ice.

If I get to do my slalom lessons in Courchevel will probably fall over lots.

Pablo,
I think I fall over so much because I am always pushing myself to try the next difficult thing.

Happy now :?:

Me ski-ing at Sauze age 8, circa 1969



Ally

Ally, You have done more skiing than I have! You just need a spot of work on your turn technique, you have a good stance and good rhythm.

AllyG wrote:

Pablo,
I think I fall over so much because I am always pushing myself to try the next difficult thing.

Happy now :?:

Ally

Ally, I fall over all the time, well not all the time, but usually one big fall every day or two. Saying that my 4 days in Zermatt in Oct I did not fall once and I was really beefing it around, but when I got on my new set up (board and bindings) at the Tux 2 weeks ago I wore the arse out of my ski pants I was on my backside so much :oops:

My new board is shorter, skinnier and has less of a sidecut. It was also proffesionally tuned prior to shipping and I have never felt an edge so sharp on skis or a board, I swear she was trying to kill me on day one. After we got to know each other a little better she started behaving...cheeky minx.

Anyway I agree, falling is important, need to push the limits :)

Thanks Dave Mac,
I know that somewhere in the back of my mind I am still a little bit afraid of turning, in case I fall and break my shoulder again, especially on black slopes (like in that video).

I am sure that there's still a bit of me thinking of it like reaching and tacking, in a boat (traversing and turning), whereas I know perfectly well that it should be a smooth continous process where you finish a turn only to start the next one (unless you're traversing to the nearest cafe of course!).

It's surprising how early habits stay with one. Even now, years after I gave up sailing, I still feel like I'm coming round to pick up a buoy when I'm parking my car in the supermarket.

And I know you've done masses of ski-ing, and I've done very little, but I have been very busy working on the farm and bringing up 2 children.

Ally