Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)

The answer as to why many beginners need to stop on a slope is usually because they need to catch their breath or their legs are flagging.

Experienced skiers tend to forget how much more physically demanding skiing is for beginners. Lack of technique results in far greater physical work. Skiing slowly also takes a lot of energy too.
Simply going faster and not putting on the brakes is something that takes many people a long time - if nothing else to have confidence in the technique they have. Technique requires lessons and practice.

Negotiating a ski school snake is a nightmare for many intermediates - getting past a snake of kids which crosses from one side of the piste to the other is easy if you are comfortable pointing down the fall line at the edge of the piste but not until you reach that point. It always amazes me that ski schools will take the snake across the entire piste when they could as easily snake them down one side or the other.

Agree with above post by Andy. Also, you might need to stop half way down to grab a drink (if your insurance company allow that!). Pavel's posts are nice to learn from about a good approach to aim for, and I really get the advice about not trying slopes which are too difficult. I think sometimes pushing too far outside my comfort zone has held me back.

Still, we will sometimes end up in busy bits of piste, and although I cannot really do a snow plough stop, I would not be comfortable skiing a busy piste without some ability to stop. I have had a child nip down the bank beside a narrow track, and land on his back at my feet. There was no space for me to swerve without heading over the abyss! I did see it coming but still needed to brake sharply. However the snow plough is never really going to replace the hockey stop for emergencies .

I have hip pain and very inflexible hips, I cannot really get the skis far enough apart to do a snow plough stop, which is frustrating because it makes controlling speed on a footpath which is almost narrower than the skis are long very difficult, although such narrow paths are not normally found if you stay on piste

At the end of the day, for the crowded and busy places you absolutely need a hockey stop to be safe in emergencies and until you have it, the answer is to go slow; there are times when a snow plough is pretty much essential too even though rarely right for emergency stops. Just have a little patience, practice a bit but not so much to spoil the fun, and go slow (within your stopping ability), sticking to easy slopes where you can control the speed, and if possible flow all the way down as Pavel teaches. In the meanwhile, if you get into trouble, just thrown yourself to the ground: it is probably technically incorrect as a braking method, but it is even more technically incorrect to run over some small child who lands at your feet!

Thanks for sharing this post. I am an idiot

that looks like a blatant plug for no good reason - ADDERS!!!!!!!!

normahammes wrote:Thanks for sharing this post. I am an idiot .

Fixed that for you - no charge (this time), Adders.

If you want to advertise, then do it honestly and pay for it like everyone else.

Admin wrote:

normahammes wrote:Thanks for sharing this post. I am an idiot .

Fixed that for you - no charge (this time), Adders.

If you want to advertise, then do it honestly and pay for it like everyone else.

He's back and he's bad! 8)

Nice work Adders

andyoneil wrote:

Admin wrote:

normahammes wrote:Thanks for sharing this post. I am an idiot .

Fixed that for you - no charge (this time), Adders.

If you want to advertise, then do it honestly and pay for it like everyone else.

He's back and he's bad! 8)
Don'tcha just love Adders. Not only does he keep them all in line, when you ski with him, he nips in front and steals your line....


Nice work Adders

lessons are a great idea at any skill level. Don't give up!!!