Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)
Started by Edgeoftheworld in Beginning Skiing 11-Feb-2013 - 31 Replies
Andymol2
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Jan-2014
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.
Innsbrucker
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Jan-2014
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!
Edited 8 times. Last update at 08-Jan-2014
Normahammes
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
Edited 1 time. Last update at 14-Oct-2014
Andyoneil
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
Admin
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
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.
Andyoneil
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
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
Dave Mac
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
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
SkiPatrollerDave
reply to 'Learning to stop (and then forgetting how to stop!)' posted Oct-2014
Topic last updated on 21-October-2014 at 18:36