advice please on falling safely esp. on steep runs?

Brucie wrote:This might sound controversial, but is there not enough to think about without adding falling to the already overloaded thought processes. And as for teaching how to fall, well I am a qualified instructor and I've never been on THAT course!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Well we shall have to agree to disagree, as I've only spent 9 weeks on snow in total, and learning how to turn my skis downhill to stop myself when sliding/falling was actually very useful. Something I didn't have a clue about before - I just used to hope I came to a natural stop!!

If you practice something, it doesn't have to be a though process - it will come naturally eventually.

ir12daveor, your piste looks steep!

Your point about being a mind game resonates with me. The reason I fell on the shorter but similarly steep diamond run on the same day was I lost my nerve. GF told me to ski it, I said 'no way,' tried regardless of anticipating failure, and immediately fell. But after that I did get down it without another spill, because I had to. Actually it made the black piste right beside it look easy, which (along with a large beer) led to the opposite problem, overconfidence, and the fall which I started the thread with.

None of Seegrube / Nordkette gets pisted, and snow cannons are banned to protect the water purity. It is generally avoided by tourists for various reasons, so it does not need to have good snow consistently. On a good day, especially with a bit of fresh powder (which Sunday was on the top half, until 3pm) it is fantastic skiing, I dare say second to none, and fantastic scenery. Very popular with boarders and freeriders, as there is a special park for that. But no decent blue run.

gadgetgirl, I am not sure I get the point about turning the skis downhill. When sliding, I imagine you mean sliding sideways on ice? No one ever told me about turning skis downhill. But normally that has not caused me to fall. What has is crossing skis, catching the tail of the uphill ski in snow (especially where it is soft or bumpy), and losing balance owing to leaning back.

gadgetgirl79 wrote: Well we shall have to agree to disagree, as I've only spent 9 weeks on snow in total, and learning how to turn my skis downhill to stop myself when sliding/falling was actually very useful. Something I didn't have a clue about before - I just used to hope I came to a natural stop!!

If you practice something, it doesn't have to be a though process - it will come naturally eventually.

I assume you mean turning your body around so your skis are below you rather than "turning" your skis downhill - otherwise you will never stop!!

I'm afraid I'm with Brucie on this one and I'm not sure I would recommend practising falling as you are just looking to injure yourself. Just know what to do in order to stop yourself safely if you do fall and start sliding.

To me falling always means I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone so its all good..... apart from earlier this year when I was trying to master 360 spins on a green slope and repeatedly fell at 135degrees and landed on my right thigh :oops:

By the end of the day however I was happily spinning around but the thigh was another story 8)

Yes, I meant turning your skis round so they're beneath you, then digging an edge in to stop the fall/slide.

I had many a fall when I was younger going head first down steep slopes, and didn't have a clue how to swing my skis round! I'm a skinny thing, and it's hard work, so practicing actually helps.

Brimster wrote:

To me falling always means I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone so its all good..... apart from earlier this year when I was trying to master 360 spins on a green slope and repeatedly fell at 135degrees and landed on my right thigh :oops:

By the end of the day however I was happily spinning around but the thigh was another story 8)

After a few falls were you able orient yourself, to where you could roll across your back with the skis above you, and come back up (skis across the slope) without pausing ? This works well, unless it's quite steep, in which case you can end going over again. The roll breaks the fall, so reduces the impact a bit.

Often, when I actually end up sliding after a fall, it's toward the edge of the run (fence, or trees, or a lift tower). In that case, I start digging in whatever is available (skis, board, elbows, boots), no matter which way I am on the snow :shock:

Trencher

I can orient myself most of the time. I started this thread because it is steep slopes, black and above (which are new to me this year), where it all falls apart, I need to learn new tricks for this situation. But it does mean progress is being made :D

I like your spirit Innsbrucker! However I am envious that you have a GF that can ski as well or better than you. Lucky man!

I try to expand my abilities by pushing a little past my comfort zone. I understand at some point I will have to begin to tone it down when my body no longer does what my mind tells it to do. My Dad says it will happen sooner or later, usually sooner.

I look at a fall when skiing as a learning experience. What did I do to cause that? and what will I do next time to avoid that? Having said that, during a fall/slide, my main two concerns are: 1) Keep my skis (toes, feet, knees, however you want to think about it) together and pointed in the same direction and 2) I dont want to be sliding head first! I would much rather go into any object leading with my ski boots than with my head, helmet or not.

Both your picture and Trencher's got me itchin to hit the slopes again :thumbup:

badlandskid wrote:I like your spirit Innsbrucker! However I am envious that you have a GF that can ski as well or better than you. Lucky man!

I try to expand my abilities by pushing a little past my comfort zone. I understand at some point I will have to begin to tone it down when my body no longer does what my mind tells it to do. My Dad says it will happen sooner or later, usually sooner.

I look at a fall when skiing as a learning experience. What did I do to cause that? and what will I do next time to avoid that? Having said that, during a fall/slide, my main two concerns are: 1) Keep my skis (toes, feet, knees, however you want to think about it) together and pointed in the same direction and 2) I dont want to be sliding head first! I would much rather go into any object leading with my ski boots than with my head, helmet or not.

Both your picture and Trencher's got me itchin to hit the slopes again :thumbup:

Badland, are you suffering the same heatwave as the rest of the upper midwest ? I got a great boiler plate day in at Welch today (just south of the Twin Cities), my first day out for a week. I'm heading up to Spirit mtn tomorrow for the finale. Lutsen may last another two weeks, but it'll be really sloppy. I'm loosing at least 20 days skiing this year due to the warm up. Anyway it'll be Jackolope hunting season soon :wink:

I was trying to figure out if you might be another expat Brit, but then I read "I don't want to be sliding head first". Unless you got your self Americanized :lol:

Trencher