J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ski53

Tell your kids that if they're thirsty, they shouldn't hesitate to tell the instructor. A good kids' instructor will make sure these needs are met. If it's their first time, they'll probably be in a very controlled environment with water readily available. If you're still not sure, I personally always ski with a Camelbak. They're great, but awkward for kids, particularly on the lift as they push your back away from the back of the chair. Hydration, as Trencher said, is extremely important. The ski school should take care of it, but you have to tell your kids how important it is to drink water during lunch break. (And to go to the bathroom before returning to the slopes!!)

Waterproof-ness is important in gloves for kids. They'll be on the ground a lot, picking themselves back up from their falls, which will probably be frequent. Wet hands are no fun. Liners are less important than getting waterproof gloves.

Do not neglect sun protection. The atmosphere is thinner at altitude so UV rays are blocked less, and the snow reflects rays back up at you. Goggles, or good sunglasses if it's warm, are very important.

Lastly, get good socks! This will pay huge dividends. Cotton is a killer; avoid it!! When it gets even a little bit wet, it loses its insulation. One pair of socks will suffice, but they have to be designed for skiing. If you must wear two, wear socks plus liners. But I can't tell you how many times boot problems and cold feet were solved by the simple removal of an extra pair of socks.

Another thing to note is that a Pure carved turn can not be any shorter than the turn radius designed into the ski. A pure carve is achieved when the ski is set on its edge, and pressure at the center of the ski causes it to decamber,or bend such that the tip and tail of the ski are "higher" than the middle. This creates a track in the snow that the ski will follow, and very little snow will spray. Racers do this all the time; you can tell when they're losing speed because more snow flies around as the ski skids sideways. You will note that a modern slalom ski has a radically short turn radius, and a correspondingly high sidecut. Fat powder skis have much less sidecut, as the narrow waist would sink, and the much wider tips would dive into the soft snow. Really fun powder skis have reverse sidecut and reverse camber, but that's another topic entirely!

Thus, I would have to beg to differ slightly with pavelski. It is not possible to "carve" 98mm waist fat skis in a slalom turn the same way as if one were using slalom skis. I would not want to try to carve a turn through some trees! Skidding, in a controlled manner, is a very important skill. You have to be able to steer the ski, while it's edged. But, in so doing, you are losing the "pure carve".

Last, carving is a form of parallel skiing. Parallel simply means both skis are pointed the same direction. That old hokey knees-together crap that we did up to the mid 80s ... is also parallel. It's just not appropriate to today's equipment, and physically impossible with some of today's skis.

Another good idea is to do a drill called garlands. You need a fairly wide, uncrowded slope. What you do here is start a left turn, until you're in the fall line (skis pointed directly down the hill), and then turn right. Repeat until you're at the side of the hill, and then go back the other way. This way, you can keep practicing turn initiation on your weak side while finishing on your strong side. And vice versa.

Over the course of my ski instructor years, this was one of the most common "errors" that we dealt with. All of the above suggestions are great, but what if you don't want to carve? I frequently avoid carving; it's a pain in the butt to try to carve fat skis through the bumps or trees, for example. That, and carving is FAST. Unless you have a seriously sidecut ski (such as a modern slalom race ski) you need a decent amount of real estate to do it, and it can be intimidating - and dangerous, if you're on a busy slope. I think that more likely the SHAPE of your turn is why you spray snow at the end.

Most skiers on groomed runs do not make round "S" shaped turns. Rather, they kind of traverse a bit, find a happy place to change directions, THROW the skis across the fall line, and SLAM on the edges. This results in "Check" or "Z" shaped turns, with a lot of snow spray, and tired legs (because these skiers are also in the back seat, and their quads get exhausted holding them up).

First of all, I suggest a lesson. American "Level 5" or "Level 6" should be good. During the week, even at busy places like Breckenridge, where I used to work, you can usually get pretty good teacher - student ratios in group lessons.

If you want some food for thought, however, here goes. You need to have patience through the initiation of the turn, and allow the skis to seek the fall line. Start by finishing your turn and standing up a bit (cross-over). This leg extension movement should carry your center of mass over your skis. At this point, flatten both skis, and allow them to start going downhill. Then, tip them onto their edges gradually. Concentrate on NOT rushing through the fall line. Steer your skis with your legs, and round your turns out, creating pressure more evenly throughout the turn. If pressure builds up, allow your legs to flex slightly to absorb it. If I'm doing short turns, I often think of getting my skis on a very early edge, and spraying snow UP the hill. Last but not least, once you finish one turn, start the next! Don't get caught in a traverse! If you find this makes you accelerate down the hill, finish your turn more - steer your skis across the hill before starting the next turn.

Let me know if this helps at all. Happy skiing!