J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Innsbrucker

Ah yes. Aquadome. Expensive though. And (unless my memry fails) extra for towels and bath robes, I must remember to take my own.

Sölden has been discussed here recently on another thread. You could search for Solden / Soelden / Sölden. I stopped there recently on the way back from Obergurgl. A long, narrow town, many bars some with party atmosphere, ski hire and sales shops, one visible 'girlie' bar (not sure if its a brothel, I did not go in), as well as a few normal quiet cafes. The town looks like it lives from tourism and not much else. I have not skied there. You can always take a bus 20 mins up the valley to Hochburgl/Obergurgl (also much discussed on this forum), or I imagine there are buses down the Ötztal (i.e. Ötz / Oetz Valley), a fair way back towards the main road from Innbsbruck, for Hoch Ötz, which I skied only as a complete beginner so I cannot comment on the pistes, but I remember it has a great spa with really warm open air pool, an amazing feeling when the air is freezing, so I was thinking of skiing there Saturday.

There is plenty of chat here about how we've moved on beyond straight skis, which are now laughed at like a bad joke. Well, for me as a beginner, going down from 180cm to 170 cm, and getting skis with more sidecut did make turning easier.

But I have just watched the Garmisch round of the World Cup downhill. And it looks to me from the TV pictures that the skis are very nearly straight. Their sidecut is pretty similar to my ancient first generation carvers, and they are longer.

What is the reason for this? Are the racers required to use rather long, straight skis to make the race more difficult? Or do longish, straightish skis actually work better for good skiers?

300 mile trip! That is dedication.

If you live near a major airport, weekend trips from UK to a ski resort are a feasible alternative. I can reach a B&B at a ski resort via Innsbruck airport within 6 hours of locking my door in London, and it can be done in 5 hours at a push. Probably from Wales it takes a bit longer...

As to Ski-maverick's qustion on skis, I do just fine with a decent pair of 2003 secondhand skis, bought for 25 pounds. My previous skis I have discsussed here were about the same price but were a struggle to learn on. But on budget airlines taking skis is so expensive, I would probably be renting, if I did have a place to store my skis in Austria.

As for cheap skis, I would not know, but I think part of my problem starting out was that my skis were stiff, and desinged for aggressive skiing. Probably when buying skis one should be realistic, and if it says 'intermediate to advanced' I have to keep reminding myself that after only 3 seasons skiing this equipment is not suitable for my needs.

I'm out of my depth. Must go and try it. As far as I can tell more weight stays on the inside ski in a carved turn than in wedeln. And more in powder than on piste.

The whole thing remimds me of the Echt Fett ski teacher video. Maybe I posted it before. Unfortunately it is only in German, but the key advice the teacher gives is 'the weight is always on the mountain ski, the mountain ski is always the right-hand ski.'
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Ski_maverick might have added, Don't drink too much. Don't go too fast, especially in traffic, if (like me) you are a learner driver, not an expert. Think twice about going out in poor visibility (anyway it's not much fun). Especially, don't ski tired (I have never understood how anyone who is not very fit AND very experienced can safely ski all day, five days in a row).

I hear for touring they now sell airbags to avoid being buried, to be activated by the person behind you, in the event of an avalanche.

As for reaction times, I have found that the more skiing becomes second nature (though I am still a relative beginner) the more chance there is of putting concentration on what is going on around, wheras as an absolute beginner most of the attention goes into controlling the skis. Maybe beginners should not go out on the piste alone.

At the low speeds I normally travel at, I doubt whether a parachute would open. If it did, would it really make much difference to the braking distance for a parallel stop? But some skiers, and especially boarders, seem to travel very fast indeed.

Also, if a parachute had strong braking effect, surely you would lose balance and fall, which is sometimes the quickest way to stop, but not where it is steep, and would decrease control. While you are on your feet you have the best chance of steering and braking under control, provided you are skiing within your skill level. Maybe it could also get entangled with someone traversing behind you.

Has anyone actually tried releasing a parachute behind a skier? Seems to make more sense for boarders as they are often travelling straighter.

It would be a pity to discourage this research into safety, but at first sight it seems hard to see how it might work.

Some major accidents, like the German minister who killed a woman last season, involve emerging too fast from a side road on the piste. For slower skiers like me, it is useful to know if someone who is not really in control is trying to overtake me. In this situation someone went into me from behind while I was travelling in a straight line. I try to look round before a turn. If someone is trying to pass who is not under control I keep well out of their way, and often stop to let them pass. If I look round and see a good skier about to pass, I just carry on and let them get on with it. So for me, a way so seeing what is going behind would be a help.

There are times when skis cross, or hit something untoward under the snow, and I fall. There are times this even happens to experts. Maybe in this situation, on a steep slope, a parachute would be a good idea?

As discussion boards go, I find this one pretty friendly snd supportive.