J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ranchero_1979

Great review. Not my sort of place but sounds like you had a lot fun as a family and extended group.

Where are you flying, Canada?

It did go awfully mild again. Great for base building above 2000m, am not sure how good it is for resorts with most of the skiing below this level. Probably not a great week to be in the Alps :-(.

Have to agree with Dave, if you look at the standard of average person on slope now has actually decreased. This at a time when equipment is exponentially better and easier to ski on than even 10yrs ago.

Your skis are shaped to turn so doing something like a parallel turn is easy. Problem is because people don't have the basics correct steeper slope, moguls, slush, powder etc. and they can't ski the slope. Hence you are forever stuck as an low intermediate. Only way to avoid this is lessons.

Every year I still have a few mornings and at end of them am a far stronger skier. Non of these focus on anything very fancy is always re-visiting the basics. Quite often it feels like we are being a little nit picky when discussing runs or reviewing video. But when angle increases or speed comes on then is all about strong positions.

Good idea getting lessons and I would encourage you to book again on your holiday, very minimum mornings. Your mates probably think this is unnecessary but they are frankly delusional.
1) You will learn much faster and become much stronger skier in future
2) Is not that much fun being slowest in a group trying to ski runs that are beyond your technique.
3) You will meet some new people

Q1) See above and am sure poles will be introduced over your next few lessons

Q2) I would not be in a rush to do or think slalom. Skiing is really about a few building blocks, so take your lessons getting each one correct before worrying about speed.

Personally I would disagree with emphasis of above answer. Skiing is not really an active up and down sport. It is about keeping your skis in contact with snow which can manifest as an extension of your legs once angulated and then bringing them back under your body as you change turns (this you are not going to have to worry about for a while).

If you do want to accelerate learning then there are many good ski instruction series on youtube now. For me this works well and I can translate things to snow relatively easy so worth a try.

Am also a big believer that you can work on muscle memory at home to try and get your foundations correct. Particularly think about basic traverse position as in many ways high level skiing is not really and more and this and a simple pivot. Later rolling of the ankles as you commit to next turn.

Stand in front of table, hands loosely clenched in fist as if holding poles and resting on table. Slowly rotate from hips until feet are I guess 60-70 deg away from straight ahead (upper body and arms still facing forward). At this point you will be pretty close to perfect traverse position.
On snow you will eventually be able to link this position into turns by simply finding the centre of your ski and pivoting.

Get this right on flat slopes and only angulation to add as you progress. Skip this step and you will never be a good skier. Basically don't be in a rush to start doing strange things especially at advice of friends. You only have 3 basic things to learn and likely will take a lifetime. Welcome to skiing.

You wonder where they find enough volunteers for these things. Just seems a completely bizarre way to spend your evening. Anyway each to their own I guess.

Major storm day in Cham, so as per Old Andy's suggestion did some lift skiing. Not bad considering people believe place has limited options in those conditions:

Firstly it was deep, really deep!


And light


Really quite fun this lift skiing

Delete