How do you handle skiing on ICE?
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What Andy means by balanced (I assume), is not that you will be upright, but that if you hit ice mid turn, you very soon know what is wrong with your skiing. If you are in the back seat, the tails will slid out. If you are too forward (unlikely), the tips will slid out. If you are banking, and leaning too far into the turn, the skis will slid out from under you. If you are perfectly balanced over your ski, even at high angles, the skis may slid out a little, but you can just ride them until they grip again.
Thank you Pavel I listened carefully to your advice and have been using it today and agree with your suggestions and it works for me!!
I found even weight on both skis and standing tall and letting things happen without panic and planning my line (looking a long way ahead) has helped ..if you hit ice then do not try and edge it but go over and retry again
thanks for your expert advice
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Started by Ackeiyword in Ski Technique 22-Jan-2011 - 80 Replies
OldAndy
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Jan-2011
:thumbup:
Pavelski
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Jan-2011
Ice,,,,that word brings "shivers" to some skier yet it is easier to ski on this type of condition that snow! Really!
Here are some hints!
1. First make sure your skis are well tuned. If possible by hand! Best is 3 degrees vertical and .5 base!
2. Your mental state is vital when skiing ICE! There are two types of contexts. The hidden patch of ICE among snow slopes! That is called the MINE ICE ! ready to catch you as you set an edge.
You must at all times set a soft edge and be ready to transfer your weigh to other ski if you hit such a patch! DO NOT dig in or set your edges harder on ice! In fact on patch of ice it is best to let edges go,,,pass ice patch,,then set edges again on soft snow!
Of course if you do body rotation turns on ice you will wipe out, so another reason why not to do body rotation turns ( ski turns are done with knees,,,,not body)!
3. The easiest skiing is when slope is all ice! Really! Ice is more consistent than snow, is faster and is so much more "exciting" ! The key is to pretend you are skiing on eggs! Soft edges! The secret is the line you take! Too much rotation,,,,you will spin too much! You must have confidence in your technique and never but never turn too much too fast!
4. Of course never ,,,but never sit back on ice!
Hope this helps you!
Respectfully,
Pavel
Here are some hints!
1. First make sure your skis are well tuned. If possible by hand! Best is 3 degrees vertical and .5 base!
2. Your mental state is vital when skiing ICE! There are two types of contexts. The hidden patch of ICE among snow slopes! That is called the MINE ICE ! ready to catch you as you set an edge.
You must at all times set a soft edge and be ready to transfer your weigh to other ski if you hit such a patch! DO NOT dig in or set your edges harder on ice! In fact on patch of ice it is best to let edges go,,,pass ice patch,,then set edges again on soft snow!
Of course if you do body rotation turns on ice you will wipe out, so another reason why not to do body rotation turns ( ski turns are done with knees,,,,not body)!
3. The easiest skiing is when slope is all ice! Really! Ice is more consistent than snow, is faster and is so much more "exciting" ! The key is to pretend you are skiing on eggs! Soft edges! The secret is the line you take! Too much rotation,,,,you will spin too much! You must have confidence in your technique and never but never turn too much too fast!
4. Of course never ,,,but never sit back on ice!
Hope this helps you!
Respectfully,
Pavel
Tony_H
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Jan-2011
Good advice as ever, Pav
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New and improved me
Andyhull
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Jan-2011
The problem most people have with ice is, quite naturally, they tense up. As Pavel says soft edges are essential, tensing up has the opposite effect.
You need to learn to be balanced over your skis and stay relaxed. Easier said than done but if you don't let ice freak you out you're halfway there.
You need to learn to be balanced over your skis and stay relaxed. Easier said than done but if you don't let ice freak you out you're halfway there.
Trencher
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Jan-2011
andyhull wrote:
You need to learn to be balanced over your skis
What Andy means by balanced (I assume), is not that you will be upright, but that if you hit ice mid turn, you very soon know what is wrong with your skiing. If you are in the back seat, the tails will slid out. If you are too forward (unlikely), the tips will slid out. If you are banking, and leaning too far into the turn, the skis will slid out from under you. If you are perfectly balanced over your ski, even at high angles, the skis may slid out a little, but you can just ride them until they grip again.
because I'm so inclined .....
Scapula
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Feb-2011
pavelski wrote:Ice,,,,that word brings "shivers" to some skier yet it is easier to ski on this type of condition that snow! Really!
Here are some hints!
1. First make sure your skis are well tuned. If possible by hand! Best is 3 degrees vertical and .5 base!
2. Your mental state is vital when skiing ICE! There are two types of contexts. The hidden patch of ICE among snow slopes! That is called the MINE ICE ! ready to catch you as you set an edge.
You must at all times set a soft edge and be ready to transfer your weigh to other ski if you hit such a patch! DO NOT dig in or set your edges harder on ice! In fact on patch of ice it is best to let edges go,,,pass ice patch,,then set edges again on soft snow!
Of course if you do body rotation turns on ice you will wipe out, so another reason why not to do body rotation turns ( ski turns are done with knees,,,,not body)!
3. The easiest skiing is when slope is all ice! Really! Ice is more consistent than snow, is faster and is so much more "exciting" ! The key is to pretend you are skiing on eggs! Soft edges! The secret is the line you take! Too much rotation,,,,you will spin too much! You must have confidence in your technique and never but never turn too much too fast!
4. Of course never ,,,but never sit back on ice!
Hope this helps you!
Respectfully,
Pavel
Thank you Pavel I listened carefully to your advice and have been using it today and agree with your suggestions and it works for me!!
I found even weight on both skis and standing tall and letting things happen without panic and planning my line (looking a long way ahead) has helped ..if you hit ice then do not try and edge it but go over and retry again
thanks for your expert advice
its all going rapidly downhill!
Edited 1 time. Last update at 03-Feb-2011
Slider345
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Feb-2011
Hi Everyone,
My first post, but as an ESF qualified instructor and BASI top level instructor, I felt it important to post on this one.
I'm not in total agreement with some of the comment here.
Firstly, If you are anything from beginner to intermediate then no comment on here will help, you need to see a professional and giving advise on skiing on eggshells is, to be honest, ridiculous. Sorry, that's just the way I feel on that one.
For the more advance skier, it's just a method. Think about a rally car turning on a corner. They turn one way, then the other to keep the car on the slide, but with control.
Skiing on ice is quite similar.
The only difference is that with skiing you have several pivot points. Pivot one, ski direction, Pivot 2, knees, pivot 3, hips.
So lets look at pivot 1 - The skis will be in the direction of the turn....simple
Pivot 2 - Knees - They don't pivot as the can't. They are included as you will feel pressure on the knees due to the opposite directional pivot of the hips.
Pivot 3 - Hips - They will turn the opposite direction of the skis. This will put the edge into the ICE as 37% more effectiveness than not pivoting the hips in the opposite direction.
Now....stand up. Stand as if you are skiing. Pretend you are skiing down the slope turning to the left.
You must use your edges of course, that goes without saying, so you should feel your left side of each foot leaning towards the snow, and the right side up off the snow slightly.
Now with you top part of the body pointing directly down the slope, turn your hips in the opposite direction to your skis (to the right)....
It feels a bit weird at first, but for the more advanced skier, this will give you all the grip you need on the ICE.
You can still fall, skid etc, but it works and is the way professional skiers ski on downhill comp slopes, so a bit of speed helps.
In reality, it's hard, but it's doable. See a ski instructor in resort to help. If you need a recommendation in French Resorts for the right school, PM me.
Sorry to others. I am not being rude about your comments, It's just a very precise technique.
Frank
My first post, but as an ESF qualified instructor and BASI top level instructor, I felt it important to post on this one.
I'm not in total agreement with some of the comment here.
Firstly, If you are anything from beginner to intermediate then no comment on here will help, you need to see a professional and giving advise on skiing on eggshells is, to be honest, ridiculous. Sorry, that's just the way I feel on that one.
For the more advance skier, it's just a method. Think about a rally car turning on a corner. They turn one way, then the other to keep the car on the slide, but with control.
Skiing on ice is quite similar.
The only difference is that with skiing you have several pivot points. Pivot one, ski direction, Pivot 2, knees, pivot 3, hips.
So lets look at pivot 1 - The skis will be in the direction of the turn....simple
Pivot 2 - Knees - They don't pivot as the can't. They are included as you will feel pressure on the knees due to the opposite directional pivot of the hips.
Pivot 3 - Hips - They will turn the opposite direction of the skis. This will put the edge into the ICE as 37% more effectiveness than not pivoting the hips in the opposite direction.
Now....stand up. Stand as if you are skiing. Pretend you are skiing down the slope turning to the left.
You must use your edges of course, that goes without saying, so you should feel your left side of each foot leaning towards the snow, and the right side up off the snow slightly.
Now with you top part of the body pointing directly down the slope, turn your hips in the opposite direction to your skis (to the right)....
It feels a bit weird at first, but for the more advanced skier, this will give you all the grip you need on the ICE.
You can still fall, skid etc, but it works and is the way professional skiers ski on downhill comp slopes, so a bit of speed helps.
In reality, it's hard, but it's doable. See a ski instructor in resort to help. If you need a recommendation in French Resorts for the right school, PM me.
Sorry to others. I am not being rude about your comments, It's just a very precise technique.
Frank
Volf
reply to 'How do you handle skiing on ICE?' posted Feb-2011
On hard packed snow I recommend a long slide turn. Don't try and edge as most skis won't do it. Turn and let you skis slide sideways down the hill, and repeat. It's much more relaxing than trying to do the impossible.
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Ski Montgenevre with Ski Etoile - no queues, snow sure
Topic last updated on 03-October-2011 at 22:05