Latest posts for the topic "Push yourself or be comfortable?"

Push yourself or be comfortable?

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 20:07:10 GMT

This year is going to be my second year skiing after last trip's great success at getting me addicted. I really enjoyed it last time and am very excited about going again!

I was thinking though, last year I picked it up pretty quickly and after my 2nd day I was moved up into the advance group as I was progressing very quickly. I found the first day in it pretty challenging and after the third day I was feeling pretty comfortable on reds and some black sections. The group however was quite mixed ability so I wouldn't actually call it a true advanced group, more of an intermediate to advanced.

This year though the advanced group will be a proper advanced group but I'm not sure whether to put myself down for the advanced or intermediate group. I think I'd find the advanced group quite challenging as they'll be tackling blacks from day one. In the intermediate group I don't think I'd be challenged too much but I'd be able to ski comfortably and learn at a comfortable pace.

I was just wandering what you guys would reccomend?

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 20:21:59 GMT

If you start in the Intermediate Group, then if you are too good, your teacher will move you. If you start in the Advanced Group, you will risk struggling to keep up, and may not be able to learn properly. Your teacher may move you down.

Only you can decide how you will feel about that )

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 21:13:10 GMT

:D i agree start in the intermidate group i would be suprised if you were at a proper advanced level after only i week lessons

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 11:39:24 GMT

Go into the advanced group for me and you can always drop down if need be, it will not take you long to realise your struggling. I did this and i raised my game and realised that at some things i was awful but other things slightly better than some people in the group.

Depends what type of person you are as well. I love a challange and hate giving up and love to struggle so i have to work hard. :mrgreen:

As a matter of fact i got Quincy whilst skiing (not the American Dr programme)and i was in the advanced group. I couldnt eat but could drink water and soup but even that hurt. I lost 1.5 stone and when i got home I was admitted to Hospital for 5 days on a drip and they popped the lump on my throat. I really struggled in that group but kept up.

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:05:43 GMT

Going outside your comfort zone is the only way you will improve.
This could simply be going faster on flat runs for 1/2 a day or going slow on steep runs etc. At least once or twice a day you need to be somewhat out of your comfort zone if you want to improve.

Have fun.

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:37:17 GMT

CleanCarve wrote:Going outside your comfort zone is the only way you will improve.
Have fun.

Without learning and practising the skills to use at the higher level, the time spent will simply be about survival.

"I did a black run, so that means I'm now an advanced skier"

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:53:27 GMT

bandit wrote:

CleanCarve wrote:Going outside your comfort zone is the only way you will improve.
Have fun.

Without learning and practising the skills to use at the higher level, the time spent will simply be about survival.

"I did a black run, so that means I'm now an advanced skier"

That wasnt you in Bulgaria doing the snowplough and crying down that black, was it?

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:01:32 GMT

I would agree that you should start in the intermediate class. As Bandit said if you are spending most of the time just 'surviving' then you wont learn a whole lot.
Your ski ability, anyones ski ability is not about what you do its about how you do it. If the basics are not right then there is nothing to build on. It's possible to get to a level where you can feel comfortable about skiing pretty much anything on the mountain but if you have got there without having the basic skills right then you will reach a plateau which is very dificult to move on from.
Move outside your comfort zone from time to time if that feels good but work at getting the basics right too, in the long run you will improve faster and be a much better skier and have more fun. :D

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:38:20 GMT

Start in the intermediate class. For one thing, it is not wise to assume that you will start off at the same skill levels as your last day of last season. You may need a day to get back to that level.

Then, skiing learning is a progression. Following this progression, and learning the basics well, will advance you more quickly. If you do make rapid progress, and that does happen, any decent ski school will move you up a level.

It is great that are keen to progress, but it may be better to think of your first three years or so as an investment.

Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:59:48 GMT

_Tom_ wrote:This year is going to be my second year skiing after last trip's great success at getting me addicted. I really enjoyed it last time and am very excited about going again!

I was thinking though, last year I picked it up pretty quickly and after my 2nd day I was moved up into the advance group as I was progressing very quickly. I found the first day in it pretty challenging and after the third day I was feeling pretty comfortable on reds and some black sections. The group however was quite mixed ability so I wouldn't actually call it a true advanced group, more of an intermediate to advanced.

This year though the advanced group will be a proper advanced group but I'm not sure whether to put myself down for the advanced or intermediate group. I think I'd find the advanced group quite challenging as they'll be tackling blacks from day one. In the intermediate group I don't think I'd be challenged too much but I'd be able to ski comfortably and learn at a comfortable pace.

I was just wandering what you guys would reccomend?

Intermediate for you my friend ....... you do not have to rush you're learning, you made the point of being comfortable stick with that and build your confidence and skill. 8)

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:00:57 GMT

Hi,

I agree with all of the above, and as wickers says stay with what you are comfortable with and take it at your own pace, you have years to get better.....even though I have some 18years under my belt there are always new things to learn that help with stance, technique etc.

And just having an afternoon to yourself just to pootle around at your own speed without trying to keep up with anyone, so you can practice what you have learnt in the lesson previously can help no end.

.......mind you someone said when I was new to the game was "if you don't fall over....your not trying enough" :D....and to some degree they were right, take evrything at a comfortable pace but push yourself on a little each time

But the most important thing is always to have fun and enjoy yourself and the wonderfull surroundings :D :D

Jon.

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:04:30 GMT

For me "awareness precedes meaningful choice"! I had a lot of success by approaching skiing like college. Do a lot of homework and your test will be easier. To that end, I would suggest you read, view, and practice with a variety of tools such as: Self-Instructional Books, DVDs, and a lot of dry-land exercise. This "homework approach" really ups the value of on-snow ski lessons.

It has already been said in this thread (and they are completely correct) you must learn the fundamentals before you can be a competent all-mountain skier. That means A LOT OF PRACTICE ON EASY GROOMED RUNS. To create an awareness you need to have some tools to use. I have an affliation with a "learn-to-ski" website that advertises right here on J2Ski, and it has a lot of free ski tips, free ski lessons, and free ski videos that can help you create awareness. The approach is a bit different and therefore refreshing in my opinion, and for the most part it is simple stuff you can easily apply. I suggest you go to the following URL and click on the Site Map. It is an easy way to find the good stuff.

http://www.weekendwarriorsguide.com/

Others I like are:
Harold Harb - http://www.harbskisystems.com/
Warren Smith - http://www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com/

By using these three ski sites (and J2SKI of course) you can discover a lot of different tools to help build your skill level. I strongly suggest you spend a lot of time on these sites, as each presents the basic concepts in a different way and one of these may be more understandable to you than another. I am a firm believer that you need a combination of the written word, videos, illustrations, dry-land drills, and a lot of time practicing the fundamentals on groomed runs, to become an expert skier. I also believe this process of learning never stops no matter what level of expertise you achieve in skiing. To me this approach to learning is a hoot, a blast, too much fun, and so on.

Tom, because you are new to skiing, now is the time to get it right. I urge you to develop a true understanding of ski technique right now to ensure you do not develop bad habits that will haunt you for the rest of your skiing days. This, or course, is much easier said than done. I guess the old saying applies here; you get out what you put in. It's a fact that most skiers do develop bad habits and they do carry them for life.

Hope I am not coming across as a bit too passionate about my ski opinions here in my first post. I do get excited for the love of skiing.

Best of luck, Tom!

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:06:05 GMT

Cheers for the replys guys. I went with the majority advice and put myself down as intermediate. I'm sure if it really is too slow they can move me up but like Bandit said, I might just be "surviving" in the advanced group which wouldn't be fun really and the other guys might get annoyed if I slow them down.

So excited but it's not until Febuary!

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:10:05 GMT

No you talk a tad of sense in my early years I used to watch an old channel 4 video, and what that allowed me to do was reassess and refresh my memory what I had learned over the previous couple of years ...... it worked very well for me, so good advice 8)

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:23:34 GMT

Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm, very early eighties but after watching these video's a few times it was supprising how much information actually sank in, and once in the mountains became usefull.

It's certainly a good way to keep the brain in ski mode while waiting to get out to the slopes.

jon :D

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:27:13 GMT

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm, very early eighties but after watching these video's a few times it was supprising how much information actually sank in, and once in the mountains became usefull.

It's certainly a good way to keep the brain in ski mode while waiting to get out to the slopes.

jon :D

I like to have a look at the Sharon Davies Video :wink:

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:26:18 GMT

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

Just to clarify, when talking about skiers that are still on a steep learning curve, I really meant current DVDs or internet-based video excerpts taken from newer DVDs as an answer to Tom's question. Sorry about creating confusion.

My concern with watching older videos is that you may only benefit if you already have a keen understanding of skiing technique since the equipment has changed so much and technique has evolved to match the new equipment. Still, do not want to discourage watching older videos, as there are valuable ones out there.

Will leave it to others here to suggest old videos and give guidance on watching them. What is old? Tough question, although I am guessing anything pre-1996 is not filmed on "Shape" skis, which I believe were originally defined by a difference of 31mm or more when comparing the waist measurement to the tip width. Also I think the technique for skiing on the new gear really only started to gel as late as 2006, because the new ski and boot design was still rapidly evolving until then.

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:49:06 GMT

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm,

jon :D

Hugh Monney is still in the snowsports industry and is a Director of BASS

http://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmonney

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:06:39 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm, very early eighties but after watching these video's a few times it was supprising how much information actually sank in, and once in the mountains became usefull.

It's certainly a good way to keep the brain in ski mode while waiting to get out to the slopes.

jon :D

I like to have a look at the Sharon Davies Video :wink:

Unfortunately I sent the video's to someone a while back who was interested in getting into skiing for the first time, but the name of the video was "Ski With Klammer" from what I remember.Even though all the video's are a good twenty years old the informtion you could pick up from them is as relevent today as it was back then......we just use shorter ski's to some extent today.

jon.

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:13:59 GMT

jonG wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm, very early eighties but after watching these video's a few times it was supprising how much information actually sank in, and once in the mountains became usefull.

It's certainly a good way to keep the brain in ski mode while waiting to get out to the slopes.

jon :D

I like to have a look at the Sharon Davies Video :wink:

Unfortunately I sent the video's to someone a while back who was interested in getting into skiing for the first time, but the name of the video was "Ski With Klammer" from what I remember.Even though all the video's are a good twenty years old the informtion you could pick up from them is as relevent today as it was back then......we just use shorter ski's to some extent today.

jon.

Your bang on Jon ..... I'll try and source that Vid for a bit of fun as it was Klammer in the 1976 Olympics that got me into skiing ,,,,,,,,, Hanging behind me as I type is one of the great mans T shirts signed of course, excuse while I touch a gods shirt, well I would prefer to touch Sharon Davies's T shirt but you can't have everything .... can you ???

Re:Push yourself or be comfortable?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:28:07 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

jonG wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

jonG wrote:Hi,

SkiRite & Ian have hit on a great tip with regards to watching old skiing video's and dvd's, if you hunt round at car boots sales etc you may be able to lay your hands on some.

I remember watching a few years back by Hugh Monney (think the surname is correct), Martin Heckleman and my favourite was a video where Franz Klammer was teaching Duncan Goodhew and Sharon Davies....MMMMmmmmm, very early eighties but after watching these video's a few times it was supprising how much information actually sank in, and once in the mountains became usefull.

It's certainly a good way to keep the brain in ski mode while waiting to get out to the slopes.

jon :D

I like to have a look at the Sharon Davies Video :wink: [/quo

Unfortunately I sent the video's to someone a while back who was interested in getting into skiing for the first time, but the name of the video was "Ski With Klammer" from what I remember.Even though all the video's are a good twenty years old the informtion you could pick up from them is as relevent today as it was back then......we just use shorter ski's to some extent today.

jon.

Your bang on Jon ..... I'll try and source that Vid for a bit of fun as it was Klammer in the 1976 Olympics that got me into skiing ,,,,,,,,, Hanging behind me as I type is one of the great mans T shirts signed of course, excuse while I touch a gods shirt, well I would prefer to touch Sharon Davies's T shirt but you can't have everything .... can you ???

Lol :D :D :D

From memory Klammer's time was 2m:02.82seconds a blinding run.....real on the edge skiing, one person who the often used word "Legend" actually applies.......unfortunately cannot help with the Sharon Davies T-Shirt dilema :(

jon