So I took her yesterday and it was great!
We got there at 7:30 so we only got to ski for an hour and a half but I was quite impressed with how much she picked up in that time. I was able to explain to her how to clip in her skis on the mountain, how to walk and side step with skis on and how to reposition her legs after a fall and then take her on the magic carpet and get her turning, all in less then half an hour. We went up on the chair and she was connecting turns down the whole hill on only her second run.
One thing I did notice is that I was drawing a blank a lot of the time when I was trying to find a way to correct some of the issues she was having. For example she often would lose control of the foot she wasn't putting weight on so after she transferred her weight from one ski to another, her skis would sometimes cross. I really had no idea how to fix that. Luckily she seemed to figure it out on her own and I think she wasn't transferring enough of her weight on to the turning edge.
Anyways, she wants to go again this week so I told her she could probably use a lesson from someone who knows how to teach better than me cause I think with proper instruction she could pick it up pretty fast and then it'll just be a matter of practice and getting comfortable. Once she gets to the level where she's confident and not worried about picking up speed, I think teaching her will be a lot easier. It's just hard to explain the basics when they feel so second nature to me.
I'm stoked that she enjoys it and is so motivated to learn!
Good to hear it went well. Sounds like you approached it in the proper way. A good exercise to learn the feeling of loading and unloading a ski is to start in a snow plow with both hands on your right knee. Make a left turn and raise your arms over your head through the turn. Cross the fall line and turn right and you should place both hands on your left knee by and raise back up through the turn.
This all introduces the concepts of body separation keeping your upper body facing the fall line.
Crossing means she hasn't fully committed to her downhill ski. I used to get people to imagine their was a button under each of their big toes. Before turning left, try and lean forward and press that button down in their right boot. If turns are sloppy and skis are crossing it could also be because she is leaning back into her boots, unbuckle them. She'll quickly get the feeling of having to be over her skis real quick. Make sure there's plenty of room with that one though.
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A question about skis and weight. When I bought my skis a few years ago, I was around 185. After some lifestyle changes, I am now at 140. I have noticed that I am really having some trouble controlling the skis. At first I thought it might be the icy snow conditions, but maybe it is this?
A question about skis and weight. When I bought my skis a few years ago, I was around 185. After some lifestyle changes, I am now at 140. I have noticed that I am really having some trouble controlling the skis. At first I thought it might be the icy snow conditions, but maybe it is this?
45lb is going to make a massive difference if you kept the same ski length.
45lb is going to make a massive difference if you kept the same ski length.
They're 162cm. Which seems to be a ballpark for my previous and current weight based on some of the online calculators. Is it something I need to get accustomed to with my current skis, or should I try a shorter length?
Spent the weekend in Revy and made it there for their 25cm dump on Thursday night. The conditions there are just incredible right now and as per usual there were virtually no life lines. Greely bowl was almost waist deep and basically untouched when we got there (and they stopped blasting).
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The hills are getting dumped on pretty nicely so far this past weekend. Hopefully it keeps up all week and I can use a flex day on friday to hit up somewhere nice.
went to sunshine yesterday with my son and a frined and his son. my son loved it, me no so much as i really struggled to deal with the flat light and varying sno conditions.
i had not been to sunshine in about 14 years, and the weather there was the same both times, overcast, windy and sideways snow (but beautiful in the parking lot). i had forgotten how large sunsihe is as a resort, it was mindblowing.
i really enjoyed skiing the sunshine coast off of goats eye; however, the top of goats eye is a congested mess. my inattention on one run got me into a black diamond section, and it did not take long before i was a yard sale with skis and poles strewn about.
i was absolutley bagged after skiing there.......turned out to be a good day to take my son as his lift ticket was free as it was some kind of international ski weekend for kids or something.
all in all it was a better day than any day i will ahve this week, but it really pushed me as a skier. i left panorama after christmas thinking i was an intermidate skier, sunshine told me yesterday i was a begginer + skier as i felt off balance many many times
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If I do not come back avenge my death
Man, I've been living at COP this winter because that's where my kids have been taking lessons. All this talk of the mountains is making me jealous. Only been to the mountains once, but I have a couple Louise trips coming up, which will be nice.
I have become the biggest fan of COP, though. This past weekend lift tickets were only $20 for adults. It gets a little boring, obviously, but there are never line-ups with the high-speed quads and it's good to work on little things like fakie (sp?) and stuff. Plus watching my kids get competent and start enjoying snowboarding has been so awesome.
I tried going at 7 pm with the GF on Thursday and COP was PACKED. I drove around for 10 minutes and couldn't find a parking spot, even on the street, so we just left. Was there something going on that day?
COP is great for teaching as it's in town so you can do it for short bursts. Because I'm not going to lie, paying $100 for a lift ticket and gas and driving all the way out to one of the big resorts and teaching a beginner all day is a bit of a drag... Maybe it's cause I have yet to actually ski for me anywhere with snow this season so I'm getting a bit selfish.
COP is great for teaching as it's in town so you can do it for short bursts. Because I'm not going to lie, paying $100 for a lift ticket and gas and driving all the way out to one of the big resorts and teaching a beginner all day is a bit of a drag... Maybe it's cause I have yet to actually ski for me anywhere with snow this season so I'm getting a bit selfish.
The best thing about learning at COP is once you hit the mountains the sking actually becomes easier.
My daughter learnt last year at Canyon in Dead Rear. When we went to Sunshine she couldn't believe how wide open the runs were, and how good the snow was. Her confidence went through the roof.
I am a believer in learning on hills like COP/Canyon.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
I tried going at 7 pm with the GF on Thursday and COP was PACKED. I drove around for 10 minutes and couldn't find a parking spot, even on the street, so we just left. Was there something going on that day?
COP is great for teaching as it's in town so you can do it for short bursts. Because I'm not going to lie, paying $100 for a lift ticket and gas and driving all the way out to one of the big resorts and teaching a beginner all day is a bit of a drag... Maybe it's cause I have yet to actually ski for me anywhere with snow this season so I'm getting a bit selfish.
Yeah, that parking lot is insane, but it doesn't equate to busy lift lines. There is a lot going on at the facility and the lot is too small. Parking spot turnover in there is pretty fast, but I hear you for sure.
I'm taking the day off tomorrow to go to Sunshine, which seems to be the only place outside of Revelstoke that has decent conditions ATM. Next week is +10 all over Alberta, including +16 in Pincher Creek. Say good bye to what little snow the hills have. I think this will be the last decent weekend on the hills for the next while.
I'm taking the day off tomorrow to go to Sunshine, which seems to be the only place outside of Revelstoke that has decent conditions ATM. Next week is +10 all over Alberta, including +16 in Pincher Creek. Say good bye to what little snow the hills have. I think this will be the last decent weekend on the hills for the next while.
If it is that warm in the valleys, I don't think it will be warm enough at elevation for snow to melt. There is snow at the top of the Elbow Loop bike trail each year, past Canada Day.
I'm taking the day off tomorrow to go to Sunshine, which seems to be the only place outside of Revelstoke that has decent conditions ATM. Next week is +10 all over Alberta, including +16 in Pincher Creek. Say good bye to what little snow the hills have. I think this will be the last decent weekend on the hills for the next while.
Yeah, I live in Pincher Creek and deal with Castle on a weekly basis. It's been so windy down here lately, that Castle has been getting that wind as well. It's blow what little snow they had and majority of it is gone. It's pretty much spring skiing right now. They even closed down the other day due to lack of snow. Everyone is crossing their fingers right now for something, but no one is holding out hope
