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Just starting to do park

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guygabay
Posts: 37 - Karma: 10
I just recently started doing stuff in the park but not much. All I really do though is jumps (any size really, but just a basic jump... clear the gap, land normally) because I'm not really sure about how to go about learning new things... in my opinion because I don't really know how to ski backwards, which is my main concern...

What's a good way to go about learning to ski backwards? You guys have any basic tips/tricks? Anything at all... I really wanna get this done and feel comfortable skiing backwards.

Thanks!

Mar 2 2006 4:10AM
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redpointist
Posts: 982 - Karma: 11
Dude dont worry about going into the park until you get skiing switch down. Do you ski on twintips? They help ALOT. To get comforable going switch, after you go down a run and get into some flats, turn your skis 90 degrees and dig your edgess in just like you're stopping, but before you stop comepletelt, take the pressure off your edges and look uphill. Your skis should wash out and youll be going backwards slowly. Youll get a feel for it, just go try it.
Mar 2 2006 4:15AM
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redpointist
Posts: 982 - Karma: 11
Or just stop on a really mellow slope start going backwards, its easy, just look over your shoulders.
Mar 2 2006 4:16AM
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guygabay
Posts: 37 - Karma: 10
Ah... you make it sound easy ... lol, but it's not all that easy. I mean I've tried it plenty of times but I don't really go downwards straight... I go down diagonally and then sorta just automatically turn back around to a normal position. The reason I think I go diagonally across the trail is because when I look over my shoulder it kinda throws me off... because I slightly turn my body with my kneck... which keeps me from going STRAIGHT down... =/

As for twin tips... I demoed a pair for the first time this past weekend and am now planning on buying them (PEs). I guess I'll just keep trying... because usually when I try... and then start going diagonally, I just give up and switch back to normal... as I feel I'm not able to. I'm probably just giving up to easily... I'll make sure to devote time to it and mellow slopes and as you said everytime I stop...

Thanks! Any more tips? =)
Mar 2 2006 4:57AM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
I did my first 360 on a pair of rigid old atomic race skis, so you really dont need twin tips to do tricks off jumps. Still if you want to have a good time landing switch, get them.

Start doing grabs and getting comfy in the air. Once you feel like you are pretty ok, and have twin tips, go for a 360 or a 180 if you feel ballsy. But thats a little far from now. Just keep hitting the jumps for now, you'll soon learn how to rotate.
Mar 2 2006 5:36AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
If youre trying to go straight down just keep your skis parallel. and when you look over your shoulder only turn your neck, and dont let your shoulders turn with it. Youve gotta use your peripheal vision to see directly behind you, so dont try and turn so much that you can see straight back there.
Mar 2 2006 6:10AM
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ThaLetterM.
Posts: 8609 - Karma: 1,613
wow people on ns are so cool now this is great.
Mar 2 2006 6:25AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
God hates you.
Mar 2 2006 6:35AM
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Silence
Posts: 16030 - Karma: 150
God and everyone else in the world hate you more than him..
Mar 2 2006 6:45AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
God loves me. I bore his only begotten son.
Mar 2 2006 6:56AM
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bob_dole
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 1,580
dont go into the park...it only hurts you...trust me
Mar 2 2006 7:39AM
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
I learned to ski switch pretty easy. To start, I was just skiing on an easy connector trail to the lift on the first day with my salomon 1080s. All I did was do a stop without alot of edge pressure and continued around. Once I got that good It was all about perfecting riding switch. My pathetic hill is full of 2 mile long trails that are not very steep, and these are great for practicing going fast switch and turning switch. Im still not the best turning, my switch skiing level is at a blue box right now but I still have fun.

Another way to get around Is just do a 180, if you are concerned about making it around all the way, just do 180s on the ground, and you will soon see how easy it is. My favorite way is looking for a sudden steep spot in the trail or a little lump and doing a nice slow switch 1, it feels pretty good.

Err...thats it for now.
Mar 2 2006 7:48AM
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ThaLetterM.
Posts: 8609 - Karma: 1,613
why does god hate me because i made a comment about how ns has improved? please explain your dumbass statement.
Mar 2 2006 9:49AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
Because I have God pussy whipped and I hate you.
Mar 2 2006 9:55AM
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bpalmer
Posts: 2408 - Karma: 93
it's all good dude don't pay attention to this gaper. Certainly you have bigger nuts than he does or he wouldn't be running his mouth on the internet.

Definitely when doing jumps to get started just working on clearing(and not over or under-shooting) and working in basic grabs(safety, mute) and getting a feel for how you want your style to progress. Also, get a helmet and try some small rails/boxes. I promise its WAY easier than it looks, and once you can get a simple railslide, you will feel like you belong in the park.

Apart from that, just get in the park whenever you can, please do NOT go off the side of rail lips and shit, and keep on truckin. Skiing's work man, and you're gonna fall, but when you get back up, all you're gonna think about is stompin that shit.
Mar 2 2006 9:56AM
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SlickRick.
Posts: 4329 - Karma: 300
pleas pleas pleas learn to ski first... you should be a solid skier before learing switch, or doing rails... otherwise EVERYTHING will be unsteezy all because ur not comfortable on you rides yet.. and just get really comfortable with straight airs, before attempting suicide off something
Mar 2 2006 5:17PM
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WeK
Posts: 1894 - Karma: 11
You don't really need twin tips to learn to go switch. In fact, I'm more comfortable switch on my Crossmax 10's, then on my Trouble Makers.

To practice, do the washing out thing, but don't keep your skies straight when your going backwards, instead do the wedge//pizza, but backwards. So you want your tails together, and be on your inside edge.

Learn to go do straight for now doing so, then begin working on pressure control. So work on providing pressure to turn in the backwards pizza.

I practiced this for a while, primarily because I'm also a ski instructor, and you can save a lot of hiking after someone falls by going backwards so I can always look up.

I feel extremely comfortable going in pizza backwards, and now I'm working on good carving skills while backwards. Just keep practicing. Once pizza gets easy, doing the carving will be nothing if you can do it forward, since anytime your about to fall, you just switch to pizza and save yourself.
Mar 2 2006 5:50PM
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LDuggan420
Posts: 1611 - Karma: 13
you just need to practice... i sucked at going switch till this year and i got a lot better at it when you get it down its mad fun
Mar 2 2006 5:57PM
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pwallstreet
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 41
you gotta keep practicing switch i comes to you but it takes time just like sking forward did. keep it up and you'll get comfy
Mar 2 2006 6:24PM
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Dallan!
Posts: 3668 - Karma: 11
Just ski backwards as much as you can if you think you can handle skiing forwards (as i think you can).
The best place to practice are in my opinion in like blue slopes where you can easily adjust the speed with control.
Mar 2 2006 6:30PM
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TMswitch06
Posts: 987 - Karma: 11
your right though its so true. before all the threads about people leaving this dude wouldve gotten ripped apart
Mar 2 2006 7:18PM
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Edward.
Posts: 9366 - Karma: 445
just ski backwards, star out with a snowplow or pizza, then try it without pizza-ing
Mar 2 2006 7:22PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
think of it like this, where do you learn to ski forward?
-easy trails
where is the best place to learn to ski switch?
-easy trails

it really isn't too hard switching between them, you just have to sort of shift your body weight. And yea, backwards pizza helps until you feel confident enough to go fast.
Mar 2 2006 7:47PM
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UrbanRider
Posts: 265 - Karma: 10
hahaha crashes are kindda burtal in the park especally of bigger stuff.try stuff off a booter into powder first definatly hurts less when ur learnign and lets u try more stuff
Mar 2 2006 7:50PM
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tomc51
Posts: 512 - Karma: 15
just start small and work yourself up
Mar 2 2006 8:12PM
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180FSscratch
Posts: 164 - Karma: 10
props for even tryin this shit, i find it so much easier to land switch off jumps you can spto your landing so much eaier. i learned by practicing by just popping on grounds then moving to little rolers and then on the big stuff. speed tends to be your friend becuase nothing looks lamer then landin switch and not having enough speed to butter out
Mar 2 2006 8:17PM
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guygabay
Posts: 37 - Karma: 10
Wow, thanks a lot for all the replies... I really hope this all helps when I get on the mountain this weekend. For those who are unclear... I already am a solid skiier, I've been doing it for 11 years... this is just my first attempt to try things that involve park and tricks and stuff and I figured before I try any tricks off jumps that I should definitely know how to ride switch first. I've tried it before several times but was never to serious about it to really get it down fully.

I'll try the few tips you guys pointed out such as not turning my kneck to much and getting comfortable with doing pizza backwards.

Thanks a lot!
Mar 3 2006 3:04AM
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