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Can freestyle be taught?

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nicnac
Posts: 10 - Karma: 10
hi, im writing a paper for my final instructor qualification, basically i need to write a 4000word research paper. im thinking the title could be 'can/should freestyle skiing be tought and how/what method is most apprpriate'.
any comments/suggestions would be appretiated.

anyone had any experience teaching / being taught freestyle?
Jul 29 2007 5:52PM
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Matty_C
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 236
oooh good question.
i think you can teach someone how do spin etc. but you CAN'T teach style.
Jul 29 2007 9:54PM
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Matty_C
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 236
that doesn't answer the question. that just shows tht lots of american parents have money to spend. the question was can, or SHOULD freestyle be taught. freestyle by its very definition is down to the individual so can only be taught to a certain extent
Jul 29 2007 9:59PM
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Matty_C
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 236
thats exactly what i just said
Jul 29 2007 10:06PM
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bigwhite.steeze
Posts: 8227 - Karma: 1,032
yes it can be taught, teaching helps alot on how to do the trick what your doing wrong, why your doing this but yes, once you know how to do it, you just have to perfect your style yourself
Jul 29 2007 10:06PM
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gfanuckaa
Posts: 538 - Karma: 292
gotta give alot more props out to the kids who aint got coaches or ski school or the dopest parks/ trainin shit to learn on
Jul 29 2007 10:08PM
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R.Fahey
Posts: 8602 - Karma: 539
Yeah... it can be taught. Most of it is in the hands of the actual rider though. There's only so much you can say and explain. Like, you can tell a kid over and over to keep his weight centered and look at the end of a rail....... but it doesn't mean he'll do it. Progression and learning to rip is all up to the actual person doing it.
Jul 29 2007 10:10PM
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hawaiiansteeze
Posts: 3255 - Karma: 3,226
there are freestyle lessons at my mountain. since i was a jr. instucter last year i helped teach a couple. they teach how to do things right. sort of how to fall. just how to stay safe in the park and learn a couple new things really
Jul 29 2007 10:15PM
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Redstar
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9
You can teach tricks, not style.
Jul 29 2007 11:25PM
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GGreene
Posts: 993 - Karma: 42
go to camp web sites (high north, windells, etc...)
see what they say about there coaching
Jul 29 2007 11:31PM
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Spritz
Posts: 1162 - Karma: 12
you beat me to it
Jul 29 2007 11:45PM
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liukangkid
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 82
but the better people teach you to do the tricks the more styley you become
Jul 29 2007 11:50PM
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-NY-STeeZE-
Posts: 2114 - Karma: 23
wow 4000 words, damn
Jul 29 2007 11:52PM
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SkiMN
Posts: 4005 - Karma: 38
You can easily teach basic tricks, fundamentals, etc, but only to the right person. There has to be a mindset there for any of that teaching to work, because beyond the 360, a person really has to want to pull it off, and get some sort of rush from doing it. Thats not something you find in everybody. So I guess the bottom line answer to that question would be "Yes, but not to everybody"
Jul 30 2007 12:50AM
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nicnac
Posts: 10 - Karma: 10
could people give me some examples of teaching/being taught and any kind of analysis, did it/ didn't it work? why?
cheers guys,
so far the replies hav been real constructive.
Jul 30 2007 2:50PM
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Franny
Posts: 3980 - Karma: 77
i donno to hard to think.
Jul 30 2007 3:06PM
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poofartpee
Posts: 7436 - Karma: 1,538
freestyle can be taught obviessly but style can not
Jul 30 2007 3:20PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
freestyle is personal expression, so no it can't be taught. however you can teach freestyle skills.
Jul 30 2007 5:17PM
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JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
i just learn on newschoolers forums. =)
Jul 30 2007 10:07PM
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R.Z.A.
Posts: 778 - Karma: 11
lol. yeah it can be taught but like not really in a classroom kind of environment. you gotta get out there and do it to learn.
Jul 30 2007 10:08PM
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Shadows
Posts: 8068 - Karma: 43
Click for larger image
Jul 30 2007 10:12PM
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lyndon
Posts: 7266 - Karma: 128
Ive pretty much taught myself everything. Its just trying to go a little bigger, hold the grab longer, slide the rail further.
I think the basics, and safety of freestyle should be taught. The fundimentals of skiing should be enforced. Like was said, you can teach someone to spin, but you cant teach them style.
Jul 30 2007 10:31PM
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solitaryman
Posts: 3578 - Karma: 123
COC REPRESENTIN.
Jul 30 2007 11:16PM
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dave44
Posts: 11052 - Karma: 113
hahahahahaha
Jul 30 2007 11:45PM
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CFSGabe
Posts: 354 - Karma: 11
coaches, training, practice, and doing everything you watch in the movies, listen to everything you hear here and you to can be taught
Jul 31 2007 12:37AM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
Yes. Help and advice from those better than you is always useful, and when a person is motivated to learn something, with a teacher they can accomplish it.
Jul 31 2007 12:42AM
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NicoChile
Posts: 690 - Karma: 199
yes it can be taught and should be... tyhe other day i was in the lift with some guy that always fell on rails and he needed help because he was new on freeskiing and i just said to him just look at the end of the rail, bend your knees and have your skis apart and he went down and did the rail and he told me it was because of the tips... he was so happy, at least it was motivation for him
Jul 31 2007 11:59AM
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Trashpuppet
Posts: 529 - Karma: 123
yeah freestyle can and style can a little bit... i mean if someones style is ugly cause of there hands flying through the air.. u can show them to keeo them down...
Jul 31 2007 12:14PM
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unchyll
Posts: 4554 - Karma: 96
yeah it can be taught but commitment is a big factor
Jul 31 2007 12:14PM
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punkrock32
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 21
Yes, it can be taught, but only so much of it can be. Coaches can only help you so much, but it really comes down to motivation of the skier and willingness to try something. Basically, once a coach has taught you most everything they know about a certain trick, it comes down to the skier to stop being such a pussy and try it. Skiing is a lot of trial and error after you educate yourself, because afterall no two rodeos look exactly alike. Each person is unique in their style, and how difficult it is for them to do a trick.
Jul 31 2007 12:15PM
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KSdesign
Posts: 687 - Karma: 175
YEah, definitely...I think the best way to learn is to ski with guys that are better than you as opposed to getting an instructor, watch ur good friends rip thru the park and eventually step it up and try sum of the same features theyre doin... if you have trouble doin sumthin they can do then jus ask'em how they do it (balance, amt of pop, spinning, etc.)
Jul 31 2007 12:30PM
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CBROOKS
Posts: 4979 - Karma: 10,708
Look at the success rate of ski academies vs. kids growing up skiing with there buddies alone...

it can be taught, but it is very possible to succeed without coaching.
Jul 31 2007 12:38PM
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doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315
Considering I'm a park and pipe instructor I would say most definitely!
Jul 31 2007 12:43PM
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wiglaf
Posts: 4877 - Karma: 141
I think style can be taught or imitated better then technicality. Think about it, how many kids skied around in gorilla steeze a few year back but couldn’t do more then a 3 and slide a rail… but, you could still identity that they had a certain style. Even now there are tons of those little style trends going on. Individual style however cant not be taught obviously b/c its individual to you, you have to figure that out on your own. On the technical side it can be taught but only to the limit of the skier, there are tons of methods and techniques that help you execute a trick but they can only take you so far.
Jul 31 2007 1:10PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 373
to an extent like my dad taught me how to hit jumps and like 3 and stuff but i think that kids need to learn on there own from there like how to slide a rail and how to rip pow and stuff that they need to learn on their own
Jul 31 2007 7:55PM
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ginty
Posts: 1073 - Karma: 163
yea you can teach some one how to gring or spin but style come natural over time
Jul 31 2007 8:57PM
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snowbladesforlife
Posts: 2033 - Karma: -3
It can definetly be taught, look at all those little CVA robots. Someday they will turn on their masters and eat their brains.
Jul 31 2007 9:00PM
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