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Skiing: Does it take athleticism?

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pinklittlelamb
Posts: 161 - Karma: 7
After countless arguments with my brother, friends, and adults I have come to the conclusion that skiing takes very little athletic capacity. How many of you have seen an obese skier absolutely kill it? Some of my brother's friends don't play sports, don't run, and don't have any athletic motivation at all, but still manage to impress me on the slopes. This topic has probably been surfaced upon before, but it was on my mind so I decided to post anyways. I'm not sure if I am including racing in my argument, but thats up to you to decide. What do you guys think?
Jun 30 2009 11:41AM
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NC-skier
Posts: 423 - Karma: 49
just carving down groomers doesnt take much athleticism in my opinion. Park skiing takes a good amount of athleticism, and fearlessness in most cases.
Jun 30 2009 11:44AM
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Tripplesixty
Posts: 835 - Karma: 148
^^^agreed, also big mountain, ripping powder, or huge steeps takes a ton of leg strength, especially the quads.... If your going to hike or skin, yeah you better be in good shape...
Jun 30 2009 11:49AM
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50in07
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 1,471
Yes, skiing takes athleticism. I teach ski school and after 2 minutes i can tell i they will be good based off of there athleticism.
Jun 30 2009 11:49AM
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jack.whelan
Posts: 1504 - Karma: 122
yes.
weakness = injuries
which is why:
me = injured!
Jun 30 2009 11:49AM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
Are you high or retarded?
Jun 30 2009 11:50AM
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Kajex
Posts: 1069 - Karma: 178
you dont haveta be as outwardly athletic as in other sports.  but there are muscles that if they are weak, you are gonna have problems.  and yeah as someone else said, weak muscles = injured ones.  and ripping down a tree line, or bumps requires a shitload of stamina and lung capacity.
Jun 30 2009 11:52AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
skiing takes tons of athleticism
you may not need it for skiing down gentle groomers but athleticism allows you to react to variables in the terrain, whether they're jumps which require athleticism in the air, rails which require balance, little kids in the way which require quick reactions and balance, cliffs on a face, fallen trees, everything
obese people aren't all unathletic they're just fat, fat means out of shape, not unathletic, athleticism is something you have and can build on but it's not like it correlates with weight
so yes it takes tons of athletic ability as soon as you throw variables in the mix
look how hard it is for gapers to learn how to ski
Jun 30 2009 11:52AM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
Serious answer:

Of course it does...in the same way that any other sport does. Lack of talent can be overcome (to a degree) by hardwork and attention to detail, but at the end of the day, a natural athlete with superior coordination, balance, body awareness, strength, stamina, confidence, etc. is going to body some kid without those things (assuming the athlete isn't a lazy shit).

Honestly though, stupid question. If you're unsure whether skiing takes athleticism, you probably stink and are unathletic.
Jun 30 2009 11:54AM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813

I fully agree with both your posts!

simple: why does little billy improve faster than little timmy? little timmy does not have the same athletic skills as little billy so he doesnt improve as fast.

Jun 30 2009 12:05PM
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GreenHorn
Posts: 4896 - Karma: 1,209
Try skiing down a steep, powder, tree line and tell me it doesn't take athleticism. Your legs burn like no other, and you have to have amazing coordination. Although I do agree, skiing down some groomers doesn't require one to be too athletic.
Jun 30 2009 12:08PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
Average level park/recreational carving on and off groomers doesnt require above average athleticism,
on the other hand Big mountain charging and stomping park hard and slalom are all disciplines where either strength is required for just doing it, or it is required to take up the beating, muscle tissue helps absorb impacts and lowers the tension on joints in your knees/ankles....

So to answer the question: It all depends on how hard you ski, the harder you ski the stronger you be... (by harder i mean real charging, not slaying the fine art of rails, alltough being muscled has another great advantage on raills, for harder popping and taking more beatings before getting injured...)
Jun 30 2009 12:15PM
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Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,019
athleticism can help but you don't really need it for skiing for example wallisch isnt the most athletic guy but he will destroy everybody on the hill same with steve stepp and a bunch of other guys they all kill it on the hill but arent the greatest athletes. other guys however like giray and colby west are pretty athletic and can ski well too its really a toss up. anybody can become good at skiing.
Jun 30 2009 12:19PM
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Tripplesixty
Posts: 835 - Karma: 148
How many of you feel that at a certain point during the season your body starts breaking down instead of getting stronger??
Jun 30 2009 12:20PM
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_CC_
Posts: 3890 - Karma: 747

riding park takes alot, you need muscle mass or you probably have no muscle control and therefore cant do jackshit.  riding powder definityl takes leg and core strength as well.  my sister and i always fight because she says its harder to cheerlead then to ski park...yet she cant turn skis

Jun 30 2009 12:24PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
Evan Heath - Evidence that skiing does not take athleticism.
Jun 30 2009 12:25PM
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oO~sKiErGirL~Oo
Posts: 2314 - Karma: 21
Skiing absolutely takes athleticism. Your home ski resort may be pretty small with not much vertical (no idea) and it might seem like you don't get that much of a workout. However, try skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb even on a groomer from the peak to the valley without stopping and I bet you'd feel mighty tired by the time you reach the bottom.

Skiing uses stabilizers, core strength, anaerobic capacity and much more. Maybe you're not skiing hard enough.
Jun 30 2009 12:41PM
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GreenHorn
Posts: 4896 - Karma: 1,209
hahaha nice
Jun 30 2009 12:41PM
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.peter
Posts: 1222 - Karma: 63
Pipe skiing takes a TON of athleticism.
Jun 30 2009 12:43PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
it doesn't take as much cardiovascular capacity to ski then say... cycling, running, soccer, lax etc...

but it does require a good deal of balance, timing, muscle memory and body awareness to ski, just like any other action sport like skateboarding or what have you.

Jun 30 2009 12:44PM
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richards
Posts: 2177 - Karma: 11
yes i sweat balls ertime i go skiing
Jun 30 2009 12:57PM
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Jordan
Posts: 4079 - Karma: 2,122
I mean I don't ski park other than the occasional box, but I ski moguls/back country 99% of the time.

Take 15+ runs in a day on Mary Jane on the blacks/doubles and tell me you don't need to be in good athletic shape haha.

Bumps up to your waist+  it's a work out.
Jun 30 2009 1:03PM
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sirskizalot
Posts: 4370 - Karma: 161

Maby not 'i can run 10k in half hour' athleticism but you need strong legs for sure, and a strong core helps.

Jun 30 2009 1:06PM
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Dr.Dickless
Posts: 2620 - Karma: 1,392
or both?
Jun 30 2009 1:09PM
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Holte
Posts: 10742 - Karma: 7,819
The best skiers I know are they types of people who can kill it everywhere. They're pretty good at anything athletic the first time they try it.
Jun 30 2009 1:13PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,534
Of course skiing takes athleticism.  Everyone up there said what I would have said, so I waon't take the time to write a long ass paragraph.
Jun 30 2009 1:17PM
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ben_southworth
Posts: 1063 - Karma: 447
i'm in the weight room or running or doing something almost every day after skiing, so no?
Jun 30 2009 1:58PM
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pinklittlelamb
Posts: 161 - Karma: 7
I've come to realize that I'm not skiing hard enough to actually feel the burn, except on an occasional powder day. My mountain doesn't provide the kind of terrain that would require athleticism, so my opinion may be considered obsolete. Thanks for the input, though.
Jun 30 2009 2:03PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14502 - Karma: 10,728
i do not think park skiing takes any more amount of athletecism than groomer skiing. Think about it, you do not really need any specific muscles for park skiing.  Not like any off trail (powder, trees, moguls) or racing.  You need to be in great shape ski those aspects.  But you do need leg muscles and good balance to ski anywhere. That is why rollerblading is a good off season exercise (I know, go ahead and hate but it's true).
Jun 30 2009 2:13PM
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Jakx~
Posts: 653 - Karma: 503

Skiing park and big mountain and those types of things don't take huge bulky muscles but it does take balance and cordination.  growing up i was a 3 sport athlete and some friends of mine had been skiing their whole life but didn't do sports and they wanted me to learn skiing so i did and within that season i was just as good as them and am far better than them now.

And also think about going off just a 20 foot jump and doing a 360 it still takes alot of balance wether you realize it or not.

Jun 30 2009 2:23PM
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HPskier
Posts: 1072 - Karma: 30
well played evidence sir
Jun 30 2009 2:27PM
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mrmarks
Posts: 393 - Karma: 143
u need to distinguish between FITNESS (ex., muscular vs fat people) and ATHLETICISM (people who can learn dub cork easily vs those who will never spin a 3 to save their lives).

so absolutely, skiing takes athleticism. maybe some people party too much and get fat, and can still ski, but if someone is good... bet your ass they're athletic.
Jun 30 2009 2:44PM
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Holte
Posts: 10742 - Karma: 7,819
You'd be surprised at how much muscle a decent big mountain line requires.
Jun 30 2009 2:51PM
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infedel_one
Posts: 5140 - Karma: 444
of course it does
have u ever seen one of those fat friends pull a cork 1080 or drop a 50 fter?? ehhhhhh
case closed
Jun 30 2009 2:54PM
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3R1C
Posts: 367 - Karma: 14
Doing a snowplow down the bunny slope requires no athletic ability whatsoever. However, skiing moguls, trees, steeps, and the park requires you to be pretty athletic. I have seen people who can easily link turns on blacks but cant pop high enough on a roller to do a 180.
Jun 30 2009 2:59PM
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Tripplesixty
Posts: 835 - Karma: 148
Just wondering how often you ski, and what type of skiing...
Jun 30 2009 3:25PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
It looks like a lot of you are confusing "athletic" with "physically fit".

Being athletic does not necessarily mean being in top physical condition, nor does being physically fit mean that you're athletic. I know a ton of kids who do not fit the stereotypical athletic build, who are dirty when it comes to balance, coordination, body awareness, etc. On the other hand, I know kids who are constantly looking for an excuse to take their shirts off who can't throw or catch...

Soooo....assuming all else is equal, given two kids with different levels of ability in terms of raw athleticism, the athlete is going to progress faster and most likely have more style and finesse.

I suppose skiing doesn't "require" athleticism in that even a fairly uncoordinated kid could learn the basics, but if we're talking "skiing" as in steep varied terrain, racing, moguls, or freestyle, the types of skiing we care about here, then yes— skiing absolutely requires athleticism.
Jun 30 2009 3:25PM
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Duhamelski.
Posts: 31 - Karma: 10
skiing takes balance, control, a sharp ability to make quick decisions, and an insane amount of trust in yourself.  you dont nescessarily need to run a 4.6 second 40, but even then, the best skiers are pretty fast too.  all sports tke different types of athletisism.  for example tennis being a quarter back is completely different from a long distance runner.  is either more athletic per se.  i dont think so, just different, but i guess its your call

my personal oppinion is that skiers are some of the best athletes around.  simply put, we are the only athletes who can perform at the level we do in the conditions and terrain that we do.  not to mention that its crazy fun all the while

that said, we do lack the discipline of other athletes
Jun 30 2009 3:32PM
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3mania
Posts: 2614 - Karma: 10,380
Superstars winners
01 Herman Meier
02 Bode Miller
02 Jeremy Bloom
Jun 30 2009 3:38PM
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JaphyRyder
Posts: 1766 - Karma: 113
I agree with all of this, good post.

Some might say Lebron is a better athlete than Tanner...in many ways (strength, speed, probably cardio) this is true, but it depends how you define athleticism. I still dont know what my opinion is, but both are at the top of the field at the pro level, so whos to say who's a better athlete? tough call
Jun 30 2009 4:11PM
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JaphyRyder
Posts: 1766 - Karma: 113
ive definitely seen some kids who are scrawny or chubby or simply not atheletic looking who slay pretty hard though
Jun 30 2009 4:12PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
key word: looking.
Jun 30 2009 4:15PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
hes a filmer for a reason! haha
Jun 30 2009 4:33PM
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xxACIDTRIPxx
Posts: 5980 - Karma: 8,175
Ben.Evan Heath - Evidence that skiing does not take athleticism.


Lol
Feb 12 2019 2:52PM
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iskeaah
Posts: 248 - Karma: 762
The better skier you are the more efficient you become. You use gravity to bring you down. Mogul skiing and powder do however talk a toll if you are not what so ever fit. Also when you skate/traverse from one chair lift to another it takes a lot of energy.
Feb 12 2019 2:56PM
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,580
Solid bump
Xx_Ac1dTr1p_xXLol
Feb 12 2019 3:00PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7511 - Karma: 36,436
Gosh dangit every time someone bumps an old thread i get excited because i see a bunch of old users that don't post anymore and then i realize the thread is 10 years old :(
Feb 12 2019 3:11PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 1,115
Ski blading takes the most athleticism
Feb 27 2019 10:10AM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12521 - Karma: 116,362
Ben.Evan Heath - Evidence that skiing does not take athleticism.


jesus christ
Feb 27 2019 3:28PM
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sheddd
Posts: 115 - Karma: 494
I'm hoping is and when I'm 80 I will have acquired enough skills to still have fun with greatly reduced athleticism. At present I'm training pretty hard to up my athleticism and help acquire more skills (and have fun of course).
Mar 2 2019 11:16AM
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