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Fundamentals Of Skiing

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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Ok so this thread could be very useful to a lot of people or it could be just a big fail. So when i started skiing i jumped straight into park and never really learned the fundamentals of skiing and the proper way to ski. I can ski fine when i'm in the park or on a groomed run but when it comes to anything choppy or harder to ski i get out of control. So to be a more versatile skier i want to learn the proper way to ski. So post your tips on the proper way to ski such as balance, carving, pow etc.
Feb 13 2010 3:35PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
I suggest you take a short video of your skiing, that way we can give you better advice rather than just throwing random advice at you.
Feb 13 2010 3:41PM
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Piste.Off
Posts: 11586 - Karma: 1,860
never pizza when you're supposed to french fry
Feb 13 2010 3:43PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
that being said, if you feel out of control in choppy snow you're likely rotating your upper body to initiate the turn (bad park skier habit) and or riding in the back seat a little bit, which doesn't allow the shovel of your ski to bite in and start the turn.
Feb 13 2010 3:43PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Well i'm not really bad at skiing. I can ride fine. It's just when i ride anything a little steeper than normal or not groomed i get out of control. I wanted to make this thread beneficial to everyone, not just me cause i'm sure theres other kids that jumped straight into park just like me.
Feb 13 2010 3:44PM
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T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 639
Forward pressure on your boots. Hands up and driving down the hill. Generally try to keep your upper body facing down the hill. For carving have your skis and legs parallel.

O
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Do this: //


O
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Not this: /|


When you're coming out of your turn bring your hips up and forward kinda like you're diving down the hill and go into your next turn. It's kinda hard to describe, but it sets your next turn by get your hips in a good position and let's your skis unload and generate speed. The stronger you get and the better at carving you get the more you can just kinda whip your legs around.

That's really what I got for groomers, for me it's easier to describe than all mountain riding.
Feb 13 2010 3:45PM
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T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 639
Fuck, I'll try the pics again.


          O
         -|-
Do this: //


           O
          -|-
Not this: /|



Also for choppy stuff, use your legs as like shock absorbers, your legs should start burning, also engage your abs.
Feb 13 2010 3:47PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
if thats the case, focus on having your shoulders square to the fall line as much as possible throughout the turn. all the pivoting should take place in the lower half of your body.

and try to pressure the front of your boots more, especially at the beginning of the turn


hope that helps a little
Feb 13 2010 3:47PM
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T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 639
Fuck, one more time:


..........O
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Do this: //


...........O
..........-|-
Not this: /|
Feb 13 2010 3:48PM
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Pocoyo
Posts: 122 - Karma: 11

Go to ski school...........too many people assume they can ski well and keep trying to develop their skiing on a poor technical base. They also assume ski school is for beginners. NOT SO.

Doesn't matter if your a begginer or top level expert, having a session with a good instructor is well worth it. They will be able to fix your stance and balance, and work your technique on more challenging terrian...in a private session you maybe able to get video analysis, which is really useful.

Your opening a can of worms here!!

Feb 13 2010 3:51PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Ahhhh i see... Thanks that helped
Feb 13 2010 3:52PM
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UFOsarereal
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 1,132
this:
 o
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//

not this:
 o
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/ |

sorry, haha, just had to try that.
Feb 13 2010 3:54PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
im so glad i skied for 13 years before i even had a pair of twin tips.    But ya maybe take some more advanced lessons or stop skiing park for a while and just go shred the gnar.
Feb 13 2010 3:54PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
So pretty much when your carving have your weight balanced on both legs instead of just carving on one leg and keeping the other leg straight? When i carve my inside ski tends to go ahead of my outside ski. Is that the correct way? i see a lot of other people doing this
Feb 13 2010 3:57PM
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Goku
Posts: 8119 - Karma: 4,223
you're gonna have a bad time
Feb 13 2010 4:15PM
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Cheezcake.
Posts: 721 - Karma: 22
yeah that's completely correct, that shows that on top of forward pressure on your boots, you also do most of your carving with the outside ski. when i was on ski team, they always drilled "outside pressure, outside pressure" into my head. the outside ski a little back is showing that outside pressure for you. Also, like the guys before me said, keep your hands up. it may feel weird and awkward at first, but it keeps your body more forward.
Feb 13 2010 4:38PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Ok cool thanks. Any more tips?
Feb 13 2010 5:03PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
go get a lesson. don't take advise from fellow park rats on the internet.
Feb 13 2010 5:33PM
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Cheezcake.
Posts: 721 - Karma: 22
you can't seriously be implying we're all park rats on here.
Feb 13 2010 5:52PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143

ummmm.... a lot of you are.

Feb 13 2010 6:05PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
this. a nice private lesson is gonna make you improve 10 times more than 6 pages of tips on this thread. im not sayin ppl here dont know what theyre talking about, im just sayin an instructor will be able to see exactly what you are doing wrong and will give you some tips to solve those exact problems.
Feb 13 2010 6:15PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
a solid 90% of ns are in fact park rats...

this sounds goofy, but as you're skiing along hold your arms up like you're holding a tray of dinner, and keep your shoulders facing straight downhill.
Feb 13 2010 6:16PM
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captainEMERICA
Posts: 1386 - Karma: 122
or you're gonna have a bad time

Feb 13 2010 6:17PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Anymore tips?
Feb 13 2010 9:51PM
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Zoro
Posts: 1253 - Karma: 37

its been said a thousand times but really try and focus on your upper body being pointed directly downhill and only turning with your hips and legs

try really leaning into your turns on a flat surface too.  i find its really hard and its an exajuration of what you should be doing almost all the time

Feb 13 2010 10:11PM
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Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
exaggeration
you're welcome
Feb 13 2010 10:13PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
hold poles out in front of you, perpendicular to the fall line. do not let upper body deviate from the poles. match um.


OP idk where you are at, but are you comfortable just letting the skis run? just tip and let the ski do the work.


also when making a turn, dont dip either of your shoulders, keep them square. when you are making a left dont drop the left shoulder. if you do you may notice your right ski begin to lose its track. (get squirrly on you) keep um level.
Feb 13 2010 10:25PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Im pretty comfortable just skiing. It's when i get going fast or the run is steep or it's not groomed i hit bumps and get way out of control.
Feb 13 2010 10:40PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
you need to lean forward too, really flex your boots.

Feb 13 2010 10:54PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
It seems like when i lean forward i catch my edges a lot easier
Feb 13 2010 11:05PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
its because youre actually using them.

leaning back and skidding is easy enough, this is the important thing that seperates good skiers from average skiers
Feb 13 2010 11:10PM
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andrew.ski
Posts: 368 - Karma: 69
ummm i suck at park? i just love riding big mountain lines in tall tee.


some people..
Feb 13 2010 11:19PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Ahh i see... So i need to work on leaning forward and carving instead of sliding.
Feb 13 2010 11:21PM
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andrew.ski
Posts: 368 - Karma: 69
aside from my stupid comment to shred mcnasty..

pressing into the tongues of your boots and keeping to the fall line will help you IMMENSELY. just do it and sooner or later you'll realize you can ski alot better.
Feb 13 2010 11:25PM
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FerrisBueller
Posts: 8280 - Karma: 5,173
keep your shoulders aimed down the hill and your hands forward. then you'll be good.
Feb 13 2010 11:30PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Whats the "fall line"?
Feb 13 2010 11:31PM
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jamodeo
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 663
be sure you always have enough forward pressure on your boot that if a quarter were to be places there it would stay the whole time shoulders knees and toes, line um up watch some racers ski, good ones not shity gay racers that go through the park
Feb 13 2010 11:33PM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 370
if you were to roll a snowball down the slope, where would it go?

thats fall line.
Feb 13 2010 11:35PM
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Zoro
Posts: 1253 - Karma: 37

directly down the hill; if you dropped a ball at the top of the trail, the way it would go down is the fall line. 

Feb 13 2010 11:35PM
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Zoro
Posts: 1253 - Karma: 37
fuck.
Feb 13 2010 11:36PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
So the bottom of the hill?
Feb 13 2010 11:36PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
no, the line that it would take to the bottom of the hill. The fastest, steepest way down. Basically "straight" down the hill.


Feb 13 2010 11:41PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Oh ok i get it now... So carve but try to keep close to the fall line.
Feb 13 2010 11:49PM
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Moe-Monayyyy
Posts: 107 - Karma: 19

Ski Race.

Its the only way. Do it for several year. Most of the pro's did.

You'll shred harder then anyone.

Feb 13 2010 11:51PM
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Samckoy
Posts: 381 - Karma: 66
So.... some simple tips

imagine your holding a beach ball and sitting on the toilet with your knees pressing the front of your boot. exaggerate it until you find your comfort level

while carving your legs should be spread at around shoulder width, body and the tips of your skis should be facing downhill and like mentioned, pressure on both skis although dominantly on the downhill one

in moguls, keep your core solid and upper body stable and dont forget to pole plant the mogul your about to ski around. your knees and skis should be locked together as best as possible, they shouldnt move independently from each other even between turns. you want to slow down as you skate stop into the mogul, absorb the shock and turn around it until you hit the next, forward pressure Always, backseat and your out of control

in deep powder on mellow slopes you cant carve, your legs should be spread a little but kept beneath you, aim straight down your line and all you do is turn your skis from side to side, its hard to turn your skis over in pow so you bounce, pop slightly and pull your knees up and bring them down to the other side always keeping the skis the same width apart

get strong, skiing isnt for pussy's, when in tough conditions the snow might want to throw you around rather than be thrown around, you see a lot of weak skiers go backseat and out of control as they get thrown around, you have to keep forward on your toes and fight back! maybe work out a little because it takes strength and endurance to put so much pressure down
Feb 13 2010 11:53PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
i have another one. learn to use your up-hill ski. dont rely solely on the downhill ski. you will be far more comfortable, and able to adapt to changes in terrain if you can ski on both feet.

i suggest carving large radius turns, and then at random times in the turn simply transfer weight, and lift the downhill ski off the ground. or just leave one ski off and ski down the hill making turns both ways. you will have to use the uphill edge. or else you wont be able to turn one direction.

STAY FORWARD. dont ski in the backseat.
Feb 13 2010 11:56PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Thanks that helped a lot^
Feb 13 2010 11:59PM
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Oreos
Posts: 1207 - Karma: 38
i'm in the same boat dude, on my third day on skis i was in the park and only ever had a week on a real mountain but yesterday got a pair of Kung Fujas' through the post and took them to a snowdome and did my first carve. totally different feeling to turning normally how i used to, loved it, usually when i go to the snowdome i just practice switch but all i wanted to was practice carving. and luckily my friend is a ski instructor so next time we go skiing together i can get some one on one tuition.
Feb 14 2010 3:03AM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Sweet man. Yeah my first day skiing i skied with my friends that had been skiing a while and they just kept taking park laps so i followed. I hit a a flat rail, flat box and a little down box which then led to skiing all park.
Feb 14 2010 3:09AM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
I skied for 12 years before I ever went in the park, and I think that those formative years of lessons, etc did me the world of good. So your best bet is to get some lessons, not like ski school or anything but maybe some 1-to-1, and get some pointers on your technique. You'll find all aspects of your skiing, including park riding will improve, and you'll generally have more fun.
Feb 14 2010 6:46AM
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Pocoyo
Posts: 122 - Karma: 11

Ok this is turning into a can of worms, with some good advice and some not so.....

So to save you time and cut through the bull, I offer you the resources of the Canadian Ski Instructor Alliance website, which has some useful pointers for you!

http://www.snowpro.com/csia/e/resources-ski-tips.html

Use the menu on the left 'Ski Tips' and go through the sections, this will give you a technical insight in what you need to be doing. Look at the demo instructor's body positioning.

As I said before...get a one to one with an instructor and I guarantee you will learn more in one day than a year of trying to figure it all out using 'thread tips'.

Happy skiing.

Feb 14 2010 9:11AM
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