To all those who race...

It all depends on what you make of it.

I can't tell you if you're going to have fun or not.

However, you most likely will become a better skier. While I've never raced or had the desire to race, you can definitely tell who has just by watching them ski.

The vibes you get from racing can vary depending on where you are. Is your ski team tiny, FIS sanctioned and the kids are serious? Or are they there to just ski. Chances are if anyone can get into it that there are probably like minded kids. Doesn't sound like you go to a ski specific school as well so you will most likely have a good mixture of serious racers/gapers/kids who are skiers but not racers.

On the other hand though, racing can be an incredible way to get better. You will be surprised if you can improve your overall technique how much more you will be able to accomplish in both the park and outside of it (yes, there is skiing besides the park!). Sounds like you have never really gone outside the park or developed skill there so I encourage you to take advantage of the program and build the skills you can. You will already be comfortable with skiing, equipment, etc, so you are 20 steps ahead of most kids. It's just a matter of transitioning.

By the way, I am on the ski team at my school. I have 2 quivers (freeski and race) and on ski practices vs weekends you would not even recognize me as the same person. Be the baggy, steezy, freestyle skier you are on your own time and at school try to learn the different culture and get better from it, don't rebel from it and purposely be different. Remember you are the park rat to them so think of it as a racer trying to come into your crew in the park and act accordingly.

Good luck, get all your guards for slalom, and keep your edges sharp. LEAN FORWARD!

Why do people keep making this thread? skiing is skiing.

MACK.So I don't have a freestyle ski team and after getting cut from basketball :( My parents are making me race for my high school. What should i expect? Im under the impression that I can probably do whatever the hell i want but I am not sure. I just want to know if the overall vibe of racing is chill in general.
Also, what are people gonna think about me when I show up to our first practice with my park skis and short poles and Larger outerwear while they have on there Ninja g suit thing and there racing skis with there football helmets and such?
Basically, Am I going to have fun? or did I make a huge mistake

Im guessing you are not going to race with this attitude. Don't worry IT WILL BE AWESOME ITS SKIING and they let the kids who suck do whatever the fuck they want and ski on their own.

You will be allowed to dick around and not contribute to your team in peace assuming your not hitting rails in front of the coach or being a pain in the ass.




Id cut you and send you the fuck home with this attitude if I was the coach though. Bring a fucking snowboard while your at it.

rtl32The vibes you get from racing can vary depending on where you are. Is your ski team tiny, FIS sanctioned and the kids are serious? Or are they there to just ski. Chances are if anyone can get into it that there are probably like minded kids. Doesn't sound like you go to a ski specific school as well so you will most likely have a good mixture of serious racers/gapers/kids who are skiers but not racers.

On the other hand though, racing can be an incredible way to get better. You will be surprised if you can improve your overall technique how much more you will be able to accomplish in both the park and outside of it (yes, there is skiing besides the park!). Sounds like you have never really gone outside the park or developed skill there so I encourage you to take advantage of the program and build the skills you can. You will already be comfortable with skiing, equipment, etc, so you are 20 steps ahead of most kids. It's just a matter of transitioning.

By the way, I am on the ski team at my school. I have 2 quivers (freeski and race) and on ski practices vs weekends you would not even recognize me as the same person. Be the baggy, steezy, freestyle skier you are on your own time and at school try to learn the different culture and get better from it, don't rebel from it and purposely be different. Remember you are the park rat to them so think of it as a racer trying to come into your crew in the park and act accordingly.

Good luck, get all your guards for slalom, and keep your edges sharp. LEAN FORWARD!

Awesome man thanks
Yeah there's about like 45 kids on the team and we have won state like 5 times in a row also I am a huge believer of being good in all aspects of skiing so I am excited to learn how to be just a better over all skier but if there 1+ foot of fresh Do they still make you train and race? also do you suggest multiple racing skis? Right now I bought some 155 cm fischer slalom from a friend will that be fine? (im 6'0 140)

PeppermillRenoIm guessing you are not going to race with this attitude. Don't worry IT WILL BE AWESOME ITS SKIING and they let the kids who suck do whatever the fuck they want and ski on their own.

You will be allowed to dick around and not contribute to your team in peace assuming your not hitting rails in front of the coach or being a pain in the ass.




Id cut you and send you the fuck home with this attitude if I was the coach though. Bring a fucking snowboard while your at it.

I mean obviously im gonna be respectful and Im gonna try to make the most out of it.

MACK.Awesome man thanks
Yeah there's about like 45 kids on the team and we have won state like 5 times in a row also I am a huge believer of being good in all aspects of skiing so I am excited to learn how to be just a better over all skier but if there 1+ foot of fresh Do they still make you train and race? also do you suggest multiple racing skis? Right now I bought some 155 cm fischer slalom from a friend will that be fine? (im 6'0 140)

You only need one pair if you're just doing it for fun and your state doesn't have GS. On a team like that you'll enjoy it because you only have to take it as seriously as you want to. You will be a B team racer just starting out, which means you're not scoring points for the team so there won't be any competitive pressure. I bet there will even be some kids who are also into freestyle on your team, you'll probably find some new people to shred with.

Generally if there's 1+ foot of fresh you won't be training, especially if the snow's still coming down. It's a pain in the ass to keep the course slipped in those conditions.

Side question: Why are your parents forcing you to race?

MACK.I mean obviously im gonna be respectful and Im gonna try to make the most out of it.

I'd want to be good and better than any kid who I didn't respect as an awesome skiier. If someone simply rips and is awesome there is nothing you can do but I'd try and be better than anything else if you take skiing seriously. Its fun to do well in races.

You should own a fleece that isn't huge thats all any racer without a GS suit wears don't worry about that. Don't waste money on poles you wont use them any other time and anything the appropriate length right above your rib cage without skis on are fine. But you'll look dumb at the start gate with short poles.

If your parents are making you do it get them to buy you some race skis.

caucasian_chadSide question: Why are your parents forcing you to race?

They want me to be "staying active" (Bullshit they just think that by doing an organized sport I wont smoke and party lol)

Brule.It all depends on what you make of it.

Truth, it sucks you can't have the choice yourself, but at least you are skiing, and racing if nothing else will improve your skiing and make you well rounded. Some of the best big mountain skiers came from a racing background (Cody Townsend, Darin ralhves, Shane, and others). sure, you may feel like a goon somedays wearing the suits and hanging by the gates when you could be shredding the park or hitting some cliffs, but when it dumps you will take days off, and you only train in the mornings for half the day.

cheers man and enjoy the Expierence.

MACK.They want me to be "staying active" (Bullshit they just think that by doing an organized sport I wont smoke and party lol)

They don't want you to party so they tell you to join a ski team? Hahahaha

i had a ton of fun racing in high school, probably get some longer poles and maybe some carving skis, I just borrowed it all from my coach and friends.

So many racer threads recently. Cool, good job NS.


Anyhoo, congrats for thinking about it! Racing is such an invaluable thing to know how to do! IF YOU LISTEN TO YOUR COACHES, you will get so much better! So a few things, first:

- If you have the money, invest in a pair of slalom skis. 165cm is the norm. It will make your life easier, and that way you can separate your park skis from the race course. This is important because you want your edges to be stupidly sharp. Race courses are stupidly icy so it makes sense. Besides, a pair of slalom boards are super fun to use on groomers. I do it for hours and hours, allowing the G forces to press me to pieces.

- Turn with your knees, not your feet. This will not only make everything in skiing a lot easier for you, but you can then get closer to gates.

- After a few runs, loosen your boots COMPLETELY. Take a run this way, being cautious. This will center your where you need to be in your boot. At least, this works for me. Then, crank your boots down and you will know the perfect spot to be in your boot and have great control.

- A speed suit is not a bad idea to invest in. Yeah, it sucks to wear but if you are interested in any speed events (speed events are Super G and Downhill) then it will keep you alive in case of an accident. Some times.

- If you intend to compete, a hard-eared helmet is required at most races. You can pick them up for pretty cheap depending on the spot. I use my freeski goggles with them and it fits well.

- Racing is chill if you make it chill. Stay away from the overly-into it dads that yell at their kids. Most coaches just want you to improve. So, show them you want to improve and don't give the coaches attitude or too much park skier crap and they will help you progress very quickly. Respect everyone. Yes, arrogant assholes will surround you at times. Just roll with it and ignore them.

-Longer poles are kind of a must. Sorry. They will help rhythm in slalom courses, and everything actually. You can use them to regain balance if something goes astray. Pick up a cheap pair. Only use them for racing if you wish.

-You will have fun if you want. That is entirely up to you. If you go into practice thinking "racing is gay, omg look at all these faggits in their faggit-suits and it's cold and I hate these people" then you will be miserable. Meet some people (girls, hell, why not. Speed suits on chicks are great) and make friends. Try to get better, and think of it as training for your freeskiing. That's how I treat racing. As a racer, I can go so much harder on the steeps and in technical terrain than my non-racing friends. I don't have to, but having the knowledge makes things more fun and keeps you alive if shit hits the fan. For instance, a ski could eject in a no-fall zone, but good thing you have knowledge of skiing on one ski because of racing!



Overall, make racing what you want. You will get out of it as much effort as you put in. If you don't really try and don't care much than you won't improve much, but still could have fun and ski and meet friends. If you work while you are there (might as well, why not) to get better, you will become a better-rounded skier for all around the mountain.



Have fun, don't think too much. It's cool.

lawl your parents are cray. you need to convince them to let you do whatever the fuck you want with skiing. idk how old you are but you're probably getting to a point where you should start making decisions for yourself. If I was in ski racing I would probably be twice as intoxicated to deal with the fuckers that ski racing produces.

MACK.Awesome man thanks
Yeah there's about like 45 kids on the team and we have won state like 5 times in a row also I am a huge believer of being good in all aspects of skiing so I am excited to learn how to be just a better over all skier but if there 1+ foot of fresh Do they still make you train and race? also do you suggest multiple racing skis? Right now I bought some 155 cm fischer slalom from a friend will that be fine? (im 6'0 140)

155 will be even easier than the 165 I suggested above. Slalom courses will seem ridiculous at first. I double ejected twice my first run in front of a girl I liked. It was great. Not really. Haha

When they have powder days they will most likely do one of two things:
1) train general skiing with coaches, meaning grab your fat boards or all mountain skis and work on skiing well on the mountain. Perhaps you could even go with a coach in the park. Race coaches can be really good at teaching you how to ski glades and steep stuff though, so do that if you can.
2) They will let you go for the day and cancel practice. It's usually #1, but sometimes it's this.

The referenced post has been removed.

What a sad quote of a reasonable statement...

Listen man. You'll have fun. With a team that size there's bound to be a couple kids into the park scene that you can vibe with, but there's also probably going to be those douche bags. Just make the best of it and at the very least you'll improve your skiing, potentially make some new homies, and go Ricky bobby fast.

Regardless your parents are encouraging you to ski. So that's always fuckin cool.

MACK.Awesome man thanks
Yeah there's about like 45 kids on the team and we have won state like 5 times in a row also I am a huge believer of being good in all aspects of skiing so I am excited to learn how to be just a better over all skier but if there 1+ foot of fresh Do they still make you train and race? also do you suggest multiple racing skis? Right now I bought some 155 cm fischer slalom from a friend will that be fine? (im 6'0 140)

Sweet man! With that attitude I think you're gonna have a blast and improve a ton with it. Just stay open to criticism because if you present yourself like this (like you want to improve and are open minded about it) you will receive it. What my school does if we get dumped on is either just let us roam and free ski or use it to their advantage and teach us things we could only do in powder. Remember, racers are still humans to. They like powder as much as freestyle kids do. They're probably not gonna make a pow day a training day.

Regarding skis, I started on 155cm slaloms and it taught me a lot and they did really well for me. However, the 11 meter radius was so excited to turn for me I never learned how to use my inside ski because my outside would engage with so little effort. When I picked up lots of speed (30mph+) I would be going through a turn, my tip would initiate a tight turn and I would blow past it and slide until the edge hooked up again. Keeping an edge would be really difficult, and I would actually leave a trench but you could see where the tip kept trying to engage and would slide back into it. Partly my fault, partly because I pushed a pair of slalom skis that hard. You will notice if the snow is really hard or if you are aiming to carve larger turns that they get really chattery like I said above, and that's where you want GS skis. Gs skis will hold a much smoother edge through your turn, but at the cost of turn size. You need to have better technique to use them properly and my belief is you're not gonna get it without having them to learn it on!

I am the same height as you, but 195 pounds. I have a 165 SL pair, and a low 180ish pair. The slalom are super fun to rip tight turns and shred, but once you pick up speed they are annoying. I have to be more aggressive on my GS, but when I really push them on courses, long blues, or blacks they are sooooo much fun and hold such a smooth edge. I fully suggest getting a pair, but at first spend more time on the slalom skis because its easier to fix and build your technique on them, not to mention coach someone skiing on them.

Like some people mentioned above, get correct poles. Anything composite will last and they will give you rhythm in slalom. Aluminum will sing back at you when you hit gates, but only go aluminum if you can get nice racing ones. The rest will bend after a few slalom runs (mine were like bananas for a while!).

Properly fitted boots are a must

If you can, ditch the sweatshirts and baggy pants. I use a nice fitting shell and layers underneath it along with somewhat conservatively fitting snow pants. You don't really need a suit unless you get competitive, or are doing sg/dh (which would only be if you get competitive).


Ignore all the flashy pricey stuff, buy everything used if you can, it is out there. Be nice to coaches, and if you offer to slip the course when you haven't been asked to maybe they won't notice if you go missing for a run or two after that (hint hint).

Peace

Why are your parents making you join a team? Why can't you just ski for yourself.

JakeSalvadorlawl your parents are cray. you need to convince them to let you do whatever the fuck you want with skiing. idk how old you are but you're probably getting to a point where you should start making decisions for yourself. If I was in ski racing I would probably be twice as intoxicated to deal with the fuckers that ski racing produces.

There are also usually chill kids who aren't good enough to start the races on the team and just go to ski and smoke weed in their car. I think the OP will find them and have a blast and a great experience and hopefully he picks up a thing or two about carving a turn as well.

Since its high school its gonna be laid back and super fun. I race high school and all the racers that do it just do it to get more time on the mountain. All this talk about FIS doesn't matter cause high school can't be with FIS. Just be cool and make the most out of it

Bruh, racing in highschool was some of the best times of my life. For starters, its going to make you a much better skier if you actually try to learn something at practices. I don't know how serious your team is, but if your buddies are doing it with you them i'm sure you'll find ways to goof off and have fun. My best memories of the race team in highschool consisted of smoking hella weed with my friends, fucking around, and hitting on racer chicks. I also skied tele for my last highschool race as a senior. It was great.

So yeah, if you wanna be a dick head on the team then you'll have a good time

What highschool? Jesuit? Ski racing in highschool is a ton of fun, youll meet a ton of kids, you get to ski a lot, and trust me, there will be plenty of kids that ski park too.

Paul.What highschool? Jesuit? Ski racing in highschool is a ton of fun, youll meet a ton of kids, you get to ski a lot, and trust me, there will be plenty of kids that ski park too.

Yes sir Jesuit
4 time state champions in men and women combined lol

MACK.Yes sir Jesuit
4 time state champions in men and women combined lol

ey what up dude and what up paul

I went to Southridge so you will race in the same league. I know a pretty good amount about the jesuit ski team. Jesuit is the best team in the league (usually) and the biggest. Metro league ski racing is pretty chill and the majority of people are pretty much gapers, along with park rats, randoms, and some really fast skiers.

A lot of kids who ski in the league also ski park, and seeing someone slipping the race course in a tall tee and a race suit or something dumb isn't a huge deal.

On jesuit ski team you go up after school on a bus on friday with all your teammates and ski which is cool too.

You might actually not get to just lap the park when skiing with the team, but there is time to get some runs in the park (PARK RUNS IN A RACING SUIT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE)

Finally, ski racing will teach you to be a really good skier and last year when I raced there were really good (even sponsored!!1!) park skier kids who were the fastest ski racers too

MACK.after getting cut from basketball

Op was playing in his fulltilts

MACK.Yes sir Jesuit
4 time state champions in men and women combined lol

What year are you? My cousin goes to Jesuit and is on the ski team

stupendous-manWhat year are you? My cousin goes to Jesuit and is on the ski team

Sophmore
whose your cousin??

MACK.Sophmore
whose your cousin??

Andrew Christensen, hes a Junior. Not sure of his skiing abilities lol

Yeah I know andrew
we went to tline today but the only lift open was bruno... it blew major dick

Had the exact same thing happen... Best bet is to just have fun... i showed up after qualifying for OFSAA (Provincial Champiochips) and showed up ski racers in full park attire... Just have fun, do you're 2 races for the day... and just try not fuck ur knee up in the pipe inb4 your last race... Fucking sucks.