Messages posted by : pavelski
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Bandit and Iceman,
I should however mention that iof you are a rank beginner, first time on skis,,,then yes it may be dangerous to try to ski with boot unbuckled. As it is dangerous to ski down a steep couloir with ski boots undone. Please, all skiers and readers of this post accept "hints" within the context it was given ! Respectfully, Pavel |
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Iceman,
The quality of boots and fit is so good now that,,I always ski at least two easy runs with no buckles on ! It is not dangerous ! It teaches you to not "force" your turns. It teaches you to "feel your ski turn" It teaches you to gently ease into turn! I mentioned to my wife that I had posted this and she mentioned an excellent "hint" that she uses! She listens to her clips as they close. She knows which is "correct" for her by the sound! She has learned that sound! There is a distinct clear, CLIP sound of a good closed buckle. Learn how your boots close correctly for you ! It is like tuning a piano! You are tuning the boots for you ! Try it! Iceman, In the level 3 ski instructors evaluation final test, all instructors must unbuckle their boots and ski in uniform speed down a varied type terrain. Why is this done ? To determine the instructor that does not use muscle to turn,,,but allows the ski to respond to the slightest "hint" from his knees! Try it on a nice long easy slope. It will make you a better skier! You will feel the undulations of the snow, you will feel the ski biting! If you are off center,,you will also feel that in an instant! Hope this helps some of you! Pavel |
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I received another great "suggestion" !
To most skiers putting ski boots is "evident", but to the neophyte it is a strange ritual! Yes it seems so simple,,,but there are some tricks, some points, procedures you must respect. I will assume you have never put on a ski boot, so please forgive if I mention some very very evident points such as; unbuckle buckles ! Seems so persons spent 15 minutes trying to put on ski boots with buckles on ! Welcome to your ski boots. They have two essential functions; 1. to interface ( nice high tech word ) with you and ski. In short to mate with ski. 2. to make you comfortable ( in spite of what salesperson says ) while skiing. All modern ski boots have buckles (4-5 ) in front of boot. There are some exceptions such as Dave Mac who loves his old ( rear entry ) boots so much that he still wears them. You must unbuckle boots spread upper cuffs and allow tongue to spread two sides. I prefer to heat mine up for 15 minutes since I never take off my boots once I ski! It softens plastic and my liners. Yes I am "difficult" but I love it to have soft warm ski boots on ! Take off your street socks. Allow feet to dry off ( yes they are wet ) for 2-5 minutes while you are having a coffee. 90% of skiers just place wet feet into ski socks ( guess what happens ) . I have some baby powder which I sprinkle on feet and into ski socks or Dr. Shols foot powder will do. Taking the top of boot tongue ( most ski boots now have a tug ribbon on top of tongue) insert your foot into the ski boot, Once in, make sure tongue is well centered. Make sure you feel "comfortable in ski boot BEFORE you buckle up ! Here is where 80% of skiers make a serious mistake. They buckle their boots very tightly at max tension! Never do this, Allow the foot and boot to get to know each other. It has been some time since they have "interfaced" ! Just wiggle toes to say '"hello" to boot! While sitting down, raise foot several inches and bring down heel of boot with some force! This will make your heel moving into heel section of boots. DO NOT DO THIS on your kitchen tiles, your wood floor or Italian ceramic living room tiles! Then beginning with first buckle near toes place buckle at very loose position ! That first buckle is not that important for skiing! The second unit ( just above arch is key one ). It hold you down. Again DO NOT force this buckle. Easy soft position ! Keep going up. Do same for other boot. Always in soft buckle position,,,now flex boots by pressing knees forward. This is a signal to boots that you are ready to ski soon! Again I will mention NOT to buckle your boots too much now! Remember this is just an "introduction" ! Wait until you have done at least one "warm up run" ! It will teach you to "feel your skis, to feel your toes and not to force skis! Strange as it seems,,a soft boot buckle will make you a better skier! You will discover why later ! One last hint. You have a strap at very top of boots. Once on top slope you tighten this strap! You will note that once the feet and boots get to know each other,,,they will hug each other,,come closer together,,,, THEN you can slowly adjust buckles! ( but never too much pressure since it will cause pressure points) Hope this helps you love skiing! |
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Ha,,,,,powder ! The dream of many skiers! Skiing powder!
Here are a few "hints" ! First above all you must change your mind set! That is you must think of powder ( +40 cm. or more ) as water ON WHICH you must ski. NOT in the powder ! Think of a speed boat,,,there is a speed at which this boat LIFTS out of the water and skims ON the water! Windsurfers, surfers and sailors know this well! Rather than plow in the powder,,you float on the powder! This takes some courage since there will be a little voice inside your head saying, "fool,,,,you are going too fast,,,,,STOPPPPPP,,,what are you doing " ! That voice does not know yet hat you are IN powder and you need speed to get on TOP of the powder! That is the mind set you must change! It is dramatic and for some impossible since they are yet not sure of themselves and do not believe they can do it! They equate speed with danger, speed with reckless skiers! Sorry but in powder you need some speed! So change mind set. Believe in yourself! You can do it! Second. Skiing strategy must change. Note I did not say, "ski technique" but skiing strategy! That is the way you plan you "ski line"! How you ski down slope! In powder it is fall line skiing. That is straight as much as your heart and mind ( that little voice inside) will allow! I often see this inner battle as I guide first time powder skiers! These are great skiers in groomed slopes and I tell them to take the fall line,,but as they reach their level of "stress, of inner desire" they will make fast cross-hill turns! Then they can not on next turn get back to fall line because they have slowed down..sunk INTO powder and now snow has "eaten them up" ! They fall ! You will discover that in powder snow you slow down very fast if you do not go down fall line! Believe in your skiing abilities! Besides it is great fun to fall and be caressed by thousands of snowflakes! They are delicious ( I have tasted many) ! Third Do not believe "experts" who tell you to lean back on ski tails! Stay in "sweet spot" of ski! Fourth Keep legs together! For two years I was teaching a 69 year old man how to carve. he became great on hard packed well groomed slopes! In fact I had to tell him to slow down. Then he tries powder ( not serious powder) ! Powder just up to knees! Soft, new new powder! Told him to keep skis together and go down fall line ! In 5 minutes I hear hard loud cursing! Heard words I will not repeat here ( since Dave will censor most of them )! Heard a man "upset with himself" ! It is a new "medium" ! You must adjust ! An effective skier does not have one style, one way to ski! You adjust to nature,,,since nature will never adjust to you! No more edge sets ( à la carve )! Think of pushing down both skis to side on "down cycle" and allow skis to push you UP on the rebound! You will discover a "rythm"! That up and down rythme the skis create ! Finally If you can,,,get powder skis. Not the radical +115mm 190cm monsters with full rackers, but the 80-100 mm. entry powder skis with rocker in FRONT and some mild rockers in tails! I have tried the various types. I have three which I love and lend to skiing friends! The powder beginners I give them the Rossi S3! Soft mild entry ski at 177 cm. For the better powder skiers the Watea 100 is great and finally for the "boys' who have good heart and great desire,,I reserve then the Blizzard Cochise! Amazing skis is all I will say ! Get some type of powder ski! Trust me,,,,you will float not only physically,,but you will remember that first perfect top to bottom powder rush you got! It is like your first,,,,,,as a young man ! Hope this helps you ! Oh,,,,,one more hint! Has you go down that very first great, great fall line run with those Cochise,,,keep your mouth closed ( in your happiness ) since you will discover that thousands of snow flakes love to get into your mouth ! Happy powder skiing ! Pavel |
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Wanderer,
Thank you for the point I missed ! Yes of course,,,learning to turn at edge of ski slope while standing still! Seems simple,,,yet for a neophyte it is a challenge! Thank you ! Warren Miller in all his films ( not videos,,so several years ago ) would have a section on beginner skiers! This was done to make a point that we were all beginners and we all had to pass this "tadpole" phase! It was also pleasant to laugh at our errors, our "gauche" moves ! Please , for your own safety and pleasure new skiers,,,,,practice such "easy" survival moves BEFORE getting on slope ! Pavel |
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Snapzzzz,
You have learned a very valuable lesson on this trip. Prepare before ski trip with; physical conditioning good skis great jacket great boots ! I often see skiers spend a great deal on money to ski in heli -powder but by Tuesday they are so sore that they have too stay in bed ( even after a two hour spa). It is too dangerous to ski with "weak" legs, so at least 1 month before ski trip get body ready ! Next time,,,,, Pavel |
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Iceman,
If you only knew the heavy schedule I have in the next few months ! All this strange weather has changed many plans! I have 20 older skiers with free powder skis on the ready,,,,waiting for snow! Had a meeting in France during the races which was cancelled! Have two trips to Utah,,, Yes we will meet one day (as with Dave Mac, and Dave ) since I know there are rumors that I do not exist ! That I am Dave's alter cyber-ego, causing all sorts of "issues" to make British skiers come on his site and complain about my comments! I will give you one issue now ! Just finished 10 days on a Rossignol S3 ( you can look up specifics) ! If you read marketing jargon it is a "one quiver" ski doing miracles on all sorts of conditions ! Well they are terrible on hard packed near ice surfaces. I just tried them on soft 10 cm. snow ! Sorry my Head SL and Fischer SL are much much better! Will wait for +20 cm. of snow to see how good they are then ! So far I find them "slow" on edge sets, too soft on hard packed and too wide when no powder! Perhaps good on powder but NOT a one quiver ski. I have several skis such as; VIST, Head Supershape, Fischer SL, Head SL much much better ! Sorry that is my opinion ( honest ) and I got the skis free for a season so I have no motivation to say otherwise ! Iceman have a great season ! |
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This is the beginning skiing section, so I will assume you are a just thinking or decide to ski this year!
Welcome ! I watched today a father with a 12 year old boy "stuck" on a relatively easy slope just because he did know some basic "procedures" all skiers should know BEFORE going on slopes! You can practice these in your backyard or in any space where there is snow ( or a soft thick carpet) ! I teach this on some wrestling mats or gymnastic mats indoors ! 1. How to get up ! Seems evident yet there are some key elements. One is NEVER point tips downhill while getting up ! 2. How to fall ! Imagine we all think we know how to fall until you see some fantastic acrobatic moves worthy of Olympic gymnastic competitions. 3. How to get into ski bindings on level surface and slanted surfaces ! Yes it is different ! 4. How to prepare bindings to accept boots! I have seen a skier try for 20 minutes to place boots into a "closed" rear unit! Look how it is done. Ask how it is done! 5. How to go to a "safe zone" ! The father in question was "helping" his son right in the middle of a narrow section of a ski run! Go of to side at all times,,if possible behind a tree, fence, person. ( The father should have been above son to protect him,,, He was 3 meters down the slope, shouting at son,,,,) 6. Learn how to take off ski bindings on level and slanted slopes ! 7. Learn how to take OFF snow from ski boots soles ! ( A safety issue here ) 8. Learn to take a breath right after falling ( do not move,,to see if you have pain ) Then get up slowly ! Most men around 30ish get up very very fast due to ego issues! DO NOT ! 9. Learn to use your poles as aids in getting up ! Two together since you do not want to bend them ! 10. Finally,,do not wait to practice this on your holiday! You have paid lots of money so practice at home with any skis, Hope this helps you all. PS We all passed this phase of skiing. We all visited the snow with out hips, head, shoulder (and other parts of our body )! It will make you a better skier ! Enjoy ! Pavel |
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