J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by pavelski

Doug,
Time and speed are so relative.
You discover that in skiing.
The faster you ski,,,,the slower time seems to be.
The faster you ski,,,,the softer you must be.

Time a perfect ski run often lasts a lifetime.

Enjoy discovering this.

Pav

Brucie,
I had the Head's for two years.
I just got the Salomon Xmax 120.
Hesitated getting the 120s,,but I must tell you how satisfied I am.
First I have two different size feet. One needs serious modifications.
The heat molding process did 90% of work.
Then I did my own inner liner work.
Like slippers.

That 120 flex index? Well they are softer front flex than my Heads 100 flex. Yet lateral rigidity is amazing.

I recommend these boots to any serious skier.
PS
get orthotic soles also.

I wondered for some time how to pass along this advice on stopping?

Then today I watched rank beginners and experts go down a slope.

It came to me.

Clearly beginners and experts go down the slope very much in different ways. I am not speaking of technical issues , but how they choose paths, ski lines.

The experts even if they ski faster never stop. They deviate away from problem zones or skiers.
They flow down varying their speed in reference to; traffic, slope and conditions.

The beginners.
They are so focussed on the 2 meters ahead, on their fear of speed and fear of poor ski control that their progress is a series of starts, quick turns ( to avoid speed ), and sudden stops with a fall or hard body turning "hockey stops"!

How to avoid this?
First beginners for your own happiness, safety,,,,take lessons
Second stay on protected easy wide runs.
Third learn to look ahead well over 2 meters.
Fourth learn to make all ski moves with gentle, soft gradual moves[i]. Fast hard panic moves will not help.
I know it sounds silly to suggest " slow, easy manner",,,,All effective skiing is done with small "adjustments" often not seen by most skiers. Great skiers are "quiet skiers" !

Many ski resorts have protected beginner slopes stay on them until you can go down non-stop in a slow flowing motion. That is with no stopping,,,,top to bottom.

You must learn to anticipate where to change direction in a elegant slow easy manner.
The more you will anticipate,,,,the better that slow easy turn will be.

The less you "anticipate" where to turn, the more radical, fast, quick your turns must be.

Learn to feel free while soaring down ( with no stress, tension and fear ) That only comes with time.

Enjoy letting the skis go!
Enjoy turn slowly, with easy with no object ( or skier) to avoid.
Enjoy going down non-stop fro top to bottom.

In short enjoy skiing. It will make you at ease,,,,then you will ski better.

I hope this helps some of you.
Pavel

If anyone has questions in regards to tuning, bindings, repairs I am free to help.
No serious ski trips for three weeks.

Feel free to post questions.

Just a short note that I do not sell material.
I do not have a ski store or ski agency.

I will post my "suggestions" in the most honest manner.

I just have a great deal of experience as a ski technician, ski rep, ski tester.

I hope to help some of you.

Respectfully,
Pavel

Learning to stop.

May I suggest you change your mind set!

Watch a bird soar. He never stops!

Think like a bird,,,skiing is very much like soaring, flying with freedom.

Fine you say,,,,but what about that speed and those other skiers!

The secret is to anticipate,,to look ahead ( not 1 meter ahead) and re-direct skis in an easy supple, elegant manner so to avoid objects, skiers etc,,,

The secret is to anticipate speed level by directing skis up hill ( to slow down),,downhill to speed up .

Skiing,,,,effective skiing is never to stop,,,but rather to channel gravity in a soaring, flowing manner.

Learn to channel that gravity "energy" to turn and slow down ( using slope )

Seems to me most beginners are fighting slope, fighting skis, fighting speed rather than re-directing these.
Take lessons.
Above all enjoy soaring.

Sharon,
First be patient with yourself. Do not expect "instant" to be expert.

May I suggest following;
1. Work your mind. Your thoughts about speed, control and "feet together issues".
-speed,,,,stay on easy beginner wide slopes
-control,,,yes take lessons since no one on net will provide "acceptable" on slope experience
-feet together,,,,no need for that. That WAS the old pre-1970s technique. No need for leg together skiing.

2. Beginner skiers make three fundamental mistakes.

First they look at skis or ski tips while skiing. Never but never look at skis. Look 2-4 meters ahead where you will be going.
Second. 90% of skiers do body rotation turns. That is they turn upper torso to turn skis. NO NO NO!
That is where lessons will come handy. Learn to turn skis with knees and ski edges. Not upper body.
I can not here tell you how to do that on net.
Third. Always press big toe down on ski. Never be on heels. 90% of skiers are afraid of speed or lack of control and thus lean back on ski tails and heels.

Learn to ski from edges to edge of trail,,,,with slow easy turns. Watch beginners and how they turn quickly since they are afraid of speed.

The trick is to trust your skis and your ability to do a slow gradual turn. Yes you may pick you speed,,but if you trust yourself and keep turning across slope skis will slow down as they go up hill.
You must not panic.
You must trust skis to keep edge.
You must trust yourself to "RIDE OUT" speed,,,,( of course going across slope) !

Talk to yourself to hold that edge.

I hope this helps you.

Yes take lessons ( alone with instructor )

Respectfully,
Pavel

Sleep!

Hunter,
Canting,,true boot cant is done with not just those screws on cuff side.

Let me help you with what you have.

First get some support material.

A pair of shorts
A felt marker
a plumb line ( yes a plumb line used by stone masons or brick layers )

Once you have all that, get a friend to help you.

Put on those shorts.

With felt marker draw a vertical 5 cm. line on the center of both knees.

Loosen those side screws on boots.

Put on boots and stand on flat surface with buckles on first "soft" position.

Flex knees forward several times.

While you are in this forward flex position (as if you are skiing ) have your friend take the plumb line, place string on that black line you drew on you knees , so that plumb is just above your boot shell ( near toe area ).

If he /she observes carefully, there is a line at the center of the boot shell just where toes area and where boot shell meets binding.

Note where the plumb is relative to this line( it usually has a pointer ).

If plumb is lateral ( ie to the right of that boot shell line ) you must move cuff INSIDE to medial side. This is done by RAISING out side boot shell screw.

The plumb pointer should be at center line of boot shell or 3 - 4 mm. INSIDE that line ( medial to line).

I hope I explained this procedure clearly.

Think,,,you use the inside edge of ski thus pressure should be in the inside of that boot mid point line. Pressure on the BIG toe area,,,,!
Never on the smallest toes area.

The cuff adjustments allows skiers to align leg ( knee) with skis.

If you have major issues with knees or legs please go see a qualified boot fitter.

If you wish a much better presentation of this "adjustment" may I suggest, Ron LeMaster's Book. There is a complete chapter on boot adjustment.