A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!
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Interesting points these.
My view on paths and runs off the mountain may be different to others, but I personally think people should be a little more respectful to those in front rather than whizzing past at top speed. Its on these runs, usually late in the day, that I have seen most accidents. Casued....well, its hard to say, but IMO by good skiers bombing off whilst there are "numpties" plodding along, probably snowploughing off the mountain. Neither is wrong, each should respect the other. But unfortunately people dont seem to allow enough room between themselves and the person in front.
I have found if I come up behind a skier who is going, IMO, too slow, I will slow down and wait for an easy place to pass, usually banging my sticks together behind my back as I approach to warn them I am there. It may be going off the edge or keeping on the piste, whichever is appropriate.
Personally, I'd like to see anyone of a low standard take the lift off the mountain instead of blocking up the runs off. But you cant police anything like that.
Sometimes grading a run off as green or blue attracts too many newbies or early intermediates to take the run rather than the lift, so I'd like to see resorts upgrading runs off mountains, especially if they are narrow, at least to reds to put lower standard skiers off. No offence to lower standard skiers, but these runs are just no good for them. People I know snowplough off at 3mph, they get to the bottom slagging off the better skiers for going too fast, they complain their legs hurt (from being in a snow plough position) and say the whole run was "a nightmare".
Take the lift next time!!!!!!
What the hell is stemming????? :shock:
Aaaaah Tony !!
You are showing your youth :wink:
Stemming = stem christie = which is like a snowplough (ish) through the turn and then back to parallel.
I suppose theoretically any time your tails are wider than your tips is a stem turn.
I think they mean Stem Cristie, it is where the outside ski is skidded outward in the turn.
I couldn't agree more.
As for newbies not skiing down the last run? If the run is within their safe ability why not - they've got just as much right to leave the mountain on skis as the experts & those in between. (And will derive more satisfaction than someone who's done it all before). A lot of the low runs get very soft & bumpy as the day goes on which is a challenge for new skiers but not a reason to take the lift.
Better skiers have the choice - they can go on the blacks and reds and I do out of preference to avoid slower moving skiers. If the run back to base is blue and busy I just accept that it's safer and a simple courtesy to pick my time to overtake and if necessary put myself at the edge of the piste rather than expect a beginner to wory about what's coming from above and stop when they shouldn't need to.
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Started by Pavelski in Beginning Skiing 19-Nov-2011 - 58 Replies
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
No-one is saying that stemming is the way to ski, but I refuse to see how it leads to bad habits once the skier learn further. And knowing how to put stem and transfer weight on that ski can be helpful in very difficult situations. If I don't have enough speed for a jump turn or room to gain speed for a jump turn, I stop completely, rest my weight on a pole, stem, pick up ski and I am fine and ready to go. Doesn't make me force my turns on slopes, but let me change direction my skis are facing in pretty much any situation. If I didn't learn how to do it in the beginning I would have to learn it now, but learning it on my first day allowed me not to be afraid of the mountain on the second. But yeah, of course if you have the luxury of keeping beginners on bunny hills for weeks, then, yes, they can learn to carve first. But realistically in most major resorts beginners are out to red slopes on their second day and they need to be able to turn and stop their skis before they can progress further, and while it's not the most efficient manner it's effective so it works, I don't see ski schools being in a rush to discard it and haven't met a person yet who learned to ski bypassing the stem, didn't cause them any issues and I don't see why it should.
Tony_H
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
Meercat wrote:On the 'to plough or not to plough' question. I must say there's one time in particular that I wish people would plough (in a straight line). Going down a path. At end-of-day - when you have a slow person turning left and right across the path when they could be (at least some of the time) sticking to the inside with a plough when they need to cut off speed - would be a great help to all the people bottlenecking behind, who, in addition, all start parallel turning left to right and getting in eachother's way.
That's when I use a straight line plough - it signals to people behind that you're not about to change direction (or at least not very quickly). Also, when approaching the end of a run (especially in the area of a lift entrance) if you plough to slow down you do not cause those behind you to vere left and right potentially causing panic and mayhem.
All this begs an interesting question. Do you adjust your skiing to your style or to help those behind you?
And does anybody have any statistics which show whether paths have more accidents, more serious accidents or are the most fun place to exercise mind-reading? Have you ever had to go 'out of your comfort zone' (ie. off the edge of the path) to get around somebody who chose to hang a turn right as you drew alongside them? Indeed, when you're going down a path through the trees - do you look ahead for a nice little upside ridge you can go up and over to get around a slow path-blocker? And do you do that ridge on the one ski, the other lifted? Somebody could write a book on 'How to avoid people on the path, and best of all how to circumnavigate the one last final sharp left turn through a narrow tunnel that everybody is trying to squeeze through at the end of the run when they did not slow down in time and find a gap to get through'. :)
Interesting points these.
My view on paths and runs off the mountain may be different to others, but I personally think people should be a little more respectful to those in front rather than whizzing past at top speed. Its on these runs, usually late in the day, that I have seen most accidents. Casued....well, its hard to say, but IMO by good skiers bombing off whilst there are "numpties" plodding along, probably snowploughing off the mountain. Neither is wrong, each should respect the other. But unfortunately people dont seem to allow enough room between themselves and the person in front.
I have found if I come up behind a skier who is going, IMO, too slow, I will slow down and wait for an easy place to pass, usually banging my sticks together behind my back as I approach to warn them I am there. It may be going off the edge or keeping on the piste, whichever is appropriate.
Personally, I'd like to see anyone of a low standard take the lift off the mountain instead of blocking up the runs off. But you cant police anything like that.
Sometimes grading a run off as green or blue attracts too many newbies or early intermediates to take the run rather than the lift, so I'd like to see resorts upgrading runs off mountains, especially if they are narrow, at least to reds to put lower standard skiers off. No offence to lower standard skiers, but these runs are just no good for them. People I know snowplough off at 3mph, they get to the bottom slagging off the better skiers for going too fast, they complain their legs hurt (from being in a snow plough position) and say the whole run was "a nightmare".
Take the lift next time!!!!!!
www
New and improved me
Tony_H
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
verbier_ski_bum wrote:No-one is saying that stemming is the way to ski
What the hell is stemming????? :shock:
www
New and improved me
OldAndy
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
Tony_H wrote:verbier_ski_bum wrote:No-one is saying that stemming is the way to ski
What the hell is stemming????? :shock:
Aaaaah Tony !!
You are showing your youth :wink:
Stemming = stem christie = which is like a snowplough (ish) through the turn and then back to parallel.
I suppose theoretically any time your tails are wider than your tips is a stem turn.
www
Snow dance !!! my snow dance on youtube
Ian Wickham
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
Tony_H wrote:verbier_ski_bum wrote:No-one is saying that stemming is the way to ski
What the hell is stemming????? :shock:
I think they mean Stem Cristie, it is where the outside ski is skidded outward in the turn.
Andymol2
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
Tony_H wrote:
Interesting points these.
My view on paths and runs off the mountain may be different to others, but I personally think people should be a little more respectful to those in front rather than whizzing past at top speed.
I couldn't agree more.
As for newbies not skiing down the last run? If the run is within their safe ability why not - they've got just as much right to leave the mountain on skis as the experts & those in between. (And will derive more satisfaction than someone who's done it all before). A lot of the low runs get very soft & bumpy as the day goes on which is a challenge for new skiers but not a reason to take the lift.
Better skiers have the choice - they can go on the blacks and reds and I do out of preference to avoid slower moving skiers. If the run back to base is blue and busy I just accept that it's safer and a simple courtesy to pick my time to overtake and if necessary put myself at the edge of the piste rather than expect a beginner to wory about what's coming from above and stop when they shouldn't need to.
Andy M
Admin
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
Some interesting points being raised here...
Absolutely. Same rule applies to any level of skier; if you're confident that you're safe, then have a go.
It was a long time ago (think dinosaurs) but I still remember goading myself in a nervous snowplough along a Blue path - and really appreciating the better skiers giving me plenty of room (and tapping their skis together to let me know they were there!).
If the run home is clogged up with beginners then just chill; relax and enjoy the view and let them get down at their own pace. Usually they'll have learnt something and will have more confidence next time round - confidence they wouldn't gain by taking the lift.
Tony - sounds like you might have been a little out of your comfort zone on Le Tunnel but you still did it; and I'll bet you'd have found it easier on a second run, having proved to yourself that you didn't die! :thumbup:
...on the "stem" turn... the closely related "step" turn is included in one of Warren Smith's DVDs as a fallback (if your confidence goes) on steeps; to be used when you're in a tight spot and not yet sure enough of your jump turns. It's just one more technique that can sometimes come in handy.
andymol2 wrote:As for newbies not skiing down the last run? If the run is within their safe ability why not
Absolutely. Same rule applies to any level of skier; if you're confident that you're safe, then have a go.
It was a long time ago (think dinosaurs) but I still remember goading myself in a nervous snowplough along a Blue path - and really appreciating the better skiers giving me plenty of room (and tapping their skis together to let me know they were there!).
If the run home is clogged up with beginners then just chill; relax and enjoy the view and let them get down at their own pace. Usually they'll have learnt something and will have more confidence next time round - confidence they wouldn't gain by taking the lift.
Tony - sounds like you might have been a little out of your comfort zone on Le Tunnel but you still did it; and I'll bet you'd have found it easier on a second run, having proved to yourself that you didn't die! :thumbup:
...on the "stem" turn... the closely related "step" turn is included in one of Warren Smith's DVDs as a fallback (if your confidence goes) on steeps; to be used when you're in a tight spot and not yet sure enough of your jump turns. It's just one more technique that can sometimes come in handy.
The Admin Man
Ian Wickham
reply to 'A term to never use,,,,on slope and off slope!!' posted Jan-2012
I guess my two pence for what it is worth is about the inexperienced skiing reds, some times it is a complete nightmare getting passed them, not knowing which way they are going to turn, I had one in chatel who turned right so I thought I'd pass her on the left and she turns straight back left.
Another day same resort wide piste (Red) waiting on the side for my lot to catch up and another one
snow ploughing out of control towards me, I was ready with arms out ready to push them away as there was no way they were going to take me out. Lucky for her she passed behind me .... but the point is they are biting off more than they can chew :evil:
Another day same resort wide piste (Red) waiting on the side for my lot to catch up and another one
snow ploughing out of control towards me, I was ready with arms out ready to push them away as there was no way they were going to take me out. Lucky for her she passed behind me .... but the point is they are biting off more than they can chew :evil:
Topic last updated on 01-February-2012 at 18:05