Month: January 2012

Level 8 doing what level 8’s do … steep, crud (we found some good stuff here) bumps … and suppose I should add ‘wind slab’. Wind reconfigured the mountain last night moving the snow around – loading up the bowls, scrubbing the exposed ridges, creating a variety of ‘stuff’ to play with. Tom, Celia, Michele, John, Dale – perfect size group to learn from each other and have a bunch of laughs. Good skiing to all!

Level 8 – solid level 8 – all mountain, steeps, Rustler bumps, off piste, chair 6 and Tbar, crud … you name it we did it. Celia, Tom, Lilly, Mike, Stacy, Steve, Michelle. Foot pressure distribution, alignment, core position, tactics in every turn (groomed, bumps, off piste, steeps), using the ‘sidewall’, targeting for the apex in every trun. Lots of fun and progress today, thank you.

Eight inches this morning, probably two more during the day. Jeff, Tom, Paul, Pam – level 8 – there was some good skiing to be had today. Off piste, powder, bumps. Not a lot of technique – a little but hopefully just enough to create some thought and have something to play with. Sometimes it takes a year or two to change one little issue – and even longer to get rid of one little issue. A fun day with a few new friends!

BABES! And then there were bumps … they seem to be calling our names. Our third week, the foundations of stance, balance, alignment and fundamental skills now beginning to solidify – time has arrived to begin putting core values to work … and the work being bumps, offf piste, steeper terrain. It was a good day – and the chocolate for lunch the ‘icing on the cake’.

Level 7, technique, easy black (that somewhat of an oxymoron), bumps in the afternoon. Angela, Susan (our two Aussies), Joelle, Selin, Heather, Merritt, Greg, Justin, Donna. Shuffle turns, hands on hips, up step/down step traverses, hip/shoulder/hand alignment, KEEP THE SKIS ON THE SNOW IN BUMPS !!!!!!! Some snow, warm, lots of wind. A safe day with definitely some laughs – thank you all.

Level 7, strong level 7. Tbar off limits to classes today, bumps on Dukes, North Star, High Anxiety, Crescendo. Much emphasis on alignment (the holy grail), turn initiation, shaping, independent leg action, using the core as the stable platform, letting the kinesthetics of the body start to accept the inside leg as an ‘active player’ in the turn. New snow (maybe 4 inches by days end) – a good day, thank you.

‘The Babes’ – Nancy(shaped turns, patience at the top to allow completion at the bottom), Joelle (flexibility in the arms, elbows in front of ribs, hands outside elbows, stay functionally loose), Donna (right hand low and behind, closer to the knee than the shoulder), Elsa (both feet on the snow and shaping, some pressure in the inside ski, let the inside ski shape and lead), Barabar (turn initiation ‘through the door’, commit the core to the inside of the new turn). Thank you for wanting to learn and stepping outside your comfort zone to effect change. The inside picture not so good – but still a capture of a good day.

The Boston Bunch (if two is a bunch) – Aaron and Ellie – level 5 class – end of day level 7 skiers – blue slopes consistantly making parallel turns. Core position, turn initiation, left ski left to turn left, hand discipline, leg steering (femur rotating in the hip), side slipes, balance poles on top of wrists, step around turns, lift inside and outside ski in traverse, 180 degree hop turns, 360s, long outside leg/ short inside leg, a little bit of powder and a little bit of trees. This was a good day guys – you are different skier now – well done and thank you for a memorable day.