Month: February 2013

Cold as hell today … but very productive. Most memorable for the last official Babes day: Pam, Barbara, Donna, Joelle, Nancy, Elsa, Becky – this was bumps and nothing but. Every one of you now starts to see the ‘bigger picture’ of what is going on here … like coming of age I suppose. All our drills, discusssions on infinitum, drills on top of drills, cold days/warm days, revelations and frustrations, the pieces rolling around in the cranium just waiting to solidify. Ladies, today the mind at last started to reconcile peace with all those muscles and neurons. I’m am more elated than you!

Level 7: Jullie, David and Tracy. Quite a cold day,some sun, some not sun – lift rides maybe the most trying when you have a nose that likes to freeze. Bumps was the terrain focus with tactics the main issue. From a technique standpoint: inside ski activity, upper body alignment, early edge engagement, foot/knee/hip relationship, independent leg steering, speed control with gravity, adjusting bump line with skidding. An enjoyable day – thank you wanting to learn and sharing a few piece of your lives.

Level 9: Sarah, Elisa, Greg, Art. This was a ‘hip’ day … all about the hip, how to twist it, tip it, counter it, use it as a base of support, let the femurs rotate under it when aligned. You guys wore me out, think we will all sleep good tonight … well, those of us that don’t stay up all night in the party mode. Lots of steeps, powder, trees and more trees, bumps in trees, bumps not in trees, narrow bumps, steep bumps, bumps with rocks in the trough, hidden bumps, off pisted bumps. A good day of skiing with some laughs and tired legs!

What a ripping group, solid 8s all the way – and with Mitzi pulling the strings more like 9s. So much fun today: Lulu, King, Rustler, Joker, Boundry line, White Crown, The Meadow, Cucumber, Souther Cross, Dukes, Tiger Woods – quite sure all will sleep well tonight. Technique: skis on steeper terrain (ok to have long leg short leg), more flex at ankles and knees, some angulation at the waist, turn completion, pressuring the skis, turn initiation with new inside ski, hand and hip discipline. keeping both skis on the snow and ‘some’ pressure on both skis ALWAYS. Have a good week to all!

Level 7: Joelle, Elsa, Becky, Dathy (last day for this season), Lori, Susan, Ruby – the mission …. go high. 6 chair, Imperial. Some off piste, some groomed, some bumps – snowy day, not too cold, wonderful skiing. Hip alignment and all that it entails, turn initiation with new inside ski, keep skis ‘grounded’, bump skiing with alternation between high edge angle and carve and feathered edges with skid. What a fun day!

BABES: Donna, Joelle, Barbara, Elsa, Becky, Nancy, Pam – powder day all the way, a good 5 inches of new, cold but workable, some steep, some green, some bumps (little ones), lots of snow piles to plow into and play. Guided Discovery day – experiment, go to the edge, enter the yellow zone, feel something new, don’t make the same old turn, use the tools in the ‘bag of tricks’ to play with the mountain, wedge/step/parallel/lose balance/find balance, sing, scream, get frustarted, get happy … just explore something different. Think we are all still speaking, hope so, I had a great day being more of a watcher than a talker – thank you.

 

 

Gary. This was probably the day that Gary will remember, watershed! All of a sudden it clicked … why is it so hard, why is it so easy. No more to be said.

Gary, Level 7 and improving with every day. Peak 9, Bananza, Gold King, some powder, some stuff between powder and groomed, foot pressure (big toe, little toe, on the edge, right/left ski, inside ski only), turns up the hill, hip position for strength, hands. Best turns ever, starting to play with the mountain.