Month: January 2015

Ray, LaTanya, Steve, LeChauncy – level 1 to start, level 2&3 at days end … all from Houston … good progress. Gliding wedge turns starting to match at the finish. Enjoy the snowmobile and tubing tomorrow … and the whiskey tonight!

Olive, Paula, Laurel, Chong, Jenny, Rebecca, Betty – level 8+. Video in the morning in Imperial Bowl, Peak 9 in the afternoon. Today was all about finding the edge, riding the edge, staying aligned/balanced/coiled, hooking the ski up, higher edge angles, hips inside the turn, leg rotation to ‘follow’ the skis (let them do their job), complete the turns at all cost … finished the day with bumps on Peerless. A good day ladies … ‘you are getting it’! Thank you Betty for the chocolate chip cookies, they were a treat, homemade stuff the best.

Laurel, Joe, Julie, Olive, Pat, Peter, Rebecca, Chong, Bob, Diane, Paula, Mitzi — the mountain was the teacher today, the best instructor of all. Worked the T-bar and chair 6, trees, off piste, steep bumps, snow got better as the day progressed … one of the most fun days yet, just ski and enjoy playing with the mountain. Rebecca, thank you for chocolate cookies, I had the last one in the locker room to fortify for the bus ride home.

Level 8, focus on balance, hip rotation and tip to support resultant force in the femur sockets, javelin turns, upper/lower body separation, frontal alignment, start turn with new inside ski, more skidding in bumps, pivot turns … Outlaw, Beyond Bowl, CJs, Duke’s bumps, Crescendo bumps, Peerless. Probably talked too much today with not enough skiing, too heavy on technique, this group needed more miles, I’ll give myself a 6.5 in instruction. Warm, blue sky some wind but not bad.

Nancy, Judy, Pam, Donna, Becky, Joelle, Susie – level 7, working on balance, edge control, upper body discipline. Side slips, skidding in the turn, a more straight line, bump traverse while in balance, stay off the hard edge. Imperial, Peerless, American, Peak 10. Hop turns, straight runs out of balance, straighter line in the bumps. Think at one point all of you were ready to fire me … thank you for hanging in … a few years from now when you are skiing Outlaw with style you might like me again.

Olive, Paola, Laurel, Chong, Jenny, Rebecca, Betty, Mitzi: strong level 8, this is all starting to come together. Focus on hip rotation and tip, how each side of hip supports ‘it’s’ leg and forces generated up through the ski, pivot turns, softer edges to allow more slip and skid in the turns, holding a line with shorter radius more pivoty turns. Lulu was the steepest (first two turns an adrenaline rush), Deb’s Alley the best snow. Great start to Babes, thank you!

Riley and Brayden – Louisiana – first time skiing, ages 9 & 11. Magic Carpet, Rips Ride and Poma … gliding wedge and wedge turns (along with some rootbeer, chicken fingers and cheese fries) a good day! Enjoy your tubing tomorrow and hay ride tonight. Thank you for coming to ski school and spending the day learning a new sport.

Parker, Jack, Hudson – Houston – Level 1. Magic Carpet, Rip’s Ride, Chair 5 … by 3:30PM making controlled turns down Powerline. Started with wedge turns, side slips, matching across the hill, turning both feet (skis) together for earlier matching, speed control with direction (turns) and NOT the wedge. Have a great vacation, thank you for a fun day!