Month: April 2015

Nancy & Glynna – overcast day, snow never softened, windy (just a normal spring day), stayed low on the mountain and worked on technique and drills: tip first, how to tip (ankles,knees, femurs, center of mass crossing over), slips on both skis then uphill ski, pivot slips, how leg rotation affects steering and tipping, rhythm turns, follow the leader matching turn for turn … and of all things just skiing to be skiing. Have a great summer ladies – thank you for safe last day!

Amy, Nancy, Paul – level 8 … sunny day, little wind, delightful … still some winter type snow on Georges Thumb, Whales Tale and Deb’s Alley. Coil at the midsection, how the hips support the force generated in each leg, progressive edging, fore/aft balance with feet shuffle, what is ‘inclining’ all about, generating edge angle, leg rotation for shaping and edging, pole touch and pole plant, speed control with gravity, tactics and technique in bumps. A slow paced mellow day with actually quite a bit of vertical … skiing relaxed! See you next year!!!!

Barbara, Brenda, Meow, Wini, Mark, Suzie, Kat, Maureen, Caroline – level 7, sunny AM, cloudy PM, snow still good up high, Whales Tale skiing good … wine and beer at the T-bar, great ending. Using a pole plant for initiation and rhythm, ‘edge and shape’, let the new inside ski lead the turn beginning, shape each turn from the top, let each side of the hip support it’s respective foot, each bumps (not too many of these), counter (aka, coil, anticipation, windup), complete the turn garlands … chocolate for lunch. Have a great summer to all, stay healthy!

Collin (Dallas), Daryl (UK), Glenn (Kentucky) – level 7. ‘Position of strength’ with the hips, pole plants, leg rotation with stable hips, pivot turns, more pressure on inside ski, pivot slips, side slips on uphill ski, turns with all pressure on uphill ski, completing turn for speed control, bump traverses, bump tactics, ‘tip then steer’, upper/lower body separation. Enjoy the next few days guys, you now know where there is still some good winter snow … thank you for an enjoyable day of skiing and being willing students. 

Roland – New Jersey – level 8. Still good cold snow skiing, George’s Thumb the best. Core stability, lead with the inside hip, initiate the turn with new inside ski, align the hips with the feet, more patience at turn initiation, tactics in bumps, position of power, stay countered and coiled. Enjoy the snow tomorrow, a good day skiing!

Charlie and Gina – California – teachers. Gina, don’t over think it! Pick a skill (aka, starting turn with new inside ski) and just work on that … one skill at a time … don’t overload the neurons. You now have a shopping bag to pick from: upper body more down the mountain, leave hands more out in front, pole plant each turn with rhythm, little more skid and shape in the turns and less high edge angle, every turn is a 1/2 circle and symmetrical, let the body cross over inside the new turn to aid with the edge changes, tip then shape as opposed to twist and skid … there that should be enough. For you Charlie, just keep the skis hip width wide and let both side of the hip align with the feet … position of core strength. Have a great summer!

Javier, Alejandra – still from Monterrey – don’t know if you like me are hate me at the moment – Peak 7 was difficult but it did change your skiing for the better, steeper pitches, more traffic, need to side slip in some places, a bit of increased speed, linking turns with more rhythm … and look how easy Springmeir now seems. Great progress in the last two days, you are now ‘skiers’ and can enjoy blue slopes. Hope you come back next year … you have a start now, much fun still to be had and things to learn. 

Francisco, Alegandra, Jemena – Monterrey. Nine inches of new snow this morning, a pleasant surprise, skied like winter for a few hours. Siverthorne and some wedge turns … then more matching, shape for speed control, getting the arms and hands away from the side, how the leg rotates, more pressure on both skis, learning to slip, slide and shape … over to Peak 8 and couple times down Springmeir from the Vista Haus, good speed control on the blue portion, everyone matching to some degree. Enjoy your last two days of vacation, come back and visit Breckenridge again!