Month: December 2016

Philip, Nashville, level 5, delightful day in afternoon, no wind (go figure that at Breckenridge). Less edge (a lot less edge), more flexion in ankles and knees, leg rotation, tipping to release edges, side slips, skidding to shape turn and use ski/snow friction, completing the turn, linking turns. Thx for the whiskey … a fun and productive day.

Sunil, Shefali, Islaan, Ashni – Houston, some first time, some not. Magic carpet for 45 minutes then up to the Poma … turns for speed control, flatter skis to allow leg steering, don’t rush ‘things’, quiet upper body – let the guiding and tipping come from the legs, if the inside ski hangs up tip it slightly flatter and it will then turn with the outside ski. I enjoyed our morning, sorry about the ticket issue. Enjoy your day tomorrow!

Today was a cold one ‘Mr. Grinch’, especially the afternoon, wow, had to take an extra warm up break at the Overlook. Lots of powder and off piste type snow. Nancy, Lisa, Phillipa, Brenda, Linda, Charmane, Meow, Nick, Elaine. Main theme: balance, hips support the base of support, pulling feet back, never lose pressure on either foot anywhere in the turn (especially not at transition), let the inside half lead through out the turn – don’t give up at finish, let the pole plant bring the center of mass into the new turn, some hops, some one ski skiing, arm/hand/pole plant discipline. Crescendo, Dukes, North Star, American, Peerless, High A, Rounders, Southern Cross. Good skiing ‘Dudes’!

Terry and Elaine – what a good snow day, not too cold, strong winds, lots of new snow, mountain quiet, lots of chocolate for lunch, bumps could not be better. Balance, balance, balance … pulling feet back, tactics, drop tips into the new turn, complete the turn, align hips with base of support, stay open to outside of turn, side slips in bumps and unpack, shuffle turns, lifting downhill ski in traverse, hockey slides, keep ‘some’ pressure on both skis always, initiate with new inside ski (don’t unweight it too quickly).

Laurel, Rebecca, Jenny, Chris, Diane, Paula – snow getting better every day, warm, windy, gray … Mach 1, Southern Cross, American, Peerless, Dukes, High A, Rounders. Side slips, shuffle turns, keeping hips and feet in alignment, tactics in bumps, long leg/short leg, Laurel video, adjusting the bump line with slipping, pulling the feet back under at turn initiation. Good skiing today ladies!

Paula, Catharine, Scott, Gina – great powder day, don’t get many like this one. Off piste and bumps with a few trees here and there … focus of lesson was mimic, turn off brain and just follow, side slips, lift uphill then downhill ski off snow, railroad track turns, functional core, turn completion (especially in bumps), shuffle and push/pull turns. Scott set the new standard with chocolate – truffles from Whole Foods, killer! Forgot to take class picture so I’ll pull one from summer in Moab. 

Brenda, Sophie, Linda, Charmane, Meow, Elaine – a most interesting day – wind she was a howling. Skiing good now, more open every day, a few blacks and some bumps here and there. Focus on speed control via early edge engagement, CM crossover, horizontal/frontal/sagittal alignment, shuffle and push/pull turns. 

Elaine, Sohpie, Paul, Ernie, Terry, Gina, Terry – some really good snow now, new terrain, some off piste and powder. Staying in balance, leading with the inside 1/2, early edge initiation, staying countered through end of turn, COMPLETING THE TURN (this is huge), not so much up and down with the core (let the legs to the work), hop turns.