Month: March 2019

Edith – Manhattan. The day was sunny, but the day was cold, not sure what that ’33 degrees’ in Breckenridge meant, but not a lot of those degrees on the mountain. Edith, you are amazing, you have probably heard that before, well, you just heard it again. Focus: balance, get some flexion in the ankle (knee and hip will follow), counter with the hip, not ‘squaring up’, arms more forward, not lifting new inside ski, how to start the turn, pole plant/touch, find the new edges – BOTH together, CM crossing over the base of support (feet) at transition, side slips (this does seem to crop up on every post, must be important), completing the turn, what is ‘grip’ and where does it begin in the turn (answer, ‘right away’). You are a ‘thinker’, that will bode you well in this sport.

Christy & Jenna, Austin, TX. Delightful weather day, at least on the Magic Carpet. Jenna: gliding wedge, wedge change ups, wedge stops, small direction changes. Christy: wedge turns around cones, side slips, parallel turn to a stop, leg rotation, tipping to release, direction change with parallel skis. Late start … good progress … enjoy your vacation!

Alexis and Micah, Praire Vlg, KS (think the live on opposite sides of the river – that would be in different states). What a great weather day, cold enough to keep the snow, warm enough to keep the humans. Focus: stabilize the upper body, upper/lower body separation, DON’T twist the upper body to make something happen at the skis (that does work but not well at all), more weight forward (or said differently, less weight on the tails, stay out of the back seat), arms forward (but not robotic), what does the pole plant/touch really do, how do the skis release, leg steering, skidding and how to use it for shaping, less strong edge, hip rotation, staying ‘open’ to the turn, completing the turn for speed control. That should be enough to work on for a year or so (maybe two or three) … thank you for some humor and being good students, it was a grand day.

P.S. Thank you also for lunch, a treat.

Bob – Colorado Springs … the last Clubber standing! What a great day, sunny, not all that warm, good snow, wind high but not so much lower. Three runs on Springmeir then worked our way up to Horseshoe Bowl … standing taller, equal angles, carving, early pressure on the new outside ski, loading up the tip, turn shape, looser arms (no robots), counter with the hips, patience … that about does it. Good day Bob, dandy changes, be safe on the Harley, see you next December.

Kaylee, Camryn, Carleign – Harlan, IA. Cold and wind back (that didn’t stay gone long), afternoon was a little brutal, snow all day … the Iowa folk are hardy, turn them on to skiing and the Breck wind is just no factor. Magic Carpet to Rips Ride … start with the wedge thing (3 inches of new snow made that a challenge), then the gliding wedge, up to the Poma, start to add some turn shape, how to slide, how to match, how to control speed, pop turns, where is the pressure, what is leg steering, how to use tipping. The whole family (all six) now skiers … think I know location of next years vacation. Thank you for a fun two days, have a great summer, see you next March.

 

Darren, Kaylee, Blake, Cael, Carleign – Harlan, IA. Walking to Magic Carpet took Carleign down with altitude issue, dang, will do better tomorrow … in the high 40s by mid afternoon, everyone overdressed, snow went soft. Magic Carpet morning, Rip’s Rid afternoon … gliding wedge, wedge turns, matching in the traverse, speed control with turning, side slips (those were hard), keeping arms up, flexing at ankles/knees/hip to be ‘like an athlete’, solo runs down Rip’s and through Dragon Trail by late afternoon. Good progress! No picture, forgot camera in locker.

Frank and Andrew, St. Louis … these guys are wearing me out (really)! Dukes bumps at 8:30, again at 8:45 and then the day begins … High A bumps, Horseshoe Bowl, Lulu’s, Deb’s Alley, Whales, Vertigo, Boundary Chutes, Rustler … and that was just the morning … Inferno, Mine Shaft, Tom’s Baby, Peerless trees, American bumps in afternoon … loaded the Super Connect at 4:05. Upper body stability, arm discipline, pressure early, more pronounced ‘angles’ in terrain, the hips do rotate, long leg/short leg, skidding in a carved turn, function of the pole plant (this subject has been debated on infinitum (not sure that is a real word)). No chocolate for lunch, probably why the legs so heavy right now. Great day!

 

Catharine, Tina, Amy, Don … last day for club, sad … but a good sunny day with lots of chocolate. Clicked in at 9:30, lunch 11:00, afternoon break 2:00 – why did it take so long to figure this out. Low in the morning, high in the afternoon, wind still being windy. Crossing over, long leg/short leg, tip to a steer (not steer to an edge), too much steering at initiation creates a pivot and the new outside ski never grips, early engagement of inside edge of new outside ski by loading up the tip (with this, the skis will carve, without this the skis will J turn with a scrape to slow down). Off the cornice at Whales (that was fun), Vertigo actually skiing better than up higher, stance/balance on the steeps, NO traversing, shorter radius with more fall line turns. Was a great year, how did it go by so fast … safe summer to all!