Author: bbooker99

Albert, Patrica, Joanna, Jessica, Moi – Miami. Magic Carpet, Rip’s Ride, Chair 5 … fast progress. All working on something a little different but matching, skidding, balance on turning ski, patience, tipping to a flatter ski, speed control through friction and turning. Enjoy the vacation.

Ben (father), Waippy (mother), Angle (son), Christina (daughter) – McAlister, TX. Some skied before, Waippy was beginner: wedge glides, wedge stops, how to shuffle around. Ben, Angle and Christina up Rip’s Ride several times, how to control speed with turns, balance over skis, riding Poma. Enjoy your week on the slopes!

Cody, Juhaan & Haily – Minnesota and Shri Lanka. Working on balance, body position, pressure point, releasing both edges and steering, sliding – skidding and steer to shape turn and control speed. Well done group. Have fun on rest of stay in Colorado.

Emmy and Zeke, 10 yrs and 6 yrs, Atlanta. Level two morning, almost level three by noon. Emmy making some wedge turns, Zeke you are an amoeba – take my eyes off you and who knows where you went – you do have a powerful wedge and can boot ski, my poles a little long for you but you seemed to manage. It was an interesting morning!! Hope you liked skiing enough to come back for more.

Ben, Michele, Mary (St. Louis, NYC, San Francisco). Focus: still eliminating the last remnants of the wedge, tipping before steering, lots of skidding practice, larger radius turns, pole drills, speed control from friction and shaping, hip counter, face the photographer, open knees to come forward, ankles closed, hops, shuffle turns, inside ski turns, some bumps, staying off the hard edge. Vail/Breckenridge now closed for at least a week, dang, can’t practice. Good day, progress for sure … enjoy the hot tub and a drink.

Mary – San Francisco. L3 trying to get ride of the wedge … the dreaded ‘wedge’, why do we ever teach that – job security I suppose. Tipping with ankles and femurs, tipping both skis together, side slips, side/forward slips, leg steering to shape a turn, upper body stable, let it come from the legs, bigger turns, patience, hockey type slides, coming off the hard edge (this is hard, like taking away a pacifier), pressuring the skis. Take this up tomorrow with rhythm, upper/lower body separation, CM/feet separation. Amazing progress today!

McKenzie, Luke, Rhett, Luke – Dallas, TX (or a community close by). Sunny by afternoon, war, nice day, lifts running slow for some reason. Start L2 (gliding wedge but not much turn shape), finish close to L4 (starting to match, controlling speed with turns). Worked on: trying to match in the traverse, tipping inside ski to help match, controlling speed with turns not power wedge, sliding sideways with both skis parallel, pops, lifting uphill ski to facilitate matching. Two runs (well, almost two) runs down Springmeier from top of Colorado Super Chair, first blue run – congrats. Got stuck on Spruce at end of day, did some butt sliding which was probably just as fun as trying to ski it. Dandy progress guys – good day!

Enjoy your tubing.

Sunday Club: Catharine, Kay, Tina, Don – still an odd number, how does it always work that way. Kind of sunny until late afternoon, clouds and snow up high, not much traffic on the mountain, no lift lines. Tele drill, even ski tip drill (feel the closed ankle), tip/pressure/steer, use more of a ‘hockey-ish’ turn/slide/shape when it gets steeper, narrow corridor is good, open/close the knee good IF the ankle remains closed, lateral CM movement at transition, spray the snow up the hill. Debs (Death Alley), Vertigo, Y Chutes, Peak 7 Bowl, Whales, Brill’s, Dukes bumps. I’m tired, you guys wore me out, great day of skiing – see you in three weeks (maybe two, I’ll let you know).