Author: bbooker99

Thursday Club: Laurel, Olive, Diane, Chongie, Rebecca, Mitzi, Vicki, Deb. A day to put on the calendar – anywhere from 12 to 24 inches, sometimes up to the waist (well, when flexed). Way Out, Solitude, Amen, King, B-50 ridge, Rustler, Snow White, Ptarmigan, Sidewinder, more trees than we’ve skied all year. Wake up the rotary, strong steering right from transition, finish the turn while flexed by steering our legs, not sitting back, don’t give up on the turn when only 3/4 done, staying forward, shin pressure, arms and hands aligned with skies, back angle aligned with lower leg angle, more even pressure, be somewhat more aggressive in this snow, functional tension in the core. What a day!!!

Sunday Club: Catharine, Don, Kay, Annette (Lisa and Tina not able to come today). Imperial Bowl, Whales, Deb’s Alley, Toilet Bowl twice, High A, Crescendo, some trees. Alignment, foot pressure, shin pressure, pivot turns (keep practicing these, lead with the new inside ski), pole touch/hip cross, shuffle turns, pulling feet back to re-align, staying balanced in the bumps (no extend and twist), initiate to new edges then strong rotary (don’t be shy when applying the torque), keep it slow in the bumps on on the steeps, complete the turns. Ok, that should be enough to practice for awhile. Great day guys, no moss growing under our feet today!

Saturday Club: Meow, Nick, Brenda, Sophie, Don (who was actually not present today, which was too bad because he is usually loaded with chocolate). Another cold one, we couldn’t face the upper mountain so stayed low and worked on bumps. Early edge transfer, strong rotation with lots of torque, slipping to adjust line, lead the rotation with the new inside ski (the outside will follow – not so much vice versa), target just three bumps with a nice slow line, keeping both skis on the snow. Early lunch at 10:50, we were frozen, probably the smarted collective decision of the day. Good skiing, we had to be hardy today, cold fingers and toes (but not Brenda, WHO, has a heated vest).

Paul, Sophie, Bob, Phil, Terry, Kari – Friday Club. Raging blizzard, it was great, so cold riding 6 chair, skiing in the front bowl a delight – worth the ride. Early pressure transfer onto the new outside ski (not 100%, don’t over do it), once on the new edges then all is possible (skid, pivot, leg rotation, carving, shaping), eliminating the ‘pop and twist’ that is such a bugaboo in the bumps, look down the bump line to control what is coming (thanks Paul), pole touch and hip movement connected, keeping the grip, video, completing the turn (let the skis come more perpendicular to the fall line before releasing), at transition tip before rotation, commit the CM over the feet (base of support) at initiation (gives edge angle). Several ‘warm up’ breaks … thank you Sophie for saving a table, thank you Bob (not this Bob) for the chocolate!!!

Thursday Club: Laurel, Rebecca, Olive, Mitzi, Diane, Deb, Vicki Paola. Great weather day, yeah, some wind but what the heck, not too cold … stayed in Peak 8 bowl all day + one pass on Vertigo … Chair 6 not skiing good, the bowl was right on. Prime focus: take out the rotation and put in the tipping. That’s not saying there is not steering in all our turns, there is for sure … it’s saying initiate with a flexed stance, pole touch, hips cross over the feet and begin to rotate (lead) by facing more (relative term) to the outside of the new turn, solid pressure on the inside edge of the new outside ski, flexion of the new inside leg to allow the hips to come inside the arc creating edge angle and alignment, the turn shape in semi-circular. If too much speed needs to be scrubbed in the bottom 1/2 of the arc, then the top 1/2 of the arc was never formed. There you have it. Much fun hanging out in the bowl, Brills might have been the best. Have a good week, don’t lose sleep over trying to dream of the perfect turn – it doesn’t exist.

Sunday Club: Catharine, Kay, Don, Lisa, Tina. The cold continues, longer breaks, it’s workable, after all it’s Breckenridge (easy for me to say as I sit here in nice warm room). Stayed pretty much up high: Way Out (today this run was definitely ‘way out’), Imperial Bowl, ridge above chair six (don’t know what it’s called), Stampede, Upper 4 O’clock, Crescendo, Horseshoe Ridge Line. Focus: separation between CM and base of support (that’s PSIA lingo), how to do it (numerous ideas, all have merit), crossing over, flexing new inside leg, committing hips to the inside (being upside down initially), keeping hips open to outside of the turn, targeting, video. Kay had a gem: early edge engagement = not having to rotate both feet at the same time … so important in bumps, steeps, off piste. Another so fun day, thank you.

Saturday Club: Sophie, Brenda, Don, Meow, Nick. Warmer but by no means balmy. High of 31 (only 16 yesterday), stayed mostly on Peak 10, that was good for a change. Hips following the pole touch, string demo tying hips to pole touch initiation, get the CM crossing over the base of support, more flexion of the inside leg (gets it out of the way, drops the hips more to inside of turn, higher edge angle, shorter radius turn), getting rid of strong rotation at initiation, circular shape to turns (long, medium, short), being upside down at edge change (this is a toug

h one on steeper terrain). Lots of chocolate for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack … combine that with strong afternoon new snow and I would say we seized the day!

Friday Club: Ernie, Phil, Bob, Paul, Terry, Terry, Violeta. This was a cold one, barn door definitely left open about 2:00pm … but, the snow just a nice shade of grip, delightful, especially Way Out. ‘Alignment’ still the theme (probably will be all season), vertical and lateral alignment ques, which comes first at transition-tip or rotate, pole touch and hip movement to the inside of the new turn, not ‘squaring’ to complete the turn (this is one of the hardest old movement patterns to re-train), less traverse/more rhythm, balance early and with gusto on the inside edge of the new outside ski, shuffle drill, complete turn on one ski drill, more flex on inside leg (like riding a bicycle, long leg/short leg) to create edge angle/hips to inside of turn/facilitate steering. Way Out, Stampede, Crescendo, Dukes, North Star, Peerless. Bob, thank you for lunch chocolate, I will bring the other two bars next week. Great day guys, love seeing the changes. Cheers.