Breckenridge Ski Lesson Pictures And Some Food For Thought

Level 7, Intro to Bumps (well, everyone was already skiing bumps but that’s what we call it):Donna, Judy, Linda (our Aussie), Kathryn, Brian, Nancy and Pamella. Some drills (side slips, pivot turns, turns to a sideslip, pole balance, edge releases, garland skids with shape) – lots of bumps on Dukes, Upper 4 O’clock and Crescendo, anatomy of a bump, where to turn, flex/extend to manage pressure, use the skid to adjust line, maintain ski/snow contact and foot pressure, get a rhythm, come off the edge, patience. Progress for all, good job – this bump stuff is quite the journey … trip never over.

The Latuda family (Frank (the wallet), Leann (the cook),Andrew (the cribbage player), Arianna (the one who knows how to take a liberal interpretation of any rule), Alexandria (guess she would be the brains of the bunch). -18 degress at first tracks, no clounds, no wind, not an unpleasant day until about 2:30 and the temp started to drop. Leann and Alexandria: more rhythm to the turns (it’s a dance), flex and extend with no dead spots, closer stance, less stiffness in the downhill leg, some video – Leann linking turns with more aggression (does that word describe you) and Alexandria ‘slowly’ bringing skis closer and more flex in downhill leg. Frank, Andrew, Arianna: bumps galore, pivot slips, pole plants, dynamic turns on groomers, dodging rocks and trees stumps, keeping the hips facing down the mountain, pivots in bumps, shaped skidded turns, no bump shopping, legs active with steering and flexing during last 1/3 of turn, taking more of a fall line approach to bump skiing. A great three days, so much progress hard to quantify. See you at

morning church … see you next spring.

Aaron, Kimberly, A.J., Claria, Channing, Kaekyn,Brandon, Paul, Casidy – what a mixed group of abilities – and all related. From black bumps to castle through the trees to riding the Poma for the first time. Everyone now a skier and can ride the chair lift and ski a green slope. Good job to all, it’s been a great two days.

Brandon (dad), Paul (10 yrs), Casidy (8 yrs) – dad level 7/8, kids level 1. Paul and Casidy wedge turns to bottom of Rips Ride by 11:30am. Paul sick at lunch. Brandon and bumps in PM, inside ski release and ‘some’ pressure throughout turn, hip/shoulder/hand alignment, pole swing and touch. Dang cold day, single digits … maybe the new year will bring snow!

Eve, New York City, level 1. This ones is an amazing story, every now and then a student comes down the pike that has a natural aptitude… Eve fits that bill. From Never/Ever to level 4 (soon to be level 5) in three hours. Eve, I hope you stick with this sport, if so many enjoyable days await you. Good job!

The Latuda clan in all their glory … it was a good day for all. The season is just not official until we start to share a few laughs. Alexandria now making parallel turns working on narrower stance, Leann dealing with less leaning and more angles at the hip, Frank/Andrew/Arianna into the moguls big time … come off the edge, adjust line with more skid, heck with the deep holes just shape and skid around them … some challenging bumps on Dukes, well done.

Other couple in this post, don’t know who they are, met early morning and it just seemed the thing to do for a picture.

Most cold, maybe in the minus catagory all day. Joe from Chicago, level 6 to start, level 7 when finished. Three drills: lifting down hill ski on traverse, balance poles on wrists, step turns. Discussion points: turn initiation, what is the inside leg ‘doing’, turn shaping, skidding and shaping, edge management, upper body alignment, angulating and rotating the hip to align head of femur with ‘line of action’. Great progress Joe, quite the change to your skiing.

John Nevares, AM pvt … you are starting to rock John. Some powder, small bumps, static Christy turns, more pole balance, 360s (you nailed one, a start), flex/extend and pressure management, short radius turns. Dukes and North Star – no t-bar today (too many rocks), video analysis. See you next year!

Michael and Wendy from Erie in PM, level 1. Some trials and tribulations here but in the end both making a nice stable gliding wedge on the magic carpet. Level 2 now … next step – start to put some direction change into those gliding wedges then up to the Poma.

Windy and cold most of the day … but that is skiing and what Colorado is all about.