Breckenridge Ski Lesson Pictures And Some Food For Thought

Saturday Club: Meow, Brenda, Don, Gina. Another blue bird day, almost no wind, snow hard and fast (‘good for you’ snow), lots of high speed traffic on the mountain (‘not so good for you’). Morning drills: keep ankle close-open at knee to come forward, hip begins to rotate at transition to face outside the turn (think we are finally straight on this one), as the edges change the knee opens/hips rotate/cm crosses over so we come forward & inside the new turn, not just forward, not just lateral, but both together – definitely not ‘up’ which means the ankle is opening. Brill’s, Whales, Debs, Vertigo, Y-Chutes, Dukes.

Friday Club: Ernie, Phil, Bob, Terry, Terry, Kari, Gina … big party at Terry house the night before, low energy in the morning, we all rallied by lunch time (well, kind of). Sunny and warm, no wind, spirits up. Drills in the morning: outside ski turns, inside ski turns, thumper turns, spray the snow up the hill, paired up and swapped focus … Peak 10 in the afternoon, ‘pick one focus and go with it, only one’, some bumps, groomed blacks, lifting one ski when traversing the flats. Solid skiing, congrats to all. Thanks again Terry, the lentils were best ever!

Thursday Club: Laurel, Rebecca, Mitzi, Deb, Vicki, Olive, Diane, Chongie. Sunny and warm – could this possibly be Breckenridge? Snow hard and some strugie stuff but quite ski-able. Not a lot of teaching, mostly just skiing, put a focus in the mind and play with the results. Brill’s, Outlaw, Lulu, Peak 7 bowl, Whales, Imperial bowl, High A, Rounders – a lot of fun with some steep stuff. You ‘guys’ are skiing strong with technical panache!

Sunday Club: Kay, Don, Annette, Tina. Ides of March is not the 1st, that date is March 15th, I mention this because for years I had it wrong. Kind of a spring day, some sun, some snow, some low visibility (actually a lot of that), almost smelled wet. White Crown, Y-Chute, Brill’s, Outlaw, King (those first two turns are a bugger). Focus: keeping the ankle closed, open at the knee at transition to come forward and load up the front part of ski, hip rotation to outside of turn bringing the butt to the inside (bit of a mind twist), long leg/short leg. I’m tired, you guys wore me out – thus a great day!

Saturday Club: Meow, Nick, Don, Sophie, Gina. Won’t see this day again for four more years, wonder where we all will be in four years?? Some probably still in Breck, some in the tropics, some in the orient, some who knows where … wonder what the odds that exactly four years from now I type the same five names, my guess low odds. Good day, sunny, normal wind on the T-bar, ground school for an hour before going out, drills for most of the morning. Focus: tip – pressure the new outside ski – steer … keep the ankle closed to pressure the ski and keep from popping up at transition. T-bar, 6 chair, Imperial, Brill’s, Rustler, Imperial Bowl, Dukes bumps. So good to see the sun … so good to see what is becoming of your (plural) skiing.

Friday Club: Ernie, Phil, Bob, Terry, Terry, Paul, Gina, Sophie. Not a cloud in the ski, something big orange and bright hanging up in the blue … we bought this day. Two drills: hockey slides and stops, inside ski tip on snow drill while turning on outside ski (this one kind of challenging). Tip – pressure – steer, what it feels like to commit the CM across the feet at transition, hips go with the pole plant hand, open the knees at transition to come forward, loading up the front part of ski, more direct line. Dukes, Southern Cross, Inferno, Brill’s, Outlaw, King. Lots of chocolate at lunch (a necessary occurrence with Club) … strong skiing to all, we are becoming all mountain skiers!

Thursday Club: Laurel, Rebecca, Mitzi, Diane, Olive, Deb, Vicki, Chongie. Today was about steeps: Southern Cross, Inferno, Devil’s Crotch, Mine Shaft, Lulu, Brill’s, Outlaw, High A, Peerless trees. Edge change and balance, pressuring the new outside ski at edge change, sweet spot of the foot (and ski), hockey slides, strong steering and counter, skiing a more narrow corridor, opening the knee at transition to bring the body more lateral and pressure the forward part of ski, always working on pole touches. We were all kind of low energy this morning, one run through the trees and ‘game on’. Great day, all skiing to high level, well done!

P.S. No picture, I forgot.

Michael & Elizabeth – Menlo Park. Another serious winter day, gust front storm passed through about 9:00, 40 kt wind, heavy snow, 20 meter visibility … now that’s Breckenridge storm skiing! Toilet Bowl, Mach 1, Inferno, Southern Cross, Peerless Trees – what a great day. Stronger leg rotation, less edging in power and steeps, more rotary, at transition tip then steer, lower, hockey-ish movements more down the fall line, strong hip counter, don’t rush the transition even when it’s steep, ankle and knee flexion (you guys getting good at this), let the down hill arm/hand be ‘down the hill’ ready for that pole plant … that should be enough to keep you busy for another year. Thank you for a great day, hope you enjoyed as much as I.