Breckenridge Ski Lesson Pictures And Some Food For Thought

Ernie, Bob, Paul, Terry, Sophie … Friday Club (minus Violeta & Elaine). Heavy snow from yesterday’s dump, some groomed, Peak 6, there was some challenge there (actually, there was a lot of challenge there), gray clouds in the morning, snow in the afternoon, wind was impressive at top of T-bar by 3:00pm. Focus: completing the turn, letting the inside ski do some of the work, not relying totally on the outside ski toe finish the job, slicing the tomato, targeting snow clumps to get feet/CM separation, grip the ski at initiation and the ski will finish in an arc, pop and twist at the top and the ski will finish in a pushed skid. Some chopped up heavy snow, brings out all the hidden grim-lings. Some good separation of CM and base of support, those turns looked professional!!

 

Laurel, Mitzi, Diane, Jenny – the Thursday group minus five others, not an easy day to make it to the mountain … about two feet in the last 24 hours, this stuff was crazy – deep, but not to worry, because it was full of water and heavy … world class good for you snow. Stayed on the front side in the morning then T-bar and North Bowl in the PM. We all took some powder shots, so fun. Focus on no stall at transition, letting the leg lengths change to bring the CM over and engage the new outside ski with edge and pressure, the inside ski continues to work with some shaping (not too edgy, not to rotary) that helps keep the hips open at the finish phase for completion. Had some nice untracked lines in Snow White, this could be a 30 year storm.

Tina and Amy – the only two that made it through the storm for Sunday Club. Hard to put words to the snow today, maybe 16 inches (didn’t see the report), not the lightest stuff on the planet (early run, straight down Dukes, no turn, no speed), more ski able after some tracks, still finding un-tracked at 2:30PM. Staying balanced, keeping the relation between CM and base of support, using both skis more evenly, pressure and grip from initiation (yes, even in the powder), grip more ‘basey’ than edgy but there still is a definite edge change, committing into the turn, round turns (less quick pivot and scrape), don’t give up on the counter at finish – need that last 15% of turn completion. This was a one of a kind day, good changes, well done!

 

Brenda, Nick, Meow, Don, Ernie – Saturday group, plenty of chocolate for lunch (our lunches are ‘events’, thought a couple pictures would be appropriate). Warm today, about a foot of new, a little lighter than yesterday, will be heavy tomorrow, swirly wind that was kind of enjoyable. Focus: stay out of the back seat … poles across knees drill, couple easy chopped up powder runs, Peak 6 for afternoon, early tip engagement, pressure and steer that new outside ski all the way around the turn, short radius, steer and tip the new outside ski diagonal into turn, be aggressive – it will engage and stay engaged, lose grip high in the turn and you’ve lost it all the way around. Nice to be warm, you guys are skiing with confidence, this has been a long time coming!!!

Ernie, Elaine, Bob, Paul, Terry – Friday Club. This was an amazing day, 12 inches of new snow, find a drift and almost up to the knees, not the lightest stuff, but quite ski able, a powder lesson day for sure. Spent the morning on Rounders trying to get out of the back seat, not the easiest of tasks … more equal ski pressure, pulling the feet back, completing the turn with a ‘check’, CM and base off support separation, how a platform is generated in the powder, don’t rush things, wedge hops, herringbone hops, keeping the turns to a narrower corridor, never losing edge grip, getting rid of the rise/twist/load up the outside ski to slow down (wow, this just doesn’t work on a powder day). Afternoon on higher steeper terrain to practice some of the concepts. Some of today’s skiing was tough, good job hanging in there and experimenting!!

 

Laurel, Rebecca, Mitzi, Jenny, Olive, Diane – the Thursday Club ladies (the ones that aren’t broken are travelling the world). Great day, a really great day: went high early and stayed there … Imperial Bowl, CJs, Lulu’s (twice, that was amazingly cool), Stampede, Contest (steep little rascal isn’t it), White Crown, Ptarmigan, Brill’s, everything high skiing quite well … you guys crushed it today, putting all the skills together and attacking the mountain. No instruction today, not one word, none was needed. Thank you for the party, Double Black, beers, food, conversation, laughs … what a fine year it was!!!

 

Paula, Tina, Annette, Catharine – Sunday Club … a delightful day (almost like we’ve earned it), some wind (but there is always wind), blue sky, sun, dandy good skiing. Go high, stay high, Imperial, T-bar, Rustler, Horseshoe Bowl, Contest Bowl, Whales, Y Chute, Snow White, some good snow and some good for you snow (such as the first two turns on Rustler). ‘Diving’ into the turn, not up, where does the hip counter begin for the new turn, functional pole plants, NO flat spots (aka traverse) from one turn to the next on the steeps, carry some energy to help the hips cross over. Ok, that was probably enough for one day. We skied lots of vertical with some ‘don’t doze off’ snow … was that fun or what. Chocolate for breakfast and lunch … now that’s what Club is all about (or at least one aspect).

Brenda, Don, Nick, Meow – Saturday Club … got to be one of the coldest days of the year, the traverse over to Whales was death defying (really), some serious frost bite … top part of Whales a challenge (8″ of cut up powder with low visibility and a gale), once out of the wind (somewhat) the skiing was primo … Deb’s Alley another challenge as it always is – after that adventure it was a unanimous vote not to repeat. Chocolate for lunch, that always a must. No real focus … a few wedge back hops, wedge side hops (those kind of difficult), more flex (get lower) in the steep cut up snow, be sure to plant the pole, when do the hips start to face outside the turn (that was a bit of mind twist), being ‘upside down’. Everyone skiing impressively – thank you for being such dedicated skiers.