Breckenridge Ski Lesson Pictures And Some Food For Thought

Fausto & Monica (Mexico City). First real day of spring skiing, over dressed, a bit slushy at the bottom, snow up high still good, no freeze/thaw yet. Some teaching today, mostly just ski: pole balance, leg/hip counter, turn on top of moguls, keep both skis on the snow for grip and pressure control, think about beginning turn with new inside ski, high edge angles coming out of the turn = high level of excitement, complete the turn, slow things down, be sinuous, try not to start a turn from a ‘stand still’. Imperial, Whales, Boundary Chutes, Crescendo, Peerless (less bumps are getting kind of big).

Fausto & Fausto Jr (Fau) & Montserrat (family from Mexico City). Such a good day, sunny and cold with wind in the AM, high 20s and little wind in the PM, snow stayed cold. This family can ski, L9s, no teaching today, just guiding … wind crust on most up high surfaces but workable wind crust, quite skiable. Think we were all tired at 3:30, more of the same tomorrow. Dukes, High A, Crescendo, Imperial, Peak 7 Bowl, No Name, Intuition Bowl, Wonderland, Toilet Bowl, Rustler, warm up at Pioneer Crossing, lunch at Ski Hill Grill.

Sophie & CC (Maryland), Kevin (Ft. Collins), Julia (Ft. Collins), Claudia (Chicago), Nick (Chicago), Megan (Wisconsin), Lisa (Breckenridge). Delightful day in the afternoon (morning was a windy woods kind of day, so Breckenridge). Continuing with the progression of: WEDGE ELEMINATION … oooh, I like that, ‘kill the wedge’. But along with that takes skill to release the skis simultaneously by tipping from that ankles and knees letting the hips cross over to the inside of the new turn (I know, the terminology is kind of confusing), steering the skis into the fall line (don’t rush this, if you do the ghost of wedge will appear), tip and steer (rotate) the inside leg, open up the turn, shape with skidding and sliding, do the best you can to come off the hard edge trying to use it as a brake to slow down (seriously does not work when the slope gets steeper, Sophie gave a good demo of this on Crescendo), pivot slides, pole balance drill, hands on knees, low is good. Sophie and CC: take care you wild and crazy kids, college will be the best!

Nice day, good snow, temp just right for comfort but yet keep the snow cold. Kevin (Ft. Collins), Julia (Ft. Collins), Amy(Boston), Cecelia (Maryland), Sophie (Maryland), Arthi (Tampa), Ramesh (Tampa), Jen (New Jersey), Janelle (Denver). Higher level in morning, lower in afternoon … common thread to all. How to get out of the wedge – write the same thing every night, that’s because we teach the wedge (as does the rest of the world) and then spend years trying to take it away. The hard wedge christy turn to high edge trying to control speed by riding the edge across the hill – guess we have all been there. Softer edges, bigger radius turns, let the skis slide, slight shape up hill to slow down, use friction, balance on both feet, tipping the inside ski to aid matching, use the traverse to practice parallel, try to ‘go’ not ‘stop’, use some rhythm to link turns, a more narrow corridor, steer (rotate) both feet together. Keep your mask above the nose (I personally was called out twice today for a violation, can’t wait for the ‘mask’ era to go away).

Rebecca (NYC, morning), Christian (St. Louis, morning), Cecelia (CC, Maryland, afternoon), Sophie (Maryland, afternoon), Sherly (Atlanta, afternoon). Less hard edge that starts with the wedge (unfortunately it’s perceived as speed control, it is not speed control, or any other control for that matter), learn to ‘go’ and not ‘stop’ with every turn (what the heck, we are skiers), tip to release the old edges, then steer with strong leg rotation, lead with the old down hill ski (you do this and a wedge can not form), less edgy more slide and skid which allows us to shape the turn with leg rotation, turn uphill, use friction to our advantage, arms up and out for balance, hockey slides (be aggressive), more flex in knees and ankles, don’t turn so sharp, patience.

Jamina (Mexico City), Asma (Chicago), Mihaela (Massachusetts), Flavio (Bogota), Stephanie (St. Louis), Lauren (Boston), Jon (NYC), Jessica (Connecticut). Now there is a cross section of the world (well, at least some of the world). L6: stance/balance, pressure on the shins (can’t get too far forward, well, not really), pressure on bottom of foot in front of heal and back of arch, get the arms up and out (they don’t do a lot of good hanging by your side), tip then steer, tipping from the ankles up through the knees and hips, hips cross over feet for edge change, strong leg steering from the hips (this is what shapes and completes the turn), pivot turns, side slips, maintain ski purchase (aka grip) through out the turn, keep both skis on the snow, inside ski leads new turn (this is tough, it will become more natural with practice), hockey slides, skidding helps shaping ( a flatter ski). Crescendo, North Star, Dukes, White Crown, Stampede, Rustler, B50 ridge line. Ok, that should be enough to think about.

Andrew (NYC), Chris (Philly), Chris (Arkansas), Jemina (Mexico City). Winter again, four inches new, not too cold, nice day all and all. L6, which ski leads the turn, tip before steer, knees/thighs/hips cross over feet to effect edge change, position of strength, begin tipping at the feet (they will pull the knees and hips over), pivot turns, less edge and more skid/slide/steer, uphill arcs, shin pressure, hips over feet, knees over toe piece, control speed with friction and turn completion, intro to bumps, flex and extend to keep head at constant height, turn on top of mogul with a ‘pivot’ type direction change, open hips to outside of turn, hands on knees drill, pole balance, STAY FORWARD WITH PRESSURE ON THE SHINS!!

Don, Catharine, Tina, Lisa – the Sunday Club group rides again, today was so much fun … do I ever miss club! Trees, T-bar, White Crown, Whales, Vertigo, Peak 7 bowl, Contest, Dukes bumps, Peerless bumps, Crescendo bumps, Cucumber. Inside leg steering, one ski pivot turns, lots of shin pressure, more flexion in ankles and knees, completing the turns, pole discipline, carrying energy from turn to turn, leg rotation counter with hips. Lots of chocolate for lunch, just like old times.