Breckenridge Ski Lesson Pictures And Some Food For Thought

Renu & Himanshu (Cedar Falls), Lisa (Breckenridge), Brian (Chicago). First day of spring Vernal Equinox, made it through winter, that being said, three days of snow in forecast starting tomorrow. Attacking the wedge: tipping to release the old edges, as knees cross over feet so will the hips, leg rotation, flatter skis (not flat, just flatter), let the new inside ski lead (it’s the brain), shin pressure, steer both skis into turn completion, upper body stability, turn the legs against (counter) the hips, more slide less edge, friction and shaping for speed control, more narrow corridor (don’t need the whole slope to turn), arms out and wide (pole touch is in the near future), at initiation the hips come forward and lateral – NOT UP, ‘up’ is a downer because it doesn’t release the edges into the new turn, at this stage of development let the inside ski carry some weight/some authority.

Lea (Denver), Shelby (Denver), Allison (Denver), Jeremiah (San Antonio), Lorianna (Houston), Aileen (Houston), Austin (Houston), Gus (San Antonio).

Morning with everyone except Gus: L1, first time skiing, learn to glide wedge, wedge changeups, straight runs, slight direction changes with steering both feet. Afternoon with Gus: getting out of the wedge, more sliding, tipping the inside ski, uphill arcs, leg steering, rotation both skis together, friction and shaping.

Kristin (Nashville), Rutvi (West Palm), John (Nashville), Melissa (Dallas), Sloan (South Lake). Happy St. Patrick’s Day, did you wear some green (umm, don’t think I did). Focus: get out of that last piece of wedge, quit starting the turn with the new outside, start starting the turn with the new inside ski (that would be the downhill ski), get off the hard edge, sliding and skidding is good, shaping is good while sliding and skidding, hockey slides/stops, getting more flexed in the legs and ankles, strong leg steering (flexed knees sure help this), skiing a more narrow corridor, tip to release then begin to steer, pivots turns, taking the hockey slides into fall line turns.

Gus (Enid), Clark & Maddy (Austin). Getting out of the wedge, more equal pressure, releasing with inside ski, rotating/steering with both feet, larger radius turns, stay forward, shin pressure, sliding and skidding, uphill arch, speed control with friction and completing the turn, don’t sit back, don’t eat big pieces of pizza for lunch, link turns – not so much back and forth, tipping of inside ski to keep it from ‘hanging up’, us a flatter ski, not so timid.

Ides of March, not a great day for Caesar … Rome was probably not as cold as Breck today, lower mountain pleasant, upper not so much. Anthony (NYC), Marissa (North Carolina), Aimee (Dallas), Mangula (Houston), John (Houson). L6, making the last of the wedge Christy go away: less edge, use more of bottom of ski, skidding and sliding – much easier to shape the turn, friction and turn shape, lead with the inside ski, one ski pivot turns (there were challenging, huh), some pressure on both skis always, what is leg steering all about, at initiation tip before steer (got to release to the new edges), hockey slides/stops, pivot turns, more rounded turns (doesn’t mean big, just round), upper/lower body separation, wind up the core/unwind the core, rhythm to carry energy from turn to turn.

Carlos, Rachel, Macie, Darian (Flower Mound, TX). Lots of new snow, cold, wind, think I was the only one with cold feet, guess I shouldn’t admit that. L1, first time skiing: start with boot work, then glide around on one ski, two skis on and up the magic carpet, gliding wedge, straight run then big wedge, wedge change up, over to Rip’s Ride, rest of morning working on wedge direction changes. Afternoon starting to get serious about matching, uphill garlands, balance on parallel skis, move on parallel skis, match in the traverse, get the feel of sliding and shaping, match earlier in the turn, speed control with friction and turning.

Mary (Hudson, OH – morning), Brad & Dana (Charleston – afternoon), Gina (Silverthorne – afternoon). Nice day, sunny, not warm but just enough for comfort, little breeze, snow in good shape. Morning working on getting out of the wedge, leg rotation, getting comfortable on the skis, enjoying life, little lower for stability, not a lot of ya ya, just settling back in the ski groove. Afternoon focus on bumps, balance in the traverse, active flex and extend to keep upper body from going up and down, pivot turns, then more pivot turns, releasing the inside ski first, lots of shin pressure, load up the tips (mildly so), what is counter all about, legs steer one way-hips counter the other, where to initiate turn in bumps, completing the turn, when leg is flexed more rotational freedom, pole plant, no lazy arms, be aggressive (not stupid wild, just aggressive which creates power in the turn).

Luis & Marisela (Mexico City), Mariana (Breckenridge) – morning

Tim (Atlanta), Gabby (Frisco, TX), Emily (Virginia) – afternoon

Delightful day, lots of sun, temp just about right, little wind (was this Breckenridge). Different phases of matching and making parallel turns morning and afternoon: don’t rush the turn or anything else (just causes loss of balance and a wedge to form), shin pressure (lots of it), steering both feet together (that does not preclude initiating with the new inside ski), how leg steering with flexed ankles and knees yields both rotation and tipping, start the tipping at the ankles and work it up to the knees which brings hips over the feet, let the feet get away from the body, CM always inside the arc of turn, pole touch to initiate and develop rhythm and timing, completing the turns with uphill steering, friction is good, how to pressure both skis, uphill arcs to get the feel of sliding and shaping, one ski turns, inside ski turns, 360 spins.