amount of time and effort to become a good skier?

[WantToSki 0]

good day to all... just an inquiry from a newbie...

 

i had my first and second ski tour about two/three years ago... just a one-night stay, wherein we were there just for fun - nothing serious.

 

then mid-january, i hit the slopes again; and i guess i fell in love with it! just this season, i have been to already 4 tours already.

 

my question would be is how long does it usually take for one to become a good intermediate skier? i mean, doing long turns/short turns in intermediate slopes? how much practice is required (how many times per season)?

 

what is required? private lessons? japanese badge tests? etc. what about off-season?

 

thanks for any advice!

[Markie 0]

It took me forever to become an intermediate skier and I don't think I'll ever become a good skier but I've seen so many differences in learning abilities. Some of my friends have skied many years and are still a bit hesitant on red slopes. However, I was really impressed with an 11 year old kid whom I skied with in France last month. He was Thai/Japanese and it was only his second time skiing. The first two days he took lessons with others whom also had only skied once before. But he learned so quickly he was soon way ahead of them and dropped out of that class. The next two days he was skiing with with us and didn't seem to have any difficulty keeping up. By the 5th day, he was the only one in our group who was willing to do the black moguls with me and though he fell a few times, he was not intimidated and had a great time.

I think most who have a little talent can get very proficient in just one season.

[quattro 1]

Take lessons if and when you can. Try to ski with people that are better than you who will push you but still keep you whuthin terrain that is skiable for your level. Get out when ever you can. Try to stay in resonable shape durring the off season.

 

As for how long it will take it really depends on you.

 

Keep postivily motivated. Dont worry if you can not ski the most hellish line on the hill. Go out and have a good time and enjoy yourself.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

If you really want to do it and you're in decent shape you should learn fairly quickly or at least get up to being intermediate.

[muikabochi 208]

I think if you do a long time day in day out it is good to learn quickly. If you are just doing a day then another day 2 weeks later etc, it takes much longer. A good solid 2 weeks will get you going pretty decent.

[griller 9]

I started by having lessons and as someone else mentioned on here going with people better than me. (Sorry guys!). I quite soon picked it up though it took me a while to be decent.

[Ocean11 0]

It took me about a 15-day season of snowboarding to get to an intermediate level (at age 34 or thereabouts - I think age may slow you down). I could only have pushed myself harder if I had been willing to get more than superficially injured, which I wasn't.

[Fattwins 0]

Take a lesson if you want to get on the right track. You can pretty much do it on your own but its good to do 5 days free say and 1 half day lesson to correct minor mistakes.

[WantToSki 0]

thanks for the replies guys...

 

it is just that i felt that inspite of lots of ski tours this season (and of course, the incurring expenses); i still cannot do at least a smooth parallel turn in intermediate slopes (stem turns, and wedges, yes)...

 

or is this too much to ask for?

[slow 0]

4times since January... is it almost weekend and you have been on the snow around 10days this season? If so, in my opinion it's not enough to improve your skill. You should go more often if you can.

My first three years, I was on the snow more than 30days in a season with expert skier. He was my exboyfriend and gave me a lesson everytime. I think skiing is same as swimming. If you don't have a teacher, you don't know how to swim. Even if you learn to swim somehow, to become better swimmer or swim faster, you need a coach or someone who can tell you what to do and practice hard. As quattro said, skiing with better skier is very helpful. You can get the idea from it.

I'm still learning and should go to the montain more often, too.

[SKI 15]

Definitely need more to get good but if your time is limited, I'm sure you'll still make some decent progress and have fun. Thats the main thing - have fun!

[soubriquet 0]

Starting at age 23, it took me about 4 days to be able to get down the mountain, and about 2 weeks to develop a reliable stem christie. I did the two weeks straight, and was in ski school. Perhaps you could invest in a block of 4 or 5 days, and take lessons.

 

The stem christie is your friend. Skiing parallel is nice, but you have to learn unweighting, and that took me time. Don't forget, you don't have be a great skier to have fun.

[sava 0]

FT taught me how to snow plow - there's no turning back for me! (sorry about the pun)

[Mary-Elizabeth 0]

I started last year and found it difficult - I only went 4 times and each time there was a few weeks inbetween. This year I was better but it would still be great to be able to do a week or so in one go and really progress.

 

(This might be a stupid question but what is a 'stem christie'?)

[soubriquet 0]

Not stupid at all, Mary-Elizabeth, a very good question.

 

 

Basically you stem out to initiate the turn, transfer your weight onto the outside foot, and close the stem before crossing the fall line. It's a defensive turn and even good parallel skiers use it.

 

There are plenty here much better qualified than me to discuss technique.

[scouser 4]

I remember someone trying to teach me to do that ages ago. I got really annoyed.

 

Whats the Japanese name for that?

[WantToSki 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by scouser:
I remember someone trying to teach me to do that ages ago. I got really annoyed.

Whats the Japanese name for that?

i think they just call it the "stem turn"...

now, based on the above picture/explanation for the "stem turn," i think the japanese call it "purok-bogen" or "purok-turn"

can anyone verify this?

[WantToSki 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Mary-Elizabeth:
I started last year and found it difficult - I only went 4 times and each time there was a few weeks inbetween. This year I was better but it would still be great to be able to do a week or so in one go and really progress.

(This might be a stupid question but what is a 'stem christie'?)

yes - since i only started skiing this season, there wasnt much planning involved. just take whatever tour package out there, and go for it - 2 days/1 night.

but now that i know better (i think), for next season im planning for a longer stay... say one-week...?

[Plucky 0]

There are two types of skiers/boarders:

 

1) Those that stay on the groomers, i.e. 99% of the people in Japan.

 

2) Those that explore. I think FT and Toque know what I'm talking about. I got caught in a huge avie last week while skiing Pedro Dome. I'd show you pictures, but my camera is still burried Yes, I'm lucky but I've been in worse.

 

PS - BOOTS. Get a good pair. Front entry. You'll go from a gaper to a ripper in an afternoon. If I hear anybody say 'skis' I'll slap 'em. I learned on 220cm K2's and I'm only 5 foot 11 I'm now own 185 to 200's - depends what I feel like skiing that day.

 

I'd love to ski with Toque someday

[rach 1]

 Quote:

Those that stay on the groomers, i.e. 99% of the people in Japan.

You might get Fattwins telling you off there with that number, Plucky.

Where is Fattwins these last few days, out on the snow?

[Kumapix 0]

He's in Hakuba bonding with Toque

[daver 0]

"Basically you stem out to initiate the turn, transfer your weight onto the outside foot, and close the stem before crossing the fall line. It's a defensive turn and even good parallel skiers use it. "

 

almost got it soubriquet. and you are right it can be a usefull tool. however new teaching ideas are straying away from its use due to modern equipement. teachers are now encouraging a wider parallel stance throughout the turn rather than teaching a stem. if the stem happens it is a syptom of weak balance prior to the steering phase and speed control problems at the completion phase.

 

the stemming happens because the skier is not quiet comfortable unweighting the ski in a narrow stance parallel position. so, durring the steering phase the skier stems the outside foot to create a wider base of support.

 

the skier should not feel any pressure to bring the ski back into a parallel position. as the skier completes the steering phase in a balanced position, he will become more dependant on the outside stemmed ski and as a result the inside unweighted ski will naturaly re-align.

 

if you are going to try a stem, remember that it is important to combine the actions of stemming and unweighting/leg extension. these actions should happen fluidly, progressively, and in unison with each other. the most important thing to remember about the stem is that it is use to create a steering angle. so it is imperative to pivote the ski while stemming. and to move your center of mass into the middle of the stem. (you are not simply pushing the foot away from you) be aware of what your foot is feeling. you should feel pressure building in the ball/arch of your foot. this will allow you to create earlier edge grip and thus give you a more continuous connection with the snow. (rather than feeling like you are drifting uncontrolably for the first 2/3 of the turn and then slamming on the brakes at the end)

with a little bit of practice and as the skier becomes more comfortable unweighting initiation phase the stem will naturally disapear. and vola, parallel turns!

 

good luck with it, and remember, keep it slow, try it out on relatively easy and flat terrian, and stay aware of how your feet feel. if you can't feel the snow with the stemming foot, you are balanced inside. move with the stem. when you are confident at slow speeds, don't move to harder terrian. instead, pick up the speed, and play around on rolling terrian to test your balance.

 

i hope that works

 

dave

[soubriquet 0]

Thanks Dave.

[ireallylikebakedbeans 0]

Interesting daver cheers

[jared 0]

The wide paralell thing seems to be the Canadian method for teaaching skiing. The NZ method still use the wedge (stem) christie. The canadian method seems to produce bad paralell skiers quickly, while the NZ method produces stronger ones more slowly. The time saved using the canadian method can be used to fix them up resulting in about the same rate of progress.

A wedge christie means your about 1 lesson away from being a paralell skier - dont stop lessons now!