Clarissa 0 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Hi It sounds like there are quite a few good skiers and boarders on here. I've not had much experience and still consider myself a beginner, but I was wondering about you other guys - did you start off by learning to be "technically correct", by the book, or whatever that means or just go out and have fun and get better and better on your own? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
sava 0 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I learnt to snow plow thanks to team snow bee Link to post Share on other sites
snowboarding-sam 0 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm no expert but took a few lessons at the beginning to get going fairly quickly and glad I did it. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Ive never "taken" a lesson but always watch better skiers. Lesson might be a good thing for me Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 no you just need to keep your hands up cb and you will solve a ton of your problems. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 lessons can be usefull. but it all depends on the teacher you get. some don't have a clue. some are so intent on you looking good, that they forget that you are paying to learn to have fun. if you take some good lessons from some one that actually knows what they are talking about then you can make some very fast progress in a very short period of time. and you will be having a lot more fun. but a lot of the time you will be better off just enjoying your already costly day on the hill. it's up to you. do you want to become good fast and avoid some of the very tedious ruts? or do you just want to relax and enjoy your time out with friends in a wonderful setting? Link to post Share on other sites
1 4 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 About teachers, definitely right. It's like at school. I blame my totally lack of interest in history to Mr Sellers at school who was possibly The Most Boring Teacher In The World. Get lucky with a teacher and its surely a good thing. If someone can recommend a teacher then thats the best situation. Link to post Share on other sites
97 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 My parents taught me a few times and then I had a few lessons at Arai resort. It was really good I learnt a lot. But I don't want any more, I'd just prefer to enjoy it. Link to post Share on other sites
WantToSki 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 i started skiing this season - 2 days/1 night in january, two more 2 days/1 night in february, and in march i have had three 2 days/1 night (almost every week)... and in that, i try to get at least ONE lesson (group setting) that cost about 2,000 to 4,000 yen for 2 hours. so much so that i am now able to do parallel long turns, and parallel short turns in intermediate/beginner groomed pistes (not yet pretty perfect like a Demonstrator, though); able to survive some bumps in advanced terrain, and bad snow conditions; and just recently passed by SAJ Badge Test for the 3rd Grade. -- im going for 2nd Grade next season... as some have already mentioned, you need to at least have some instruction (it is easy to mistake what is really happening in skiing just by looking what others do - this is what happened to me the first time). and if you do get instruction, make sure that it comes from someone who knows what they are doing - basically the basics (ie., i had someone teach me on the first day POLE PLANTS!?!)... but the most important - ENJOY IT... if you love skiing/snowboarding, i bet you'd definitely enjoy it... Link to post Share on other sites
WantToSki 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by WantToSki: i started skiing this season - 2 days/1 night in january, two more 2 days/1 night in february, and in march i have had three 2 days/1 night (almost every week)... and in that, i try to get at least ONE lesson (group setting) that cost about 2,000 to 4,000 yen for 2 hours. so much so that i am now able to do parallel long turns, and parallel short turns in intermediate/beginner groomed pistes (not yet pretty perfect like a Demonstrator, though); able to survive some bumps in advanced terrain, and bad snow conditions; and just recently passed by SAJ Badge Test for the 3rd Grade. -- im going for 2nd Grade next season... as some have already mentioned, you need to at least have some instruction (it is easy to mistake what is really happening in skiing just by looking what others do - this is what happened to me the first time). and if you do get instruction, make sure that it comes from someone who knows what they are doing - basically the basics (ie., i had someone teach me on the first day POLE PLANTS!?!)... but the most important - ENJOY IT... if you love skiing/snowboarding, i bet you'd definitely enjoy it... so far in the resorts ive been to... the best instruction/teaching comes from Hakuba Happo-One Ski School, and Naeba Prince Ski School. Link to post Share on other sites
rigor mortis 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 i think its important to 'have no fear' and take a few hits. always challenge yourself - and you can surprise yourself what you can do. confidence is a great teacher (but can be very strict sometimes!) Link to post Share on other sites
WantToSki 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by rigor mortis: i think its important to 'have no fear' and take a few hits. always challenge yourself - and you can surprise yourself what you can do. confidence is a great teacher (but can be very strict sometimes!) *thumbs up* i remember an instructor told me once that when you are not falling, then you may not be trying... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 sking is dynamic and you need to be told when your body is not doing the right things. even one lesson helps if someone can indentify what you are doing wrong. you are then aware of what you need to change. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 I took a mogul lesson this weekend. My short turn skill was improved. But I am still scared of the deep ditch. I guess I have to overcome this fear. But I was thinking like this all day today..."for what?" I think this short turn skill is useful when I ski off piste, too and that's enough. Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 How were the moguls slow? Hard and icy? Link to post Share on other sites
WantToSki 0 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by slow: I took a mogul lesson this weekend. My short turn skill was improved. But I am still scared of the deep ditch. I guess I have to overcome this fear. But I was thinking like this all day today..."for what?" I think this short turn skill is useful when I ski off piste, too and that's enough. actually, im still aching all over due to trying to get my short turns to actually work... *sigh* Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 this is going to sound like silly tip but i cannot stress enough the importance of it; when in the moguls, relax and breath. i say breath because most of us when put in a tense scenerio tend to forget about the very basic human need for air. and as such we tense up and become as stiff as a board. the very opposite of how we need to be in order to perform short turns, especially in the bumps. in the bumps it is imperative to be supple and relaxed. when you allow you legs to accommodate for the undulating terrian you in doing so allow your centre of mass to travel in the most stable linear path down the hill. (you turn on the bumps rather than the bumps turn you) this in turn allows you to be more agile and thus perform a variety of turn shapes and sizes on command. sounds simple eh? oh yes, one more thing, pole plant. absolutely essential. shorter turns requires more accute timing and co-ordination. the pole plant provides this. think of your poles as the drummer of a band. they keep everything together. without them you could end up skiing like Spinal Tap's impromptu free jazz performance. Derek: I'll tell you what we're gonna have to do... David: What? Derek: Jazz odyssey! David: We're not going about to do a free-form jazz, uh, exploration in front of a festival crowd! good luck with the bumps Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by fukdane: How were the moguls slow? Hard and icy? I expected heavy, wet spring crud. But it was pretty cold and snowing on the weekend. Powder in the morning but snow getting hard and icy in the afternoon. Link to post Share on other sites
Clarissa 0 Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 Thanks for the interesting replies! I might think about taking some lessons early in the season to give me a good start. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 im not a pole plant fan at all i prefer to teach sking without poles alot. you should be able to ski anythig without poles. ill add to daver that whenever you are going to ski something hard relax, think about how good the run will be and not how hard it might be. dont study the line too much just giver after you have a good idea of line. Of course on lines of death in the BC dont giver if you could fall to your death. Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Good advice that last one! I always like(d) to push myself - not too much but enough to give myself a good challenge and a feeling of accomplishment. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 I'd ask some Japanese friends who know to recommend some good teachers. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 i haven't taken a lesson here, (nor will i) but i have observed many. both here and back home. my professional advice would be to stay clear of them. i have no doubt that the pros here are great skiers, and that they know what they are talking about. but unless you can afford a private lesson you will spend your precious time standing in a group of twenty or so watching your teacher, then the entire group perform one isolated action. then you will do it again. then you will do it again. then you will do it again. then you will do it again. then you will do it again..... a good teacher will have you skiing a lot, and will not waste your time performing drills that isolate an action unless it is completely necessary. Link to post Share on other sites
WantToSki 0 Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by SKI: I'd ask some Japanese friends who know to recommend some good teachers. try the Hakuba Happo-One Ski School - it is an "A"-ranked school here in Japan, and besides that, IS actually seen by the general skiing public as one of the TOP schools. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Is there a ranking system over there then for things like that? Link to post Share on other sites
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