Don't Try This At Home, Horrible Things Actually Taught Somewhere-Rumor or Fact..

[crgildart]

OK let's hear some horror stories new and old of teaching techniques that were terrible ideas,

When I was a teen (late 70s) I remember one friend telling me that a ski instructor in Aspen taught him to parallel by putting the safety straps from his skis on the opposite legs tying his feet together. He skied in that locked ankle, swivel hips, back seat style all the way. What are some other weird and/or terrible ideas you've heard others may have tried??

 

[Brian Finch]

Circa 2000 damn near every coach I worked with: "WTF ARE YOU DOING?! Stop dragging your inside hand; Stop leaning in!!!"

Terrible habit. It's resulted in my feet above my head for many years to come-

 

[Bad Bob]

Mambo. Turning your skis with pure rotation added with a little bit of up unweighting. Trygve Berge sp? (ski school director of Breckenridge) taught me that one.

 

[RNZ]

OK let's hear some horror stories new and old of teaching techniques that were terrible ideas,

When I was a teen (late 70s) I remember one friend telling me that a ski instructor in Aspen taught him to parallel by putting the safety straps from his skis on the opposite legs tying his feet together. He skied in that locked ankle, swivel hips, back seat style all the way. What are some other weird and/or terrible ideas you've heard others may have tried??

That's classic - luckily I didn't have a drink in my hand when I read that or it may have ended up being sprayed on the screen. Nothing I can think of compares to that.

 

[Philpug]

Charles DeMar: Go that way. Real Fast. If something gets in your way. Turn.

I still live by those words.

 

[crgildart]

Charles DeMar: Go that way. Real Fast. If something gets in your way. Turn.

I still live by those words.

Also taught in France!

 

[crgildart]

People were talking about using hula hoops with little kids mid 2,000s.. I brought one with my 4 and 5 year old kids and tried it for all of 5 minutes before going back old school. One of them did benefit from the edgie wedgie first couple of hours. Other kid gave up on skiing until she was 10 after one really cold half day attempt

 

[Monique]

Well, there's the obvious one that non-instructors tell their friends all the time: "Oh, come on, just ski this black diamond! I know it's your first day, but you learn by doing!"

 

[Mike Thomas]

Does giving advice on how to stop a skier sliding down hill out of control count?

 

[Josh Matta]

Does giving advice on how to stop a skier sliding down hill out of control count?

lol seriously that entire thread is a disaster....

if someone does not have a solid sideslip no matter terrain/condition what they should not be on anything beside easy blue and easier terrain.

Bad advice

Make you take your outside arm and drive it across your body
push on your outside ski
Look where you want to go(that one is not so obvisous)
point your belly button towards the turn
Push your heels out....HARDERRR!!!
Lean back in powder
Lean forward in powder(neither is a end all to powder)
Lean into the front of your boots
always be forward

 

[Don in Morrison]

Evidently, adjusting ones own ski bindings is on the don't-try-this-at-home list. An instructor once caught me, screwdriver in hand, tweaking my bindings and asked, "Are you qualified to do that, sir?"

 

[Josh Matta]

Evidently, adjusting ones own ski bindings is on the don't-try-this-at-home list. An instructor once caught me, screwdriver in hand, tweaking my bindings and asked, "Are you qualified to do that, sir?"

The only response to that question, is no, and I can do what ever I want with my own gear.

 

[Don in Morrison]

The only response to that question, is no, and I can do what ever I want with my own gear.

My response was, "If you mean have I had any formal training, no, but I've been working on my own gear all my life." I resisted the temptation to add, "And I do all my own brake jobs, too."

 

[KingGrump]

Evidently, adjusting ones own ski bindings is on the don't-try-this-at-home list. An instructor once caught me, screwdriver in hand, tweaking my bindings and asked, "Are you qualified to do that, sir?"

My reply would be "Yes, I am a certified screwdriver operator."
I mean how difficult is it to use a screwdriver.

 

[crgildart]

Evidently, adjusting ones own ski bindings is on the don't-try-this-at-home list. An instructor once caught me, screwdriver in hand, tweaking my bindings and asked, "Are you qualified to do that, sir?"

Yes, and I can tell from here that yours are too high. Come over here so I can calibrate them properly..

 

[slowrider]

Certified operators have left and right screwdrivers.

 

[Don in Morrison]

My reply would be "Yes, I am a certified screwdriver operator."
I mean how difficult is it to use a screwdriver.

A whole lot easier than swapping out a heater core on an '89 Taurus. Ask me how I know that.

 

[Tom K.]

For awhile, at my home hill, there was a fad of trying to ski while keeping a mitten or glove pinned between your knees.

Tough duty in northern Minnesota, where we often skied at well below zero temps!

 

[eok]

Actually saw this a couple seasons ago. Somebody who seemed like an experienced skier kept telling their teenage "student" to "JUST GET YOUR SKIS ON EDGE. ANGLE YOUR HIPS AND GET ON YOUR EDGES!!!". And the victim would indeed go into extreme contortions to angle the skis WAAAY up to ride the sides of the skis. I saw this skier doing this all day. No real turning was happening. He was contorted and riding mostly on the sides of the skis - and falling constantly.

 

[jimtransition]

Actually saw this a couple seasons ago. Somebody who seemed like an experienced skier kept telling their teenage "student" to "JUST GET YOUR SKIS ON EDGE. ANGLE YOUR HIPS AND GET ON YOUR EDGES!!!". And the victim would indeed go into extreme contortions to angle the skis WAAAY up to ride the sides of the skis. I saw this skier doing this all day. No real turning was happening. He was contorted and riding mostly on the sides of the skis - and falling constantly.

So edging isn't 'real' turning? What is?