Seeking help getting through / past intermediate stage - focus on skis

[ChrisFromOC]

Hey thanks for the invitation. Only time and budget for one main hobby right now




It's great to see that you are thinking about this as I think it could really help your students even if they don't know it yet. I'm sure some won't want to be bothered with it but others will probably love you for it!




I'm quickly discovering that and it's been fun. At some point, I want to be done with this and not have to think about gear at all.





You are right. That's what my expert friends say. Day one one actually said go by a Mantra and be done with!




Thanks for sharing. I"m trying to stack everything in my favor so I improve as quickly and efficiently as possible!




My expert friends don't care about gear at all - they use a few skis until they are no longer serviceable!

I’d suggest you listen to your expert friends, as they probably know your skiing ability, progression and usual terrain, and this info could be very helpful in making these assessments.

 

[Seldomski]

IMO, the skis that can hinder progression (assuming the ski length is somewhere between -15 and +5 cm of your height):
-Fat skis (anything over 95ish) -- more work to tip on edge (on a groomer) and bias you to ski off piste instead of doing drills and enjoying groomers
-Too stiff skis -- harder to bend and feel the ski working at low speeds and low angle terrain in a typical lesson
-Too soft skis -- the edge washes out at your typical skiing speed and terrain. This can cause you to lose confidence in the ski and ski more cautiously. They can make challenging terrain worse.

That said, a very good boot fit matters much more than the skis. The boot gives you precise feedback on the ski and will help you learn to ski whatever ski you are on.

The ski you pick does need to be something you want to ski! Not much point if the ski is good for progression and drills, but it makes skiing boring for you.

Once you figure out how to carve the first pair of skis, you can figure out how to carve any other (reasonable) skis within short order. Fatter and stiffer skis may take a bit longer to adjust to for bending and carving - or require different terrain to become interesting.

 

[Thion]

My recommendation for pushing you into your next level is: booster strap. One appropriate for your wight.

Skis aside: boots and the boots angle makes for a huge part in skiing.

The same Ski can feel and behave berry different depending on the boot. Upgrading a boot can make you feel like you upgraded your skies. Without me doing nothing different, the edge hold on the same Ski is awfull with dalbello lupo and great with my race boots.

Those two factors have pushed me into the next level. Ass for skies in resorts(gromers), you already have a pretty decent Ski for you level.


You should always have a better Ski, which can take all of your pressure and then some, to advance. But the ski you already own might be good enough(depending on your weight)

It would be helpfull if you could record a video of you skiing and post it.

 

[SSSdave]

Since no one has brought up your height weight and I didn't see it on any of your posts unless I missed something, would assume you are near average male height and weight?

 

[martyg]

I'd review the comparisons of gear that Phil does here and pay close attention to those that say "does not punish mistakes". To me the difference between the intermediate and advanced intermediate(and above) is not so much the skill, it's the ability of one to trust not only the gear, but your abilities. If you can't put faith into your gear you'll never inclinate and angulate.. which is the gateway to advanced/expert

I still remember the run, the spot and the time when I threw caution to the wind, and decided to lay them and myself over and put blind faith into my skis and either they were going to work some kind of magic.. or I was gonna be laid out across the slope.. much to my surprise i didn't fall down, quite the opposite.. and from there the rest because easier..

My advice... ignore the "expert" skis.. ignore the "rec" skis.. get an "easy" ski on which to learn.. for me.. and i'm glad I took the advice from old guy at the ski shop.. was the amp rictor in a relatively short 167.. there are many better skis out there.. but i don't think i would have progressed as well if it wasn't for an easy to ski ski..

The Amp Rictor was a phenomenal ski and was developed by an industry icon - former US Team athlete, formner US Team coach, former ski school director at Vail / Beaver Creek. A great ski developed by one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry.

Others in that range that I have demoed as protos, pre pros or own as production stock:
- Dynastar Speed Zone 10 (narrower - not as forgiving in soft snow)
- Stockli Lazer AX (more range of comfort than the Amp Rictor)
- Salomon XDR (real similar feel)

 

[martyg]

Seeking advice from advanced / expert skiers who did not grow up skiing and who had to go through the intermediate skill level stage as adults:

Question: "Thinking purely about the skis themselves, what advice would you give to adult intermediate skiers about how best to choose skis if they want to progress to become advanced / expert skiers? To avoid any uproar, the goal is not for the skis to instantly transform your skiing but to help you improve as you are taking lessons and working on your skills. The goal is to become advanced/expert, not to make skiing easier today. Assume also that boots are properly fitted by a good bootfitter."

I know many in this camp. Unfortunately our advanced/expert friends all grew up skiing and/or don't care about gear at all, so they are no help. There was a recent reference to "overgearing" and some people said they started with shorter and softer skis than you would expect given their height / weight.

What do you all think? What advice would you give? What did you do right? What do you wish you had known before?

Thanks!!!

p.s. not sure if this is in the right category...

Don't focus on equipment. Of course, if you have shit for equipment it won't help. Any ski 80ish or under will help you capture the sensations that you will need to progress. Far more important is coaching. IMO the exercise of looking for technique help on-line is bullshit. A great instructor - one who is skilled at MA, skies with video, and who is articulate will help you the most. You will, of course, still have to do the time and the work.

Occasionally getting on a new ski will help you unlock a sensation. Certainly my GS skis help me hone in a carve, while my all mountain skis butter a turn like my GS skis can't. However I'm not sure the ROI is going to blow you away. Dialogue with a human being, on snow, where you can watch yourself ski on video, build body awareness, and then execute immediately again with feedback from that human will accelerate your learning and understanding of what is going on far more than a new pair of skis - provided that your current skis are not something too bazaar or ill fitting.

 

[AmyPJ]

Don't focus on equipment. Of course, if you have shit for equipment it won't help. Any ski 80ish or under will help you capture the sensations that you will need to progress. Far more important is coaching. IMO the exercise of looking for technique help on-line is bullshit. A great instructor - one who is skilled at MA, skies with video, and who is articulate will help you the most. You will, of course, still have to do the time and the work.

Occasionally getting on a new ski will help you unlock a sensation. Certainly my GS skis help me hone in a carve, while my all mountain skis butter a turn like my GS skis can't. However I'm not sure the ROI is going to blow you away. Dialogue with a human being, on snow, where you can watch yourself ski on video, build body awareness, and then execute immediately again with feedback from that human will accelerate your learning and understanding of what is going on far more than a new pair of skis - provided that your current skis are not something too bazaar or ill fitting.

Agreed with bolded. I mean, you can get some help and I've always appreciated the help I've gotten, but nothing compares to skiing WITH someone, who can really see you ski, and YES, get video and then break it down. It has helped me immensely this season.

 

[martyg]

Agreed with bolded. I mean, you can get some help and I've always appreciated the help I've gotten, but nothing compares to skiing WITH someone, who can really see you ski, and YES, get video and then break it down. It has helped me immensely this season.

Skis are tools. A good instructor will watch how your skis are behaving, and based on that will know exactly what your body is doing, where your weight us and how to create a more efficient version of yourself.

Skis can have a place however. One of the things that I do with high level intermediates is put the on 110cm rental skis with a turn radius of 9m. We ski for the day on those. There us a very specific progression to get them back to their own skis.

 

[slowrider]

I have a pair 151cm skis. Great trainers. IMO good movements trumps gear.

 

[LiquidFeet]

I've got some MX70s at 152. My oh my those things are short. I must admit I thought they would be good for me but I hate them.

Anyone interested in buying them? Skied about 2-3 days total. Bindings are CTi11, on a plate of some sort. Make me an offer.