Why doesn't PSIA and ski instruction in general utilize gates for teaching round and controlled turns?

[wolcoma]

As mentioned, I have been coaching ski racing for over 35 years or just after the conclusion of my college racing days. However, over the years I have participated in many PSIA clinics and really enjoy learning their process for teaching. After all as race coaches, especially with kids U14 and under 80% of what we do is ski instruction 101. Even superstar ski racers like Mikaela Shiffrin talks in some of her youtube and other posts about her years of practicing skiing fundamentals. Every season she goes back to working on simple things like practicing roll overs (weight transfer for early edge pressure), pole plant, upper and lower body separation, etc. Therefore, one of my questions for PSIA and other experienced ski instructors why don't you utilize gates, either slalom poles, paneled gates, stubby, or brushes in your daily instruction? For example, when my own kids were learning to ski I set brushes on the bunny slope for them to turn around. When I was in ninth grade our family went on a ski vacation in Lech, Austria and because the resort was so big, they recommended we all enroll in ski school so we didn't get lost. Every day in my group (they knew I was a racer) the instructor took us through the gates. He was an amazing skier and obviously had a very extensive ski racing background as he flawlessly mastered the race course! Meanwhile, I rarely see U.S. ski instructors using any type of course for skiers to go around. Just wanted your thoughts on the topic?

 

[Chris V.]

It would be great. Usually the mountains won't set courses for us.

 

[Deadslow]

Liability

 

[BLiP]

Effort to set up, maintain, and keep everyone one else out. You would need a closed trail/section of trail. Entirely possible, and a good idea, but it would take work on the part of the resort and school. Effort they probably would rather expend elsewhere.

 

[HardDaysNight]

PCMR has taken to setting up gates using foam blocks to simulate an open slalom course on the Mule Train teaching area. A little further down are sets of stubbies set a bit tighter. It’s great for teaching not only kids but their instructors as well! I was pleasantly surprised that a Vail ski school would take the trouble to do this. Kudos to them!

 

[rustypouch]

Sometimes we do.But like others have said, the effort of setting up and taking down, plus closing the run or keeping public off is too much hassle.

 

[JESinstr]

It would be great. Usually the mountains won't set courses for us.

That's why I would do a human slalom

Liability

That's why I stopped doing a human slalom

 

[KevinF]

How many gates / obstacles do you really need at the 101 instruction level though? I’d think you could set up five or six gates and be fine. We’re not talking about a full-on slalom course here.

 

[geepers]

Maybe partly resort/ppl dependent.

A day or so of gate training plus a race was offered when doing a CSIA L3 prep course at Sun Peaks. The main tech instructor was an ex-racer and a race coach. Unfortunately my travel insurance specifically excluded anything to do with racing and race training so elected not to participate.

In Australia, Thredbo has a short gate course permanently set up (conditions permitting). They charge the general public a few dollars per timed run which keeps the traffic volume down. So doesn't seem impossible to have it available.

 

[Philpug]

That's why I would do a human slalom

The tecnical term is "active gates".

 

[Sibhusky]

Whitefish always has a Slalom course set up on one of the beginner hills. It's not roped off. I've never seen a class in it, but that might be a function of when I'm in that area.

 

[wolcoma]

First you don't need to close the trail to set up a simple NASTAR type paneled slalom that you can ski on virtually any type of skis, The terrain parks are open to the public and far more dangerous than a simple dozen gate NASTAR type course. You also do not need timing. Any coach or instructor can set a 20 second paneled slalom course in 10 minutes. My point, if you watch our U12 racers many of them carve and have much better control than the average recreational skier. Ride up the chairlift and the majority of recreational skiers do not even generate turn shape. They just ski straight with a check turn here and there, That's why I believe using gates to create turn shape among recreational skiers taking ski lessons would go a long way to improve their skiing.

 

[BLiP]

First you don't need to close the trail to set up a simple NASTAR type paneled slalom that you can ski on virtually any type of skis, The terrain parks are open to the public and far more dangerous than a simple dozen gate NASTAR type course.

If you let everyone and anyone into a course, within 30 minutes, half of the gates will be knocked out and ruts will form and/or large portions of the course will be skied off, rendering it useless for the instruction you are looking for.

Your point is well taken. No disagreement that it would be beneficial. The logistics are probably not as easy as you’d like them to be though.

 

[wolcoma]

The logistics of setting up and daily grooming of a terrain park require far more work and expense than a simple NASTAR type course. Again I think it would be beneficial for ski lessons to teach turn shape and looking ahead for recreational skiers. It amazes me all these beautiful state of the art skis on the slope and most skiers have no idea how to carve and make simple round turns. I don't mean to brag but my own kids were carving turns by age 5-6 just by having them ski around brushes. They didn't become World Cup skiers but they all became much better skiers due to ski racing fundamentals that anyone can learn. I think one of the reasons the Austrians have some of the best skiers in the world is they utilize gates as part of their teaching at all levels.

 

[Chris V.]

Occasionally my home mountain puts up cones on a very flat beginner slope. There are do it yourself possibilities. Gather all the group's ski poles, and set up your own slalom course. Make brushies out of ends of pine branches.

 

[AJM]

Many years ago when I did a season long womens clinic our instructor would sometimes set up brushes for us, this same instructor also taught the kids freeride programme and would set up brushes on really steep ungroomed terrain just to mix things up a bit for them and keep them on their toes, she was a European instructor for what its worth.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

The tecnical term is "active gates".

Automatic voice command gates.

 

[Jerez]

I agree. As a member of the general public, I'd love to see simple gates or brushes set up and not roped off. Not talking a pro or semi pro race course but something for mere mortals.

Doesn't need to be timed. Safer than even a small terrain park and surely less labor intensive than sculpting jumps and organizing ramps and rails (or trees for that matter). And if kids see it as a fun thing to do maybe they wouldn't only gravitate to the park.

 

[skiki]

I'm trying to remember where it was, maybe Snow Valley?, but somewhere up in Canada a little over a decade ago I had a blast "racing" against my teen daughter. They had 2 matching mini courses set up side by side on a gentle blue with a single blow up final gate/ arch at the end that was open to anybody. It was a fairly quiet day so we lapped it a few times. It might have been meant to get kids interested in their race program or something like that, but what the heck, we both had fun with it.

 

[Philpug]

Automatic voice command gates.

Haha. When you say "On your left!!!" what do they do? Turn left!