Learning to ski is easy. Here's how to do it. Ver2.0

Fact is, to get yourself actually turning the skis at a basic level,
enough to get the job done, be in control, have fun, and ski
most of the mountain, is not as complicated as the average
person thinks. Nor is it as complicated as lot of various people
seem to want to make it.

Two things to understand and do, are two "stances", or
ways to stand on the skis. One is with the skis about shoulder
width apart and parallel to each other. The skis are both
pointing where you're going, and your body is facing square
to the skis in that same direction. This is parallel stance.

Then, if you make a "v" with the skis, tips together (still shoulder
width apart), tails apart maybe a foot or two, body facing the
same as in parallel, facing where you're going, then you're in
wedge stance or "snowplow". We prefer the term "wedge".

So. What you do is, hold your hands in front of you, reaching
almost to the tips of the skis, at all times. *All times*. Keep your
arms and upper body still. Just hold them steady out in front of
you. If you do this, what you try to do with the skis will work.
If you don't, you'll have trouble. Every wave of the arms ruins
your balance and your control of the skis.

This is called home position. You can recover balance by
recovering home position. If you lose balance, use your abs
and throw your arms forward again to regain that forward
position over the skis. If you get in trouble, go home. If
you're in home position, *you will not fall*.

Then, use your parallel stance to get some speed as you ski
across the hill. When you're ready to turn, spread the tails of
the skis into the wedge stance, get the big toe edge of the
outside ski to bite by moving your knee to the inside of the turn,
then put all your weight on that outside ski, and push with the
ball of your outside foot. The skis will start to turn. This is the
easy part, most everyone that has ever skied through out
modern history got this far.

The problem has been, how do you finish the turn and get from
the wedge back into parallel stance again? Or for that matter,
how do you dispose of the wedge altogether and stay in
parallel all the time even though you first learned to turn in the
wedge?

This, historically has been called "matching the skis".

How ever do you get the newbie to learn to match the skis?

Today, it's easy.

What you do is, about halfway through the turn, lift *only the tail*
of the inside ski (leave the tip of that ski on the snow), and put it
back next to the outside ski, then you'll be in parallel again
(because the tips are still in the same location they were in the
parallel stance, only the tails were moved wide). Then repeat
the same procedure any time you want to turn.

Parallel, set the edge of the outside ski, transfer all the weight
to the outside ski, then match skis by lifting the tail of the inside
ski and putting it back next to the outside ski.

Parallel, set the edge, transfer the weight, match the skis.

That's only three steps, four if you count the start in parallel traverse.

One more thing, as you make turns, you're making half circles.
There is always an inside and an outside of a circle, or a half
circle. As such, there is always an inside and an outside ski.

All the weight goes on the outside ski. Match the inside ski
with a lift of the tail, while leaving the tip on the snow.

That is, in fact, how it's done.

Easier than you thought, yes?

Now go ski.

Most peeps learn that first day, first half hour.
It almost took me that long to finally finish whatever it is you
wrote........
Stem christie

"LeeD" wrote in message
oups.com...
Most peeps learn that first day, first half hour.
It almost took me that long to finally finish whatever it is you
wrote........
Stem christie


Nah.

If you teach as described in LTSIE (trade mark), half of every
class you teach will end up in a parallel turn, rough though it is,
after two hours on the snow.

Dude, this group has seen a buncha people go through this stem
thing before.

OK, here goes. Look at some sixties book on how to ski and
look at the typical stem christie pix.

It goes like this. Parallel. Take all weight off new outside ski,
clusily move outside ski out from underneath your body in a
really awkward position. Put weight on outside ski if you can,
considering the ridiculous position it's in related to your body,
com, whatever. Once you get that mostly accomplished, take all
the weight off the inside ski and step it (admittedly if a real good
peep taught you, leaving the tip of that ski on the snow)
parallel to the new outside ski.

Now think of initiating a turn with a *wedge changeup*.
There's a world of difference.

The world of difference is, you're stemming *both*
skis and leaving your body where it is the whole time.

Go straight down some easy hill in parallel. Then make an
equally weighted wedge, and really make the front of the skis
bite, enough to actually slow down. Still going straight down,
mind you. Keep it in a straight line. Then go back to parallel,
repeat. Do that a few times. Make a lap or two.

Then, just pick a direction, *leave your body where it is* and
pick up the tail of the inside ski and match skis. Maintain the
relationship your outside ski has to your body after you've
made the wedge, let inertia hold you up. The only thing that
moves at all is your inside leg and ski, back next to the outside.
All those extraneous movements are gone. Your body stays in
the very same place throughout the turn in relation to outside
ski. .

That's because, a basic, open parallel turn initiation is actually
half a wedge. It's the same movement as that made while
doing the wedge changeup. Just match the inside ski (by lifting
the tail) *all the way through the turn, start to finish.*

I like to say, set the edge and pick up the tail at the same time.

Whammo. Parallel initiation. Parallel turn. Right now.
Works on the blues that day often enough.

Make the fronts of the skis bite so hard that the tails break free
and skid around the tips, thus turning. Forget about flattening
an edge. Make the edge bite so hard it gives partly away under
your awesome force.

It must have taken you twenty seconds to read. It's the
understanding that's going to take a while for some,
anyway.

But it shouldn't take that long if the entire world were to
understand it, because it's really oh so simple.

And it's never happened before, until a few peeps here and
there started doing it a little while ago.

Thanks for the reply, BTW. So far, a refreshing change from
the usual posts one sees here...

OK, I'm offering printed text of this post for sale, twenty
bucks a pop, just email me. LTSIE.

Lifting the inside ski up is a sure sign of someone who hasnt commited
to the outside edge fully.

foot2foot wrote:

Now go ski.

Hey, Fool2Fool, how about you take your own advise and go skiing
instead of constantly spewing the same tired old crap, again and again
and again.

I'm starting to doubt that you can even ski. Oddly enough, whenever
someone wants to meet up and actually ski with you, you freak out, call
the FBI, the CIA and your mom to complain about real life harrassment.

Get a life!

foot2foot wrote:
Snip

OK, I'm offering printed text of this post for sale, twenty
bucks a pop, just email me. LTSIE.


I printed my own copy ta, but there's a crisp $20 in the mail to you.

Armin wrote:
foot2foot wrote:
Now go ski.

Hey! As long as he's posting something remotely connected to actual
skiing it's OK by me. Even if I disagree with the details. Well,
actually disagree with the principles.

Anyway, F2F, you keep it up. Just remember it's all in the Big Toe.

foot2foot wrote:



Easier than you thought, yes?

Longer, anyway.
But good on ya for on-topic posts of any kind.

Now go ski.

Yes indeed.

BrritSki wrote:

foot2foot wrote:
Snip

OK, I'm offering printed text of this post for sale, twenty
bucks a pop, just email me. LTSIE.

I printed my own copy ta, but there's a crisp $20 in the mail to you.

The Scott Paper company will give you a better deal. Softer too, I'll bet.

//Walt

LeeD wrote:
Most peeps learn that first day, first half hour.
It almost took me that long to finally finish whatever it is you
wrote........
Stem christie

You read all that? Well done!

--
ant