Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

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Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:50 am

Well, what can I say or add that hasn't already been mentioned or known? Awesome course, wish it was longer....so, I will address this to all those who have yet to attend, or who are not sure whether to go for a camp.

For me, my journey into PMTS was slightly un-orthodox. Already comfortable in any terrain, a change in my ski set up - touring bindings to regular down-hill, started to cause severe hip pains. After a significant amount of research, I deduced it was an alignment issue. I discovered that when my boot was in the binding, I could move the top of my boot laterally by upto 5mm. In other-words, my misalignment was being washed out by the lateral movement/ play with the binding. I decided to invest in a new pair of boots, complete with cork footbeds - unfortunately, despite skiing being a huge industry in the the UK, there is a dearth of 'specialist' boot fitters and alignment specialists...self help, at this point, was my only option - and with a combination self video analysis, on slope practice and a pocket full of piste maps (eventually foam wedges), I achieved a pretty close job - alignment wise. My research continued and I eventually discovered Harald Harb. First came 'Essentials', closely followed by the complete set of books and videos. After a great season applying his movements to my skiing and seeing a huge leap in my ability, I decide to dedicate my summer to completely rebuilding my technique from the ground up. Averaging 3 training sessions per week on a dry ski slope, I fastidiously worked my way through the PMTS program. A big thank you to Max501 and Geoffda for their time and guidance.

Despite my hours of study and practice, up until this point I had never seen a live PMTS skier - my mental picture coming from DVDs and youtube. Although, I had a fairly good understanding of the system and grasp of the movements, I was looking for a deeper knowledge and clarification that my movements were sound.

I have been an qualified instructor in several disciplines from flying military helicopters through to waterskiing/ snow skiing, and I have to say that the PMTS instructors are second to none. By far the most professional, dedicated, passionate and knowledgable group I have ever met. Their style of instruction is like nothing else I have ever experienced. It caters for any level/ skill set of skier, even within the same group. They have the skill to identify 'your' SMIM and give you corrective action, which means that all of us in a group are concentrating on different aspects of our skiing within the same exercise.

As one would have expected from distance learning, some of my movements needed strengthening/ work and my understanding needed a little clarifying. Although frustrating at times, I never felt anything other than my skiing improving. The care and attention to your learning is amazing, especially the time and effort taken to get your alignment sorted. The pre-camp alignment assessment session was very enlightening...let's just say that my 'corks' were ceremoniously burnt and replaced for Harb footbeds after I discovered the damage they we doing to my skiing movements..anything that blocks the natural movement of the body (in this case, the foot), has been removed from the PMTS syllabus, leaving you with a clear route to expert skiing movements.

My initial assessment resulted in a 2deg outward canting shim required on my right boot and a 1deg out shim on my left. These were taped to the heals of my boots to allow for further tweaking during the week. The 'on-snow' assessment consisted of careful watching of my skiing coupled with video analysis and simple straight line single leg balancing exercises. After day 2, the coach (Walter) added an extra 1deg to my left leg, but after further analysis, he reduced this to only an extra 1/2 deg. Interestingly enough, that extra 1/2 deg was enough to make my left knee struggle to hold an edge in my right turns.

Fore & aft alignment/ adjustment was also required as I was struggling in this area due to the new footbeds. My old 'corks' were significantly higher under the heal than the new Harb footbeds - ramp angle. Despite pulling my feet back, I still felt like I was in the back seat. After spending a day skiing on a set of 3mm heal lift skis coupled with boot spoilers fitted to the rear of my liners, we hit the sweet spot. This small tweak changed my skiing posture and allowed me to control my fore/aft at will. Walters unfailing patience and desire to get my alignment 'just right' is testament to him and all the PMTS coaches. Thank you.

The theme for this year appeared to be CA, in particular with the hips/ pelvis. It seems that HH has identified this as a weak and difficult area for skiers to train and perfect. Most of our movements in this area were, at best, weak, but more commonly opposite....

The weak started on the groomers and ended in the powder with 2 days of some of the best conditions I have skied. For me the highlight was to ski powder and bumps with HH, culminating in a cheeky little 'head 2 head' bump run:



HH and his team have worked wonders. They have re-ignited the passion for skiing in my wife and made me even more of a ski nut, which my wife didn't think was possible....I am already looking for my next camp, just wish I had started them sooner.
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Re: Super Blue 2

Postby nipper » Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:33 am

The problem is that once you have drunk the Kool-aid, you have to get an annual fix.
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby Max_501 » Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:09 pm

Great report. Gotta love the final run of the camp.
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby HeluvaSkier » Tue Feb 04, 2014 7:18 pm

Someone has to say it - great skiing! It isn't easy to ski side-by-side with Harald and still look like a good skier!
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby Ihamilton » Tue Feb 04, 2014 9:39 pm

I was lucky to be in the camp with go_large and his wife. Both are great skiers and the last bump run could have included her skiing at that level.
Talking with HH, the emphasis on hip/ pelvis movements was discussed. HH has noticed things in the WC skiing and I expect that you will see writing and videos on the three pelvis movements. We got a history on the wedeln turns and spent a lot of time practicing those turns.
I am skiing at Jackson Hole this week with another pmts practioner and I am attempting to pass to him what I learned last week. We both found that the ca-pelvis movements really helped our bump skiing. Walter gave me some timing tips as my ca was late. That has really helped me. One of my problems was that the tilt of my pelvis was backwards. HH suggested that I think of getting kicked on the south side of my derrière at the top of each turn so that the bottom of my pelvis is forward. Jay Peterson tells a good story about being on the receiving end of HH's boot. Today several times at the top of the turn I imagined receiving hh's boot on the bottom of my rear and my skiing improved! Another helpful tip was knowing where both pole tips are at all times. The inside pole tip should be on the snow drawing an arc towards the inside ski and with practice that will stop the outside hand from getting ahead of the outside hip. I practiced that feeling of knowing where the pole tips are all day today. It helped the ca-pelvis movements.
All the coaching works. The development of pmts continues and I expect all you practioners will find new ideas and and more precise movements coming shortly
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:03 pm

The crazy thing is that my wife has not improved in 20 years and it has only been on the last 2yrs (since I discovered PMTS), that I have caught her up technically. Since the camp, her fire has been re-ignited as she has found a route that will take her skiing to the next level..I had better watch out, she went into this camp 'cold', and improved more than I did...yikes...thank you Harald and your team.

It was great to ski Irwin, Mike and of course the Bingster....
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby jclayton » Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:57 am

Hey " Go Large " , great report and great video . I can see your appetite has been more than whetted . That was a great day in Loveland as well . ( The Loveland pass was closed ) .
skinut ,among other things
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby h.harb » Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:21 am

Thanks for the great posts about the coaches and camps. Diana and I are currently in Minneapolis at 0 degrees, Welch Village. Yesterday we filmed 7 to 9 year old kids learning PMTS. Getting them to understand tipping and balancing on one foot most of the day. Narrowing the stance is the answer. Amazing to everyone who watched the kids improving with PMTS movements, that a wedge is still being taught anywhere because it's such a huge detriment to progress and learning.

In the current Sports Illustrated Magazine there is a huge article about Mikaela Shiffrin, in it, her mother says, "we never taught Mikaeka a wedge and we by-passed USSA development programs and criteria. Good advice for all.
The wedge is PSIA and the USSA Development program is run by the US Ski Team. Which as anyone can see is not at all a development program, it's an elimination program.

In the last ten years it has not developed one women except Vonn. So what are they spending money on????? Right now only one women on the whole US ski team can qualify in the top 30 in Slalom and GS, and she didn't go through US development. And Mancuso who is a former world junior champion is barely making the top 10. The system is broken from the top down. Keep doing the same thing over and over and get the same results.

The resources that the US Ski Team has and spends is amazing, a huge building in Park City, the CEO was making over $600,000, and producing what?
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby suxsusy » Fri Feb 07, 2014 4:02 pm

Hi go_large,
compliments for the report and the beautiful video, as just said you have been lucky to have skied with mr Harb.
It's nice to see that you began by yourself and have had some progress before attending a camp, becouse i'm going to try by myself too in pmts.
I bought ACBES 1 and i'm waiting for Essentials and DVD , watching you tube and wath else i can.
I'm sure i will see some improvement even if i'm a wedge skier stucked in dead end level.
Reeding your report i hope i can too.
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Re: Super Blue 2 - Camp Report

Postby Ken » Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:51 pm

Two friends attended that camp. They are thrilled with their results. One had his roadblock pointed out to him and got on the road to correction. He had fun for the first time in the powder--he was floating instead of fighting it. They'll be back next year. They also made very favorable comments about the boot alignment and footbed service--when the time that was taken to precisely find the anatomical problems and develop the solutions (footbeds and canting as needed) was taken into consideration, the prices were very reasonable. I'd told them and told them--now they understand.
Rooster today
Feather duster tomorrow

VIDEO OF NOT ME
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