Shameless plug for PMTS in Holland. AKA - Portes Du Ski

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Shameless plug for PMTS in Holland. AKA - Portes Du Ski

Postby Petter_F » Mon Nov 21, 2016 3:50 pm

Hi everyone,

I just want to put it out there for anyone living in Europe, that making a trip to the Netherlands to Portes Du Ski for new boots, footbeds and some lessons is a good investment. Actually, I saw it as necessary if I was to move forward with my skiing.

We only go skiing for one week a year. Living in the south of Sweden means that popping away for a weekend to the nearest hill (with guaranteed snow) isn't so easy, it's at least a 10 hour drive, probably more.

Years ago I picked up books 1 & 2 and went the self-taught route. I turned around my skiing the first season; night and day actually. But these last years I've kind of plateaued. Largely because I haven't had an instructor or any other eyes to help see what I'm actually doing. Having a little one in-tow on our ski-week didn't leave much alone-time either ;)

Anyhoo, I jumped on the plane to Amsterdam and after a train or two I arrived at Portes Du Ski and was welcomed by Guss and Jasper. Jasper sorted me with some boots and beds, and then it was time for some lessons. Having 'known' what PMTS is about and what the goals are had me thinking that my time in the books, and the practice I'd already done, would have me already on the (PMTS) way. Without getting into the whole process, I can summarise by saying I now have a new experience of balance... and that is an understatement.

Guss explained that the dry-slope is less forgiving than snow, and requires more exacting movements from the skier. What I experienced was a break-down... of what I gather was old gross movement patterns (even though I thought I was already on the PMTS path); they just weren't working. And then after some simple exercises on footwork and balance, I started to get in some clean turns. We'll see what this translates to on the snow later, but I now have some real cues to take with me. Naturally, I should have done this years ago and done without the 'standing still' these last years, but hey... better late than never. Time to get into dry-land exercises too, me thinks.

Thanks again to Guus & Jasper.
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Re: Shameless plug for PMTS in Holland. AKA - Portes Du Ski

Postby DougD » Tue Nov 22, 2016 12:39 pm

Petter_F wrote:... What I experienced was a break-down... of what I gather was old gross movement patterns (even though I thought I was already on the PMTS path); they just weren't working. And then after some simple exercises on footwork and balance, I started to get in some clean turns.
That's exactly how many of us feel after a couple of days at our first PMTS camp. If your old movements are ineffective, the coaches will give you exercises that make you feel like your skiing has been shattered into pieces. Part of the unlearning process, that's oh so uncomfortable... yet oh so necessary.

Great report. Hope you get opportunities to continue on snow. Remember, I'd you don't have a coach handy, posting video here for MA is the next best thing.
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Re: Shameless plug for PMTS in Holland. AKA - Portes Du Ski

Postby h.harb » Tue Nov 22, 2016 3:24 pm

My only comment is" If you learn by traditional ski instruction, you will acquire movements that are adaptive and you will never progress to the advanced, let alone the expert level. You will only hold the gross movements that force ski turns. Every time someone has to change this and learn the right movements of course there is an instant feeling of delay and confusion. This goes with all different kinds of learning, whether it be changing from the metric to the English system or vice versa. It's similar to learning to drive a stick shift from an automatic. It's doesn't last forever, it's just a transition time. However once you begin to use correct movements, your progress accelerates every time you ski with them. This can't be said for traditional skiing techniques, because they are contradictory to expert skiing development.

Some will argue, how is it that there are still experts developed with Traditional Instruction? Well that is simple, they figure it out on their own, (have perfect alignment) and use efficiency to evolve with the correct movements,, they are the select few. Unfortunately those that do this, often keep teaching the traditional methods although they don't use them in their own skiing. That's what is really hurting their students as well as skiing as a whole.
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Re: Shameless plug for PMTS in Holland. AKA - Portes Du Ski

Postby Petter_F » Wed Nov 23, 2016 1:21 am

DougD wrote: been shattered into pieces.

... and demoralized ;)

h.harb wrote:Unfortunately those that do this, often keep teaching the traditional methods although they don't use them in their own skiing.

That reminds me of a few lessons I got years ago when skiing in Fall's Creek in Australia, before knowing about PMTS. The guy (from Poland or Slovakia) was a really good teacher, compared to the other instructors there at the time, and helped me unlock something major in my skiing, but I noticed that when we skied to another part of the resort 'out of teacher/student' roll, he skied totally different. That always stuck in my mind. He later said he was very involved in coaching some racers back home. He had something I wanted, but wouldn't give me.

... but that was then.
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