Newbe

[CrazySkier]

Hello All!

I'm new here. I just got my copy of Essentials of Skiing about two hours ago and have been hungrily reading through it. I'm heading off to Sugarloaf tomorrow for a week of skiing and am looking forward to learning as much as I can from my new book!

Here's a bit of info about me and where my abilities are:

I'm a 43 year old male, been skiing for about five years. I'm currently skiing on Volkl Allstars, 184's I think. Five years ago I began going on an annual week long Sugarloaf ski trip with friends and family and the package we get always includes free group lessons (they're called Perfect-Turn clinics, it's an ASA mountain). So that's pretty much where I've learned to ski, through these five day group lessons every year.

I'd rate myself around middle to upper intermediate. I ski totally parallel all the time, I'm comfortable on any blue and most single diamond slopes, though I get kind of nervous when it gets really steep or in the bumps or crud. The harder the terrain gets the more I try to drive my hands down the fall line and focus on keeping my upper torso facing down hill through the turns (I still seem to build more speed than I want though on very steeps). When I carve I carve both skies with about 80% of my weight outside.

I'm always pushing myself to try to improve my skiing and I love it when I see myself improve, you know the saying "the better you get, the better it gets", and it's so true!

So this season I've been focusing on three things, keeping my shoulders level, facing down the fall line throughout my turns, and trying to improve my hand and pole plants by keeping my hands at tray height in front of myself. I feel like I'm doing ok, I'm counter rotating and staying conscious of where my hands are. Still not doing too good with the pole plants though, they seem to hit really hard and pop up when I try to plant into my next turn. Judging by the photos in the book I think I'm probably planting too close and need to flare out more. My old habit was to just kind of drag the poles along , no swinging or planting.

The other area I'm having a lot of trouble with is in moguls. I got into a blue rated mogul field last Monday. It was pretty chopped up with troughs and stuff, not at all evenly spaced. I didn't fall, but I kept getting into the back seat and would have to stop and regain my balance after every 7-8 turns. I think part of it was probably fear of not knowing how to handle it causing me to lean back, and I also think I had my boots too far apart. I was trying to focus on staying in the troughs and reaching out to plant my pole on top of the mounds as they approached. I've heard/read conflicting advise on moguls, ski the troughs and stab the moguls as you pass, or stay on the tops of the moguls and use the uphill faces to check your speed. So I'm kinda confused on that. I may take a mogul lesson.

So I've been going through a lot of the posts here, checking out the stuff at harbskisystems.com, etc. I see a lot of mention of the "Phantom Move" that seems to be lifting the tail of the inside ski while tipping. I saw one mention of it so far in the Essentials book but nothing more (I admit, I'm only up to pg 35). Is that still a part of PMTS? I'm going to try it when I'm on the slope anyway, but just wondering why it's not in the book.

One last thing to mention, I had a pretty bad wipe out last season resulting in a tibial plateau fx. I'm pretty well recovered and skiing at the same or higher level than before the accident, but definitely weaker now on my right side. I'm very interested in the counterbalance material in the book. I think I'm doing a little of that now by leveling my shoulders but I don't think I've been extending my outside leg in the high-g part of my turns (my quads get sore too). So that's another great tip I've already picked up from the book!

I welcome any tips, especially regarding how to get the most of the Essentials book during my week on the snow...

[Ken]

A couple of very important points---

1) All skiing starts with the feet. Put aside your work on upper body and pole plants until you get your feet working the PMTS moves in near-autopilot. This alone will pay big dividends. The Primary Movements of the Primary Movement Teaching System are all in the feet. Secondary movements are in the upper body to enhance the Primary foot movements.

2) Look at Harald's on line instruction, http://www.harbskisystems.com/lessonindex.htm

3) Consider getting Harald's book and DVD, Anyone can be an Expert Skier - 2. This presents the same material in a different format. "Essentials" does have some new, important twists on the material, but the basics are the same. ACBES2 has very good sections on steeps, moguls, and other challenging snow conditions.


Ken

[trtaylor]

Crazy,

Welcome to the forum and welcome to PMTS.

Regarding lifting the tail of the free ski, I had the same question as you. SkierSynergy provided an excellent answer in this thread http://www.realskiers.com/pmtsforum/vie ... php?t=1354

I do agree with Ken, you should get a copy of ACBES 2 to go along with your Essentials book. Watch the DVD that comes with ACBES 2 and compare your "bullet proof short turn" to Harald's. You'll probably find it humbling. I did.

So, you go back to the begining and start doing the drills. They'll make a difference. If you can, post some video of you performing some of the drills and you'll get great feedback here.

[CrazySkier]

Regarding lifting the tail of the free ski, I had the same question as you. SkierSynergy provided an excellent answer in this thread http://www.realskiers.com/pmtsforum/vie ... php?t=1354

Thanks for that, that makes it clearer. If I understand correctly, the lifting of the tail is basically an over emphasis for the drills and to reinforce the idea of free foot versus stance foot, correct? My original thought was that it was part of the technique (using the shovel of the ski to influence the turn)... So essentially I want to focus on lightening the inside foot and tipping to the little toe edge while letting the outside ski just ride along and tip on it's own as my hips lean into the turn?

Not sure if I'll be able to pickup the expert-2 book before I head north, but I've looked at all the lessons on the harbskisystems.com website (what I've been doing the past two days while waiting for UPS to deliver my book), including those about lifting and tipping. I'll practice them!

[Sidecut]

Let me give you some advice on bumps. You need to be able to make a consistent short radius turn in order to really ski them. Just practice on the groomed staying in a narrow corridor, set a rhythm and stick to it no matter what. Once you can do this you're ready to move on to the bumps. Do the same thing in the bumps. set a rythm and stick to it. There really is no difference in how you turn in the bumps except for amore absorbtion and extension to keep your skis in contact with the snow.

As far as line goes. Ski the tops, sides and troughs. When it's hardpack hit the tops to look for soft snow, in soft snow ski he troughs and then hit a top for a face shot, throw 2 turns down the back of a big one etc. Soom you'll be bridging.

The biggest tip I can give you beyond having a bombproof short turn is to LOOK AHEAD. Don't look at the bump you're turning on...look 2-3 ahead.

[Hobbit]

If I understand correctly, the lifting of the tail is basically an over emphasis for the drills and to reinforce the idea of free foot versus stance foot, correct? My original thought was that it was part of the technique (using the shovel of the ski to influence the turn)... So essentially I want to focus on lightening the inside foot and tipping to the little toe edge while letting the outside ski just ride along and tip on it's own as my hips lean into the turn?

The phantom move is not just lifting and tipping -- it's a lot more. It's RELEASE (of the old edge), TRANSFER (of balance) and ENGAGE (the new edges) combined in the simplest sequence. It is simple but non-trivial at the same time -- it all depends on the level of perfection and balance you want to achieve. My advice -- do not look for the tips but build the foundations of knowledge. Do not skip the books and get the book 1 and start with it .

[Max_501]

Do not skip the books and get the book 1 and start with it .

I absolutely agree that starting with Book 1 is the way to go.

[ginaliam]

Do not skip the books and get the book 1 and start with it .

I absolutely agree that starting with Book 1 is the way to go.

I'm not trying to advocate against any sales---but, I'm finding 'Essentials" pretty complete in terms of establishing the fundamentals of PMTS (and great skiing in general)-and if you start with this book-I wouldn't think you'd need to go get ACBAES 1--essentials has got it covered in pretty dynamic fashion.

However ACBAES 2-Powder, Moguls Steeps---makes a great compliment to 'Essentials.'

That's my take, anyway- If you master that javelin Arcs drill in Essentials you'll be on top of world!

Liam

[Max_501]

but, I'm finding 'Essentials" pretty complete in terms of establishing the fundamentals of PMTS (and great skiing in general)

EOS is excellent but it starts from a different place than Book 1 and assumes the skier already has a certain skill set available. If you are a beginner or intermediate skier Book 1 is probably the best starting point.

[ibMED]

Welcome to the PMTS forum. Like you, I?m in my first year of PMTS and earlier spent a ski week learning it?s various aspects, including improving my mogul skiing. I always struggled with where to begin PMTS as there is a lot of good stuff to try. You?ve gotten some good advice already, and, I don?t want to further confuse the issue. One suggestion.

Very early in Expert Skier 2, HH introduces the concept of ?free foot pull back? where you actively pull your new free foot ski boot backward to line up with the stance ski boot. The idea is to get both feet under your hips for proper balance. There is a recent thread on this subject. This is also covered several places in Essentials of Skiing, including Chapter 7 Fore / Aft Balance. HH places heavy emphasis on being balanced and has written this free foot pull back movement is very ingrained in his skiing.

The first of my breakthroughs in mogul skiing came when I concentrated on this movement as soon as I established a new stance ski. Like you, I typically ended up in the back seat, and this one movement did a lot to keep me balanced. Incorporate it in your basic skiing first.

PMTS is a journey not a destination. It rocks!

[nwskier]

I'm also a relatively new skier using PMTS to 'self-instruct'. I would recommend you start by reading Essentials and then follow the progressions in ACBES 1 & 2. Essentials has a great conceptual explanation of skiing and includes dry land exercises you can use to make the on snow exercises in ACBES 1 & 2 easier.

[NoCleverName]

CrazySkier: Since you are new to the board and may not notice it I'd just like to alert you to the fact I have sent you a private message.

[CrazySkier]

CrazySkier: Since you are new to the board and may not notice it I'd just like to alert you to the fact I have sent you a private message.

I think I missed it, I don't have any PM's waiting. I just got back from a week on the mountain so maybe it timed out or something...?

[CrazySkier]

Well, I spent the 26th thru 3/3 on the mountain, and of course brought along the Essentials book for nightly reading. The first five days on the mountain were clear ckies and hard packed groomed, perfect conditions to try out what I have read so far.

My experience (this is just a followup, I think I'll get most of the anwsers I'm looking for once I get ACBAES-1&2):

Tipping initiated from the inside foot toward the little toe; I think my skiing just made a huge leap forward! I feel better connected to the snow and I don't think I'm throwing as much snow through my turns (based on my S.O.'s observations while following me), which I think means I'm not skidding. However I notice my ankles feel like they're getting quite a workout and I feel sloppy by the end of the day. Maybe this is normal and I'm just working muscles that I don't ussually use?

Foot sliding. I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly. I tend to lead with my uphill (free) ski anyway but have always thought of this as sliding my free ski forward with the tips lined up as I cross the fall line and my skis are flat. Do I have it backwards?

Poll plants. I got a lot out of this, especially from the video on the DVD. I feel like I have better rythym and definitly felt more confident in the afternoon crud.

Problems

In a non-stop run top to bottom, my quads are screaming by the time I reach the base. My wife captured some cell-phone video of me, first time I've ever seen myself skiing, and I was appauled at how hunched over I looked. The more I try to stand tall the less balanced I feel and if I see a bump coming up I instinctively crouch further. I think this is something I'm just going to have to work on, and maybe it's related to my foot slide not being right?

We got a good dumping of fresh pow on my last day on the mountain. It was my first exposure to skiing powder rather than hard pack. Needless to say I had several face plants and other not to graceful looking yard sales. I finally found that sitting back, as if on a stool, and equal preasure on both skis was the only way to keep my tips afloat. I know there is a section devoted to powder in ACBAES-2, I'm looking forward to reading it..

Summary

I feel that my carving ability has definitly improved by shifting my focus away from the big-toe by lightening and initiating with the free ski.

I'm looking forward to getting into the ACBAES books. The Essentials book covers a lot, but I agree with what other have posted in that it's more for fine tuning once you already have the essentials down. The book title is somewhat misleading.

[BigE]

Thanks for that, that makes it clearer. If I understand correctly, the lifting of the tail is basically an over emphasis for the drills and to reinforce the idea of free foot versus stance foot, correct? My original thought was that it was part of the technique (using the shovel of the ski to influence the turn)... So essentially I want to focus on lightening the inside foot and tipping to the little toe edge while letting the outside ski just ride along and tip on it's own as my hips lean into the turn?

Umm, while I am not an expert in PMTS, I think I can offer this much: The lifting is of the tail of the ski/heel of the foot. This is something that requires a forward stance to accomplish. It could help your quads to master this before you learn to lighten and tip.