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Any skiers out there?
garroad_ran
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I used to ski a bit when I was a kid, but then for whatever reason (mostly that it was expensive as hell to get to a mountain) I stopped. This year I'm living in a region where there are a lot of mountains and world-record snowfalls, so I've started to pick it up again. After a few days of a lot of falling I've gotten the hang of basic technique again, to the point where I can ride pretty well down any slope, so long as the powder is groomed.
I struggle mightily on anything more than a couple of inches of fresh powder, especially if it's been cut up by previous skiers/boarders.
All my friends here are boarders, and they absolutely LOVE fresh powder. The more the better for them.
So I'm wondering, is that simply a skis vs. snowboards thing? Maybe having two slimmer and longer pieces of equipment just naturally makes handling thick powder that much more difficult? Does anyone have any tips for getting better at handling thick powder while on skis?
I struggle mightily on anything more than a couple of inches of fresh powder, especially if it's been cut up by previous skiers/boarders.
All my friends here are boarders, and they absolutely LOVE fresh powder. The more the better for them.
So I'm wondering, is that simply a skis vs. snowboards thing? Maybe having two slimmer and longer pieces of equipment just naturally makes handling thick powder that much more difficult? Does anyone have any tips for getting better at handling thick powder while on skis?
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1) Get fatter skies. If you are planning on doing a lot of powder skiing, renting or buying wider skies will make it easier to stay on top.
2) Lots of jumping. When you're learning to ski in deeper snow it helps to make every turn a jump. You will get tired quickly, but honestly this is pretty much how you ski powder. When you get better you will jump a little less, but there should always be some jump to every turn in deeper snow.
3) lean back a bit. Not so far that you feel out of control, or like you are falling backwards, but you in general you should be more flat footed than when you ski groomers. This helps to make you skis float to the top rather than digging in and getting stuck.
2) above is really the the thing that I'd key in on in terms of practicing - powder skiing is actually much easier (as well as more fun) if you do the exaggerated jump-turning you see on those "ski down a pristine giant mountain" movies. It's absolutely murder on your legs if you're not in good shape, so at the start it's sometimes hard to go more than 20 ft or so at a time before having to take a few second breather, but once you work on it a little it's much easier. It's also really the fun part of powder skiing - you'll never ever be able to go fast down a trail with any significant amount of powder, so you're not going to get the "i'm doing tight turns at 70mph" kind of high that you get on groomed trails, but there's something just incredibly fun about turning into a couple feet of fresh snow.
For me, the other thing is just a change in mindset - unlike normal skiing (or especially, icy-northeast skiing) where the concern about losing control and falling is sliding down the mountain at full speed into a tree, the danger in falling down in powder skiing is more about keeping your knees from getting twisted around (since you won't make it more than a few tumbles before losing all your speed if there's powder around). So similar to 3), what you really want to avoid at all costs is getting the front of your ski buried under a foot or two of snow, because then you'll wrench your knee when it gets stuck underneath. Which goes back to 2 - once you get comfortable being able to jump-turn (which also means being comfortable jump-stopping), you can never be more than 3 feet from stopping at any point, which will keep you in control.
Then again, if you're riding a pair of narrow, stiff skis you might well be digging into the snow and purling (nosediving). If that's happening you just need to ride on your heels and be ready to feel like your ass is going to fall off when you get off the slope at the end of the day. Consider going into a shop and describing the problem; they might have ideas for ways to mess with your boots or bindings. Definitely, definitely do this if you are riding on borrowed/used/gifted gear. It would help if we had the dimensions of your skis, and some description of when and how you are falling.
If it's during the turn, then take Jebus' #2 suggestion and practice disengaging from a turn by literally jumping out of it. I'm not sure that I "jump" exactly but there is still an extremely similar sensation at the top of a turn of near-weightlessness, giving way to the bonus g's of the following turn. Disengage from the previous turn prior to engaging in the following turn, just as you would with your edges on a groomer, except in powder you're doing it with the whole ski. So it basically is jumping. But it's not dramatic; you don't jump and twist 90 degrees in the air. Your turns should actually be smoother and more deliberate than they are on groomed runs. Twitchy motions in powder are kind of like over-correcting while driving a top-heavy SUV. You'll roll over. So plan your course-corrections well ahead of time if you're riding around rocks or trees, and keep your eyes far down the hill.
Unfortunately, as is sadly so often the case with this sport your best option may cost you money. Wider skis are like some kind of dark fucking magic. You will ski faster, fall less, and your butt won't be as sore. I rarely feel tired when skiing because I'm so thrilled to be out there, but for some reason when I fall it's at the end of the day, especially when I've spent that day riding narrow skis in powder. Which admittedly is mostly what I do, since those are what I own. But if I weren't a social worker (read: destitute) I would also own a pair of dedicated powder skis, or rent them frequently at least.
EDIT: Also! I'll add a suggestion of my own rather than parroting Jebus, in reverse, with bonus verbosity. You have to ride both skis. This may or may not be meaningful to you, but I know that when I learned to ski as a kid we were still riding on straight skis, and it was actually advisable to ride only on the inside of the downhill ski while on groomed runs. Otherwise one ski would inevitably ride in a slightly different direction from the other, unless you were a pro (pros have always ridden on both skis, even when wooly mammoths roamed past the pomalifts and skis were taller than people). You can still get away with riding on only your downhill ski on groomers, even lifting the uphill one slightly and going from ski to ski with each turn. You shouldn't, because two edges are better than one, but you can. Not so on powder, because by god that snow is going to grab your uphill ski and do things to it whether you put your weight there or not. By actually putting your weight there, intentionally, you will keep better control of your uphill ski. I've heard different numbers, 60%-40% or 55%-45% but basically it's just slightly less weight on the uphill ski than the downhill one.
As for going into a shop and describing the problem, I'm not nearly fluent enough in the local language yet to describe anything nearly as detailed as this. Hence my coming to you guys for help
I might do that at some point though, if I can get a friend who will translate a bit to come along.
I will try to practice some of these skills over the next week or two and report back to y'alls.
I would add: make sure you have the right boots.
Skis are very important, but so are the boots when it comes to bodily comfort - boots contribute to relieving or adding pressure to your lower body and back. It used to be that around 3 hours into a good morning I'd feel discomfort - my toes would go numb in my left foot only and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out I merely needed some extra padding in the boot to cushion the scar tissue on my ankle from a v-ball injury years ago. After that, I felt lighter, more flexible, and free from distraction on and between each run.
And yes, if you want to approach each run in the most graceful manner possible consider how long you'll be out, what kind of snow you're up against (powder, groomed, mogul, ice...), and the steepness. What kind of snow do your mtns have in general? If you're hitting moguls and heavy powder all the time you should consider wider skis, new distribution of your body weight over the skis, practicing more, and doing extra leg weights focused on those muscles you'll use. I hike, all-the-time, so I tend to last longer on the moguls and powder, even if don't ski 95% of the year; though i could use more leg weights.
On the other hand, you might enjoy snowboarding more. I like the speed, jumps, and grace that skiing offers me. I'll stop sometimes while traversing down the bowls or through the trees (with a helmet of course) just to take in the beauty of the environment. Snowboarding allows for more of this because you traverse more often than skiers, which slows you down, but sometimes it's a good thing when you want to take your time and reflect. Otherwise it's like playing Skyrim and not being able to describe to your friend what the landscape is like.
I suggest that you don't give up on skiing immediately, but that you first try some new equipment that's specific to your needs and take a few lessons. After that, try snowboarding! Remember, both need a lot of practice, specific to certain kinds of snow, before you feel comfortable. I would say pick the one that allows you to have fun and "feel" the mountain best. Good luck!
In the last week I've gotten a few chances to get out and try out your suggestions, and they've helped a lot.
The problem I'm having right now is that from time to time one ski will get jammed while the other carries on unhindered, either taking me off balance, or in more severe cases causing me to do a front somersault while still wearing one ski.
But at least I'm getting the hang of it now. Thanks again!
General notes:
1. Get a good pair of boots. Look up shell fitting etc. and make sure you go to a good fitter. This should be your first purchase. Skis are less important. Bad boots will frustrate you to no end.
2. Powder - Fat skis (100+) are basically necessary. Slow down your movements and it will all make sense. Don't force anything and use good body position to turn. It's a 3D medium, so everything will influence your turn.
3. Don't be afraid to take a lesson. Remember good body position - you want your hands out in front (You know how you always have the gun floating around at the bottom of your peripheral vision in FPS games? That's where you want your hands in your vision). Good body position and top/bottom separation is clutch to being able to handle all terrain cleanly.
Rocker isn't required, it just makes everything more user-friendly. While you should listen to ski shops, take the advice with a grain of salt, as some ski salespeople are morons. As someone who's been a ski nut for a solid decade, feel free to PM me whatever. Some other good resources:
epicski.com - fairly friendly group, more carving focused
tetongravity.com/forums - unmoderated savages who happen to know basically everything about skiing
newschoolers.com - if you're interested in the latest fashions in baggy ski apparel and how to wear your goggles