That is why I ask trick questions when I talk to a person about a new ski purchase.
- What do you like about your current ski when you ski (insert bump run here)?
- How many times do you take a rest stop while skiing (Insert name of run here)?
-
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From never ever to black diamond skier in three days
- Thread starter James
- Start date
That's cool she met her goal but I wouldn't recommend that path that fast for anyone. I used to think it was a bragging right to get on a black. I no longer think it's cool because you can be a terrible skier on any trail you are on. I've dialed it back and worked very hard the past 3 years. I had no business being on black trails 3 years ago but it was more a feel good thing to say I did it. I can now legitimately ski some black trails but I don't care so much any more. I feel good when I do it but I can have a good time anywhere. This past season I was able to ski black trails over on Bromley's east side where all the blacks are. It was a goal of mine to be able to ski over here because it's often less crowded. Sure I feel good and proud. However, I had a friend who's just getting into skiing from snowboarding and you know what we had absolute blasts rocking the green trails on the couple days I skied with her. That's where she was comfortable skiing so that's what we did. Besides the color of the trail is relative to the mountain. Place like lake louise I barely ski blues. Magic in southern Vermont s a steep place and has blues that rival blacks at other mountains. What this girl did was reckless. I mean she did it and I'm not trying to minimize her accomplishment but things could have gone very badly very fast. Gosh I realize I sound very negative... fun police, party of 1...……..
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Okay, so I finally broke down and watched this. The whole thing.
@fatbob nailed it earlier. Most of you seem to think that video is about skiing in some significant way. It's not, except incidentally.
Getting all critical about it is like getting my undies in a twist when I read a Consumer Reports piece on bikes or wines. The audience is coming at the subject from a place SO different from where I am that my critiques are pointless.
@fatbob nailed it earlier. Most of you seem to think that video is about skiing in some significant way. It's not, except incidentally.
Getting all critical about it is like getting my undies in a twist when I read a Consumer Reports piece on bikes or wines. The audience is coming at the subject from a place SO different from where I am that my critiques are pointless.
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Well, and the poles from the first moment. Why? And way way short to boot. Double why.
But I am not following my own advice above.
I kind of think that a black run should be so called because it's steep enough so that you can't groom it. Kudos to her for giving it the big go but it was fairly mellow and manicured.
TL/DR after page 1. Not uncommon at all for never evers to be navigating (or bombing) the most difficult "black" trails at little midwestern ski hills by the end of day one on skis. This is especially true of people who have a solid background on ice skates and playing hockey. Ya, it's not pretty and not a good way to become a really good skier, But, for the folks who only ski a couple days a year tops and not at any place where fatigue or a couple little mistakes (like taking the wrong turn to a real black trail) could get them out of control or in real trouble on a single run it's not a big deal.
Most places with stuff over 35* use "Experts Only" sinage to denote what is truly advanced terrain. There are blacks at midwestern places that are easier than some greens out west. There are blues out west that would be double black other smaller places.
GET OFF MY poorly maintained, rutted. and stump filled LAWN!!!
Exactly
I was overterrained in my youth and I like to think I turned out OK. 
I "learned" to ski on a high school youth trip to Mary Jane and my first ever run was Mary Jane trail, labeled a blue/black run back then. My friends stopped by occasionally to check on my progress getting down the hill and to get a laugh. I wasn't about to be seen skiing a run called Shoo Fly off a lift called the Galloping Goose, the only green at Mary Jane and it's really a way to the base from the upper parking.
I can't really remember my first true green run. I only skied at Mary Jane for my first few years are there aren't any. Going to Winter Park was a PIA and uncool.
Of course, I would never do the same to my children.
I "learned" to ski on a high school youth trip to Mary Jane and my first ever run was Mary Jane trail, labeled a blue/black run back then. My friends stopped by occasionally to check on my progress getting down the hill and to get a laugh. I wasn't about to be seen skiing a run called Shoo Fly off a lift called the Galloping Goose, the only green at Mary Jane and it's really a way to the base from the upper parking.
I can't really remember my first true green run. I only skied at Mary Jane for my first few years are there aren't any. Going to Winter Park was a PIA and uncool.
Of course, I would never do the same to my children.
Thread Starter
TS
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2015
- Posts
- 24,967
Of course, I would never do the same to my children.
What's up with that brake?
Skiing is self flagellation.
It's just the binding release. It has white that blends in with the snow:
That's the safe way down to the bottom of the hill at the end of the day. Nobody wants to ski it with the bumps and rocks, so no traffic to run them down! (Under the Flyer at Copper)
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- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 1,863
Perfect Power Wedges
1. Not everyone likes skiing the same way.
a. This means not everyone will enjoy staying on a green trail until they learn perfect parallel turns. They'd rather quit skiing than do this.
b. The challenge of getting down difficult slopes is the only thing that brings them up to the mountain, and they don't care how they look.
2. Wedge skiing is extremely effective, especially for little kids.
a. You may associate beginner terrain with wedge turns, but that's typically because instructors move people towards different styles early.
b. If you don't push a little kid to parallel ski, they can quickly develop skill to wedge all over the mountain at virtually any speed, terrain, and steepness in bounds that typical skiers with parallel turns will exhibit. Wedge skiing does not mean that a kid can't competently and safely kick butt on double black and have a blast doing it.
c. It seems that wedge skiing becomes less effective as skiers get bigger. Probably the nonlinear relationship between surface area and volume causes greater physical exertion for wedge skiing with larger bodies.
In conclusion, the best strategy for developing the best skier is too boring for many people. Those that love skiing are happy with that path, but those with different interest would rather just do another activity. Is there a mandate that only people with intense passion for skiing are allowed on the mountain? Certainly not, and what you discover is that when you let people find joy skiing their way, they end up having a good time and are happy to come back. You won't find them on the mountain for nearly as many days as us, but you will find them up there a lot more than if you force them to ski greens until they meet your satisfaction. I understand that some people get ingrained habits from wedging and stemming that they can't break, but there are also others that can transition from wedge skiing very naturally. They do eventually find that joy we have and end up skiing well, whereas they would have quit if the black diamond challenge wasn't allowed to be their motivation; i.e. if instead form or a particular style were dictated to be their accomplishment. So, the moral of the story is that there's nothing wrong with the approach in the video for some people. It's what floats their boat. Different strokes for different folks.
a. This means not everyone will enjoy staying on a green trail until they learn perfect parallel turns. They'd rather quit skiing than do this.
b. The challenge of getting down difficult slopes is the only thing that brings them up to the mountain, and they don't care how they look.
2. Wedge skiing is extremely effective, especially for little kids.
a. You may associate beginner terrain with wedge turns, but that's typically because instructors move people towards different styles early.
b. If you don't push a little kid to parallel ski, they can quickly develop skill to wedge all over the mountain at virtually any speed, terrain, and steepness in bounds that typical skiers with parallel turns will exhibit. Wedge skiing does not mean that a kid can't competently and safely kick butt on double black and have a blast doing it.
c. It seems that wedge skiing becomes less effective as skiers get bigger. Probably the nonlinear relationship between surface area and volume causes greater physical exertion for wedge skiing with larger bodies.
In conclusion, the best strategy for developing the best skier is too boring for many people. Those that love skiing are happy with that path, but those with different interest would rather just do another activity. Is there a mandate that only people with intense passion for skiing are allowed on the mountain? Certainly not, and what you discover is that when you let people find joy skiing their way, they end up having a good time and are happy to come back. You won't find them on the mountain for nearly as many days as us, but you will find them up there a lot more than if you force them to ski greens until they meet your satisfaction. I understand that some people get ingrained habits from wedging and stemming that they can't break, but there are also others that can transition from wedge skiing very naturally. They do eventually find that joy we have and end up skiing well, whereas they would have quit if the black diamond challenge wasn't allowed to be their motivation; i.e. if instead form or a particular style were dictated to be their accomplishment. So, the moral of the story is that there's nothing wrong with the approach in the video for some people. It's what floats their boat. Different strokes for different folks.
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- May 2, 2017
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I was overterrained in my youth and I like to think I turned out OK.
I "learned" to ski on a high school youth trip to Mary Jane and my first ever run was Mary Jane trail, labeled a blue/black run back then. My friends stopped by occasionally to check on my progress getting down the hill and to get a laugh. I wasn't about to be seen skiing a run called Shoo Fly off a lift called the Galloping Goose, the only green at Mary Jane and it's really a way to the base from the upper parking.
I can't really remember my first true green run. I only skied at Mary Jane for my first few years are there aren't any. Going to Winter Park was a PIA and uncool.
Of course, I would never do the same to my children.
View attachment 75443
I would never let my kids do that
She ended this with a power wedge (cut out). I blame the world cup ladies at Killington.
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I agree with a lot of what you said and I'm usually among the first to acknowledge that the "trained and drilled" approach to skiing is a nonstarter for me personally and looks rather forced and inflexible until people reach such a high level that it become free flowing.
However objectively there is still a lot wrong with the video if the girl really did aspire to a life spent skiing (and as I identified at the start I don't think she does anymore than she e.g. aspires to a life in the Marines, a life spent basejumping, a life as a bullfighter i.e. anything that will give her a risk and payoff story).
She has however damaged any foundation she might have as an aspiring competent skier by pushing too far too fast. I'm all for personal freedom but if she skied like that on that run and crashed into me she would get no sympathy (& I'd consider taking her skis as a "learning opportunity" and leave them with patrol). People on the ski hill like that are effectively abusing the freedom they have been given. It's a bit like me stepping into a pro boxing ring (ignore for now that licensing exists to stop this sort of thing). I'd be entitled to risk my own life but being beaten to a pulp would cast the sport in a poor light.
This cracked me up. TLDR, but posting like you know the direction of the thread after the first page?
Folks, should we branch out this discussion about what the different "run classifications" mean? I do think it's interesting on its own. But it doesn't really add much to the OP.