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Graduating from Adv. Intermediate to Expert

amlemus

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When did you know when you could officially call yourself an Expert Skier?

Maybe more importantly: when did you feel comfortable telling others you were?

Edit: Truly not trying to sound like an ass with this question. More of trying to figure out when someone knows they can tackle terrain that looked ridiculously intimidating when they first started out.

Call out some of your milestones, if you could. This is probably for the more seasoned Pugs out here.
 
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amlemus

amlemus

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I don't know of any people I would consider experts who call themselves that. I know some assholes that do.

Once you get fairly good you realize how far you are from perfect.

I'd agree with that. I didn't grow up skiing and I didn't know if there was any kind of barometer for what level of skills constitutes what an intermediate or expert skier is. The mountain hands my butt to me every so often just like it does everyone else.
 

rocdoc

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I think a good milestone is when your own assessment of your level starts dipping below others' assessment. In my first few seasons I thought I was pretty good. Then I learned more and became aware of how much I sucked. Last season I was taking a lesson and the instructor, at the end of the lesson, corrected me and pointed out that I was probably a level or two above what I was rating myself at. That told me that I had at least become aware of what I didn't know.
 

beginnerskier96

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I think you need a honest assessment of your ability. What do you think? Are there areas of weakness or not?
 

KingGrump

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I sucked. Last season I was taking a lesson and the instructor, at the end of the lesson, corrected me and pointed out that I was probably a level or two above what I was rating myself at. That told me that I had at least become aware of what I didn't know.

Or he is just looking for a bigger tip. :ogbiggrin:
 

Josh Matta

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99 percent of the conditions/terrain at the speed of your choosing in control all the time, then I would call you an expert. Make it 99.9 percent and then id call you a high expert.

Sorry but its would be pointless to called my own skiing advanced so I guess I am an asshole.
 

Josh Matta

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I don't know of any people I would consider experts who call themselves that. I know some assholes that do.

Once you get fairly good you realize how far you are from perfect.

false modesty is stupid.

I dont think any expert skier think they are perfect, they just deal with imperfections with out most people being able to see them, but the expert skier for sure feels them.

In fact the more I ski, and the more I ski different ways, the worse something off feels, though skiing I am have made myself hyperkinesthetic though skiing and there for almost feels like shit, even though I look ok. I think many other aspiring experts/experts experience the same thing that feel much worse especially invariable snow than they actually look. Its like the Dunnin kruniger affect of body awareness in skiing, because most intermediate skiers just feel fine where ever they swish their tails around. and twist their upper bodies.
 
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amlemus

amlemus

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99 percent of the conditions/terrain at the speed of your choosing in control all the time, then I would call you an expert. Make it 99.9 percent and then id call you a high expert.

Sorry but its would be pointless to called my own skiing advanced so I guess I am an asshole.


I'd like to be competent enough to handle more or less any terrain with a high level of confidence and control. Narrow steeps and chutes make me really anxious so I guess that's something to work on but how does one "ease in" to those? lol

I think that having a "goal" trail is a good thing to strive for. For instance, I was driving past A-Basin earlier this season and looked at Pallavicini and thought "I need to get down that this season". While that might be a cake-walk for some, it's going to be something that takes a degree of courage and confidence in skill to accomplish for me.
 

Josh Matta

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yeah your last comment tells me your not an expert, maybe an aspiring expert.

the way to ease into steep chutes is to practice tight short turns of various sorts, and also practice hop turns, and various types of hop turns, practice them until everything is automatic about them.

again when thing to realize is new terrain should always be a consequence of your skills. I wouldn't make terrain a goal but I would make the skills/tactics needed to ski such terrain a goal.

So this video is from 45 degree Back country chute in fairly stiff snow with some fluff on top. The top pitch is 45 degrees and many people I take their blow up on it. I have never seen someone in non powder link anything but hop turns in this chute up high.


do you have video of you skiing anywhere? The thing is good skiing is good skiing, meaning if you can practice "expert" level movements everywhere in the mountain.
 

Decreed_It

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I fully subscribe to the 'if you have to ask' approach here. However, there are times I've had to rough estimate my skill level, usually on 1-7 or whatever level in the context of the discussions. Tours, lessons and guides type stuff. So there's that. If you underestimate you might land in a not-as-fun-for-you group. Over - not-as-fun-for-them - your ski buddies - and so uncool. And not fun to downright scary/dangerous for you.

Usually this works out with back and forth with the guide/instructor/leader. Outside those situations I love to ski and expect to spend the remainder of my life improving :). :beercheer:
 
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amlemus

amlemus

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@Josh Matta Oh I'm in no way an expert ogsmile. Certainly still learning a lot of things (this is my second season) but "aspiring" would be a good descriptor. No videos yet, unfortunately.
 

AmyPJ

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false modesty is stupid.

I dont think any expert skier think they are perfect, they just deal with imperfections with out most people being able to see them, but the expert skier for sure feels them.

In fact the more I ski, and the more I ski different ways, the worse something off feels, though skiing I am have made myself hyperkinesthetic though skiing and there for almost feels like shit, even though I look ok. I think many other aspiring experts/experts experience the same thing that feel much worse especially invariable snow than they actually look. Its like the Dunnin kruniger affect of body awareness in skiing, because most intermediate skiers just feel fine where ever they swish their tails around. and twist their upper bodies.
Not this intermediate. I KNOW it's not right and am a constant work in progress to improve. Skiing is very challenging!

As to the OP--how can you jump from advanced intermediate to expert?
Hell, my SO is an L3, skis with confidence, control, and style everywhere, and he scoffs if I call him an expert.
 

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