Killington's TBL Beginner Progression

[LiquidFeet]

....Rental boots were also definitely part of the problem.
....Fine edge control is very hard to learn when the ski doesn't move immediately with your foot.
....Teaching subtle moves to edge/release skis is not going to work in most cases.
....they need to start hearing in every lesson that proper fitting boots are important.
....the process to get fitted for boots ... way more involved than I expected.
....it's like fitting a prosthetic to your foot so you can then attach a ski to your skeleton.
....the process for getting that boot and how a proper fitting works needs to also be part of the lesson.
....I'd suggest that the ski school have also a boot fitting guide.....

There are so many gems in @Seldomski's post. All worth highlighting.

 

[karlo]

What’s not addressed here is the beginner (often female) who is, by the inability of the rental equipment to accommodate alignment issues on her inside edges.

Hadn’t thought of that. Is there truly nothing the rental shop can do, or we as instructors?

And, haven’t been paying attention. How would I know that this is an issue for the student? I mean, how would I know that the inability to be on the flats of the ski is a physiological thing and not just caused by a student’s unfamiliarity or discomfort with standing on skis? Almost sounds like I’d have ask them to take their boots off and watch them walk.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

Hadn’t thought of that. Is there truly nothing the rental shop can do, or we as instructors?

And, haven’t been paying attention. How would I know that this is an issue for the student? I mean, how would I know that the inability to be on the flats of the ski is a physiological thing and not just caused by a student’s unfamiliarity or discomfort with standing on skis? Almost sounds like I’d have ask them to take their boots off and watch them walk.

The rental shop at Snowmass has wedges that the shop guys can put in the boots. Easy to put in and take out.

 

[Wendy]

Hadn’t thought of that. Is there truly nothing the rental shop can do, or we as instructors?

And, haven’t been paying attention. How would I know that this is an issue for the student? I mean, how would I know that the inability to be on the flats of the ski is a physiological thing and not just caused by a student’s unfamiliarity or discomfort with standing on skis? Almost sounds like I’d have ask them to take their boots off and watch them walk.

If they get into a skiing stance while standing still and one or both knees turns inward of the big toe, it’s a clue.

If they can’t get into a wedge with the skis flat, and can only wedge with the skis hard on their inside edges, that would be a red flag for me.

They would also have difficulty making the “bow tie” pattern in the snow with one ski while rotating their femur, because one edge might catch.

They will tend to push the tails of the skis out rather than pivoting at the foot. If one is on their inside edge, it’s a lot easier to just push the tail out.

A more advanced student would not be able to side slip.

Often a clue is that the student is quite knock-kneed (A frame) in their ski boots, but not necessarily in street shoes. However, the A frame is not always an accurate assessment of misalignment.

I read an article once that stated that skiers with alignment issues either were terminal intermediates, or often quit the sport, if undiagnosed. Also, those blessed with good alignment are more likely than others to become expert skiers due to easier acquisition of advanced skills.

 

[Wendy]

The rental shop at Snowmass has wedges that the shop guys can put in the boots. Easy to put in and take out.

 

[Wendy]

The rental shop at Snowmass has wedges that the shop guys can put in the boots. Easy to put in and take out.

Ski poles is another one for me. I teach a lot of beginners and I wish the rental shop would stop giving people poles because they aren't using them and it's just an extra prop that can get in the way. I do tend to take their poles away. Having poles can be helpful in navigating on/off the carpet and navigating through the carpet line but aside from that....... I think they get a lot more out of the lesson when they learn how to shuffle their feet when "walking" and see the result of that feeding into some gentle skating.

I had a private lesson 3 years ago in Quebec and I was EXTREMELY DEPENDENT on my poles. The instructor took them away from me and it turned out to be one of the life changing ski lessons of my life. To this day I ski without poles a few times a month.

I think no poles and TBL and the student will be off to a great start.

Poles, for a beginner, are also unintentional weapons.

 

[mdf]

The rental shop at Snowmass has wedges that the shop guys can put in the boots. Easy to put in and take out.

Aspen really is in a different universe than the rest of the ski industry.

 

[karlo]

Aspen really is in a different universe than the rest of the ski industry.

What I forgot to mention here,

My second day ever on skis was at Aspen. The rentals even then were great. I was skiing with my skiing friends by the end of the week.

was that it was Aspen Ski School that got me to the point where I could hang with my friends by the end of the week. Actually, before the end of the week.

 

[Henry]

Is there truly nothing the rental shop can do, or we as instructors?

The rental shop is slammed with customers first thing in the morning, and the minimum wage employees mainly working for a pass have little time to spend with each customer.

If a student is really trying to make the movements you request and nothing is working, suggest that they return to the rental shop for boots a full shell size smaller. Works wonders. And then there are the really busy days when the shop is sold out of boots that are close to fitting and can only give the customer boots a size larger....

"You want boots that fit as small as possible without discomfort, buckled at tightly as possible without discomfort."