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On piste and mogul ski, I need some good knowledgeable advice.

Wendy

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Thanks DocGKR. I’ve now heard or read this from a number of places regarding the Stockli AX, in addition I’ve heard/read that it (AX) skis longer than they are. Does that make sense to y’all? Longer effective edge?
The Liberty Evolv84 is a new ski coming out 20/21. It uses the same VMT core construction, it looks to be a bit more all-mountain probably a great carver but maybe a bit stiff for me and moguls.
That being said, I do want a ski I can progress on, not stay where I am.
ID One!
 
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DrG

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Hey Wendy, your the only real life info I have regarding the ID One FRXP ski. If you don’t mind I’d like to ask a few questions.
What’s the construction? It’s not clear on the website. Carbon? Metal? I know it’s a high quality ski from Japan.
How is it on-piste at speed?
How is it in the bumps? Do you like the length at 176?
Thanks Wendy
 
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DrG

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Hey Wendy, your the only real life info I have regarding the ID One FRXP ski. If you don’t mind I’d like to ask a few questions.
What’s the construction? It’s not clear on the website. Carbon? Metal? I know it’s a high quality ski from Japan.
How is it on-piste at speed?
How is it in the bumps? Do you like the length at 176?
Thanks Wendy
 

Wendy

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I think the construction is poplar and fiberglass. I’m not sure about carbon. It’s a very well made ski, with a nicely textured and finished topsheet. It’s got quite a bit of camber for an alpine ski.

Its very stable at speed and easy to modify turn shape. It carves nicely....GS turns are a hoot, but so are poppy short radius turns. Its very easy to ski.

It is compliant in bumps, due to its friendly flex and tip/tail shape. The length feels great....it feels shorter than its length despite lack of rocker, probably due to its playful construction.

I‘d characterize it as an all mountain ski designed to be really good in bumps. It’s made by a bump ski manufacturer, after all.
 

mister moose

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As a New England hard-snow skier who has been working on and improving my bump skiing these last years, I'll disagree with many here. You can get a good groomer ski, then improve your bump skiing technique so you can make that ski work there.
...it does seem like a bit of conflicting goals regarding a carver/groomer and a mogul ski. So I would probably use this ski about 70-75% on groomers/carving and 25-30% moguls.
You're doing several things right. 20 days a year is decent, and getting those 20 days in concentrated consecutive days is good also. Since good bump skiing is merely good skiing in 3D, there's a lot you can do on your frontside skis to make you better in the bumps:

Learn how to finish the turn in balance, poised like a coiled snake, ready to strike the next turn.

Learn how to snap off turns quickly. Like one per second. One thousand-one, turn the other way. One thousand two, turn the other way. 20 times in a row.

Work both feet independently. If you have a weak foot/side, strengthen it.

Make sure you are flexing in the turn. Learn to ski like a slinky, not a board.

Focus your lessons on this list. Notice there is nothing here that dictates any ski type what-so-ever.

Now think about moguls. There are moguls, and then there are MoGuLs. The bigger they are, the more pronounced and important all your technique, line choice, and ski choice will matter. At the introductory stages and at slower speeds, less so.

Everyone skis moguls differently. The ski they choose reflects those their personal style. In general, the stiffer ski bump skiers are arcing around the shoulder of the bump. A deep trough on an I-beam will throw you, or at the least be a very jarring ride. Softer skis will buck you less in a deep trough. Many beginning bump skiers pivot and skid their way down. This is the bumps for Boomers curriculum. You might like more torsional stiffness for that.

My advice is to concentrate on the basics on your present skis, hold off on a second pair, and demo occasionally to see what feels better as you progress.
 

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I'll add two more things to my list of things to work on when you're on a groomer to make you better in the bumps:

Simultaneity. You need to steer and turn the skis at the same time. There shouldn't be an ounce of hesitation, stem, or one-two beat in your feet. The two turn together in perfect unison, all the time, on green pitch and on black pitch. Edge change, pivot, ski direction; all happen in a left/right unison (There are exceptions of course, but this is intro, not advanced). Your legs are not locked, they just are an independent team. Many people aren't even aware if they do this, so a skilled second set of eyes can point it out to you.

Turn radius. You need to be able to match your radius to the bump spacing. If you are going to turn at a certain place on the next bump, you must be able to time and shape the turn to reach that point. That means being able to shape and modify the turn radius at will. Practice many different turn radii on the groomers.

Notice how this list not only doesn't require a certain kind of ski, but it makes you a better skier overall. Good bump skiing takes very solid fundamentals.

Bumps can seem difficult because they will expose and punish any flaws in this list. You rarely get second chances after a mistake on a challenging mogul run. And of course there is more still to know on balance, absorbtion, tactics. You also need to divorce contact with the rear cuff of your boot, quite a task if you are now married to it. Few people will tell you bumps are easy, but that's why bumps are fun, they are challenging, dynamic, exhilarating.
 
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My advice is to concentrate on the basics on your present skis, hold off on a second pair, and demo occasionally to see what feels better as you progress.
Bumps can seem difficult because they will expose and punish any flaws in this list. You rarely get second chances after a mistake on a challenging mogul run. And of course there is more still to know on balance, absorbtion, tactics. You also need to divorce contact with the rear cuff of your boot, quite a task if you are now married to it. Few people will tell you bumps are easy, but that's why bumps are fun, they are challenging, dynamic, exhilarating.

Mister Moose I really appreciate what you are saying here. Both of your messages are full of valuable useful information for me. Thank you very much. I’m really looking forward to next years ski season.
 

LiquidFeet

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I'll add to this advice to learn to make short turns of various radius on groomers, with the goal of being able to match the spacing of the bumps.

You might as well go whole hog and learn to make zero radius turns first. In other words, learn to do pivot slips on groomers. Once you can make pivot slips, you can easily learn to make turns of a slightly larger radius and you're set to head off to the bumps.

Then, doing pivot slips down the bumps in as straight a line as possible is a great way to learn to keep your balance in the bumps. It slows your speed down as much as possible and allows you to do precision tuning in your balance. It helps you judge where on a bump you can manage a turn and where you can't. And if you find yourself taking off in an out-of-control-traverse through those bumps, you've just learned you are in the back seat.
 

mister moose

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Mister Moose I really appreciate what you are saying here. Both of your messages are full of valuable useful information for me. Thank you very much. I’m really looking forward to next years ski season.
I'm glad you find it helpful... I'd be very interested in to what extent you find it helps on snow, if at all. Later next winter, tag those of us in the thread that addressed your questions, and tell us to what extent this discussion helped your skiing, to what extent any instruction you got on skis helped your skiing, and to what extent friends and practice contributed. In other words, how far can a skier improve simply by implementing the written word or a youtube video, vs the in person feedback, observation and in person interaction of how you ski that comes with formal instruction.
 
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LiquidFeet

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...tell us to what extent this discussion helped your skiing,
...to what extent any instruction you got on skis helped your skiing,
...and to what extent friends and practice contributed....
Seriously interesting questions you've got here. You are asking how one learns to ski.

I think you could add two more. Trial and error could be on your list. It's certainly been a big help in my skill building. And there's that most mysterious of factors, serendipity. Sometimes a sudden breakthrough just happens without warning.
 
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Tony S

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And there's that most mysterious of factors, serendipity. Sometimes a sudden breakthrough just happens without warning.
The fact that trying to book a lesson with her is futile yet irresistible describes life not just as a daft skier but as a regular human.
 
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You guys are great, really appreciate it! I will follow up with y’all, as well as any lesson I’m fortunate to get with Ms Serendipity. I think I might try to keep a log of my skiing this winter, this could prove to be valuable (or embarrassing :doh: ) . I’ll condense it then report back to y’all. I just don’t know what kind of ski season we’re going to have, but I’m optimistic! Stay well.
 

mister moose

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Seriously interesting questions you've got here. You are asking how one learns to ski.
Yes, exactly. Can you learn to ski {effectively} strictly through the written word.
I think you could add two more. Trial and error could be on your list. It's certainly been a big help in my skill building. And there's that most mysterious of factors, serendipity. Sometimes a sudden breakthrough just happens without warning.

Trial and error, sorta the same thing as practice, no? Inspiration for the trial and error would likely come from the same sources; reading, watching, instruction, friends. Serendipity though... That reminds me of the saying "The harder I work, the luckier I get" The thunderbolt of knowledge. The elusive AHA! moment. I should package that and sell it in a spray can.
 

LiquidFeet

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People learn differently.

--I've learned to do a lot of stuff from taking notes based upon the written and published word, then taking those notes out onto snow and putting them into action. Granted, it's not for everyone.
--Following another skier can work for people who are good at seeing what they are looking at. This is not everyone. It can work if the admired skier is doing stuff not too advanced in comparison. And then the model needs to be worth mimicking.
--Instruction and training sessions can be pretty much like following another skier, with some spoken words attached. The words may be useful, but often not.
--If the instructor gives one-on-one personal feedback, and teaches with steps towards a goal designed for the client, that can be quite useful. This assumes the instructor is very skilled in skiing and in communication and in teaching and reading the client and in composing that scaffolded learning process. A rare find.
--Repetition (practice) drives into muscle memory a new movement pattern that one has experienced and valued. It's seriously necessary for everybody or backsliding happens.
--Trial and error as I use the term means trying new combinations of things one has done previously. Skier breaks up already used movement patterns into fragments, then recombines those fragments in new ways. Cut and paste, experiment, see what happens. Very useful for discovering new stuff.
--Serendipity ... well. God looks down and smiles.
 
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