Yes! Following someone who is rhythmic and not at quite such a blistering pace is great! I did ski with a former racer last week (female) who is my age and is a GREAT skier, and I followed her lines as closely as I could. It was great! Of course, good snow always helps, and we did have that. I think one of my issues at my home mountain is I'm very aware of my "things that need work" and so are most of the instructors. So, I tend to feel very self-conscious all the time, which takes the "free" out of "free skiing". Once my brain is focused on something else other than having fun, the whole shit show starts.I had a bit of a reality check recently.
Because I ski with @Philpug and @Andy Mink almost exclusively, I find myself getting into a rut of where we ski and how we ski.
Last week Phil and I bumped into an instructor friend who happens to be a trainer. Marcel was getting back on snow after a knee injury and wanted to "slow it down" to get his legs under him. I found that following his slow pace and smooth movements was just what I needed to get out of my rut of chasing Phil and Andy.
Today, we skied with @Jed Peters @Rich Peters @4ster @Rainbow Jenny and @LouD-Truckee. Although 4ster was skiing a faster pace than Marcel was the week prior, I found that following him did the did the same thing for my balance.
And skiing with @4ster is always a treat! I'm sure he'll be back this way soon...JP opened today! Earliest opening ever.