What Is a Good Skier?

[mister moose]

Im sorry and (I assure you) with due respect That I say this,
but a lot of what you speak of sounds a bit elitist. I understand that there are many times when certain individuals shouldn't really be on whatever runs they are actually on. That stuff goes on a lot. But that aside, there are also plenty people who are advancing and rightfully look to experience different things and different types and levels of skiing. Its not always about lack of good etiquettes but many times its also just an honest ignorance and many times its about honest efforts towards advancing and experiencing different things.

The idea that others ruin things for you by wanting to experience fresh pow is a bit elitist imo.

On yet another note not to you specifically but to anyone in general. Why are powder and bumps considered the end all be all as for what good skier is. Just because powder is the dream doesn't at all make those who get to experience it any better a skier than others.

And as for bumps? Honestly I don't care at all for zip line bump skiing. I never viewed that as great skiing and in fact never really viewed that as skiing imo. What I view as skiing bumps good is one gracefully and confidently and efficiently weaving there way through. But just me and my view.

Yes, everyone has the right to ski where they want. Just like everyone has the right to say what they want, but it may not be polite or considerate. On a powder day there is a valuable resource to be consumed. There is nothing wrong with educating less experienced skiers that a considerate use of that resource is a good idea. There is a difference between side slipping or toe side scraping fresh powder, vs trying to learn how to turn in it and falling. The former is a waste, the latter is worthwhile learning, as long as you are in a snow depth and trail steepness you are comfortable enough on to be in the learning zone.

You may not consider fall line bump skiing or powder skiing as "great skiing", but the fact is both take additional skill sets to master, and both are far less tolerant of being imprecise. You may not enjoy them, that's fine. I know that while I don't do aerials or win slalom races, I do appreciate the skill and accomplishment at achieving that ability, and I like to watch them.

For all you that keep trying to define "Good" skiers ... apparently if one cannot ski all terrain well, they are not a "good" skier. Although the link author made mostly good points, that was an overly broad conclusion. Instead it should have been more narrowly described as a skier able to ski all (skiable) conditions and terrain well and leave out the vague term good, my logic and philosophy prof regularly had a field day with beating up students using "good" ...a more reasonable way to describe it would be "who skis effortlessly on all skiable terrain or snow conditions.

Isn't your description of 'good' perilously close to an expert skier? Are we such an "Aw, shucks" community we can't discuss expert skiing? At Killington and most other ski areas we have signs that say "Experts only" . It doesn't say "Good skiers only". It doesn't say "Ski gods only" Just what is an expert in ski sign / trail rating parlance?

 

[slowrider]

A rookie scraping new snow off the hill or an expert on the bunny hill buzzing beginners. Some folks just don't think about their actions and consequences. Don't be that guy. Expecially the high level rider! He/she knows better. Respect and a little common sense makes for a happy day on the mountain.

 

[at_nyc]

Anecdotal evidence only, but in my case the NEED to replace brute strength and quick reflexes in bumps with better technique happened at around 45 years of age. Even though I wasn't crashing, I reached a point where I decided the pounding I was giving my body careening off the bumps at speed was something I no longer wanted.

I didn't have in my mind that I would be skiing in my 70's. So I honestly didn't care about being efficient. Not just about skiing but mountain biking too. I had always thought I would quit these high impact sport at some age and replace them with a stroll in the woods.

It wasn't until I reach the mid-40's, realizing such option is available, that I started to focus on reducing the impact while keeping the fun.

My point? I don't have a point. I'm not a good skier in the absolute sense. But I'm reasonably good at the terrain I choose to ski. As I get more proficient at various skills, there are more terrain I feel "good" on. That's all there is. Unlike many of the professionals here, skiing is only a recreation for me. I enjoy the progression just as much as the result.

(I didn't look at this thread till now because I knew I'm not the core audience. But I just finished all the necessary booking for my Christmas ski trip so I feel "good" overall )

 

[KingGrump]

Are we such an "Aw, shucks" community we can't discuss expert skiing?

I believe that question been answered in post #28.

I always liked Weems' description of "There's beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert and 'good', as in 'Wow, (s)he's good'"

IIRC, there were only four classifications back in my days - Beginner, Intermediate, Expert and Good. The Advanced category was created by the participation trophy wholesalers to increase sales.

At Killington and most other ski areas we have signs that say "Experts only" . It doesn't say "Good skiers only". It doesn't say "Ski gods only" Just what is an expert in ski sign / trail rating parlance?

I am very familiar with those "Expert Only" signs. At Killington and other areas. Can't remember how often I've been asked "Which way is the easiest way down" on top of Kachina Peak or Granite Chief during a low snow year. Which gets me to concluded that either skiers are mostly illiterate or they are all expert (At least in their own mind.)

Don't recall much looking up the hill and say "That is an expert skier."
My usual line (like @KevinF ) is "She/he is good."

Yeah, I think I'll stick with "good".

 

[François Pugh]

Yes, everyone has the....... .....At Killington and most other ski areas we have signs that say "Experts only" . It doesn't say "Good skiers only". It doesn't say "Ski gods only" Just what is an expert in ski sign / trail rating parlance?

I recall first seeing such signs and being puzzled by them. Having thought about it I think their main purpose is to flatter the guests who ski those runs. A secondary purpose would be to help convince beginners not to try the run.

 

[at_nyc]

I recall first seeing such signs and being puzzled by them. Having thought about it I think their main purpose is to flatter the guests who ski those runs. A secondary purpose would be to help convince beginners not to try the run.

It's supposed to indicate these are the most difficult trails of a given mountain. So it's still useful.Basically, there's a thread back somewhere about trying to classify a vast span of trail difficulty into 3 colors are simply too crude. Mountains try every different way to add more classification.

By using the word "expert", it ends up achieving two results.

1. Non-expert who have normal sense of self preservation would not attempt it. Whether they're beginner, intermediate, advance, those who has nothing to prove will go elsewhere

2. It attracts those lacking self preservation to try to crash and burn their way through, just to prove they can survive it to label themselves "expert:.

 

[Goose]

Yes, everyone has the right to ski where they want. Just like everyone has the right to say what they want, but it may not be polite or considerate. On a powder day there is a valuable resource to be consumed. There is nothing wrong with educating less experienced skiers that a considerate use of that resource is a good idea. There is a difference between side slipping or toe side scraping fresh powder, vs trying to learn how to turn in it and falling. The former is a waste, the latter is worthwhile learning, as long as you are in a snow depth and trail steepness you are comfortable enough on to be in the learning zone.

You may not consider fall line bump skiing or powder skiing as "great skiing", but the fact is both take additional skill sets to master, and both are far less tolerant of being imprecise. You may not enjoy them, that's fine. I know that while I don't do aerials or win slalom races, I do appreciate the skill and accomplishment at achieving that ability, and I like to watch them.

I never mentioned I didn't enjoy powder skiing. I havnt had the pleasure of significant powder too often in my life but would certainly prefer it. As for bumps I only say Im not a fan of zip lining bumps vs weaving through them. But I can certainly respect the skill of it.

I just don't think that the resource of powder belongs to only those worthy of it. I agree people shouldn't be on terrain they have little to no business being on as for safety. But I'd say that for any conditions anywhere. Whether we talk bumps, trees, bowls, chutes, or groomers. When (in any of those scenarios) we want it the most when we are fortunate enough to have the best conditions. The valued resource of having the best conditions (in any kind of skiing) never belongs to only those worthy of it. There is just no such thing as that.

 

[Goose]

Yes, everyone has the right to ski where they want. Just like everyone has the right to say what they want, but it may not be polite or considerate. On a powder day there is a valuable resource to be consumed. There is nothing wrong with educating less experienced skiers that a considerate use of that resource is a good idea. There is a difference between side slipping or toe side scraping fresh powder, vs trying to learn how to turn in it and falling. The former is a waste, the latter is worthwhile learning, as long as you are in a snow depth and trail steepness you are comfortable enough on to be in the learning zone.

You may not consider fall line bump skiing or powder skiing as "great skiing", but the fact is both take additional skill sets to master, and both are far less tolerant of being imprecise. You may not enjoy them, that's fine. I know that while I don't do aerials or win slalom races, I do appreciate the skill and accomplishment at achieving that ability, and I like to watch them.

I never mentioned I didn't enjoy powder skiing. I havnt had the pleasure of significant powder too often in my life but would certainly prefer it. As for bumps I only say Im not a fan of zip lining bumps vs weaving through them. But I can certainly respect the skill of it.

I just don't think that the resource of powder belongs to only those worthy of it. I agree people shouldn't be on terrain they have little to no business being on as for safety. But I'd say that for any conditions anywhere. Whether we talk bumps, trees, bowls, chutes, or groomers. When (in any of those scenarios) we want it the most when we are fortunate enough to have the best conditions. The valued resource of having the best conditions (in any kind of skiing) never belongs to only those worthy of it. There is just no such thing as that.

Soory folks......double post here. Not sure ...lol...how I managed to do that but also cannot figure out how to delete the post. perhaps a Mod can take care of that.

 

[Wolfski]

I believe that @SSSdave and possibly @James are referring to is a little something we call "Mountain Etiquette" which certainly doesn't have anything to do with technique but has more to do with tactics on the mountain. Any skier should know these but a good/expert/accomplished skier or boarder should know, follow and respect but that may be a whole different thread.

 

[MarkP]

Mice post imo
...To a person that sees and does at a higher level of interest to be as best they can, only they truly understand what the other person is missing. And it almost a frustration on part of the very interested doer/see-er who would like to open the mind of the non doer/see-er but cant. In the end that non doer/see-er is perfectly content within their world, and within their reaches of their own minds interests...

When I finally reach that "higher level of... doer/see-er"-ish-ness, I hope I will find a new level of perfect contentment within my expanded world that may (with no intent on my part) cause "almost a frustration on part of the very interested" of the next level.

Or, I'll just grab my towel and copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and wait 7.5 million years for the answer.

 

[Goose]

When I finally reach that "higher level of... doer/see-er"-ish-ness, I hope I will find a new level of perfect contentment within my expanded world that may (with no intent on my part) cause "almost a frustration on part of the very interested" of the next level.

Or, I'll just grab my towel and copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and wait 7.5 million years for the answer.

hahaha.....a never ending scale of infinite newly open mindedness and unreachable interest perfection. If that even made any sense IDK but it sounded like Im smart.

 

[Tony S]

Why is that so?
I mean in genral I never was much a bragger about things by nature. But what does that have to do with how good someone is?

LOL, we have some of those here - really good skiers who don't mind telling you so. I listen politely - or sometimes not so politely - and then go ski with a friend.