chithanh119

Skiing is a great “leveller”! Let me explain!

You can have a great deal of money, but you can NOT buy the label “expert skier”

You can “work out” every day, yet never earn that label, “expert skier”

You can move to the alps, yet never become an “expert skier”


What do you have to do or what skills you have to acquire to become that, “expert skier”

This is what this post focuses on, the essential qualities needed to become an expert skier!

The first and perhaps the most important quality needed is skiing attitude. What is this “skiing attitude”!

This attitude is denoted by;
-positive feelings about skiing
-humble feelings about mountain, ski runs, nature
-pro-active actions on ski terrain
-humble acceptance of one’s limitations
-constant desire to improve

The second quality is physical fitness. Skiing is a demanding sport! It requires the skier to push his/her physical abilities to their limits! You will never progress if you do not “push the envelope” of performance. Push your personal goals to better skiing! You get fit to ski not you ski to get fit,,,,is a popular mantra you hear from expert level skiers!

The third factor is proper equipment! Assuming you are not a rank beginner, buy ski equipment that will make you progress, that will demand correct technique! In short, if you have correct attitude and believe in yourself, buy equipment for the skier you will be ( in a couple of moths) rather than the skier you are! Read this text again! It has major implications!

Correct ski equipment can be a “wall” or a spring board! Take the time to know your skiing needs and do not “lower” your expectations or buying standards! In short, do not sell yourself short with cheaper equipment!

The fourth factor which is essential in becoming , “an expert” is to practice your improvement every time you ski! Note I did not state ski more! Nor did I say take more ski trips! Many people do this,,yet never progress from that plateau , “the intermediate skier”! Why?
Every skiing day just for one hour practice one aspect of your ski technique that is weak or flawed! For that one hour focus on that skiing technique all the way down! Be critical. Aim for perfection just for one hour! If you have to,,go to easy beginner runs for that perfection. Then move up to harder runs,,always seeking perfection! It does exist that perfect 10!

The final critical quality all expert skier possesses is, adaptability! That is changing skiing style based on ski conditions! There is not one way to ski! There is not one standard skiing position. Nature will dictate how you should ski! Let me illustrate.
Watch those young National team B ski racers fly down the race course! Beautiful fluid dynamic skiing with a “racing style”. Take those very racers in powder up to chest level. Watch carefully. Those that ski the same style as if still racing will “blow out”! Those that adjust to new conditions will soar! Ask yourself why do most skiing “accidents” on the World Cup occur when skier “goes off line” ( not off course)? Because the ski conditions change “radically” in a fraction of a second, yet racers is still in the “icy surface skiing mode”!
In short if you want to improve,,ski all sorts of conditions, all sorts of skiing styles and learn to know how to judge snow conditions for various skiing styles.

Hope this short post helps you become the expert skier in you!