Tips for skiing powder?

**Danno** · 01-22-2007, 06:47 PM

Not sure if this should be tech talk or the main forum, but I'll go for the mildly more knowledgeable and helpful crowd here.

Looking for some tips for an alpiner friend of mine. She's a really good skier but totally loses it in the powder. I'm a self-taught 100% tele skier so it's hard for me to know what tips to give her other than get fatter skis (she's on Rossi B2's). Actually, not entirely true, I did tell her to go faster, and to bounce. But that's it.

So, got any good tips?

**Rontele** · 01-22-2007, 06:53 PM

main forum, jong

Going fast is key and committing to the fall line. The minute you turn your body perpendicular to the mountain, you will lose all momentum and flail. Have her focus on keeping her hips and shoulders pointed down the fall line, having confidence, sitting back, slightly, and exaggerating the bounce up and down.

That and have fun because once she gets it dialed in, skiing is never the same (as you know)

**Jer** · 01-22-2007, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

I did tell her to bounce.

This thread is useless without naked pix.

**Danno** · 01-22-2007, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

This thread is useless without naked pix.

I wish I could make this thread useful.

**pechelman** · 01-22-2007, 08:16 PM

what rontele said.

being somewhat of a new skier myself, I noticed once I stopped trying to set an edge and lock myself in a turn and being very binary, and started being a little more dynamic and light on my feet (not really bouncing, but kinda), lots of things started to click.

I also really think softer more flexy boots help a lot as instead of sitting back you can really use ankle flexion to keep your tips up. Keeping that functional tension is always important though.

oh, and longer skis.

**ChowdahRidah** · 01-22-2007, 09:40 PM

slow easy movements, let the skis plane up, try using the skis together more as one board. Easy skanking reggae beat from turn to turn and you can't go wrong.

**72Twenty** · 01-22-2007, 10:24 PM

Relax and let it FLOW. Don't force it; FEEL it. Feel the GLIDE.

**birdman829** · 01-22-2007, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

I wish I could make this thread useful.

does she take showers? do you own a camera?

**AKWL** · 01-22-2007, 11:11 PM

I'll add the advice I got that totally clicked with me.

"The skis are made to do this, just let 'em run!"

Disclaimer - the advice was given to me 20 years ago, so things may have evolved a bit. Having said that, it's been 20 years (and counting) of fantastic powder turns.

**hose-man** · 01-22-2007, 11:15 PM

Powder is too difficult to ski. It's better that she stays on piste and you, being the good boyfriend that you are, should stay with her.

Thats the responsible thing to do....

**TheDon** · 01-22-2007, 11:19 PM

I agree with all the other points also. It has a lot to do with what boards she is on too. My lady friend was fighting the pow on some B2's and got into a pair of the Phat Luv's last year. Her skiing is totally different and I mean in a good way!

**Below Zero** · 01-22-2007, 11:24 PM

Your friend from Saturday?

**skifree** · 01-22-2007, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by 72Twenty

Relax and let it FLOW. Don't force it; FEEL it. Feel the GLIDE.

Yeah. It's all about the rythym.

**Deep Days** · 01-23-2007, 03:37 AM

Feel da riddim! Feel da ride! Come on now, it's pu... Err, what? Sorry...

I always thought of powder skiing as weighting and unweighting my lower body, much less than carving through turns. Watch Dean Conway in Uprising during the Targhee segment--how explosive he is up and down... bouncily if you will. Watching that helped me (a total pow jong) in thinking about skiing powder. Obviously you don't need to explode through your turns like that, but it's a good way to think about it.

**Danno** · 01-23-2007, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Below Zero

Your friend from Saturday?

none other.

**RobT** · 01-23-2007, 09:03 AM

All good advice so far. I'd say more speed, dont start turning until skis have started plaining up, use the skis to initiate bounce/vertical movement, loose, relaxed body, but always pointing down the falline. I'm sure she will get it with a little practice.

That being said my GF can rip, but struggles in powder on here B2's (mounted 1cm forward though). I think if they were neutral or back they would be better, but they aren't powder skis. Fatties have made a huge difference for her in the pow.

Rob

**strawjack** · 01-23-2007, 09:16 AM

close to equal weight distribution on both skis and completely balanced. not back! not forward! balanced over ur skis! its a dynamic position...feel the snow, feel the luv!

seriously, most people ive seen that have trouble are too stiff...especially if they are ice coasters. you can get away with that on ice (kind of). in da powdah the drag on you and your skis changes constantly depending on the direction of your ski, the snow depth, etc. at any given moment. i think one needs a more aggressive mind set in the beginning. drop the ass and stay balanced. once you're seasoned its more of a flow and feel. i need to feel it!! let it snow!!!!!!!

**cmsummit** · 01-23-2007, 09:54 AM

have her ski bumps. seriously. skiing zipperline bumps and getting used to the extend/absorb rythm will help her with the weight/unweight concept in powder. skiing bumps will also help her with getting used to skiing with her shoulders perpendicular to the fall line.

L7 · 01-23-2007, 10:02 AM

The main thing she needs to do is forget about the turn and focus on the bouncing/up and down/porpoising the skis. People tend to think first of the turn and try to muscle it and end up in the back seat. First and foremost focus on the up and down/ being dynamic and light on the feet as some one said. Then the turns will come because now she has the mechanics that let them come. Lots of other good points here to but this is usually the one that throws the switch. If you see her start trying to turn before the movement spank her.

**corn dog** · 01-23-2007, 10:14 AM

I am interested in this question, the powder skiing, well the naked pics too to be honest

Don't turn too much/bring the skis across the fall line, they sink and get caught up and over you go. Keep them pointed down and see about getting some bounce. And you need to maintain some speed.
I'm curious about to what extent you can/should get forward on the ski. If its got a soft tip it seems like you can see about trying to maintain a bit of pressure on it, since it will bend up and bounce you up out of the snow. If its really fat you can sk it more or less like hard pack, just with a more surfy feel. If its narrow and stiff then I'm guessing you need to stay more centered.
This is just my ramblings since I haven't skied enormous amounts of untracked deep blower. I'm interested in all thoughts.

**Below Zero** · 01-23-2007, 10:35 AM

From what I saw, I just think it's a mental issue. She seemed a little afraid of speed. You need to carry speed through powder to ski it effectively. Know in your mind that it will slow you down. Look at the gaps between the trees, not the trees themselves.

Not usre what all the talk of bouncing is. I don't deliberately try to bounce, although I understand that "bouncy" feeling. Just equal pressure on both skis and make turns.

**lemon boy** · 01-23-2007, 10:48 AM

I think it's pretty interesting the evolution of powder skiing technique/aesthetics. Rare indeed is the day when I make little guide turns like that

that said IMO for the beginning pow skier:
1. Start with skis pointed downhill and don't try to do anything until you're moving well down the fall line
2. Most beginning pow skiers mistakenly think they need to lean back to keep their tips up. Tailgunning is not the answer and further compounds the problem of fully turning out of the fall line.

**irul&ublo** · 01-23-2007, 10:52 AM

If I were you, I'd show her the recent research on the correlation between frequent extended fellatio and female athleticism. Then offer her the tip.

**Toadman** · 01-23-2007, 11:09 AM

You might want to find a pow stash where it's not too steep. That way she can let the skis run and not have a fear of too much speed building up. This will allow her to keep her mind on the feel of the ski in the powder. It will allow her to feel the skis rise up as the speed increases. You don't need to set the ski on edge. Subtle movements and patience in letting the ski make the turn as it compresses in the powder. After she starts to feel comfortable with the speed and gets a feel for the floating sensation, initiating subtle turn movements, you can then progress her to steeper and deeper pow runs.

You may also want to put her on a demo ski with more waist. She'll get more float and she'll need less speed before initiating turns. But IMHO, better to learn pow skiing on narrower skis as it really teaches you the fundamentals of skiing pow.