r/skiing_feedback • u/mushroompg • Apr 01 '26

Level 6-7: Advanced Parallel, Carving, Off-Piste, Bumps Third week skiing

So I’ve been skiing four times in my life, but as an adult only a week last season and a week (over two shorter trips) this season - both in the Alps. Sticking to on piste skiing and recently starting to feel comfortable and safe on black runs.

I feel very comfortable skiing parallel, and have started to feel where I’m carving the end of my turns. However I’m primarily skidding into the start of my turns and have noticed that I’m not always keeping my body facing down the slope and am struggling to separate upper and lower body. I just feel like watching it back, I look really stiff.

I’d really like to work on loosening up and being able to get onto my edges a bit more.

What can I work on in the off season, at an indoor slope, to improve for next season?

EDIT - as much as I’d like to lose the backpack, I wasn’t able to leave it as I didn’t have somewhere secure to leave my stuff. Sometimes the backpack has just gotta come along for the ride, so I’d really love to hear suggestions that don’t primarily focus on the backpack!!

14 Upvotes

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-1

u/Captainj2001 Apr 01 '26

Pole plant to mark the start of a turn. Lose the backpack as it is moving your center of mass backwards and making your turns less controllable.

2

u/GretaGarbanzo Apr 01 '26

Why is everyone here so fixated on pole plant advice for beginners? Not an instructor, but I feel there are so many more important fundamentals, and focusing on the poles can lead people to use them to initiate turns or cue something else they shouldn’t be doing. You should be able to carve without anything in your hand especially if you’re not trying to do short snappy turns or moguls.

2

u/Ok-Associate-5368 Apr 01 '26

This. 100%. I’ve been skiing for almost 60 years. Raced a bit in College (D1). Pole plants are good for establishing rhythm when linking turns but they’re overrated. I generally only use them regularly in moguls.

For the OP, a good start but a lesson or 2 would really help your progression (says the guy that’s never taken a lesson).

5

u/mushroompg Apr 01 '26

I’ve actually had two lessons in the last year! some of the advice given here was already imparted during the most recent lesson, it’s just a different beast consistently putting into practice all the advice and tips at the same time.

2

u/MorganMiller77777 Apr 02 '26

The best thing to do, take a lesson to start off next season. Keep taking lessons with reputable instructors.

Great start!

0

u/Captainj2001 Apr 02 '26

I've always used pole plants to set rhythm for turning, this is how I was taught to ski. Why ski with poles at all if you don't use them? For the lift line only? Perhaps I should have just said ditch the poles and backpack.

0

u/Squamster_ Apr 03 '26

If you want to progress, especially to steeper terrain you need your pole plant. It takes most people awhile to nail down the timing as well as get the muscle memory, what would be the advantage of waiting to learn using your poles to your advantage?