Here’s a new word for you – “Knowtice”. It describes the mental process combining knowledge with noticing. Learning to do this is essential to developing skill, including skiing skills. No system can purposefully change without accurate, prompt, feedback. If feedback is delayed, inaccurate or simply not noticed, any change will be random, and probably short lived – perhaps thankfully! I have[Read More…]
Jean Claude Killy, one of the greatest ski racers of all time, reminded us that “skiing is always a trip to the edge of what is possible. But it is not an obligation – we don’t have to improve if we don’t want to; skiing should always be a pleasure. It’s in our nature that only a small percentage really[Read More…]
Several responses to a recent article under the same heading suggest I left the wrong impression on some readers. That’s anathema for a coach, so this is an attempt at clarification. The sketch is my attempt to explain the direction in which the skier’s torso is best oriented; not the direction your skis will be taking. In reality, every[Read More…]
This is my shortest ever blog, but it may have a significant impact on your next ski holiday. It’s your first day back on the slopes, and you want to hit the ground running. You don’t want to miss a thing, so you‘re up early, on the first chair, and skiing like a mad thing all day. It feels so[Read More…]
SKIS The ski shop makes more money renting out or selling higher performance equipment. Be honest with yourself – if you don’t ski hard and fast you probably don’t need it. Higher performance skis perform worse when not skied hard – they need higher momentum, and more force to get them to work well. Skied slower they can be harder[Read More…]
“Your Problem Is, You Don’t Know What You’re Doing”. In modern times this sentence wouldn’t score well on the “how to make friends” scale. And yet it is in reality very informative. You just have to look at the real meanings of the words used, and not the colloquial inference. In fact, from the view point of performance enhancement it[Read More…]
The Straight Story On The Continental Skiing Scene For Seniors. I have coached in pretty well all of the European skiing countries. SeniorsSkiing asked me could I recommend resorts to suit mature American skiers, especially first time visitors to the Continent. Here goes. The range of possibilities is vast. France plasters its slopes with lifts, Italy takes a more environmental[Read More…]
Author’s Note : I owe much of the following to a close personal friend. This is wholly my interpretation of his observations, it does not necessarily reflect or deny his views. In France In the 1940s/50s France and Austria began competing for increasing skiing tourism. The rivalry was both commercial and political. Each wanted a national “product,” supposedly better than their[Read More…]
[Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] Perhaps The Underlying Question Is: “What Do You Want Your Skiing To Be?”. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want your skiing to be about maximizing bar time, that’s fine. I’m happy with that. If you want it be “covering as many miles,[Read More…]
Words Matter. Why “Arcs” Works Better Than “Turns”. Recently I wrote a small piece on how to handle tough skiing situations and used the word “arcs” where most folk would use the word “turn”. My insistence on using the word “arc’”raised an eyebrow or two on the grounds that it was perhaps mere semantics or even nit-picking. Believe me, it[Read More…]
What To Do When Things Go Pear Shaped. Consider a ski run you’ve done before and which you found perfectly do-able with your present level of technical skiing skill. But conditions have changed, and the snow is less easy to ski; perhaps the temperature has fallen and the surface is now more crisp. Or the light has gone totally flat. [Read More…]
After So Many Years, Can You Improve? Here’s A Way. First, do you want to improve your skiing? If you don’t care that much, read no further. If instead you still have a hankering for greater skill and more satisfaction, then the good news is “Yes, you can”. The “Int/Att Loop”© gives you the tools to do it. But improvement[Read More…]
How Can Seniors Advance Their Skiing Skills? The hardest challenge for me is convincing older skiers that you can change your skiing dramatically for the better no matter your age or gender. Not everyone wants to, but if you do, you can. That’s the key to advancing your skiing as a senior skier. Lesson One: The Key Is Belief In[Read More…]
If You Have Been Away From The Sport For A Few Decades, Welcome Back and SURPRISE! Remember the old days? Long stiff skis? Weighed a ton. Wearing yourself out to jump them into the air to change direction? It didn’t matter back then because we were young and fit. Now look at us. Well, the good news is EVERYTHING has[Read More…]
Sharpen Your Skills To Get The Most Out Of Your Skiing. [Editor Note: UK-based Bob Trueman is a long-time ski coach and instructor who will contribute occasional articles on technique for the older skier. He is the author of Ski In Control where he describes the skills needed to master “any piste”. He will soon be publishing a series of[Read More…]
