Get ready to Ski

Every spring my legs and my mind tell me ” Next year I will get in better shape and get a better season!” and this is the time now to wake up and move myself. Not waiting that the snow cover the slope before to worry about my shape and fitness.

First of all I need to get a plan. From the date of today to my first day of skiing. Which is september 19 to december First.

What is my goal? 10 weeks to get what? Do I ant to have my legs double of size and take 20 pounds of muscles? No, not in my case, I guess I want more of fitness without to snob the muscles part.

First week
Stretching and waking up my body
Let’s say 3 times this week I will go for I short jogging for 15 minutes. Come back strecht myself and if i have enough energy I will make a little bite of abs and legs exercices

Second week
Here start the program, Mind set! Breathing exercices… the 18 steps in one breath in and out mix with running for 20 minutes. Nothing to push myself, I just want to wake up, If I go to far I will take a longer time to recover . So it’s no point to loose time recovering. The nights that I don’t run I will make strectching or work in the endurance for my abs, legs and core muscles.

Third week
My body start to say I want more, still running the same amount of time with the 20 steps breath in/out exercices. I increase the speed if it’s too easy or decrease if I can’t hold on. Time for goal in the abs , leg, core and arms exercices. 3 series of 15 for each exercices. Let’s see what I can do without to push too much.

Fourth week
4 times running per week, sould pass from 20 to 22 or more on the step exercices and have increase my distance for the same amount of time. Put variant on the ”Parcours”, some off pist running, slope, strait and maybe some sprint half way on the course, too increase the heart beat.
Push my muscle just a little bite harder to let them feel the requirement of power.

Fifth week
Almost half way in the program, the darkness of the day begin earlier and the air start to be fresher… it smell WINTER. Running 4 times a week, 2 times working on speed (lot of sprint and step brething exercices) and 2 time endurance with a easier rythm for a longer distance.
2 nights of break with strectching and still keep some place for the muscles exercices

Sixth week
The beat and blood start to get on. We are almost going to reach the slope. Let’s push! 5 nigths running at different tempo and intensity. Let’s push the muscle one step higher than what they can take.

Seventh week
Repeat what we did last week… it is time to push the limit! Let’s go for a run or two during the week that I will get until the limit without to overdose. Same with the uscle the other day. Keep maybe one or 2 days without intense activity. We still human and the season it’s not started yet so it is no point to get tire before to start.

Week eight
Let concentrate the energy for the season. 3 night of running with intensity. For the muscles 2 nights of great training and strectching. I will not push farther than I did last week. I just want to maintain that strengh and endurance.

Week nine
Oh yeah the winter is knocking on my door! It snow last nite up there! They sau that they will open the mountain next week end or the one after! I want to go in the slope! But before this week I will go to run 3 times and keep my muscles in the same beat. Nothing less. The exercices start to be effortless. I feel that I’m ready for the real world!!!

Last week
Just enjoy my 3 nights of running ! For the abs, legs and others muscles it is start to be a easy routine, I even started to add some variant and way to increase the difficulty. I will rock the slope.

Here we are at the top of the mountain after a long line up just for 2 runs who are almost as crowded than a AC/DC show… Not the really the best time to push the nitro in my leg. Let’s take it easy and stay for only 2 hurs max. Just get a little teasing of this nice feeling of skiing. I have to stop right the way when I start to feel great.

Why? because I want to start my next day with the same idea and desire. It is no rush if i want to do the season to try my best turn. The technique, who care? I just want to get that feeling of freedom and the wind freezing my nose and pinking my chics.

During the week I’m gonna run for fun without challenge and just think about the next week end on the slope.

Once I will be there I hope the mountain will have more slopes accessibles and to ski almost a full day of without to be too much pretentious and push my limits.

Make your own plan and stick to hit. Get ready

Get ready to Ski

Every spring my legs and my mind tell me ” Next year I will get in better shape to get a better season!” and it’s time now to wake up and move. Not waiting to see the snow in the slope to start to worry about my shape and fitness.

First of all I need to get a plan, from the date of today too my first day of skiing. Which is september 19 to december first or before.

10 week to get what? What is my goal, have my legs double of size and take 20 pounds of muscles? No, not in my case, I bet more o the fitness part without to snob the muscles part.

First week
Strectching and waking up my body
Let’s say 3 times this week I will go for I short jogging for 15 minutes. Come back strecht myself and if i have enough energy I will make a little bite of abs and legs exercices

Second week
Here start the program, Mind set! Breathing exercices… the 18 steps in one breath in and out mix with running for 20 minutes. Nothing to push myself, I just want to wake up, If I go to far I will take a longer time to recover, so it’s no point to loose time recovering. The nights that I don’t run I will make strectching or work in the endurance for my abs, legs and core muscles.

Third week
My body start to say I want more, still running the same amount of time with the 20 steps breath in/out exercices, I increase the speed if it’s too easy or decrease if I can’t hold on. Time for goal in the abs , leg, core and arms exercices. Let’s set what I can do without to push too much.

Fourth week
4 times running per week, sould pass from 20 to 22 or more on the step exercices and have increase my distance for the same amount of time. Put variant on the ”Parcours”, some off pist running, slope, strait and maybe some sprint half way on the course, too increase the heart beat.
Push my muscle just a little bite harder to let them feel the requirement of power.

Fifth week
Almost half way in the program, the darkness of the day begin earlier and the air start to be fresher… it smell WINTER. Running 4 times a week, 2 times working on speed (lot of sprint and step brething exercices) and 2 time endurance with a easier rythm for a longer distance.
2 nights of break with strectching and still keep some place for the muscles exercices

Sixth week
The beat and blood start to get on. We are almost going to reach the slope. Let’s push! 5 nigths running at different tempo and intensity. Let’s push the muscle one step higher than what they can take.

Seventh week
Repeat what we did last week… it is time to push the limit! Let’s go for a run or two during the week that I will get until the limit without to overdose. Same with the uscle the other day. Keep maybe one or 2 days without intense activity. We still human and the season it’s not started yet so it is no point to get tire before to start.

Week eight
Let concentrate the energy for the season. 3 night of running with intensity. For the muscles 2 nights of great training and strectching. I will not push farther than I did last week. I just want to maintain that strengh and endurance.

Week nine
Oh yeah the winter is knocking on my door! It snow last nite up there! They sau that they will open the mountain next week end or the one after! I want to go in the slope! But before this week I will go to run 3 times and keep my muscles in the same beat. Nothing less. The exercices start to be effortless. I feel that I’m ready for the real world!!!

Last week
Just enjoy my 3 nights of running ! For the abs, legs and others muscles it is start to be a easy routine, I even started to add some variant and way to increase the difficulty. I will rock the slope.

Here we are at the top of the mountain after a long line up just for 2 runs who are almost as crowded than a AC/DC show… Not the really the best time to push the nitro in my leg. Let’s take it easy and stay for only 2 hurs max. Just get a little teasing of this nice feeling of skiing. I have to stop right the way when I start to feel great.

Why? because I want to start my next day with the same idea and desire. It is no rush if i want to do the season to try my best turn. The technique, who care? I just want to get that feeling of freedom and the wind freezing my nose and pinking my chics.

During the week I’m gonna run for fun without challenge and just think about the next week end on the slope.

Once I will be there I hope the mountain will have more slopes accessibles and to ski almost a full day of without to be too much pretentious and push my limits.

Make your own plan and stick to hit. Get ready

Ski Radius

The ski shape determine the radius of each ski. The shape is the  mensuration of the ski tip, the underfoot, the ski tail and the length. In pretty much every ski you can find this measurement and radius on the tail of the ski.

More the difference between the tip and the underfoot is big more the ski will have a low radius. A low radius mean the ski will turn in a smaller distance and normally will less stable at high speed.

To know the radius of your ski on snow, go on a flat terrain and point the ski tip of the outside ski of the turn toward the bottom. With your ankle, knee and hips put the ski on the edge at an angle of approximate 45 degree. Let the ski slide down without to give it any energy put only keep your balance on the edge.

If you do it perfectly, you will see a clean line on the snow behind the ski. Be patient cause if your ski have a high radius it will take longer time to turn.

In the case of a slalom ski for quick turn the radius will be approximate 12m-14m and the long cruiser will closer to a 21m. The GS ski for the F.I.S. will be at 27m.

The radius of the ski don’t make the ski better or not. Many thing coming in consideration for the quality of the ski, the material used for the base and structure for example are as important as the radius.

You have to get the ski who fit with your level of skiing and the kind of turn and terrain you prefer to do.

Bumps and Moguls

Bumps and moguls

Bumps and moguls are the same kind of slope. They must of the time marked black run or more difficult.

They are made by many people doing turns at the same place in the powder. It needs hundred and hundred turn to make them. After a while they become rounder and take shape with the time because not everybody used them the same way.

In the case of a competition they set them up perfectly to have the same distance between them. Like this the racer gets a rhythm and a nice line.

Here is how they make it.

With a rope from top to bottom they set a course with baby gates in a straight line on groomed run. They put them all with the same distance between and take off the rope.

After ski club or other good skiers pass between the baby gates many times until they become perfect bumps.

Skiing on spring condition, plan your day with the snow condition

It is spring time and the sunny and smooth snow conditions are starting. Of course don’t take of all your clothes off and expectation to warm cause the weather can change pretty quickly in March and April. I have seen pretty often a last minute storm with an important snow dump of several centimeter of snow. Now if the real conditions of spring time are started at your resort, you can feel the hard pack snow in the morning and the slushy snow at the end of the day. What to do to get the best of it?

First of all, it is no rush in the morning to go to be the first at the chair lift if the snow is hard and bullet proof. So it is time to go for a nice breakfast or better go to the top of the mountain and take a lot of picture. The sunrise and all the beauty you pass by deserve the time for a photo. Maybe an easy run which have been fresh groom will be one of the best option for your warm up run. It is the right time to practice the exercise that you should work on and you skip all the time.

Just before mid day, let’s say around 11 o’clock it is the right time to go for a pause or for lunch if you didn’t have a proper breakfast. It is the right time cause the slopes are not soft yet and still a little bite crunchy. The time you relax, the snow will have time to become softer and better.

Back on the hill with a smoother condition it is time to push a little more the limits. Carving turns are easier to do. The edges of your skis will cut the snow and turn with effort less. It’s the moment to roll your ankles to pass the skis from one edge to the other without to put a lot of pressure and skid during the turn. If you don’t know how to do it, it’s a good time to book a lesson with the snow school and learn how to become one of those who can let two perfect tracks behind their skis and just cruise in perfect control. This is not as easy as it looks. You will need to practice and have a lot of mileage before to handle this technique properly.

Pass the mid time of the afternoon and if you still have enough energy it is the best time to go for the moguls. Oh yes! The snow is become really too smooth where it was hard pack in the morning and the carving turn are just going to deep to hold well on the snow. It is the best time to go in the bumps. The snow is so soft at this time that you can turn almost anywhere in the moguls and you will have the forgiveness in most of the turn. In the case you have never been in the bumps field before here is a great opportunity to give a try. The snow will explode at the moment your ski’s tips will hit the bump. You won’t need the best advance skills to be able to link few turns on this challenging terrain. Start with an easy bumpy slope to build some confidence and the next day you can go for bigger and steeper.

Ski equipment Rent versus buying

Renting or buying ski - make the right choice

Before to start the ski vacation you need to know what is better for you about the equipment. Should you rent, buy or use your out of date skis? Before that you take any final decision consider the next few things.

The price for skis can vary depending of many factors. When you purchase them it can be a better price at the end of the season or the model of the year before. The level of performance of the skis can make a different on the price too. You can buy a pairs of good skis between 550$CAD to 1300$CAD. You can rent a pair of skis for around 145$ a week always depending of the performance and others variants.

The most important point is how many times you are going to ski during the season? If the answer is under two weeks you are probably better to rent. In the case that you are doing ski more than two weeks you are maybe better to buy a pairs but don’t make your final decision too quick. You have to think about other things.

If you are traveling vacation to vacation you can maybe find some hassle to have to bring your skis from your home to the airport, the airport, and again from the custom to the mountain and the same story in the way back. Some flying company will charge you extra for your skis other will let it pass easily as a sport bag. A ski bag with wheels can fix one part of the problem. Are you ready to get the skis of your dream whatever you have to travel with?

The decision will maybe be different if you can access to the mountain by car and you have a place to store your equipment. In the same time you don’t have to adjust yourself to new equipment.

Do you think you will use your skis enough times before they become out of date? Even if the technology don’t change that much every year you probably want some skis who are good to handle your need and snow condition. In some rental shop you can try a different pair of skis every day. It’s a nice opportunity to get different feeling from fat skis in the powder, aggressive short carver on the groom, GS skis for long cruising run , skis with different radius and more. Find the ski who carve well with you. At the same time it’s a good way to find your next buy.

The skis are important but another piece of equipment you can’t forget is your ski boots. Heavy and uncomfortable the boots have a major impact on your performance. If you want to buy a piece of your equipment I will recommend to getting the ski boots. If you are not comfortable on your rental boots you lose your day and maybe end with bruise or blister. It’s nothing worst when you skiing than have your feet in fire and uncomfortable. Use the service of a boots fitter to get the best fit for your precious feet.

It is no good or bad decision about buying or renting, you have to know what you like and want. You have to know what you prefer, the comfort of your own equipment or the versatility of renting equipment.

Skiing like a Pro in the Powder

From groom to powder skier loose their confidence and can’t turn as good as they use too.

If you had already get the feeling that you can’t control your skis in the powder like you use too in all other terrain is because little detail on the groom become big thing in the powder.

In the powder the speed and the patience are really important. The fat skis and the skis allow you to stay higher in the snow. The tactic is to going faster and try to do round turn. Not rushing the turn. Be patient let the skis pointing toward the fall line by themselves instead of trying to rush them to the end of the turn.

The other major problem is that most of the skiers I ski with in the powder try to lift up their inside foot. The weight need to be spread between the both skis. If you push down, you push the both feet, every move need to be the same for both feet. They are stronger if they work together.

The rhythm is another point which help your performance. If you try to stop every turn you will be exhausted quickly. Keep going and the shape of turn similar. Pole plant every time you start a turn to keep the beat. Hands forward and quiet upper body make you get a better result.

Practice and concentrate to start your move from the ankles and play up and down move with them. The feeling that you get in the bumps with your ankles should be the same in the powder.

Feet pointing down at the beginning of the turn and pointing back up to you at the end of it.

Make your skis working with you.

Most of the skiers fight their skis all day long and finish their day with tired legs. Yes is fun to get that feeling of accomplishment when you finish your day tired but you don’t have to suffer. It’s better to be tired because you had cover a lot of terrain than exhausted to have put the break on all day and skidding every turns you did.

When you ski you have to put the effort at the right moment and the right way. Instead of skidding the ski to loose speed use the ski shape to complete your turn and come across the hill. First of all every skis have different shapes which mean different kind of turn. Simply look the Olympics alpine discipline and you will see the difference between a slalom ski which is short and have an obvious curve on and a downhill ski which is long and look straight. The first one is made to link short turn and the second to go straight down and fast.
The point is to know which kind of turn you like to do. I recommend to have a radius between 12 and 16 m on your skis which allow you a small (12m) turn to medium (16).

The major reason why you skidding is because you rush your skis to turn without to let them have the time to take their position. You want to have finish your turn before to start it. The key will be patience, you need to make a curve and not Z shape turn.

At the beginning of your turn let your skis flat on the snow, slide and let your skis tips pointing to ward the fall line slowly. Be calm and keep your balance on the outside ski and your body position low. You have made the first 1/3 of the curve, now you are on the 2/3 where you are facing the hill and winning speed. Now that you had finish to count until 2 to 4 (exercices to practice) you are ready for the final third of the turn. Enter your knees inside the curve, keep your body face downhill and pivot slowly your feet across the hill without any rush.

At the beginning practice with big turn in easy slope trying to make an even curve, practice and get comfortable witht the fact of facing downhill. You can practice in steeper and shorter turn. The importance is that you take the time to set your skis toward the fall line and after you have to let your skis pointing toward the fall line before to make the effort to complete your turn. You need that fall line part to improve.

In the video you can see the skier taking is time at the beginning of the turn to be able to work with the skis and not fight them.

Think about, the fall line it’s like jumping from the plane to do parachute. You have to jump first and after open the parachute, stop trying to open your parachute inside the plane.

Learn to teach ski to your early age kid

Every kids are different and develop their skills not at the same speed. The most important when you start them to ski is that they enjoy it and not how good they are. At the beginning you can try with plastic ski without any edges. This ski you can buy in some market and help them slide in a really easy little butte around your house. It don’t need to be at the mountain at all. The goal is to make them like to slide.

Few minutes to an hour is enough, you will not transform your 3 years old kid in a Hermann Maier in their first few years anyway. The most important at that time is that they enjoy to slide. Always be with the kid, never let them alone outside. Other option if your lovely child can’t stand on ski, a nice ride with the parent on a sleigh. Just have the feeling of the wind on their small nose make them happy. If the few first tentative doesn’t work wait few weeks, few months see a year and retry again.

What to do and how?Once you had found a little butte few meters long with a flat area at the bottom, you can help them slide down by staying front of them hand hold their hands. You can practice on the flat too with the same technique or by giving them a gentle push behind to make them slide. It can take one time like it can them several hours before the kid keep is balance. Let the kid walking around with the skis is a good exercises to develop their mobility.After few times at different days, you can let the kid sliding from higher and higher on the butte and take it up. The technique doesn’t matter. In case you want to use a longer hill, you can have your ski on and ski backward to face your kid and help keep the balance.

Some mountain have special area for young kid and magic carpet to help them going up easily. If you don’t feel comfortable to do these exercises or don’t have the patience to do it you can ask at the ski school where they should have a pro who have great skill with them. You can enter in contact with some ski instructor too online.

The don’t of the skiing and early age kid are skiing with your kid on your back in a slope, it is dangerous even in a easy slope. You can be hit by somebody out of control. At the same time you are warm cause you moving the kid behind don’t and will feel the cold before you. Many bad stories about this practice.The strap on the back attach to the kid like a dog it is not recommended, go to the bunny slope and let the kid slide by himself. Here again you can have bad surprise, I have seen once a kid sliding straight down on a busy hill after the strap broke. Please be responsible.

Exercises to warm up on your first run

Every times you go for skiing it is important to take the time to warm up and strecth your muscles. Your first run can make a big difference on your day. If you decide to go big in your first run, the chance you going home sooner or hurt yourself are bigger.

Your first run should be an easy run, where you can do warn up exercices without to worry about the speed. Do exercises that you use too. Don’t try anything new or hard. Practice exercices who make move your ankles first, knees and hips to finish by the upper body. The smalls joint first to the biggest is the way you need to stretch.

For the ankles do little step up hill (Thousand steps) and jumps between turn. Moving your feet forward and backward release your ankles too.

Exagerate the leg extension and bending will help your knee join to warm up. Do it progressively, start from little move to bigger. It is no point to go big right the way, you don’t want to hurt yourself on your warm up run.

Dragging the poles with your hand forward is a good exercises to waking up your obliques. You can short the poles by taking them under the pull to increase the angulation.

After few minutes of skiing it is no shame to stop on the side of the slope and do streching exercises. It will help your performance and decrease the chance to hurt your self during the day.

Taking a Ski Lesson early in the morning can be a great idea to learn which exercises are good to warm up.