Please suggest a future topic for Coach Z

Hoser wrote

Bumps.    Trees are fine, short turns are fine,  fast tight turns are fine, tight turns are steeps are fine,  but the bumps.....what's the secret

Did you see this one from last season?  http://nyskiblog.com/coach-z-mature-approach-to-bump-skiing/

I'll do another bump piece mid winter when our bumps get decent.  I love skiing and teaching in the bumps.  No two turns or lessons are the same in the bumps

freeheeln wrote

might want to consult the beautiful wife first on that clinic

O, you man code breaker!  

Send me 1000 in unmarked bills and I won't forward the link to Pants.

Sorry Coach carry on.

i m good at not knowing anything

Coach Z wrote

I have a couple more instructional blog posts in the works.  A bump focus and a carving focus.  Please chime in here with your suggestion on a topic that you would like me to cover in an upcoming Coach Z blog post.

Ideas for posts:

Short Radius/Medium Radius/Long Radius turns and differences between them
Balance (both fore and aft, and lateral)
Tactics vs. Technique in all varieties of terrain
Air (both as a tactical move and just for fun)
Flexion/Extension on both Groomers and Bumps/Pow/Steeps
Transition moves (Cross Over/Cross Under/Cross Through)
Dealing with Mank/Crud/Chop
Edge Control and Pivoting, particularly with regard to Early Rise/Rockered Skis
Using Terrain Park features for overall skiing improvement
Skinning/AT/Backcountry (Even if you don't have an expertise in this, it's the fastest growing segment in the sport. "Coach Matt" can write something up if you don't have the time)
Snow Science/Avalanche Awareness (I realize this has to be a quick overview and then a plea for avalanche training)
Bringing friends and family to the sport (VERY important lesson)
Developing Rhythm (and maintaining it!)
Choosing the right type of lesson for your needs
Finding the best snow on the mountain (aspects, wind loading, etc.)
Short Swing Turns vs. Reaching Short Turns
Developing a "Strong inside half"
Troubleshooting: Tail Pushing
Troubleshooting: Leaning into the Hill
Troubleshooting: Insufficient Inside Leg Steering
Troubleshooting: Rotating Upper Body
Overcoming Timidity
Choosing the right terrain for your kids
Ski Attire: What Not to Wear
Ski Equipment, by the numbers (What does BSL mean? What does the radius of a ski correspond to?)
How to ski safely in crowds (or: How to avoid Crowds)
Terrain Park Etiquette
Skiing switch
Techniques for Pond Skimming

That should keep you going for a couple of years.

ScottyJack wrote

freeheeln wrote

might want to consult the beautiful wife first on that clinic

O, you man code breaker!  

scuse me......

"First off, I am a 21st century man not an 19th century or binders full of women man!  So your man points do not work for me."

 

ScottyJack wrote

I'd love an instructional blog on how to score some snow bunnies!  Making magic w/ the ski MILFs!  

For starters you need to drop the low ridin yellow pants w/suspenders off the shoulders and the camo bandana outlaw style

x10003q wrote

ScottyJack wrote

I'd love an instructional blog on how to score some snow bunnies!  Making magic w/ the ski MILFs!  

For starters you need to drop the low ridin yellow pants w/suspenders off the shoulders and the camo bandana outlaw style

Dude my outfits are all bombDotCom and chit!  I'm the mack daddy rooster in da mofo hen house homey!

I will pay for MILF lessons for SJ

^^^^^^^^^^   Nice going CampFreeheeln!  

TJ will protect yoou ^^^^^^

what?

I appreciated the instruction on bumps last year Coach. I have no problem on steep "western bumps" (soft, big, wider spaced) where I do have problems is in Hunter type: firm, chopped faces, snowboard-tight. I think it's more tactics that is my problem, but I know my technique isn't the greatest either.  Maybe more on tactics in crap bumps perhaps?

Chris

Crappy bumps certainly are a challenge.  They require good technique and different tatics.  Good topic.  I'll work on something for you.

It would help to understand what techinque issues you are having.

Also consider taking a lesson in the bumps with a Level 3 Certified Pro.  I work at Whiteface but if Gore is closer to you Matt at Gore would be a good choice.

Coach


Been working on keeping hands truely in front....I have received lots of info but your take would be appreciated.    

True extension and flexion.  We all have it to one degree or another.....


 these are skills, but skills used in all the aforementioned requests

When the bumps are tight with big sharp drops (Cliffy is a term I use for that condition) your skiing skill blend must change.  I think that with modern skis people have become so used to carving that this gets them messed up in this type of condition.  There is no room to carve any turn in these bumps so a more skidded turn shape is the way to go.  Its a pivot and slip method with an occasional hop turn tactially thrown in.  Also a blocking pole plant to stabilize your upper body.  I can't say that I love this type of bump run but can we adapt to the condition and make it work - yes.

No two bumps or bump fields are exactly the same.  What is so interesting about skiing bumps it there are so many different approaches, skill blends, and tactics to apply.

I will try to incorporate this type of  idea into my bump piece for the blog later this season.  If you haven't taken a clinic in awhile again I'd encourage you to do that this season.  There is so much to learn.

Hey coach,

I have a tendency to sometimes drop my eyes and not look far enough down the hill.  (It may have something to do w/ aging and diminishing vision...)  It makes a big difference in how I ski.  Do you have any drills for keeping your head up and looking down the mtn???  

Thanks

Good question.  Not sure there is a blog post here so let go ahead and answer now.

As we get older it gets tougher for me in particularly see and ski in flat light.  You probably know to ski along the edge of trails or in the woods in those conditions.  Also invest in the best goggles you can afford.  I've read reports that say that Men see better with yellow, orange, and brown tints while women do better with pink tints in goggle lens.  For flat light avoid blue based tints and darker flash type lens.  I usually have two pairs one with a darker tint for the morning when its sunnier and another that I use on storm days and in the afternoon in Dec and Jan.

It is really important to not look down at your ski tips or right ahead of you because that tilts your inner ear down and affects your balance.  If you drop your head it also affects your stance and you will tend to not stand as tall on your skis.

For looking down the hill more try to run some gates or brush gates and focus on the next gate.  Or have a friend ski one  turn ahead of you and watch them while you are skiing so that you get used to focusing down the hill instead of at your ski tips.  Trees also help because you need to always be looking ahead at the white space not on the tree in front of you.

Try that out and let me know if it helped.

I:)skiing wrote

Coach


Been working on keeping hands truely in front....I have received lots of info but your take would be appreciated.    

Try to keep your hands so that you can see them just on the edge of your Peripheral vison.  

Don't let a hand drop back later in your turn by punching that hand forward after your pole touch.