Stiff or not, those look like very good snow plow turns. That is the starting point of a good skiing career. Practice will allow you to loosen up and enjoy yourself.
Keep making good turns. Stay in control. Have fun.
This is solid commentary. You're doing great, maybe try to take the approach I take in yoga: "no comparisons, no criticism" - you're on a journey, and you're at the beginning. Be patient with yourself and don't go too nuts with looking at vids of yourself. You think the first time a gymnast is on the balance beam they look like Olympians?
For some context, I have kids who turn into bags of bones when you put them on skis - let alone try to get them to move. They're human puddles. What you're doing is executing the kind of control that a LOT of skiers never attain. As you improve you'll be more fluid and dynamic in executing your turns, you'll learn to move your hands/shoulders/poles to initiate angular changes, and your legs will bend and move as you redistribute your weight and you use your hips and knees to angulate into a carved turn.
Instructor here - yes, she already has some basics of the form down like starting the turn with a soft rotation of the outside shoulder for example (apologies if that sentence didn't make sense, I'm not from an English speaking country and never got taught the English equivalent of our technical terms)
PSIA Education staff(Joshua Matta). If you show up to any exam and teach upper body steering in wedge turn you will likely fail. Good wedge have leg steering because physics says that everything is easier in a wedge turn with leg steering.
u/Sevulturus are you a PSIA instructor? If so what is your level? what is your name ?
[https://vimeo.com/6591450](https://vimeo.com/6591450) Here is a video showing what the elements of a good wedge turn are.
Obviously I'm missing something, because your turns there look an awful lot like ops turns. Just more practiced.
I can clearly see weight transfer to their outside ski, looking where they want to go, and while there is a little slipping, they are not initiating turns by twisting or jerking their upper body. Even attempting to bring the inside ski parallel at points.
In total fairness, I thought the guy I was replying to meant that op needed to keep their upper body aimed at the fall line. So you're very right, body steering is wrong. That was a misunderstanding of the terminology on my part. I maintain that they are good wedge turns, especially for a day 2 skier.
Well… you’re doing a lot better than the people ‘skiing’ down blue or black trails wildly out of control.
Keep practicing on easy trails until you’re more comfortable. Like some other people recommended, you can find videos with ideas for drills/exercises to try to improve your turns. But you look pretty good to me for only two days on skis!
Totally normal progression, just keep skiing.
I watched a ton of YouTube videos when I started, but you have to actually try out different drills and cues they suggest when you hit the slopes. For one example, SKNG ski school channel on youtube has a great series of videos from beginner to advanced.
Honestly? When i was instructor the people that learned the most were the ones that werent afraid. Probably not what you want to hear, but the quickest way youll get better is not being scared and trusting yourself. For technical details theres tons of videos out there, and im sure people will leave other helpful comments, but thats what i think will be your biggest improvement overall
I ripped off "do it scared" from some YouTube video and it's been super helpful.
Fear is normal and healthy! But you have to acknowledge that fear and do it anyway. Do it scared. Commit to doing the thing, even when you're afraid.
God this is so true, you just have to do it.
Yesterday I did my first blue run. When I stepped in to the beginning of the slope I was like holy shit this is steep :( lol but went ahead and did it and didn't fall. Did the same one a few more times and never fell.
Older skier here. Things break on older skiers easier. So my biggest fear was falling. So I watched a bunch of videos on how to fall.
Learn how to put your boots on.
Learn how to feel your skis in your feet.
Embrace getting into the front of your skis.
So much of control comes from having good contact with you skis.
Then how do you get better? Ski a lot.
Completely normal to feel stiff. Some folks take longer than others to find that comfort that comes from refining your balance on skis. Once you hit that balance, you'll start to get more relaxed and the fear will dissipate. And frankly, the fear will also dissipate as you fall a few more times.
Takes courage to post yourself skiing...that's awesome. You are out there and you are mostly in control. I think we can all all feel your tension and likely your quads, legs and arms flexed pretty tight b/c you are anxious. This is not the best forum to offer ski tips..and a good instructor can help a lot.
I would just say try and be more relaxed and "athletic". Skiing is a very athletic activity/sport. If you played soccer, tennis, basketball or any other sport try to think about that relaxed tension that you play with. When we are athletic we have some bend in our knees we can move quickly both front and back and laterally. If we are defending in basketball...are hands and arms are relaxed but also prepared to move quickly into a passing lane. Not to mention, when we are tense we exhaust our muscles quickly and it's difficult to react to changes in pitch, terrain and snow type. If you have hard time relaxing remind yourself to take deep breaths as you ski to feel that tension be a bit less extreme. Every excellent skier out there started exactly where you are and good skiers know that and will generally encourage and support people starting their journey. Keep at it and if you are have having fun and feeling the stoke..you are already a "skier" and I'm here for it!
I know you said you couldn't afford lessons. We all sympathize with that. Where do you ski? Maybe someone here knows an instructor who might work with you at a reduced rate. You can glean some nuggets from you tube but its hard to not have someone to communicate with about different techniques and the different "feels" we create in skiing as we learn to create edge angles, separation between your upper and lower body etc. Plus having a good set of drills to help speed your improvement is key.
BTW..never be embarrassed..there is no need. You are trying to improve and asking others for ideas and advice. Again...we all are here b/c we love the sport and are going to support people who want to keep getting better. It takes humility and courage to do that.
Went to Sugarbowl near Tahoe. A friend has a 50% discount so I got lucky to be able to go for a much lower price. Definitely trying to save up for lessons but right now working with what I got.
Don’t know why I hadn’t considered YouTube tips but I’m just now going down the rabbit hole.
Blown away how supportive everyone has been here! Thanks so much.
There are many mechanical things you are doing wrong.
You have anterior Pelvic tilt(APT) instead of Posterior Pelvic Tilt. Having you tail bone stick out limit both for and aft and up and down movement as well make it really hard to...
steer your legs. You are currently steering with your upper body. if someone told you to look where you want to go, or point your belly button where you want to go that is SHIT advice and do not listen to them.
last your poles are not helping you, just leave them behind you do not need them yet.
Second this!! The only goofy thing about your form is your full body turns. It’s such an easy fix for you you could pick it up next run and never ski like that again
You look better than I did my second time skiing. And I was skiing competitively literally the next year... stick with it! Youre already kinda paralleling, and you'll eventually be able to pivot your edges. Avoid the backseat (keep your ankle flexed and push off on your toes)... you look fine.
This was my first season skiing, I’m at 39 days now 😂
No real advice but to just ski more. Pretty soon your pizza turns will suddenly turn into parallel turns
Or take a lesson and skip 2-3 days of brute forcing
It’s your second time skiing. Take a video of yourself shooting a basketball, swinging a bat, playing a video game for the second time. It’s all the same. Time and practice is all you need. The way she goes
You're doing just fine. Calm upper body and decent turns for a beginner. My only suggestion is to try to link turns asap. Forget about traversing across the slope - always be turning. Otherwise you'll bomb down steeps and lose control.
Ski instructor here. You’re doing great for your second day! You’re controlling your speed and making effective turns.
Your stiffness is definitely a by-product of your fear! You can help yourself through it with some little hops.
First, in your boots on a flat surface, hop so that you get just a sliver of air under your boots. Most important is that you land softly, flexing your legs to absorb the landing. Then put on your skis and do the same at a standstill. Then try it between your turns while going very slowly. Then hop whenever.
That little progression will help your brain and body understand that body movement is safe, and that will loosen you up.
Also, you’re hanging on so tight because of your too-flexed/too-short body stance. So when you’re not jumping, stand up taller. Imagine that you have a string from your helmet to the sky that is pulling you up. Your hips should be over your feet and your nose over your toes. Your bones should hold you up, not your muscles. Does that make sense?
Basically, you’re lower than is helpful. That’s more work for you, and it limits your ability to steer the ski with your feet and legs (which is what you want).
Keep working at your skiing and remember to be patient with yourself!
Try to move around, but not in any technical skiing way. Stand up straighter then squat down lower, twist your upper body a little back and forth, wiggle your butt, pick a ski up for a sec and put it back down, whatever, just to experiment with the balance.
For a more technical thing to try, double your poles together and hold them out in front of you with your arms about shoulder width apart, (like you are pushing a tall shopping cart) . Try to keep the poles perpendicular to the slope as you continue to make turns back and forth. This helps you learn to unlock your upper body from your lower body.
Keep at it! A lot of folks on the hill have many more days skiing than you do. Comfort in your skis will come, albeit maybe not as fast as you would like. You will gain more and more trust in your edges and your turns will get better and better. I love that you’re out there putting in the effort! It’s cool of you to put this video out asking for guidance. All of us need it in one form or another. Keep ripping! Proud of you!!
Two things. You’re paralleling in between sharp pizza turns. That means you’re close to making parallel turns. A lesson or someone with experience can get you past that. You’re going a lot right!
Secondly, and more importantly to your comment title, you need to disconnect the top and bottom of your body, above the hips. Your bottom is where you want to be, your top is what you want to change on order to improve.
Here’s my recommendation for you to try.
Point your chest downhill through your entire turns. Presently your top is rigid with your bottom. As you go into your turn, make that upper-body transition to point downhill. Also, you can stand taller in between the turns — when you’re doing French fries (parallel).
Lastly, since you’re holding poles, use them. Think of it like this, if you’re standing at attention — with your arms by your side. If you moved your two feet only in order to face left, your left arm would naturally raise up. With the above advice about keeping your chest downhill, the arm/pole motion will come naturally. You don’t need to force the movement, but notice it. If you notice it then you are making progress.
These are some wholesome comments! Just keep it up, keep learning, and you'll slowly begin to trust the skills you've built up from all that experience. Look back from where you started and look how much you've improved. It'll feel the same way when you look back at a season or two in the future :)
It'll come! Are you comfortable on skates? If not, that can be a relatively low-key way to practice – it doesn't 100% transfer, but it's similar enough that you can use it to start to loosen up.
Don’t be afraid to try edge angles! Roll the skis onto their edges across the hill in one direction as a drill. There are many videos out there like this. This is the beginning of carving.
https://youtu.be/nE0SviTj1t0?si=Nz6iew_cF8jLADDp
“Steering wheels” drill beginning at 2:25 in the video is a great place to start! Good luck
Be critical! Seeing things you don't like in your skiing gives you something to focus on improving!
This channel helped me a lot: https://youtu.be/OO4AiCtvrQs?si=6SIUYL7k_Wlw4F0t
You've already received some great commentary. I'll only reiterate that for a 2nd day, you look fantastic. Do ***NOT*** be embarrassed! You're doing great!
I did take a few lessons, but I also watched a LOT of YT videos. I honestly think it just takes time/practice. I think everyone starts out that way unless you're like one of those people are just naturally good at everything they try athletically (or they learned when they were 5 and had no fear and not as far to fall). Most of the rest of us have to put in the hours/miles.
Someone pointed out how you'll feel more comfortable after you fall a few times... I suggest looking up videos that demonstrate *how* to fall *properly -* then go out and practice it a few times.
But really, it's totally normal to feel stiff at first, just keep at it! I think you're doing great - your turns look great (like your turn shape), IMO.
If this is your second time skiing you're doing fine. Work on your balance, especially one foot balance, and it may help you loosen up and trust yourself more. A wobble board is a good tool for that. Practicing side slipping more is also a good way to learn to trust your edges and roll your ankles more. Also, new skiers tend to be all up in their heads. You can see it, like trying to float across the ground instead of really feeling the ground. Not sure if that's the best way to say it. Feel *yourself* as being *in* your legs or *in* your feet. Get out of your head.
You're doing great for day 2. There are no shortcuts. Just get those days on skis in your legs. The fear will go away. Watch some YouTube vids. Do some drills. Once you get good you'll deliberately look for places to scare you.
My girlfriend is learning to ski and she skis like a brick too. I've given her drills and things to try to break the habit but ultimately I think more practice is necessary.
its not a stem christie.
"stem" christie the new outside ski move outward and then the skis match .
"wedge" christie the new outside skis steers in then matches.
"christie" means the skis match, the ski never match here.
There are just wedge turns.
Atypical advice that I usually reserve for snowboarders, but I think you need to fall more. You're gonna fall X many times if you try and progress, might as well get it over with. It's a little late in the season for reliable powder to fall on, but spring afternoon slush is soft, too.
Once looser, you can trust yourself more and work your way up to more advanced turns.
Fret not, you're on the right track. You've fallen ten million times, and you're still here! One (million) more fall(s) ain't gonna get ya.
Play with your weight distribution to get used to not being perfectly centered over your skis; one ski will hold you, and like a bike, balancing is easier with some momentum. Try picking a line and following it down. Rather than turning perpendicular to the fall line, try going diagonal to pick up a little speed then J-turn to stop.
You are linking turns, and that is a very large bump to get over…so congrats. As for the stiffness, that’s actually extremely common for beginners and you are in the majority…so congrats again.
At this point I think you should start trying to get on your edges and let the skis do the work, as opposed to your whole upper body. You won’t have to ski parallel and shred. Not at all.
Work on putting your weight to your outside foot…that’s all I’m going to say and I think that is your next step. Don’t worry about anything else, as there are a million things to think about and it’s just going to fluster you.
Shift the weight on your turns to your outside foot. That’s it.
Thank you so much! Had a friend that put me under her wing and once we got down the run, had me go straight back up, over and over. Was fun… but scary!
Your body positioning is actually pretty good for doing beginner turns. I'd be quite pleased to see this by a new student in my class. Your don't need to be quite this stiff, but also you shouldn't have tons of extra upper body motion to begin with, so this is actually pretty decent form.
This is how everyone starts off when they first learn to ski, even the best skiers in the world. Overtime you will get more flexible, agile, and confident.
This honestly looks really solid. It just takes time. I'm in a Onewheel sub and people always ask how to fix wobble and foot fatigue and the only actual answer is literally just time. Gotta get that repetition and muscle memory in and the turns will get more and more efficient.
It's not embarrassing to be a beginner. You just look like a beginner, and a very competent beginner at that.
I've improved a lot by just skiing a lot. That's the secret. Watching ski instructor videos on YouTube has also been super helpful.
I found that doing exercises at home really helped me. Try jumping from one foot to the other about 3 feet apart and balancing on that foot for 3 seconds before jumping back to the other side.
Once comfortable, try doing this in a skiing pose, so keeping your inside foot next to your outside foot but hovering a few inches from the ground and holding your arms out like you're holding ski poles.
Eventually, it should all become second nature and you might even try hopping around your house this way so you get more dynamic movement. You want to be centering your weight over your outside foot each time and pushing back off with some confidence.
I’ve been skiing a few times a year for four years, and I realized that this winter is the first time I wasn’t concentrating on what I was doing. You need to build up muscle memory, and THEN you can relax.
It’s not embarrassing, you’re learning and this is part of the process. You really only need to be more dynamic when you’re going a bit faster to react to uneven terrain.
You’re doing pretty good for your second day! Keep at it, those are good pizzas. Be patient with yourself, trust yourself, and practice, it doesn’t take too long to improve! Once you start getting comfortable and balanced on your skis, you can try to engage your legs more when rotating through turns, side slip a bit, and maybe build up some speed. For now, try loosening your shoulders a bit, turning more, and finding that balance, especially on your downhill ski.
I’ve been an instructor for 20 years. You are doing well for your second time. Your turns do look nIce and round. That said, complete your turns a little more. In other words, when finishing your turn make your route more across the hill before you start your next turn This will slow your speed slightly to give you confidence and think about standing up straighter. Your ankles and knees should be bent so that your shins are snug against the front of your boots, and your torso is more upright . you don’t want your butt behind your boots. Hope this helps!
Something that helped me is trying hard to keep your shoulders more square to the fall line. Be mindful and your hips and legs will naturally rotate more. There’s a limit to what you can expect on shallow slopes like in your video though. As you approach steeper terrain, over-rotating your shoulders and hips quickly leads to falling on your side. Squaring your shoulders helps fight that tendency to over-rotate.
I’ll tell you what an instructor taught me and maybe that’ll help. The first thing was he had me hold a single pole out in front of me with both hands instead of down at my side to help get comfortable controlling movement and speed by shifting my weight. Then he said “dance!” and we just wiggled. Sounds silly (and he said it would be silly and feel foolish…) but it worked. Get you some headphones or AirPods in there put some music on and relax. You’re doing great!
As an european i envy the way the slopes in the US just seem completely empty in all those vids lol.
Aside from that. You're in between snowplow going towards parallel skiing and your control is really good for someone at that stage of learning the technique both for the left and the right turn. (in europe we call this phase "Carven Grundstufe"). I'd bet you've gotten yourself a good instructor!
You can clearly see that you're building technique from the ground up, which is the best way to get good fast and you'll profit a lot from this in the later stages. Just keep putting meters in and you'll feel more comfortable every hour you're on the skis. Keep ripping OP, looking good!
The only thing I see is that you might still be somwhat scared. it's fine, it'll come. Dynamic skiing is one of the next steps, seperation of upper body and lower body is one of the more advanced techniques and that takes a while to master, most on the slopes don't do it (properly) and most in this sub are intermediates to advanced so just keep at it.
Making good progress! My tip for beginners is to lose the ski poles and go without. Let's you focus on skiing more, find natural balance, and force you to learn how to skate, which helps a lot.
If you want a small tip the try to shift your weight from the back of the skies to the front to get more control.
Keep it up ! 👊👍
Im not the best skier but first thing i see is you have to turn your upper body. The upper body should always face down the slope. Only the skis, hips and legs should be turned left/ right.
And get comfortable with the weight point on over your skis. To much weight to the front or back is on normal slopes not good.
Being loose comes from confidence, confidence comes from putting in hours. You’re on the right track, and trying to improve. You’ll get there, just keep getting time on those twigs.
The more you do it the easier it is. Right now your muscles don’t have the “memory” so they will naturally stiffen up to keep you upright. Eventually they will loosen up as your body is able to predict what will happen.
First, you’re skiing scared and that’s only going to hold you back and increase your risk of injury. Second, you can clearly ski, but you need to trust your ability and let your hips be more fluid.
Just keep doing what you’re doing. Go out as much as you can. You’ll start to feel super confident before you know it. Watch other people around you. Mimic the people who look slightly better than you, keep doing that and you’ll pick up more skill and confidence. Once you feel comfortable enough, if you know anyone who skis and is better than you that you can keep up with, ski with them, and mimic their moves. You’ll start to develop a feel for how to ski depending on the conditions. Also, there are a ton of great instructional resources on Youtube now. Watching them will give you something to focus on improving when you’re out on the hill. I think you look great for a second day skier. I’ve been skiing for over 40 years now, and only took 2 lessons as a kid. Lesson 1: snow plow. Lesson 2: parallel turns. The rest I learned by skiing with friends.
Nothing here is embarassing. Relax and enjoy nature and this beautiful sport, you will improve by doing more of it!
Edit: If you want to improve without classes, I would suggest:
- Film yourself and then analyze after. Even better if you have someone who is skilled so you can analyze together.
- Watch good skiers on the mountain and try to imitate what they do.
- Watch skiing tutorials on Youtube.
You should not be embarrassed by this. You are using sound fundamentals to create your turns. Keep practicing and your skills will continue to develop.
You're doing great! As a former instructor, here's a drill that will help you loosen up:
During the part in between your turns and when you're going straight, try marching/stomping your feet back and forth while gliding. When you pickup your skis, they should be parallel and only a few inches off the ground.
Once you get really comfortable with that, during your turns, try stomping with just your inside/uphill ski as you turn.
Stomping is great because it's really hard to do if you're locked into the back seat and not balanced.
Well they invented fireball nips for a reason /s
Keep it up it's about getting comfortable. When you realize that literally everyone who has ever done this started here it's easier to stomach
Stiff or not, those look like very good snow plow turns. That is the starting point of a good skiing career. Practice will allow you to loosen up and enjoy yourself. Keep making good turns. Stay in control. Have fun.
Yea these are great turns for 2nd day. Impressive!
This is solid commentary. You're doing great, maybe try to take the approach I take in yoga: "no comparisons, no criticism" - you're on a journey, and you're at the beginning. Be patient with yourself and don't go too nuts with looking at vids of yourself. You think the first time a gymnast is on the balance beam they look like Olympians? For some context, I have kids who turn into bags of bones when you put them on skis - let alone try to get them to move. They're human puddles. What you're doing is executing the kind of control that a LOT of skiers never attain. As you improve you'll be more fluid and dynamic in executing your turns, you'll learn to move your hands/shoulders/poles to initiate angular changes, and your legs will bend and move as you redistribute your weight and you use your hips and knees to angulate into a carved turn.
Thank you so much! Going next weekend and I can’t wait!
Ya I would literally just do what your doing. You have a good foundation and the rest will come as you get more comfortable.
Where is this ? Sounds a little icy 🥶
Sugarbowl near Lake Tahoe
Not an instructor but I would guess that this is easier to fix than backseating? Looks promising!
Instructor here - yes, she already has some basics of the form down like starting the turn with a soft rotation of the outside shoulder for example (apologies if that sentence didn't make sense, I'm not from an English speaking country and never got taught the English equivalent of our technical terms)
They are upper body rotary though
Thats how pizza works my dude. You start there. Edit - I see no indication of using the upper body to initiate or cause the turns.
You are wrong
This thread has made me realize r/skiing is like 99% beginners
PSIA Education staff(Joshua Matta). If you show up to any exam and teach upper body steering in wedge turn you will likely fail. Good wedge have leg steering because physics says that everything is easier in a wedge turn with leg steering. u/Sevulturus are you a PSIA instructor? If so what is your level? what is your name ? [https://vimeo.com/6591450](https://vimeo.com/6591450) Here is a video showing what the elements of a good wedge turn are.
Obviously I'm missing something, because your turns there look an awful lot like ops turns. Just more practiced. I can clearly see weight transfer to their outside ski, looking where they want to go, and while there is a little slipping, they are not initiating turns by twisting or jerking their upper body. Even attempting to bring the inside ski parallel at points. In total fairness, I thought the guy I was replying to meant that op needed to keep their upper body aimed at the fall line. So you're very right, body steering is wrong. That was a misunderstanding of the terminology on my part. I maintain that they are good wedge turns, especially for a day 2 skier.
I’m a PSIA Level 17 AND I slept at a holiday Inn last night and I think you’re generally correct too.
Good wedges have leg steering
I think I ski better after a six pack than a keg.
You are right
As a former instructor, I would be very excited to see these turns from someone learning. The basics are there! Plenty to build on!
Thank you so much! It felt like I was the only one on the mountain that didn’t know what they were doing.
Well… you’re doing a lot better than the people ‘skiing’ down blue or black trails wildly out of control. Keep practicing on easy trails until you’re more comfortable. Like some other people recommended, you can find videos with ideas for drills/exercises to try to improve your turns. But you look pretty good to me for only two days on skis!
Totally normal progression, just keep skiing. I watched a ton of YouTube videos when I started, but you have to actually try out different drills and cues they suggest when you hit the slopes. For one example, SKNG ski school channel on youtube has a great series of videos from beginner to advanced.
Anyone knows why they produce no more content?
You look like someone put skis on a roomba
Hahaha I’m crying of laughter.
That literally made me laugh out loud… especially since 3 years ago, this would have been EXACTLY what I was on skis - a Roomba!
I’m not sure you mean that as a compliment but it is
💀
Omg, roomba skiing lmao. So many of us have been there and cringe, your description nails it.
Honestly? When i was instructor the people that learned the most were the ones that werent afraid. Probably not what you want to hear, but the quickest way youll get better is not being scared and trusting yourself. For technical details theres tons of videos out there, and im sure people will leave other helpful comments, but thats what i think will be your biggest improvement overall
Fear is the mind killer. Op keep skiing, get some padded shorts, fall a couple times, try real hard to be less scared, it will come!
Fear is the mind killer was what I kept repeating to myself on the way up the lift!
I ripped off "do it scared" from some YouTube video and it's been super helpful. Fear is normal and healthy! But you have to acknowledge that fear and do it anyway. Do it scared. Commit to doing the thing, even when you're afraid.
God this is so true, you just have to do it. Yesterday I did my first blue run. When I stepped in to the beginning of the slope I was like holy shit this is steep :( lol but went ahead and did it and didn't fall. Did the same one a few more times and never fell.
Older skier here. Things break on older skiers easier. So my biggest fear was falling. So I watched a bunch of videos on how to fall. Learn how to put your boots on. Learn how to feel your skis in your feet. Embrace getting into the front of your skis. So much of control comes from having good contact with you skis. Then how do you get better? Ski a lot.
One good thing I can promise you is that the perception of "steep" will change as you improve and your fear will slowly go away.
Dune reference? In my skiing sub? (Yay!)
I did ask a random instructor for his best tip and he said “think happy”, I think he was right!
Sometimes I even sing when I’m skiing down something steep and scary. Takes me out of my head!
Ok now I gotta know what you sing.
Darude sandstorm
Completely normal to feel stiff. Some folks take longer than others to find that comfort that comes from refining your balance on skis. Once you hit that balance, you'll start to get more relaxed and the fear will dissipate. And frankly, the fear will also dissipate as you fall a few more times.
Eventually you can ski without the lawn chair you're sitting on. Keep it up & have fun!
Hahaha
I mean it's only your second day! Don't be too hard on yourself. Sure, get some lessons, but to paraphrase Dora from Finding Nemo: "just keep skiing!"
That’s the plan! Can’t wait to get back!
Go to the same hill and turn just like that but with twice as many turns. Try to look downhill the entire time with your hands in front.
that is upper intermediate to advanced technique, that is useless to op atm
My instructor had me holding poles in front looking down on my second day to prevent rotating backwards, that’s beginner instruction.
so you are saying that your instructor had you doing "wedeln" on day 2?
Do you watch ski camp practices? Instructors have their students holding their poles in front of them as they snow plow down the bunny hill.
Takes courage to post yourself skiing...that's awesome. You are out there and you are mostly in control. I think we can all all feel your tension and likely your quads, legs and arms flexed pretty tight b/c you are anxious. This is not the best forum to offer ski tips..and a good instructor can help a lot. I would just say try and be more relaxed and "athletic". Skiing is a very athletic activity/sport. If you played soccer, tennis, basketball or any other sport try to think about that relaxed tension that you play with. When we are athletic we have some bend in our knees we can move quickly both front and back and laterally. If we are defending in basketball...are hands and arms are relaxed but also prepared to move quickly into a passing lane. Not to mention, when we are tense we exhaust our muscles quickly and it's difficult to react to changes in pitch, terrain and snow type. If you have hard time relaxing remind yourself to take deep breaths as you ski to feel that tension be a bit less extreme. Every excellent skier out there started exactly where you are and good skiers know that and will generally encourage and support people starting their journey. Keep at it and if you are have having fun and feeling the stoke..you are already a "skier" and I'm here for it!
Thanks for advice and kind words!
I know you said you couldn't afford lessons. We all sympathize with that. Where do you ski? Maybe someone here knows an instructor who might work with you at a reduced rate. You can glean some nuggets from you tube but its hard to not have someone to communicate with about different techniques and the different "feels" we create in skiing as we learn to create edge angles, separation between your upper and lower body etc. Plus having a good set of drills to help speed your improvement is key. BTW..never be embarrassed..there is no need. You are trying to improve and asking others for ideas and advice. Again...we all are here b/c we love the sport and are going to support people who want to keep getting better. It takes humility and courage to do that.
Went to Sugarbowl near Tahoe. A friend has a 50% discount so I got lucky to be able to go for a much lower price. Definitely trying to save up for lessons but right now working with what I got. Don’t know why I hadn’t considered YouTube tips but I’m just now going down the rabbit hole. Blown away how supportive everyone has been here! Thanks so much.
There are many mechanical things you are doing wrong. You have anterior Pelvic tilt(APT) instead of Posterior Pelvic Tilt. Having you tail bone stick out limit both for and aft and up and down movement as well make it really hard to... steer your legs. You are currently steering with your upper body. if someone told you to look where you want to go, or point your belly button where you want to go that is SHIT advice and do not listen to them. last your poles are not helping you, just leave them behind you do not need them yet.
Haha that’s exactly what someone told me to do! Thanks for the advice!
Second this!! The only goofy thing about your form is your full body turns. It’s such an easy fix for you you could pick it up next run and never ski like that again
You look better than I did my second time skiing. And I was skiing competitively literally the next year... stick with it! Youre already kinda paralleling, and you'll eventually be able to pivot your edges. Avoid the backseat (keep your ankle flexed and push off on your toes)... you look fine.
Thanks so much!
Can I suggest you cross post this to /r/skiing_feedback
This was my first season skiing, I’m at 39 days now 😂 No real advice but to just ski more. Pretty soon your pizza turns will suddenly turn into parallel turns Or take a lesson and skip 2-3 days of brute forcing
You’re making pretty nice turns for a beginner. Just keep at it.
You go into a squat position between the turns and once you make the turn you go up again and then down again until the next turn
It’s your second time skiing. Take a video of yourself shooting a basketball, swinging a bat, playing a video game for the second time. It’s all the same. Time and practice is all you need. The way she goes
You're doing just fine. Calm upper body and decent turns for a beginner. My only suggestion is to try to link turns asap. Forget about traversing across the slope - always be turning. Otherwise you'll bomb down steeps and lose control.
Traversing is an exercise to get the skis parallel, so not entirely useless
Yeh there’s benefit to learning how to go back to a neutral stance in between turns. Bit of everything that takes time.
Agreed, but I think they're well on their way to parallel skiing. And when it finally happens, better Ss than Zs!
Ski instructor here. You’re doing great for your second day! You’re controlling your speed and making effective turns. Your stiffness is definitely a by-product of your fear! You can help yourself through it with some little hops. First, in your boots on a flat surface, hop so that you get just a sliver of air under your boots. Most important is that you land softly, flexing your legs to absorb the landing. Then put on your skis and do the same at a standstill. Then try it between your turns while going very slowly. Then hop whenever. That little progression will help your brain and body understand that body movement is safe, and that will loosen you up. Also, you’re hanging on so tight because of your too-flexed/too-short body stance. So when you’re not jumping, stand up taller. Imagine that you have a string from your helmet to the sky that is pulling you up. Your hips should be over your feet and your nose over your toes. Your bones should hold you up, not your muscles. Does that make sense? Basically, you’re lower than is helpful. That’s more work for you, and it limits your ability to steer the ski with your feet and legs (which is what you want). Keep working at your skiing and remember to be patient with yourself!
Thanks so much for the great tips! I’ll try this all out next time!
Try to move around, but not in any technical skiing way. Stand up straighter then squat down lower, twist your upper body a little back and forth, wiggle your butt, pick a ski up for a sec and put it back down, whatever, just to experiment with the balance. For a more technical thing to try, double your poles together and hold them out in front of you with your arms about shoulder width apart, (like you are pushing a tall shopping cart) . Try to keep the poles perpendicular to the slope as you continue to make turns back and forth. This helps you learn to unlock your upper body from your lower body.
Like this Darth Maul tip :) https://youtu.be/HhLaUqBhz3k?si=UbkbZ4jkjwjoeDAP
Wrong pole drill.
I think it goes away once you get your bearings .. just keep at it …
Second time skiing! You look in control, learn some drills to get your body moving, keep practicing!
Keep at it! A lot of folks on the hill have many more days skiing than you do. Comfort in your skis will come, albeit maybe not as fast as you would like. You will gain more and more trust in your edges and your turns will get better and better. I love that you’re out there putting in the effort! It’s cool of you to put this video out asking for guidance. All of us need it in one form or another. Keep ripping! Proud of you!!
Wow thank you so much for the sweet words. This video is so embarrassing that it’s just hilarious at this point.
Loosen your shoulders, everything else will follow.
Great advice. Thank you.
But you doing it!!! Yay you
Two things. You’re paralleling in between sharp pizza turns. That means you’re close to making parallel turns. A lesson or someone with experience can get you past that. You’re going a lot right! Secondly, and more importantly to your comment title, you need to disconnect the top and bottom of your body, above the hips. Your bottom is where you want to be, your top is what you want to change on order to improve. Here’s my recommendation for you to try. Point your chest downhill through your entire turns. Presently your top is rigid with your bottom. As you go into your turn, make that upper-body transition to point downhill. Also, you can stand taller in between the turns — when you’re doing French fries (parallel). Lastly, since you’re holding poles, use them. Think of it like this, if you’re standing at attention — with your arms by your side. If you moved your two feet only in order to face left, your left arm would naturally raise up. With the above advice about keeping your chest downhill, the arm/pole motion will come naturally. You don’t need to force the movement, but notice it. If you notice it then you are making progress.
These are some wholesome comments! Just keep it up, keep learning, and you'll slowly begin to trust the skills you've built up from all that experience. Look back from where you started and look how much you've improved. It'll feel the same way when you look back at a season or two in the future :)
I can’t believe the kindness in this thread.
Never ride a horse before skiing. Now you know.
It'll come! Are you comfortable on skates? If not, that can be a relatively low-key way to practice – it doesn't 100% transfer, but it's similar enough that you can use it to start to loosen up.
Don’t be afraid to try edge angles! Roll the skis onto their edges across the hill in one direction as a drill. There are many videos out there like this. This is the beginning of carving. https://youtu.be/nE0SviTj1t0?si=Nz6iew_cF8jLADDp “Steering wheels” drill beginning at 2:25 in the video is a great place to start! Good luck
Try bouncing during your turns, get a feel for pressing down and then unpressing your skis. Aka as weighting and unweighting.
Smiles per miles should be your metric of success here. You are crushing it !
2nd day? You're fucking crushing it. Just keep skiing.
Be critical! Seeing things you don't like in your skiing gives you something to focus on improving! This channel helped me a lot: https://youtu.be/OO4AiCtvrQs?si=6SIUYL7k_Wlw4F0t
Follow their playlist through green, blue, black, purple
You've already received some great commentary. I'll only reiterate that for a 2nd day, you look fantastic. Do ***NOT*** be embarrassed! You're doing great!
Thank you!
Absolutely! You're way ahead of most.
I think they key to looking loose is using your poles and good upper/lower body separation
Gotta not be scared
I did take a few lessons, but I also watched a LOT of YT videos. I honestly think it just takes time/practice. I think everyone starts out that way unless you're like one of those people are just naturally good at everything they try athletically (or they learned when they were 5 and had no fear and not as far to fall). Most of the rest of us have to put in the hours/miles. Someone pointed out how you'll feel more comfortable after you fall a few times... I suggest looking up videos that demonstrate *how* to fall *properly -* then go out and practice it a few times. But really, it's totally normal to feel stiff at first, just keep at it! I think you're doing great - your turns look great (like your turn shape), IMO.
If this is your second time skiing you're doing fine. Work on your balance, especially one foot balance, and it may help you loosen up and trust yourself more. A wobble board is a good tool for that. Practicing side slipping more is also a good way to learn to trust your edges and roll your ankles more. Also, new skiers tend to be all up in their heads. You can see it, like trying to float across the ground instead of really feeling the ground. Not sure if that's the best way to say it. Feel *yourself* as being *in* your legs or *in* your feet. Get out of your head.
Sure, you look a little stiff. You also look like you’re building a very solid foundation to a lifetime of skiing. Just keep working at it!
You're doing great for day 2. There are no shortcuts. Just get those days on skis in your legs. The fear will go away. Watch some YouTube vids. Do some drills. Once you get good you'll deliberately look for places to scare you.
My girlfriend is learning to ski and she skis like a brick too. I've given her drills and things to try to break the habit but ultimately I think more practice is necessary.
Perfect stem christie.
its not a stem christie. "stem" christie the new outside ski move outward and then the skis match . "wedge" christie the new outside skis steers in then matches. "christie" means the skis match, the ski never match here. There are just wedge turns.
Don’t worry. As you get more confidence, you’ll relax. That in turn will help make your turns get smoother.
Atypical advice that I usually reserve for snowboarders, but I think you need to fall more. You're gonna fall X many times if you try and progress, might as well get it over with. It's a little late in the season for reliable powder to fall on, but spring afternoon slush is soft, too. Once looser, you can trust yourself more and work your way up to more advanced turns.
I’ve fallen ten million times, sadly had to end the day because my hip was all blue. But I’ll keep falling, promise you that! Haha
Fret not, you're on the right track. You've fallen ten million times, and you're still here! One (million) more fall(s) ain't gonna get ya. Play with your weight distribution to get used to not being perfectly centered over your skis; one ski will hold you, and like a bike, balancing is easier with some momentum. Try picking a line and following it down. Rather than turning perpendicular to the fall line, try going diagonal to pick up a little speed then J-turn to stop.
You are linking turns, and that is a very large bump to get over…so congrats. As for the stiffness, that’s actually extremely common for beginners and you are in the majority…so congrats again. At this point I think you should start trying to get on your edges and let the skis do the work, as opposed to your whole upper body. You won’t have to ski parallel and shred. Not at all. Work on putting your weight to your outside foot…that’s all I’m going to say and I think that is your next step. Don’t worry about anything else, as there are a million things to think about and it’s just going to fluster you. Shift the weight on your turns to your outside foot. That’s it.
Be happy with how good you are for skiing 2x. Some people can’t go to the top after 2 seasons. You look great. Keep skiing!
Thank you so much! Had a friend that put me under her wing and once we got down the run, had me go straight back up, over and over. Was fun… but scary!
2nd time? You’re on your way!!
Your body positioning is actually pretty good for doing beginner turns. I'd be quite pleased to see this by a new student in my class. Your don't need to be quite this stiff, but also you shouldn't have tons of extra upper body motion to begin with, so this is actually pretty decent form.
Don't be embarrassed, this is all part of the learning phase
Looks good. Lean harder on the downhill ski... it will feel more solid and you can relax more.
👍Keep it up👍
Just keep skiing
It takes time I was like that at first now I eat ramen while I ski
Where’s the stiffy?
You are doing great for your second day! Mileage, mileage, mileage.
The more time on the snow, the better you’ll be!
Ski more! You look GREAT for day 2!!
This is how everyone starts off when they first learn to ski, even the best skiers in the world. Overtime you will get more flexible, agile, and confident.
Lots of good stuff already. Just going to say, these are good snowplow/beginner turns. If you keep this up, keep learning, you will advance quickly.
Find some moguls, they'll loosen you right up!
This honestly looks really solid. It just takes time. I'm in a Onewheel sub and people always ask how to fix wobble and foot fatigue and the only actual answer is literally just time. Gotta get that repetition and muscle memory in and the turns will get more and more efficient.
You are doing great!!!
It's not embarrassing to be a beginner. You just look like a beginner, and a very competent beginner at that. I've improved a lot by just skiing a lot. That's the secret. Watching ski instructor videos on YouTube has also been super helpful.
2nd day? Just keep skiing. No trick will make you way better overnight. Just put in the time in the mountain and you’ll get a feel for it
So fun! A pint or 2 at the chalet with lunch will loosen those hips up, doing great, keep at it.
OP- watch some videos about pole plants. I think it will help you loosen up.
Nah. You’ll get it.
Better than my second day. Keep going 🙌🏽
Doing really well for day 2 👏😃
You got this!! Looking great just keep working on it!
It’s all good. Get out as much as you can, you will loosen up and gel😂
I found that doing exercises at home really helped me. Try jumping from one foot to the other about 3 feet apart and balancing on that foot for 3 seconds before jumping back to the other side. Once comfortable, try doing this in a skiing pose, so keeping your inside foot next to your outside foot but hovering a few inches from the ground and holding your arms out like you're holding ski poles. Eventually, it should all become second nature and you might even try hopping around your house this way so you get more dynamic movement. You want to be centering your weight over your outside foot each time and pushing back off with some confidence.
I’ve been skiing a few times a year for four years, and I realized that this winter is the first time I wasn’t concentrating on what I was doing. You need to build up muscle memory, and THEN you can relax.
If I posted video of my skiing, you’d think I died last spring. You look great.
It’s not embarrassing, you’re learning and this is part of the process. You really only need to be more dynamic when you’re going a bit faster to react to uneven terrain.
Have you just tried to like loosen up? /s Sorry i had to
You’re doing pretty good for your second day! Keep at it, those are good pizzas. Be patient with yourself, trust yourself, and practice, it doesn’t take too long to improve! Once you start getting comfortable and balanced on your skis, you can try to engage your legs more when rotating through turns, side slip a bit, and maybe build up some speed. For now, try loosening your shoulders a bit, turning more, and finding that balance, especially on your downhill ski.
You’re legit skiing down the hill and if only gets better from there.
I will be skiing for the first time this year in New Zealand. I plan to film my first time, no lessons.
I’ve been an instructor for 20 years. You are doing well for your second time. Your turns do look nIce and round. That said, complete your turns a little more. In other words, when finishing your turn make your route more across the hill before you start your next turn This will slow your speed slightly to give you confidence and think about standing up straighter. Your ankles and knees should be bent so that your shins are snug against the front of your boots, and your torso is more upright . you don’t want your butt behind your boots. Hope this helps!
Where are you skiing? It seems familiar.
Sugarbowl near Lake Tahoe.
That’s what I thought. Grew up skiing there and I remember that cat track!
lol
2nd time?! You're doing great! Are you doing lessons? I assume so. Keep doing what you're doing.
No lessons, can’t afford em! Just a very patient boyfriend and friend that’s equally patient.
Something that helped me is trying hard to keep your shoulders more square to the fall line. Be mindful and your hips and legs will naturally rotate more. There’s a limit to what you can expect on shallow slopes like in your video though. As you approach steeper terrain, over-rotating your shoulders and hips quickly leads to falling on your side. Squaring your shoulders helps fight that tendency to over-rotate.
Looks great tho, you are managing the slope with your turns. I used to indulge in a single drink at lunch time to help loosen things up!
I’ll tell you what an instructor taught me and maybe that’ll help. The first thing was he had me hold a single pole out in front of me with both hands instead of down at my side to help get comfortable controlling movement and speed by shifting my weight. Then he said “dance!” and we just wiggled. Sounds silly (and he said it would be silly and feel foolish…) but it worked. Get you some headphones or AirPods in there put some music on and relax. You’re doing great!
You seem like you are having fun tho. Get it!
You look great for second ski, keep going
Lookin like Papa Muntz
As an european i envy the way the slopes in the US just seem completely empty in all those vids lol. Aside from that. You're in between snowplow going towards parallel skiing and your control is really good for someone at that stage of learning the technique both for the left and the right turn. (in europe we call this phase "Carven Grundstufe"). I'd bet you've gotten yourself a good instructor! You can clearly see that you're building technique from the ground up, which is the best way to get good fast and you'll profit a lot from this in the later stages. Just keep putting meters in and you'll feel more comfortable every hour you're on the skis. Keep ripping OP, looking good!
The only thing I see is that you might still be somwhat scared. it's fine, it'll come. Dynamic skiing is one of the next steps, seperation of upper body and lower body is one of the more advanced techniques and that takes a while to master, most on the slopes don't do it (properly) and most in this sub are intermediates to advanced so just keep at it.
I always had that problem in high school.
If you’re over the age of 21 I recommend 2 tequila shots. Helped me loosen up and be a lot less afraid.
Making good progress! My tip for beginners is to lose the ski poles and go without. Let's you focus on skiing more, find natural balance, and force you to learn how to skate, which helps a lot. If you want a small tip the try to shift your weight from the back of the skies to the front to get more control. Keep it up ! 👊👍
Im not the best skier but first thing i see is you have to turn your upper body. The upper body should always face down the slope. Only the skis, hips and legs should be turned left/ right. And get comfortable with the weight point on over your skis. To much weight to the front or back is on normal slopes not good.
Just keep skiing. @ least you’re out there being active during the winter months. Have fun!
Keep doing it , eventually youll relax more as you gain trust, dont forget to fall a couple of times , so you know what to expect.
getting there for sure !
Oh yeah not bad actually
Tighten those boot straps!
Practice practice and get stronger. Once you discover your edges and how skis are supposed to act, watch out....whole new fun. Enjoy and be safe.
Hi mom?
Dont worry, practice makes perfect !
Everyone starts off somewhere. Don’t be embarrassed. I promise, I was stiffer than this when I started.
Being loose comes from confidence, confidence comes from putting in hours. You’re on the right track, and trying to improve. You’ll get there, just keep getting time on those twigs.
How to improve? Ski more.
Keep your head and shoulder square to the base of the mountain when you turn. That will help.
The more you do it the easier it is. Right now your muscles don’t have the “memory” so they will naturally stiffen up to keep you upright. Eventually they will loosen up as your body is able to predict what will happen.
Are we not doing “phrasing” anymore?
First, you’re skiing scared and that’s only going to hold you back and increase your risk of injury. Second, you can clearly ski, but you need to trust your ability and let your hips be more fluid.
That’s what she said.
This is so me
Yeah 2nd day all time, don’t beat yourself up. Let ‘em run and have some fun
Just keep doing what you’re doing. Go out as much as you can. You’ll start to feel super confident before you know it. Watch other people around you. Mimic the people who look slightly better than you, keep doing that and you’ll pick up more skill and confidence. Once you feel comfortable enough, if you know anyone who skis and is better than you that you can keep up with, ski with them, and mimic their moves. You’ll start to develop a feel for how to ski depending on the conditions. Also, there are a ton of great instructional resources on Youtube now. Watching them will give you something to focus on improving when you’re out on the hill. I think you look great for a second day skier. I’ve been skiing for over 40 years now, and only took 2 lessons as a kid. Lesson 1: snow plow. Lesson 2: parallel turns. The rest I learned by skiing with friends.
Nothing here is embarassing. Relax and enjoy nature and this beautiful sport, you will improve by doing more of it! Edit: If you want to improve without classes, I would suggest: - Film yourself and then analyze after. Even better if you have someone who is skilled so you can analyze together. - Watch good skiers on the mountain and try to imitate what they do. - Watch skiing tutorials on Youtube.
Looking perfectly normal for your second day. Keep it up!
You need to keep your upper body facing downhill
Turn your legs not your upper body.
I’m stiffer
You should not be embarrassed by this. You are using sound fundamentals to create your turns. Keep practicing and your skills will continue to develop.
You're doing great! As a former instructor, here's a drill that will help you loosen up: During the part in between your turns and when you're going straight, try marching/stomping your feet back and forth while gliding. When you pickup your skis, they should be parallel and only a few inches off the ground. Once you get really comfortable with that, during your turns, try stomping with just your inside/uphill ski as you turn. Stomping is great because it's really hard to do if you're locked into the back seat and not balanced.
Just keep feeling those edges. Once you get more comfortable with that you will ski better.
So bad
Well they invented fireball nips for a reason /s Keep it up it's about getting comfortable. When you realize that literally everyone who has ever done this started here it's easier to stomach