First few runs of the day....

[tommy]

I'd appreciate any ideas on the following problem:

It doesn't seem to make any difference how long time has passed since I last skied, a day or a week or 6 months. In every case, the first few runs on a particular day, for me feel quite awful in terms of technique. It feels like my skill level is less than half of what it "should" be. These initial runs, and the "bad" feelings they give, are sometimes so severe that I'm (half seriously) considering "giving up" skiing.

Then, after maybe another 30 minutes of riding, my technique (whatever little I've got) starts to come back, and I feel quite positive about my skiing again.

Maybe I should always start with some exercises (e.g. one ski skiing) before trying to do some "serious" runs.

Any input appreciated!

Cheers,
Tommy

[Chipi]

Hi there Tommy
I totally understand what you are saying and I too need and spent two/three runs on greens to get my technique flowing.
One thing that I have found to be very useful is "visualisation!".
In other words about twenty minutes before I,m actually at the top of my first run of the day,whilst getting ready or whilst riding the chair lift ,I visualise myself going through the movements of the actual run in my mind and trying to "feel" how I want to be skiing on that day!! Don,t know if this makes any sense to you but it works for me...so it could be worth a try ..
Regards Chipi

[tommy]

Hi Chipi,

how's life there on the "Rock" - the monkeys bothering you...?

Anyways, thanks for the visualization tip; I'll try it out next time. An other thing I thought of after posting my earlier blurb, was that *maybe* some 15 min of warm-up exercises (you know, jumping up & down kind of stuff) would get the body more prepared to skiing; I should try it out...

Cheers,
Tommy

[Chipi]

Hi Tommy
Life on the Rock is not bad and the monkeys ..well they have been known to come down town and start causing "trouble"but it,s funny to see them running around town areas !!
Yes! on warming up. I believe it,s all within the same "getting into the frame of mind" aspect. As I said I usually "see" myself skiing down a particular slope and trying to "feel"my way down that slope and how it will feel.
Regards Chipi

[Joe]

Tommy

As far as finding my technique after a layoff of a few days, the thing that my coach imparted was to warm up with a couple of slow runs. I mean "really" slow. Speed can hide a lot of mistakes you are making that skiing slowly will reveal. I usually start by assessing my fore/aft balance, then weight transfer and timing to the uphill ski to begin my new turn, and finally, the pole plant and tipping of the free foot into the turn. Doing this methodically at the beginning of the day seems to get me into the "zone" more comfortably and quickly. I hope this helps.

[Chipi]

Hi there Joe
I agree with you in that speed tends to hide a lot of mistakes. My first runs of the day are ,like you rightly suggested "slow" in where I,m trying to to mould all the correct movements into one easy flowing technique.
Only when I feel this "mould " is "cemented" to I move on to increase my speed and inclination of the runs
Regards Chipi .

[tommy]

Chipi, Joe,

thanks for all the advice ! I'll incorporate it into my skiing routine asap (as soon as I get over my current state of euphoria over my new skis...!

--Tommy