Skiing Saturday didn’t go as well as it had the week before. At Nashoba, the only beginner hills they have are the bunny slopes with tow ropes, so I went up the lift to the intermediate slope where they take the kids taking lessons. Very very steep. Way too steep. And I was having an impossible time controlling my speed. I don’t know why this was so much harder than last week, but I felt like my skis were sticking in the snow, so I couldn’t turn, etc. etc. etc. Which put me in a panic. Which didn’t help me at all.
The trail felt WAY too narrow and too steep for me, so I didn’t feel like I could traverse…every time I turned I’d start flying down again, so instead of lazy S’s down the mountain, I was going across, then stopping. Back and stopping. No fun. I just felt completely out of control…I hated hated hated it. I made two runs, fell down a total of 5 times, including one slide that made snow go up my back and down my snowpants. I was not a happy camper. (Even less so the next day when every part of my hurt – especially my hips and butt).
I will try to go back to Wachusett in the next week or so, and go on their easy run so I can get my confidence back. I was just not ready for the intermediate trail, and as it stands, I won’t be skiing again at Nashoba until I figure out why I was having so many problems. I swear, I did really well the previous Sunday, you can ask Mr. Dump.
Are you renting skis? if you are, invest in some ski wax even if it’s the kind you spray on. If your skis are sticking, you don’t have full control. You want to always have wax on your skis to protect them.
If you’re in a panic, get into a snow plow and roll your knees together so that your inside edges are digging in the snow. Don’t let your knees touch. If you want to turn left, lean harder into your right foot like your squishing a bug. The object of the game is to be skiing on the balls of your feet and always make sure there’s pressure on the tongue of both your boots.
I live exactly 2 miles from Nashoba. If you’re still having a hard time, I’ll help you out.
try what I said right now on flat land and keep your hands out in front of you like you’re carrying a tray.
Good luck, Susan
It’s only a matter of time now. I have warned you.
The first lesson is always the easiest, whatever you do. ( I know from my own lesson plans) If it wasn’t you wouldn’t go back again
Oh Bill, you’re so loving and kind! And Anji, you mean ever? Just never get back on the horse, as it were? Or never go back to the ski area where I had the problem?
Sue, I will look for the wax. I told my husband that maybe they needed to be waxed. The snow was also just really sticky, I don’t know how else to explain it. We aren’t renting, I actually bought skis (with bindings, only $99). I was snowplowing, but I just wasn’t turning as well as I should have – one ski would turn but the other (usually the downhill ski) wouldn’t and they’d cross each other. I mean, for my 2nd time out, it probably wasn’t an unusual number of falls (one of them was coming off the lift the first time. I hate that!) I also forgot to stop looking at my skis. Todd told me to never look at my skis but I know that I was doing it more than I should have.
Someone Mr. Dump works with told him we’d LOVE Sunnapee because it’s a lot of long long “shallow” runs, lots of blue dot trails. I think that sounds great, I just don’t have the cash for a weekend away right now. Of course, my birthday was 5 days ago, and you guys could all chip in for a trip for me. 🙂
Jody,
If your skis wouldn’t hold an edge, I’d take them to get tuned up. Look at the edges. See if they’re dull. If you can remove a thin layer of your fingernail with the edge of your ski, they’re properly tuned. If not, invest in a diamond file; it looks like a small, flat, smooth brick that fits in your pocket. always drag from tip to tail.
As for wax, you might want to start with a multi-purpose wax like Swix Wax.
Good luck!
Susan