Skiing for skaters

[2loop2loop]

A little OT perhaps, but I thought most of the participant skaters would be in here.

Do any of you ski as well as skate? I've suddenly found myself booked on a flight to the alps in 2 days time and having never skied before I was wondering how easy it is to pick up when one has a skating background. I guess I need some reassurance that I am not going to spend the next week crawling out of snowdrifts.

I'm flying to Lyon, it's going to feel like the Mountain Cup all over again!

John

[dooobedooo]

You should have a fun time, and your strong legs and stamina will stand you in good stead.

Do take lessons. A a week's group classes with the ski school will be cheapest. If you get bored with your group because you are progressing too fast, ask to be upgraded. You may make better progress taking a couple of hours a day in private lessons with an English-speaking instructor - perhaps share with a fellow skater. If money is short, but you have a good instructor, three days of this should be enough to get you going.

Don't be over-ambitious. Stick with the beginner slopes for at least three days - learn how to use the equipment, learn basic snowplough turns, how to stop, how to use the lifts and how to stop.

Go to a top ski shop that you can rely on to supply suitable equipment, and most of all, make sure that your bindings are set properly. Don't let them set your binding settings too high - they should stay on while you are skiing, but should spring open if you fall over, so that the ski comes off and doesn't torque against the leg. A beginner would probably have a DIN setting of around 4, but check the internet for DIN tables.

Take plenty of warm clothing - it can be cold sitting on chair lifts. You will need thermal vest and long johns, and maybe ladies' tights for extra warmth, plus thick ski socks. You will also need warm padded ski trousers, jacket, and a warm longsleeved shirt. Take ski-goggles, ski-gloves, sunglasses, sun-block cream, warm hat, tubular scarf.

Have fun!

Skiing's great - wonderful scenery, champagne air, and you can really travel!

[EastonSkater]

Snow skiing is definitely easier than skating because the skis are so wide and long. If you're a good skater, you'll probably adapt to skiing really quickly. A few group lessons or a few private lessons will get you on your way real quick.

On skis ... if you want to turn to the right, you apply pressure to the inside edge of your left ski. If you want to turn left, you apply pressure to the inside edge of your right ski. So it's a game of opposites. Turn right....you use the left foot. Turn left...you use the right foot. This applies for both shallow and sharper turns. And for the sharp turns, if you turn right sharply, most or even all of the weight is on your left ski. And for a sharp left turn, most or even all of the weight is on your right ski.

Doing sharp turns on skates is kind of different though. If I want to do a really sharp left turn on skates - like a hockey power turn, I have like 80 percent weight on the left skate (outside edge of left skate) and 20 percent weight on the right skate...and that's for a sharp left turn. So for sharp turns on skates, the weight applied is not the same for sharp turns on skis......because doing a sharp left on ski means putting most of the weight on the inside edge of the right ski.

Another thing you're going to be taught is that when you're going down a ski slope, there'll be times when you will be skiing across the face of the slope....which means you're skiing in a direction that's not going up the hill nor down the hill. That is you're side-on to the slope. Most beginners have a natural tendency to lean their side of the body into the slope, because they think that leaning sideways toward the slope is more stable. But actually, that's not the case. The skier should always try to keep their body in line with the imaginary string of an imaginary plumb-bob....or rather...try to lean away from the slope in order to maintain good contact between the ski and the surface of the slope.

Hope you have great fun skiing!

[Mrs Redboots]

Have a lovely time! I've never ski-ed - I prefer my ice flat, thank you.... but some people enjoy it.

[EastonSkater]

oh yeah..... I forgot to mention that adjustment to the altitude is important. Most people that live near sea level can have a hard time with doing simple exercises at high level because the air is thinner up there - getting tired easily, dizzy etc. And it can take time for the body to get conditioned to the change in oxygen level. So some people may be wondering why they can't balance properly or they get so tired from their first ski lesson. It's usually not because they're exercising a lot....it's because they're not getting enough O2. Altitude problems don't affect everybody though....but a lot of people do get affected.

[Mrs Redboots]

Luckily those of us who've skated at the Mountain Cup - as John has - know all about that one! Most of us cope very well, just a little breathless the first day.

[Isk8NYC]

I was able to transfer many of my skating skills over to skiing when I first went. The snowplow stop and edging is similar, as are the deep knee landings if you hit a mogul. (Or another skiier. Ahem.) It was difficult to keep myself from crossing the skis and getting up is an experience. I second the "Take the Lesson" recommendation.

Major diff: no ski lifts in skating! (Hate ski lifts and cable rides.)

[BelleOnIce]

The first time I went skiing I was put in a beginners class only to find I could do alot myself because of skating, like Isk8NYC said the snowplow stop just came naturally!
I now take snowboarding lessons which is slightly harder but mostly thats due to having to use a dry ski slope most of the year, which is horrible for skiing and boarding!
Going on real snow though you will probably pick it up very easily!!
I am very excited, I am going to Austria next week for a week in the snow!
Enjoy yourself!
Belle

[flo]

Hi,
I went skiing as a newbie a few years ago. It was great. I also tried the new snow-skates or ski skates - can't remember what they are called - they are really short skiis. My friend told me that if you can edge they are lots of fun, if not you'll be splatting. They were a blast. It felt like skating and I could keep up with my beau even on the advanced slopes.
I took the lessons and they were very good. Can't wait to go again soon!

[Moto Guzzi]

When I started skiing I went to a ski school and ended up in a class with people who all knew how to snowplow. The person who assigned me to the class caught me in a rare coordinated moment and thought I was better than I was. Basically, I sucked at everything until the instructor started teaching us some drills that required us to balance on one foot. Then everybody thought I was some kind of savant because I did that so well. Those figure lessons really paid off. ;)

Take some lessons from the start. You don't want to get into any bad habits, and you will advance much faster than if you try to do it on your own or let a friend show you. Skiing stance is different from skating stance. I tend to want to stand up too straight when I ski and have my arms out, but this will put you too far back on your skis. Remember: lean DOWN the hill and keep your nose over toes. I try to remember to keep my back curved, and my hands out in front of me no higher than my chest.

Your skating experience will help you with edging the skis and snowplow and hockey stops should be easy for you. I once took a group class that had a hockey player in it. The instructor had a hard time explaining to the hockey player what he was doing wrong with his turns. I told him to check his shoulders, and his turns instantly improved. If you think about keeping your shoulders facing down the hill, it will help keep that uphill shoulder from opening too wide so that you're twisted around too much to start the next turn.

Drinks lots of water and avoid alcohol the first day or two until you get used to the altitude. Don't forget to wear a warm hat. Most importantly, have fun!!!

[sue123]

If you are a strong skater, you will have an easier time on skis. One major help is your balance. I find that skiiing takes more energy, but that could be because of the altitude and not being used to it. I think I remember reading somewhere that when you go from sea level to a higher altitude, it takes about 3 days to create more red blood cells to transport whatever oxygen is up there.

Getting up though, once you've fallen, is for me impossible. The only way I get up is by taking off my skiis. My instructor tried to teach us to skate on skiis after I told him I skate. He made it look easy. But it is in no way easy. My friend who i was with tried it, and she ended up with her legs in a split.

[EastonSkater]

Getting up though, once you've fallen, is for me impossible. The only way I get up is by taking off my skiis. My instructor tried to teach us to skate on skiis after I told him I skate. He made it look easy. But it is in no way easy. My friend who i was with tried it, and she ended up with her legs in a split.

yeah hehehe.... skating on skis is a nordic skiing technique, and the trick is a rocking motion side to side of the hips while the skis are oriented in a slight V shape. Balance from normal ice rink skating does help a lot when skating on skis. It does require pretty good physical fitness and also techniques taught by somebody to do it correctly....which means to do it efficiently - that is not wasting energy unnecessarily.

About how to get up on skis when you've fallen down on flat ground is to just sit in a side-saddle position with both skis side-by-side, parallel and touching each other. You keep your skis in that position (both skis touching and side by side) and then pull them in as close to you as possible......so basically, you try to get both your feet side by side (ie your ski boots) and as close to your rear-end (backside/butt ...oops..excuse me) as possible. Remember you're still in a kind of side-saddle sitting position. Now, because your feet are positioned very close to your centre of gravity, you can then just use one of your arms to push and your whole body shift your body weight so that all the weight ends up over your skis. By the time all your body weight is over your skis, you'd be in the squatting position....end of problem.

You can even try this without skis and without boots right now...on the floor. But in order to demonstrate how everything should feel, it's better to do it all in reverse for a start. Just stand up tall.....put both of your feet together, right next to each other and touching. Then with both feet together, slowly squat down, keeping both knees together. Squat down completely until your backside (oops..excuse me) is nearly touching the floor...basically, just squat. Remember ...both feet together and both knees together. Then place one hand on the floor to the side of you and then slowly lean over to slowly transfer your body weight to the side where you placed your hand. You'll eventually end up in the side-saddle position on the floor....both of your knees are still together, and both of your feet are still side by side, except the base of your feet don't have to be in contact with the floor at this stage. But keep the heels of your feet as close to your backside as possible.

So now you have to just do everything the reverse order order to get back to the squatting position again. The trick is to keep your rear heels as close to your backside as possible, and then just lean and push with 1 hand to efficiently transfer your body weight back over to your feet. Once you get good at this, you'll find that it takes hardly any energy or effort to get back up with your skis on. And in fact, it becomes so easy that it's actually fun to fall down and get back up using this method.

[sue123]

I'm not going to copy all of Easton Skaters post, but even when I've had 3 different ski instructors teach me how to get up like that, side saddle like, I still can't figure it out. But I am going to print out your post so I can practice it for the next time I got skiing. :)

[flippet]

I love skiing! I think that being a skater helps quite a bit. If you can do a nice double slalom on ice, you can do it on the slopes.

The first time I ever went skiing, my friend's brothers (Colorado natives) took me down a blue run. No green, no bunny slope...a blue. (It was either Frenchman or Flying Dutchman at Keystone, for those familiar.) The snow was deep and fluffy, and they were amazed at how well I did for having never set foot on skis before. In fact, the only difficulty I had was that it was storming on the top of the mountain, and I got so cold and miserable that I couldn't stop myself from crying--I got way too tired halfway down. But I had an amazing vacation. Later that week we went skiing at Monarch...I love Monarch. I've been back to Keystone, but the temps were in the 60s in November, and the snow was crappy (I couldn't even make it down the run I'd learned on...had to be 'rescued' :oops: ), so I very happily stuck to the bunny slopes all day. Short runs, but a lot of fun, and good for practicing technique.

Before that initial trip, I hadn't ice skated much, but I'd been rollerblading regularly. By my last trip to Keystone, I'd been figure skating a bit, and I think both experiences helped immensely...I've never taken a ski lesson (although I'm sure it would be a great idea), but I'm good enough to spend most of the time on my skis, instead of on my butt!

[doubletoe]

Another skater recently told me she loves "short skis" because she can use practically the same technique as she uses on skates. Heck, sounds like it's worth a try!

[EastonSkater]

I'm not going to copy all of Easton Skaters post, but even when I've had 3 different ski instructors teach me how to get up like that, side saddle like, I still can't figure it out. But I am going to print out your post so I can practice it for the next time I got skiing. :)

Yeah sue123, just try out that exercise just using your feet first in your own living room...no skis or boots needed. Because once you realise the trick...or idea behind it all....that is, to try get the back of your heels as close and under your backside as possible, then you'll automatically apply this same principle to get up with skis on your feet. It just means....get your feet as close to yourself and under yourself as possible so that it makes it very easy for yourself to then push with 1 arm from the side and easy for yourself to just lean your body and shift all your body weight to your feet. What you're doing is to make your bodyweight work for you...in your favour. The further away your feet are from your body, the more difficult it gets. But if you start with your heels very nearly being under your backside, then this weight pivoting trick becomes really easy. You can actually use your hands very effectively to help as well. Such as one hand placed just behind your back (which keeps you upright) and the other hand to the side.

But anyhow, if you take note of the position of your hands and body when doing the reverse exercise (that is, stand up straight, feet and knees together, squat down, put 1 hand to the side or just diagonally to the side behind you close to your body, and very slowly lower yourself into the side saddle position) then you'll automatically work out how it should feel when you run through the reverse to get back up again. Hope your next ski trips will be a really good one. And good luck! Pretty sure you can do it.

[coskater64]

Having skiied from the age of 8 until 36 (lived in Colorado for 8 years plus the current 7) I can tell you good balance will help you. The other nice thing these days is the advantage of shorter shaped skis. You can get a nice gs "giant salmon" ski that will be shorter I wear about 163 cm @ 5'10 you'd wear about 170cm or shorter since your over 6'. Depending on the weather you could also get what once were called "chubbs" a slightly wider ski that floats on powder conditions. As a read some of these posts about how to get up I smiled, the general rule, don't get up with your skis/snowboard pointed down the hill. A seriously bad idea, don't do it near large shubbery either, an even worse idea.

Along the same line I learned to snowboard @ 36, it took a good day to get the hang of it and I was sore afterward but I like it better than regular skiing. The locking of the feet in a set position is scary but, with good balance and good edge control you should master it easily especially since you are soooooo young. Have fun and watch out for trees, do wear a helmet if you have not skiied before they look stuipd but can save you should you decide to do some tricks unexpectedly.


I had group ski lessons as a kiddie, I was a "bump bunny" by my sophmore year in high school and raced a little. At your age I did take private lessons but focused on "looking good" parallel skis, ease and grace. You should do just fine and should you choose to snowboard you can learn fakey and small jumps to change from right side dominate to left side dominate and I love to do this spin down the fall line of a blue level hill that is nice and smooth with small moguls, really fun to do. :D

[Moto Guzzi]

Getting up though, once you've fallen, is for me impossible. The only way I get up is by taking off my skiis. My instructor tried to teach us to skate on skiis after I told him I skate. He made it look easy. But it is in no way easy. My friend who i was with tried it, and she ended up with her legs in a split.Here's a technique a ski instructor taught our class for those of us who have trouble getting up. John demonstrated by falling down and moving around on the snow until he was lying on his stomach with his head pointing up the hill and his feet pointing down. He then flopped around like a fish for added effect, but you can probably skip this step.

John put his legs in spread eagle position so that the inside edges of the skis dug into the snow. He then shifted some weight to his hands and started pushing up and 'walked' his hands closer to his feet until he was able to stand up. If you do this, you do need to be sure your skis are well apart and on edge or you could go skiing backward down the mountain. Once you are on your feet, you can step your feet closer together and turn sideways so you can push off for a turn.

That afternoon when I fell, John offered me a hand to help me up. Instead, I opted to try his method (including the fish flop :lol: ) and it worked very well. Yes, it looks stupid but I probably look even stupider wallowing around like a cow stuck a mudhole when I try to get up the other way.

[EastonSkater]

Yes, it looks stupid but I probably look even stupider wallowing around like a cow stuck a mudhole when I try to get up the other way.

Definitely, use the way that works best for the individual. I think the wallowing around like a cow scenario is probably associated only with somebody that doesn't know how to get up. The side-saddle method for getting up is super efficient...uses hardly any energy or any effort once you've practised a couple of times. It's so fast that I can get up in about 1 or 2 seconds on a flat surface after you've set yourself correctly in the side-saddle position.

[Mercedeslove]

I worked at a ski resort a few years ago. One of the benifits was a season pass and ski rental. I had never once skied in my life. However I put skis on and was going down the black diamonds that day.

A lot of people said, because I had no problems on ice skates and could skate it helped a lot. So maybe it is true.

[mikawendy]

Take plenty of warm clothing - it can be cold sitting on chair lifts. You will need thermal vest and long johns, and maybe ladies' tights for extra warmth, plus thick ski socks. You will also need warm padded ski trousers, jacket, and a warm longsleeved shirt. Take ski-goggles, ski-gloves, sunglasses, sun-block cream, warm hat, tubular scarf.

Have fun!

Skiing's great - wonderful scenery, champagne air, and you can really travel!

And if you can, avoid wearing cotton layers beside your skin--if there's any moisture from sweat or snow, the cotton won't wick it away from your skin, which can be cold and uncomfortable. I've only been skiing once but the person I went with told me this. I wore synthetic layers next to my skin and he told me this would be warmer and more comfortable than cotton layers.

[EastonSkater]

I worked at a ski resort a few years ago. One of the benifits was a season pass and ski rental. I had never once skied in my life. However I put skis on and was going down the black diamonds that day.

A lot of people said, because I had no problems on ice skates and could skate it helped a lot. So maybe it is true.

hahahahha...... I'd have liked to see you go down some black runs or double black runs on the same day at Arapahoe Basin. I know for a fact that some blue runs at some resorts are like green runs at others. And some black runs at some resorts are really blue runs etc. True black runs and double black runs are often no joking matter for those that have never been on skis before. And toward the end of the ski season when the true blacks and double blacks get icy, it can be suicidal for the inexperienced (and even the experienced).

[Moto Guzzi]

I think the wallowing around like a cow scenario is probably associated only with somebody that doesn't know how to get up. In my case, it's due to a knee problem. I've learned the side straddle position, but my knee sometimes refuses to cooperate.

Mercedeslove, I'll second what EastonSkater wrote about black runs. I've never been to A-Basin but have been to other ski areas in Colorado, and there is a huge difference in their black runs as opposed to some I've been on in the east.

I've seen too many accidents caused by people skiing on runs beyond their ability. I was on a blue run one time and was knocked down by a girl who was on skis for the first time. She had already run into two other people before hitting me and was laughing like it was some big joke when I went down. My skiing companion told her she had no business being on the run, and the girl cursed at her and 'skied' away with her friend and knocked down somebody else. We reported her to the ski patrol, and they yanked her lift ticket before she hurt somebody. Two years ago, a girl from my home town went on a school ski trip to Colorado. She went with some friends on a black run although she was only a beginning skier, lost control, hit a building, and died of a head injury several days later.

[slusher]

I downhill skiied at a high level when I was younger, (and taught) and hadn't wrecked my knees yet. I took up skating afterwards. I laughed at my skate instructor "what do you mean I have to do things on one foot?" That was a big change.

I think that skiing and skating are the same, in that carved turns on the slope are the same as 3 turns. Its the weight/unweight, or up down up turn. You have to be comfortable with your body moving in a different direction while there is little to no contact with the ice or snow. Shoulders, hips and bums are important and knees are the feel into the snow.

I don't know if they teach stem christie turns (snowplow into parallel turns) anymore now that they have the little fat skiis, but there is a higher level transition from turning due to leaning on an inside edge to making turns on inside/outside, for maximum control, both legs are working.

If you can get a group lesson, you can grasp enough technique to get you down the hill and having fun, then go back and get some privates once you're comfortable with how it feels.

The most common thing I'd see (in adults)would be skiiers having a dominant side. Both sides have to be even.

FYI, I taught my husband to ski......worst mistake ever....almost divorced over it!

[coskater64]

One of the best parts of skiing are the lift and gondola rides. I love looking at the others ski and watching the huge "yard sales", you can see them coming usually someone skiing on a difficult hill that they should not be on... poles, gloves, hats, googles all over the place. It's unfortunate when they are really hurt but those little tykes using the pizza, french fry method screaming down the hill with no control and just plowing right into the back of someone....wheeeeeee.

I've heard the European mts a much rougher than those in CO no grooming of runs... it is what it is, go for it. Don't forget after 1 pm is Apres Ski, Bailey's, Kaluha, anything warm and frothy with a little kick is good. This was what I excelled at....;-)

Have fun....

[Mercedeslove]

hahahahha...... I'd have liked to see you go down some black runs or double black runs on the same day at Arapahoe Basin. I know for a fact that some blue runs at some resorts are like green runs at others. And some black runs at some resorts are really blue runs etc. True black runs and double black runs are often no joking matter for those that have never been on skis before. And toward the end of the ski season when the true blacks and double blacks get icy, it can be suicidal for the inexperienced (and even the experienced).


LOL, yeah I'm pretty sure that Ober Gatlinburgs runs weren't nearly as difficult as thoese in the rockies and other major rangers through out the world. However, I was still pretty damn proud of myself.

[dooobedooo]

I just remembered ... the word is, that George at Asda does some really stylish cheap ski wear ....

[Bothcoasts]

I've found that skating's helped my skiing immensely. Snowplows are great for going slow, and the concept of edges helped me gain more control of my skis. The forward stroke is even handy for skiing uphill or crossing flat ground.

Just watch out, because everything will feel different. The ski edges are much, much longer than a skate blade! ;)

[2loop2loop]

Wow, thanks for all the helpful responses. I've tried to make a mental note of all your good advice, especially the bit about how to get up - something tells me that will come in particularly useful :oops:

I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning (via the rink - I have to do my learn to skate courses before I leave for the airport) - it should be fun :D

John

[Mrs Redboots]

Don't forget after 1 pm is Apres Ski, Bailey's, Kaluha, anything warm and frothy with a little kick is good. This was what I excelled at....;-)I've known you excel at that in the Alps in the summer, too......