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The first and only time I ever skied, I ran a kid over. He was standing in line. For the T-bar on the bunny hill. I don't think me and a snowboard would be a good combination.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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The first time (and last) I went snowboarding it didn't go well. My back foot slipped off, and my front one kept going, and my knee twisted, and I fell. Come to think of it, that's the same knee that's been bothering me lately... *curses stupid snowboard*
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Yeah, let me add my voice to the chorus of "you SUCK, Mac." My brother worked at the Big Bear ski resort down here in California, and the one and only time he hooked me up with free passes, free rentals, all that, I went to the top of the mountain and slid the entire way down on my ass. When I hit the bottom half of the mountain, I just did it intentionally. I then spent the rest of the time hanging around in the ski lodge...
Ah...
I love winter sports...
Posts: 641 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Well, I'm muscle sore this morning. But just like any good workout muscle sore, so working out again will fix that right up.
Am going again today to practice. No lesson, I can get an ticket for the bunny slope for $6 all day and practice my stops and turns till they get natural.
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Yay Mack! Sorry I couldn't go with you, one of these days I'll have to get back on the slopes... I haven't skied for like, eight or nine years... Glad you're having fun!
Posts: 3420 | Registered: Jun 2002
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I took ibuprofen. It still hurts this morning o_O
BUT.
I think I figured out how to do the toeside stop and how I can keep my weight in front. It's the same type of movement as the heelside--a pivot.
This pivot for the toeside is the same as an about face! Since I was in ROTC, I can DO an about face. If I remember to keep my heels up, I believe I have this little nut cracked.
No testing it out today, though. Not with bruised knees, a headache, clients till six and no night skiing.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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If I had it all to do over again, I might go with snowboarding instead of skiing. But it's hard to justify spending an all-too-rare snowy vacation on the bunny slopes learning to snowboard when I could be flying down the mountain on a pair of skis.
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Meh.... I wish I lived somewhere where you could ski and snowboard in winter... we'll be lucky if it even snows.
Posts: 1550 | Registered: Jun 1999
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Never skiied. Reading your stories, I don't believe I ever will. I'd rather have my feet strapped to one board than two little skinny ones that can go separate ways. o_O
Headache is starting to abate. I saw my doctor for another proble today (my shoulders hurt like hell whenever I do any weight bearing exercise with them). He said not to worry about my head, but referred me to an orthopedic surgeon for my shoulders.
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I've only had 2 real accidents of the painful variety on skis. One time I decided to try and catch some air and landed flat on my back and head. That was the first time I truly understood what a "yardsale" was.
The last time I broke my arm just below the wrist. Why you ask. Because after 5 exhausting days of skiing I was coming down the mountain for the last time and was tired and complacent. I hit a drift kicked up by a snowboarder and went cartwheeling down the trail.
Just so you don't feel left out mack, the doctor immediately thought I was a snowboarder because my injury was the kind they get all the time.
quote:I saw my doctor for another proble today (my shoulders hurt like hell whenever I do any weight bearing exercise with them). He said not to worry about my head, but referred me to an orthopedic surgeon for my shoulders.
Do you do presses? I had this problem and it helped enormously when I stopped doing shoulder exercises that involved actually lifting the weights all the way over my head.
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Yeah. But not just the presses. Pullups create the same problem. So does the exercise that have me press straight out (chest press), or the nautilus that makes you press out like you're trying to fly.
Most anything that requires repetitive movement of my shoulders and has weight kills my joint. And what gets me is that it's the lightest weight possible, while the rest of my muscles can lift much more. And I know the muscles of my shoulders can...but not the dang joints.
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I would guess a bone spur, but it seems strange that you would have them on both shoulders. I've got that, but I don't do enough anymore to make it worth it to have the surgery. If it really starts bugging me, my orthopedic guy gives me a shot of cortisone.
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Yeah. We'll see. My PCP gave me a cortizone pack but I'm really reluctant to take it, given how many other meds I'm on. I can deal and keep popping advil
On the other front, I can make it down the hill without falling AND being in control.
However.
I can't seem to manage a toeside stop. ARGH. That's what's making me fall. I can do all the way down with just heelside stops.
But dammit, I WILL LEARN TOESIDE!
If it doesn't kill me first. One of my kneecaps is visibly swollen and bruised and tender. I think I pulled a hamstring and I know I nearly wrenched my right arm out.
Eep.
I'll give my body a few days to heal up then take another lesson on Saturday.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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*has only a 2 hour drive to the 6+ ski resorts in Lake Tahoe*
I love snowboarding. My favorite thing is going through the trees through fresh, thick powder. It's very peaceful because all you hear is the shhhhhhhhh sound rather than the hard scraping on the over-used bunny hills and blue squares.
Basically, I love snowboarding. Now, if I only had enough money to buy one....
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Um... Here is a few things that MIGHT help, but probably not.
1. DO NOT STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEGS. I can't stress that enough. 2. Flex your calf-muscles and lean forward.
I can't really explain because I just feel it. I'm not any good at giving tips at wakeboarding either.
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I went snowboarding yesterday. Had a few knuckle-draggers after some spills off some rails and jumps, but I nailed a few rails and Indies, and almost managed to pull off a 180.
Posts: 1934 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I have only gone snowboarding once. I figured, that since I had skateboarded just about every day for the past 7 years, I would be able to handle it, no problem.
The only thing was, I had never even gone skiing before, so I had no experience on the snow.
It took me a couple times down the bunny hill before I could make it all the way down without falling, and then after that I did get the hang of it. I love flying down the hill, and then doing a big "power slide" to stop. I call them power slides cause thats what we call them in skateboarding, I have no idea what you call them in snowboarding.
But, I am really excited, because I'll be doing an all night session Jan 2!!! It will only be my second time ever, but I think Ill be able to do a couple of jumps and stuff.
Posts: 879 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Yeah, that's a heelside stop, Cy. THAT I can do and go down the hill with no problems with that.
My problem is my stubbornness to WANT to get the toeside stop because you have more control and makes going down the hill much better than just shooting straight down.
I know HOW to do the toeside. But I can't seem to keep my weight on my forward foot. As soon as I think about moving my back foot, the weight shifts to the back and down I go. I know the SECOND that I do it, just before I fall.
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Stopping isn't necessarily just heelside Mack. It can be heel or toe, depending on which way you want to face when you stop.
Posts: 1934 | Registered: Jun 2001
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That's cuz ya gotta "jump" up on your toes. Actually, it ain't as much of a jump as a weighting (push down hard on the board by straightening the legs) then an immediate unweighting (force your tush to drop by pulling up on both legs). If you are facing uphill(ish) and maintaining your balance, you should be up on your toes and with your body leaning toward the hill; ie in a toe stop mode.
You can even practice it without actually sliding. However, without the g-forces created in stopping/turning, you should fall forward in the uphill direction. Heck you can even practice it on the carpet in your aparment. (Just put a few pillows/cushions/mattresses down -- both in front and in back of yourself -- to make for a soft landing.)
Once ya get useta it on a bunny slope, you'll probably discover that you can get into a toe stop by unweighting alone.
Whatcha really need is a good snowboarder to show you how they do it, preferably while they aren't moving. On a carpet would be best: once you've seen it done that way a few times, you'll pick up the moves quickly.
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Ignore what apsectre said. What he said to do would be a toe-stop alright, only you it means you would catch your front edge and you would end up with snow up your nose.
Say you're going downhill at a reasonable speed. Turn your board where the board is parallel with the hill. To properly turn the board, you push with your back foot, you don't steer with your front foot. That's a very bad habit to have. And if anybody tells you otherwise, they don't really know what they're talking about okay Mack? Make sure your knees are BENT, not straight. You want your heels up in the air, creating an edge on the side of the board where your toes are.
To further help you, tell me how you fall when you fall. That might give me some information on any mistakes you might be making.
[ December 24, 2003, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Nick ]
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To do a heelside stop, which I can do, you lift the toes and sweep the board forward with your hips, pivoting from the forward foot and keeping your weight there.
The toeside stop was explained to me this way: pivot from your front foot by keeping the weight there, lift your heels and let your back foot drop until you're facing uphill.
Except my body can't seem to grasp the concept of the weight remaining on the forward foot when the back foot is doing the movement.
So I'm cruising down the hill, falling leaf, riding regular and my body facing downhill. I can cruise to a stop with ease by lifting my toes more and swining my hips to bring my back foot around, making sure to keep my toes up so I don't plow up and do a nose plant. THAT (well, stop and fall;)) I can do naturally, without thinking.
But from that same position, when I attempt a toeside stop by lifting my heel and letting my back foot fall back (whatever THAT means), I end up making it about halfway before the board gets an edge, ends up parallel to the hill instead of horizontal, and I'm falling straight over.
I think that my weight is INSISTING on shifting to the back foot when I go to move it. I'm fairly certain, because I can feel the weight shift and have time to curse that I screwed it up AGAIN before I fall. Then I'll be all pissy and go down the hill using just the heelside stop to feel some sort of competence. That, and to let my bruised knees or wrenched arm or hip joint heal up some.
Then I'll trudge back up the hill and go at it again. And again. And again.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I guess I never put much thought in to it. The way that I am more comfortable stopping would then be described as a "toe stop"? What happens though, is that Ill be sliding backwards, to a stop. where I am facing the hill. I love doing it that way, its just more style. When Im skateboarding, I love doing a boardslide that way as well, where your sliding backwards, it just looks a whole lot better.
And the one thing about skateboarding/snowboarding/surfing, is sure, a big trick is worth something, but the real thing is, how good did you look when you did it.
Posts: 879 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Im facing down hill, you know, going down the hill, and then, ill turn 90 degrees "frontside", which means, that if i was heading in your direction, you would see my backside.
As far as describing how i do it... hmm.. i never thought about it. I just do it when im skateboarding, so i did it on the snowboard. Im pretty sure its all in the back foot. You just swing your back foot out behind you, and lean a little in, so that you dont end up falling backwards on your butt. But, like I said, ive only gone once, so i never had time to think about it!
in one week, ill be going again! I cant wait!
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I did toeside stops all night tonight. And then I linked turns and cruised down the hill in a falling leaf over and over again WITHOUT FALLING AND DOING BOTH STOPS!
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Anyway, that's great that you figured it out. You kind of have to figure it out on your own. You can't really expain how to do it, you just feel it.
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Awesome mack. I think you may remember that it was me who suggested you pursue the awesomeness that is snowboarding. Thats the one thing I will miss about living where it gets cold in winter.
I hope I have as much luck learning to surf as you did snowboarding. I did teach myself to snowboard though, and the skills are related I think. I just need a board and a wetsuit and I'm on my way. Surfing in the winter sounds like fun .
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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They ARE related. That's what my instructor said last week. In surfing, you keep your weight in the BACK, though. That was my problem starting out--I snowboarded like a surfer, I had to retrain my head.
So I think you'll pick it up quickly and easily.
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That rocks. I new there were some here, but not that many.
Of course I don't get the ability to drive again until mid-february, but if I make friends with some boarders in the area maybe I could get a ride or two this winter .
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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Practiced for a half hour, took an hour lesson, then practiced some more. Wasn't really thrilled with my instructor. Made me go on the baby hill (not even bunny hill) and taught heelside. Then he realized that's child's play. So we did toeside. Eh, it's okay. Still not natural like the heelside. We hit the bunny slope (FINALLY). He insists on using the rope tow. It takes LONGER to get up the hill using that damn thing instead of walking. I convince him to walk. He teaches me falling leaf...child's play. He tells me how to turn.
Ah ha! I can do it as long as I don't eff up the toeside stop, which I can do 75% of the time without falling.
HE decides I'm ready for the chairlift hills.
Umm....
I didn't feel ready. I told him, I wanted the turning to be more natural (so I'm more confident with it) before I head up the other hill. He insists I'm ready, that I look good.
Up we go.
I fell on my ass at least six times going down. He told me to follow him. He went fast. Turned in places quickly. Ack! Somehow, the board went out from under me at some point and I smacked my head again!
So I tell him I want to go back to the bunny hill and practice till it feels natural.
My instructor was really useless today. What a waste of money. *sigh*
BUT.
I'm getting really good on the turning at least on the bunny slope. I think I just need more confidence in my boarding ability before really tackling the big hill. I think I'm tired of smacking my head. The LAST thing I need is head trauma.
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