Looking to improve - opinions?

Hello,

I have skiied for a long time but not often enough to become very good. In bounds I can comfortably ski diamond runs albeit while displaying a stunning lack of grace and form. I would like to improve and wonder if taking a lesson would be helpful or if spending the money on lift tickets and practicing more would be better. My main interest is ski touring and easy ski mountaineering. Opinions?

TIA,

BHB

Speaking as one of our resident pro instructors, I say the answer is "it depends."

How much do you ski now? If you're only getting out two or three times a season, you'll definately improve just by skiing more, with or without an instructor. If you're getting out fairly often, an instructor can help. At your level I would be looking for private lessons from a Level II, or preferably a Level III instructor. Rather than buying a lesson at the ticket window, walk into the ski school and speak with some instructors and see if you can get some names of Level III instructors, then request a private with them.

I'm all for lift skiing. You can get so much more mileage on the lifts than in the backcountry, and you can find more varied conditions in a shorter time.

I think that the older you get, the more valuable taking lessons can be if you really want to improve. But you need to go with a really good instructor. A good instructor gives you ideas, feedback and performance modeling. (Watch how the instructor does it.)

I also think you can learn a lot by watching videos. Not acrobatics--but people making turns on the terrain and snow you're interested in. Model what they're doing and then try it.

Also, don't underestimate the importance of conditioning. If you haven't improved in a while, you might be limited by your physical conditioning. I think better conditioning can help you reach a point where your new skills become part of your muscle memory.

Last but not least--cheat. Consider buying new gear if you've been using the same stuff for many years. Wider and more shaped skis have raised the average ability of backcountry skiers dramatically in the past few years.

My experience is that you can't improve your skiing  doing it just in the BC. You have to hit the lifts , a lot!
Ski, ski, take a lesson, then ski some more then take another lesson then ski more, then ski more, then ski even more. After that, ski some more and take another lesson!

I have struggled as I didn't start skiing seriously until late in life and its cost me a lot of lift time to get the meager skills I have now. However, the reward is worth the effort.

Hooking up with better skiers that gave me pointers and allowed me to follow in their wake has been the biggest impetus in my improvement.

Oh yea, Lowell's right, cheat and get fat skis!

Ski moguls, in my opinion. Moguls now aren't the same or as prolific as I remember them in the early 90s, but they'll teach you how to have quick feet, keep your balance, and adjust to varying terrain. The main problem with this advice is it is hard (not to mention potentially painful) to teach yourself moguls. Instructor? Sure or a friend who remembers how to ski moguls from when that used to be popular.

Nothing substitutes for mileage and I second Lowell's suggestion to ski the lifts.  You might want to check out the series of 3 videos put out by Lito Tejada-Flores called "Breakthrough on Skis". They are a bit dated but still have good tips and information. All three ave available in the Seattle Public Library system.