PNW Concrete Pow

I had a coach/pro-skier tell me what has become my mantra:

"balance and pressure"

not that I always execute, but it's a simple thought.

Yeah it's pretty cool to see where i've come in skiing.

I've noticed myself now when getting in thicker pow, that I tend to ride my heels a lot more, but I don't do this by leaning back (used to) now I just angle my feet harder in so that my heels go in the ground more which raises my tips some. No clue if this is right, but it seems to do ok.

My other issues are like I've said, just not enough experience so not used to dealing with quick rollers that pop up in a few feet very fast (My suspension on these legs just isn't a quality yet) Or I do the noob mistake of relaxing my legs by locking them on some straight area then just biting it hard when I think i'm in the clear (did this at Stevens before I was about to hit a small jump on my last run down as I was taking off my goggles) /sigh

Anyways good tips, I'm going to do some training runs this weekend and maybe head up to Snoqualmie tonight/tomorrow for a night skin and fun with my head lamp.

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I've noticed myself now when getting in thicker pow, that I tend to ride my heels a lot more, but I don't do this by leaning back (used to) now I just angle my feet harder in so that my heels go in the ground more which raises my tips some. ...

Some people say lift your toes (rather than pressure your heels).

Some people say lift your toes (rather than pressure your heels).

OK, I have the same issues as the OP with cascade concrete. I've been experimenting with my adjustable forward lean on my boots for the deeper stuff. I'm skiing on K2 Mt. Bakers, same dimension as OP's Waybacks. Here's my dilema. Adjust cuff for a more vertical position, this I would think would put more weight on my tails (given consistant knee angle) ; or adjust for more forward lean which if I kept my same body position would have the effect of raising my tips up. Which to go with?

As far skiing concrete, here's a tip a guide/patroller/ski bum at Whistler taught me, back before we had fat skiis. Levitation! At the point when you have fully extended your leg to unweight, violently pull your knees to your chest while levitating your torso; that gets your skis out of the concrete and you then do whatever you need to do for your next move/turn/etc... It works - your abs!

WOW,.... Listen, You don't pull up on your toes or lean back to make your tips rise..... If your bindings are mounted in the correct location on your skis and you know how to ski,.... they rise......

If you have to even ASK, "How do I?"  You need a lesson

While I am not on the "PSIA level 3 only" bandwagon like Griff, I still believe strongly that the only thing suggestions on the internet can do regarding improving technique is screw your technique up more....

.... to me, the learning process is one where the teacher continuously observes you and using his knowlege, at his advanced level of skiing, he sees the things that are your weaknesses and works on correcting them.

On a public forum, a weak skier probably can't diagnose his own weaknesses well enough to get any real help...

Besides formal lessons, which are not in the budget for a lot of people, skiing with, and getting some informal instruction from technically good skiers is a weak skier's only hope of progressing at a good pace. The scope of learning how to do it all on your own is mind boggling. A teacher makes you work on the exact things that hold you back, and that are beyond your skill level to recognize...

Don't take my word for it,.... flail for a few years first.... :

Mofro's tips for being an expert skier:

1. keep a neutral and balanced stance
2. keep your hands forward and upper body quiet at all times

Consistently adhering to rules 1&2 will allow you to ski any snow surface with confidence....