skiing/snow boarding questions

[Boris]

If you are a snow plow level skier then getting the skis tuned isn't very important. Maybe get your boards waxed.

Given how often you ski, I would recommend taking up snow boarding. You can get much better much quicker.

[Wynton]

[ QUOTE ]

You say you suck, and yet you have plateaued with your learning? You can't go fast, don't like steeps or moguls? Do you just not want to ski?

[/ QUOTE ]

Basically, I'm not comfortable with very steep terrain. And I think it's because I'm not confident turning in both directions. I tend to turn far too sharply, which slows me down way too much. And despite occasional lessons, I feel that I have almost a mental block in getting past my particular level. In order to improve, I sense that I would need to ski much, much more often than I ever will, with a great deal of lessons.

That reminds me of one other question I have about snowboarding. Does snowboarding necessarily require that you be equally adept from each side of the board? In other words, does one have to be just as good with the left foot downhill, as with the right foot downhill; or can you get away with being adept at only one side?

[turnipmonster]

like skateboarding, basic snowboarding only requires you to be good at 1 foot forward (I do right, which is goofy?)

[Skoob]

Are you going to Beaver Creek? I'm really good friends with one of the snowboard instructors there. PM me and I'll tell you his name.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
You should definitely get your skis tuned. Poorly maintained skis greatly affect the performance and could be why you "suck".

I do most of the work myself but I still get a stone grind every year, maybe every other year if I haven’t put that many days on my skis. The stone grind will make your skis perfectly flat on the bottom so they will track better.

I check my .edges and clean up any nicks after every day out. Depending on my edges or snow conditions I will do a full sharpening. Sharp edges will allow you hold an edge and turn on the hard pack and ice.

The most important is wax. I wax before every day out. You want to have the right wax for the current snow conditions or your skis will stick to the snow. Wax does two things. It protects your ski base and it allows your skis to glide.

[/ QUOTE ]

overkill ftw. yeah getting your skis tuned is good and all, but recreational skiers only need to do it every 10-15 days or so..basically once a year. anything more often is a waste for all but the best skiers.

the exception would be getting your edges sharpened more often if your skiing on eastern bulletproof.

[apples]

You're going to slow people down more on a snowboard than you would on skis. Waiting for boarders to strap in at the top of every run blows and if there's a lot of traversing/flat areas at the resort you're going to they'll hate you even more.

The best thing you could do is take a lot of lessons. Then your wife and kids get to go ski how they want and you improve much faster.

Also stick with skiing it's more fun imo.