FAQs

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Expert Skiing

Q1. What is an expert skier?

A1. Expert skiers tend to be light on their edges when it matters most, can stop on a dime, have mastered the short-radius turn, are not afraid to take air when the need arises, are in sync with the terrain, can pick a good line, and can readily adapt to different snow conditions.

The expert skier respects the terrain, savors the moment, and relishes in his or her abandon. He or she follows a set of cardinal rules that are never broken. They know when to hydrate, how to conserve energy, and when to call it a day.

At this level you need to be able to make quick adjustments to your speed, turn radius, and balance to maintain control at all times. The challenge for the aspiring expert is to learn how to ski all of the terrain in the descent of the mountain, with strength, skill, confidence, and control.

Q2. How long will it take me to become an expert skier?

A2. It depends on several factors including:

• Your current skiing ability
• Your general fitness level
• Your ski-specific fitness level
• The desire to develop and hone a new set of skills
• Your attitude about learning new techniques and tactics
• Your fortitude in applying new techniques and tactics
• How much mileage you put in throughout the season
• How often you go out and practice after each lesson
• How long you practice each time out

Every person is different. Some will advance quicker than others. I would think that on average, it will take about two to three ski seasons, but this is just a guess because we don't really have a yardstick to measure what constitutes attainment of this level.

In addition, skiers set different goals for themselves. Some skiers may be happy to learn how to handle moguls only. Depending on their fitness level and skiing ability, it may take these students only a season of bump practice to accomplish their objectives. Other skiers will want to become experts at all-terrain skiing. These students may require three or more years to reach their goals.

Instructor's Message: Fortunately, it won't take you nearly as long as it took me to reach this level. I learned slowly over the years to ski and survive in the expert zones. However, it took me a long time to accomplish my goals. Why? Because I had nobody I could turn to on a consistent basis to accelerate my learning. You won't have that drawback if you become a member of the ski club and gain access to the web-based training course Skills of the Expert Skier.

Q3. How will I know when I've reached an expert level?

A3. When you start off down a tough run with confidence, ski strong technically in the descent, and finish in control with a smile on your face, you'll know you are now an expert, because you'll feel it. Feel what? Why, you'll feel the rush that only experts feel. Trust me, you'll just know.

Q4. What do you mean by the expert zones?

A4. We only deal with marked in-bound trails in the training course. In this context, the expert zones include the following terrain, alone or in combination, and usually when there is no way out on either side:

• Mogul fields with an average pitch of 30-degrees
• Glade runs where the trees are tightly packed
• Steeper slopes that approach and exceed 45-degrees

Q5. Do you teach extreme skiing?

A5. No! The teaching of extreme skiing is left to others. Our courses are designed to help advanced recreational skiers become expert skiers. It is our belief that a skier should learn to ski with confidence and control, as well as with power and skill, in the expert zones, prior to doing off-piste and back country skiing.

Training Course

Q6. What is the training course all about?

A6. Skills of the Expert Skier is the complete ski course for those aspiring to become expert skiers. The lessons are designed to build your strength and enhance your skills over time until you learn to ski with confidence and control in the expert zones.

Our web-based training course consists of sixteen lessons including:

• A getting started lesson
• Four preseason conditioning lessons in the fall
• Six all-terrain ski lessons in the winter
• Four all-snow ski lessons in the spring
• A closing lesson and summer conditioning program

Q7. How is the course structured for the ski season?

A7. Ski-specific stretches, ski-specific exercises, the right mind set, and foods for endurance will appear in November and December. The all-terrain mogul, tree, and steep lessons will be introduced in January, February, and March. The powder, crud, and ice lessons will be taught during March and April.

Q8. If it takes me three years to become an expert skier, how do you plan to introduce the material in the first and subsequent years?

A8. A three year plan has been devised to introduce the course material in stages for better retention and application in the expert zones by the student. In this way, the student just has to apply two or three new techniques or tactics from each lesson, and should get satisfaction from successfully completing just these tasks.

Instructor's Message: If I try and teach you everything in the first year you'll become overloaded and perhaps disillusioned with your progress. I don't want that to happen. Learning to ski at the expert level requires a commitment on the part of the student over time.

The First Season

For the first year, the plan is to introduce the material in steps throughout the ski season and build on our momentum. You need to enhance your strength, raise your confidence level, and master the technical aspects in stages through study, practice, and mileage. In addition, you probably wouldn't have developed enough strength in your ski muscles with only one year of ski-specific exercises and one season of all-terrain skiing. However, you should see some progress after the first year. Your strength will continue to develop with increased mileage.

The Second Season

In the second year, more ski-specific stretches, a second set of ski-specific strength exercises, as well as a number of advanced technical elements to enhance your power and performance in the moguls, trees, and steeps will be introduced. You should feel it really coming together after the second year. Your skills will continue to evolve with the additional time spent in the expert zones.

The Third Season

In the third year, another set of ski-specific exercises, more visualization tools, and new techniques and tactics for crud and powder skiing will be taught. Hopefully, by the end of the third year you'll be the one in the descent of those steep, powder bowls and un-groomed, mogul fields.

Ski Lessons

Q9. Are the lessons archived?

A9. Yes, all lessons will be archived so you can easily catch up and get in sync regardless of when you become a member.

Q10. Is the preseason conditioning really necessary?

A10. Yes, definitely! To ski strong, you need to be strong. Expert level skiing is more demanding on the knees, thighs, hips, abdomen, and back so preseason preparation is the norm. For this reason, two of the lessons in Skills of the Expert Skier are devoted entirely to ski-specific stretches and exercises.

Instructor's Experience: You'll notice the difference both on and off the slopes. Your staying power and performance will improve dramatically on those long mogul runs that never seem to end. The risk of becoming injured will also go down. In addition, the muscle pain and stiffness associated with the morning after, will be almost non-existent.

Q11. How are your ski lessons structured?

A11. Our course content is spread out over sixteen ski lessons, so there is no need to overload the student. The instructor will introduce just enough new content in each biweekly lesson so students only have to master two or three new techniques or tactics at a time.

In addition, after each of the winter and spring lessons, we point the student to a ski resort in the east, central, and west where he or she can go and practice what was taught in the lesson. We also recommend certain runs at the above resorts that are a good fit for the content in the lessons.

Ski Club

Q12. What is the All-Terrain Ski Club?

A12. One of the goals of BecomeAnExpertSkier.com is to build a community of like-minded people who aspire to become all-terrain skiers. To accomplish this objective, a private side to the site has been set-up. This Members-only area is called the All-Terrain Ski Club.

Due to the nature of our lessons, we needed a place for students and instructors to communicate on a regular basis. The online ski club provides the mechanism we needed for interaction and feedback.

Q13. How much does membership in the club cost?

A13. The cost for the annual plan is $89.50 USD per year.

For Canadian customers who wish to pay for their membership in Canadian funds, the payment processing facility will convert the above USD figures to CDN funds during the sign-up process.

Q14. How do I join the ski club?

A14. You can become a member of the ski club and gain access to the Members-only area by clicking one of the Sign Me Up or Sign-up Now buttons on the public side of the site. This will direct you to the Ski Club Sign-Up page.

Q15. Can I take the ski course without joining the ski club?

A15. No, not at this time. Initially, we set it up so that only the students who sign-up and become members of the ski club can receive access to the lesssons in the ski course. After log-in, students can pick up the current lesson, view the archives, and interact with the instructor.

However, we realize the first-wave of graduates from the course will be needed to help build our online community of expert skiers. The alumni should be able to stay in touch with their fellow skiers, share their experiences with aspiring experts In the Forums, and post ski-related tips and articles, if they wish.

Therefore, we would like to see the graduates retain their memberships in the ski club after they finish the course.

Q16. What are the benefits of membership?

A16. Besides the current lesson, members of the ski club have access to:

• Lesson Archives
• E-mail your Instructor
• Feedback Form
• Calendar of Events
• Equipment Tips
• Cheap Tricks
• In the Forums