How can I progress to black diamonds?

Question

I have only been skiing 5 times but I am getting pretty good at it. I took a private lesson on my second time. I am comfortable on all the blue runs. My turns are really good, and I can stop well on both sides. I feel I am ready to go on some black diamonds, but every time I try it i can't turn and I fall! Why is this?

Answer 1

I love your spirit. You are not intimidated by fear, which is awesome. Keep it up! But, slow down a bit. In skiing, to go up level you almost always have to learn new techniques.

Practice these several days on blue runs and then try again..

- planting poles at the right time to initiate quicker turns,

- quick turns (very important on steeps),

- parallel skiing (snow plowing won't work on steeps),

- keeping ski tips down to avoid crossing skis in general; but keep them up on deep powder,

- keeping your body straight to where you are going instead of to where your skis point; this reduces overturning that can mess you up on steeps,

- selecting the right path on bumps to condition yourself on skiing on mogul fields,

- skiing with medium-to-fast speed so you get used to the speed on steeps, and

- jump turns to reorient yourself to opposite direction safely.

You will not get all these on the first try. You want to ski with an instructor or an expert skier to teach these techniques and correct your mistakes.

The right skis can also help you a little bit. Skis that have shorter turning radius will turn faster, which is a good thing on steeps.

Answer 2

I'd start by just skiing cross slope and making wide turns. When I switched from regular skis to telemark skis, I had to re-learn how to go down expert slopes. I started making wide turns on the hill, this allowed me to stop easier if need be and it kept me from getting too much speed. Eventually I was comfortable enough to make closer linking turns down the fall line.

There's a bit of psychology involved with this too. Ask yourself if you would be able to get down without falling if you didn't know what color the trail was marked.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

i think you have to be insane.i have been on top of some of those in the summer time and looked down,wow.i wouldnt even walk down them.good luck.

Answer 4

Do yourself a favor and take another lesson.  Tell the instructor what you want to accomplish.  I would recommend getting another private lesson.  That's the best way to learn.  

You may have to get some more experience until you progress to the black diamonds though.  You may also want to try skiing with people that are better than you and can handle the expert slopes.  If you have some friends that are that good then see if they can do some runs with you on the intermediate runs and try to follow them down.  You may pick up and some skills that way.

Answer 5

Imagine it as a blue run, it's not too much different in my opinion, and practice, practice, practice

Answer 6

If your turns are really good, you should be able to engage your edges along the full length of the ski to either side. I suspect that you are making a skidded turn rather than a true carve, also your weight is probably too far back during the steep turns, hence your skiis are running away with you and you fall back to the inside of each turn.  

  From this I would take you back to a  green slope and practice edge control (engage and release) until I could leave just 2 thin tracks in the snow. Then shape each turn so my speed was slower coming out of each turn than when I entered the turn, your hips must stay above your boots, not behind them.  I would also do all of these exercises without touching my poles to the snow or moving my hands around in a balancing attempt. Ask your instructor to verify all of this keep practicing.