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Post by geoffda on Nov 26, 2013 18:57:42 GMT -7
No need to bring the Jams, you won't be going off-piste in a Blue/Dark blue camp. Even if you were, the Icon 80 is a much better developmental ski and is well suited for typical Northern CO all-mountain conditions. I don't really think about wanting my Jams unless there is at least a foot of new snow.
Reviewing the material is time well spent, as are doing whatever drills you can before you show up to camp. Slant board training can work wonders. All that said, there is no substitute for a PMTS certified coach verifying your movements and understanding. As a first time camper, don't be surprised if you come to find out that you have been doing movements incorrectly or were misunderstanding key concepts.
Embrace the fire-hose. You will get a tremendous amount of information as well as constant feedback (and video analysis) throughout the entire camp week. The total experience can feel very overwhelming at times. The level of skiing that the coaches will demonstrate will be extremely high and they will make everything look very easy. In contrast, you will likely struggle at times to master the movements and you may be unhappy with what you see on video. It is not uncommon to feel frustrated or demoralized at times. That is ok. Relish the suck. Overcoming adversity is part of the process. Breakthroughs that you had to work extra hard for are that much sweeter.
If the pace seems too fast and overwhelming, remember that you have time to practice after the camp session ends. That is why Blue camps are only half day. Take advantage that and use the time to work on your skiing. Be careful that you don't ski too hard in the afternoons and blow yourself up.
If you aren't feeling uncomfortable, you aren't changing your skiing--you are just doing the same old stuff you used to do. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. If you find initial success at something, push yourself harder. Exaggerate until it isn't easy anymore. Being afraid to look bad is a waste of money.
Don't expect your coach to make you a better skier. Expect your coach to show you the way to better skiing; it is up to you to do the work. Take notes. Either bring a pen and paper to jot things down during class or try to write it all down after each day's lesson.
Show up on time. Harald will give a tech talk each morning that you won't want to miss.
Slow, brushed carves are the pathway to better skiing. If they seem boring, you aren't doing them right. Keep practicing until they are no longer boring.
You will leave camp a much better skier than you were when you arrived and you will have a good foundational understanding of how skiing works and how to improve your own skiing going forward. But you will need to continue to practice what you learned at camp and focus on it in your skiing in order to retain what you have learned.
No matter how much you improve, don't think you really get it after one camp. You will have experienced just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know what is possible, watch Jay Peterson ski--he started out as a camper just like you. There are many of us who have gone before. If we can do it, so can you.
Don't forget to have fun!
BTW, I have written several posts documenting my own camp experiences on the PMTS forum. You might be particularly interested in my first camp experience. It was a Super Blue camp, but much of it will be relevant to what you will experience at Blue/Dark Blue. Here's the link: www.pmts.org/pmtsforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2653&hilit=super+blue%21
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Post by meput on Nov 26, 2013 19:35:33 GMT -7
Geoffda,
Welcome to the Peak Skier zone. I have always enjoyed your posts over on the PMTS site. Your posts/thread from your first Super Blue Camp experience is one of the best threads on the PMTS site. Thank you for your thoughts regarding attending HSS camps as I am also about to attend my first camp.
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Post by ToddW on Nov 26, 2013 19:47:12 GMT -7
If you want to know what is possible, watch Jay Peterson ski--he started out as a camper just like you.
Actually, you probably have one up on Jay. He suffers from an amazing memory for bad jokes. This occupies brain space that could otherwise be used for useful stuff like skiing Jay's skiing is extremely deceptive. When you first see him, you think there's nothing going on. And then it dawns on you that, with the exception of Harald, Jay's probably the best skier you've ever seen up close in person in 3-D. Jay aims to remove that exception one day. At his first camp, when asked his goals, Jay told Harald "I wanna ski inside your left turns and ski outside your right turns and then push you down as I ski past you." Harald's reply was "that would be good because that would mean you would be the best skier in the world." Homework: Have a 1 sentence skiing goal prepared for the first morning. This goal will heavily influence the coaching you receive over the week.
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Post by geoffda on Nov 26, 2013 20:21:55 GMT -7
Geoffda, Welcome to the Peak Skier zone. I have always enjoyed your posts over on the PMTS site. Your posts/thread from your first Super Blue Camp experience is one of the best threads on the PMTS site. Thank you for your thoughts regarding attending HSS camps as I am also about to attend my first camp. Thanks Meput! I'll be skiing up at A-Basin during camp weeks so if you see a guy in a gray Leedom helmet, orange jacket, black pants, Head B2 RDs and Head skis, that would be me. I usually poach the tech talks so it would be fun to meet you and Smackboy. Hope you have a great camp!
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Post by smackboy1 on Nov 27, 2013 11:03:22 GMT -7
I usually poach the tech talks so it would be fun to meet you and Smackboy. Looking forward to meeting you and Meput and the rest of the gang. It's been 5 years since I first visited the "PMTS Jedi Academy". Actually your camp diaries were a motivating factor for me to finally go to camp to complete my training. ps I'll be the one in the neon yellow pants and shit eating grin on my face.
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Post by superbman on Nov 27, 2013 12:40:20 GMT -7
No matter how much you improve, don't think you really get it after one camp. You will have experienced just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know what is possible, watch Jay Peterson ski--he started out as a camper just like you. There are many of us who have gone before. If we can do it, so can you.
Don't forget to have fun!
Wasn't Jay already a nationally competitive free skier and backcountry tele guide by the time of his first camp? At least that's what his Bio says: www.harbskisystems.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=133Looking at all those coaches bio's-that is quite an impressive list of instructors. Do they all attend every camp or is there a rotation? Are there other 'sub-instructors', people who have worked up to the blue level and such? How many coaches are present?
HSS has certainly done due diligence putting together a cadre of elite camp coaches.
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Post by geoffda on Nov 27, 2013 13:14:18 GMT -7
Jay was a free style competitor. He was great in the air, not so much on skis . He showed up to his first camp at Fernie on randonee gear.
Who coaches seems to be a function of availability plus the number of campers.
Harald Harb, Diana Rogers, Jay Peterson, and Walter Edberg are kind of the core group. Rich Messer is part of that group as well, but he is semi-retired (though I believe he will be coaching at Blue/Dark Blue). Chris Brown does some camp coaching, but his availability is sometimes limited by alignment needs. Bob Hintermeister also coaches quite a few of the camps.
Maria Fermoile and Max Sherwood are two other coaches who have been at camps I've attended, but who I haven't seen around recently. Kris Kruse and Kim Peterson coached last year as did Erika (whose last name I'm forgetting). There are probably a few others who I haven't met, like Jesper who coaches at Hintertux.
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Post by ToddW on Nov 27, 2013 18:35:44 GMT -7
I bumped into Rich at Loveland a couple weeks ago. He said he's only coaching the green/blue camp this season.
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Post by meput on Nov 27, 2013 19:04:26 GMT -7
I'll be skiing up at A-Basin during camp weeks so if you see a guy in a gray Leedom helmet, orange jacket, black pants, Head B2 RDs and Head skis, that would be me. I'll be the one in the neon yellow pants and shit eating grin on my face. I'll be the short, old fart, struggling to put on his Dobie 150's. Black pants, orange jacket, gold helmet, Head skis. Wide stance with lots of extension . 1 sentence goal for camp: Improve my ability to bend a ski .
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Post by JimRatliff on Nov 27, 2013 20:16:45 GMT -7
I'll volunteer a picture of Meput in case his helmet color isn't enough. (with his daughter). His helmet type, if he still has the same one, is a unique identifier. NOTE: Meput, let me know if you would rather not have this picture available for NSA analysis. --- Whoops, too late.
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