Product Description
Ski Faster

Learn to ski as expert racers do, even if you never plan to enter a starting gate.

You don't need nerves of steel and a passion for flying down slopes at 85 mph to benefit from the competitive-level advice and insider anecdotes in this book. In fact, even if moving at 15 mph on the intermediate slope makes you nervous, Ski Faster is for you . . . if you want to ski better . . . have more fun on the slopes . . . and learn how to carve those new shaped skis like a pro.

"The best skiers are ski racers," writes Densmore, pointing out the technical impact of champions such as Jean Claude Killy, Stein Ericksen, and Ingemar Stenmark. In this book, Densmore shows all skiers how to apply champion racing techniques not only to gain speed but to improve skill. Ski Faster shows you how to

• Prepare for and enjoy any kind of alpine race, no matter what your present skill level
• Tell a slalom course from a Giant slalom or Super G
• Get more fun out of skiing by mastering better technique
• Ski professionally with improved form and better-carved turns
• Understand how the new shaped skis improve your carving and racing potential

With pro-level guidance on training and conditioning . . . on-snow and dry-land drills . . . waxing tricks . . . faster starts . . . course tactics . . . mental preparation, including conquering fear of speed . . . tips from top racers . . . and over a hundred illustrations that make it all easier to understand, Ski Faster is the finest race-preparation manual available.

"A must-have in any Alpine master's ski library."--Bill Skinner, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Masters Coordinator and Park City Resort Masters Coach

"The most complete ski racing book written! It's an encyclopedia that reads like a personal diary of a ski racer. Whatever your interest or ability, this book will help you ski better and Ski Faster!"--Dave Merriam, Director of the Stowe Ski and Snowboard School and Head Coach of the PSIA Demonstration Team

"Lisa Feinberg Densmore has compiled a comprehensive digest of pertinent concepts, details, and personal accounts to form an improvement road map for recreational skiers, beginning-to-seasoned racers, instructors, coaches, parents, and fans. I'll recommend this book to many people."--David Ojala, Program Director, Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard Team ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Ski Faster: Lisa Feinber Densnore's Guide to High Performance Skiing and Racing
This is a great book for the amateur skier who wants to "step it up a notch".

Excellent book
Fantastic and comprehensive. I just began Masters racing last year, and this book was incredibly helpful for pointing me in the right direction. I look forward to the Second Edition (hopefully coming soon).

An essential trainer
Lisa Densmore's book has proven to be a especially good buy as it illuminates the core of modern high performance skiing. A close reading yielded real benefits. The advice on preparation for a season's activity has also proven most beneficial. The clarity and authority of the writing invites reading this well presented book time and again.

Excellent for good skiers trying to get better
I was skiing on NASTAR courses and consistently getting Bronze medals; I was a pretty good skier and I could get down any slope but I could not break out of the Novice NASTAR category.

Technique, not aggressiveness, is everything in improving your racing times. This book will help.

Following this book's advice, I am now in the Expert NASTAR category consistently getting Silver medals and often getting Gold.

THE one-stop resource for racing instruction
I was in an REI store in Baltimore a few years ago when I stumbled on this book and promptly bought it.I had read a few other similar guides but I was still having difficulty grasping the concept of a proper Giant Slalom turn.Lisa Feinberg Densmore's SKI FASTER clearly and succinctly got the message across.Helpful photos of the "wrong" way as well as the "right" way really gave me an understanding of what I should be striving for.Although I have a long way to go, this nifty tome has helped me shave significant seconds off my recreational race league times.I have only one request.Lisa, when are you going to put it all on video?I've searched the web looking for an instructional video for recreational GS racers and none exist!With your broadcast background, you'd be a natural to produce one.As my club's racing captain, I an assure you there is a market out there!

Pat Moore
Race Captain
Mt. Laurel Skiers
www.mtlski.com
New Britain, CT ... Read more

Product Description

"Covers more information than a week's worth of private lessons."­­Ski magazine

The All-Mountain Skier helps skiers advance their skills with a foolproof, self-instructional program for mastering advanced techniques in even the most challenging conditions. Drawing from his extensive experience as a ski professional, instructor Mark Elling delivers essential advice and information­­including tips from other expert skiers­­to help readers perform like pros.

Customer Reviews (27)

wishy washy
This book is an interesting read. Its interesting to read about the author's interpretation of skiing movements. But there is very little practical help within. Basically each chapter goes on for a while discussing some point of skiing and then has a couple drills.
How do I know if I'm doing the drills correctly?
How does all this information work together?
Basically there is very little structure to this book and does not present a clear framework for improvement.

Beyond the Basics
Far better than most ski books.Covers aspects of back-side, all mountain skiing not covered in other ski instruction books.

Just what I was looking for
I am going from advanced to expert, and really learning to carve, do moguls etc.This book was perfect.It's full of drills that I have been trying whenever I'm on the greens or blues I don't waste my time just going from point A to point B.I found myself doing nothing but talking about all the stuff I learned in this book.Its going to take a year to try all the drills and really digest it but I read through it in a week.Now I'm reading it again.Clear and casual writing, good illustrations.

Mediocre
The book is, I would say, in outdated format. Pictures are sober. Also, the text, kind of, repeats itself, without giving the clear hints that one would expect for skiing different types of snow conditions. Of course, you can learn some interesting techniques from such a book always, but I expected more from it.

Wish I had got this book before I started skiing
Read this book cover to cover, underline and study, before you go skiing for the first time. Then take three lessons and you will be off to a great start. Wish I had read this book three years ago when I first started skiing. It has a lot of very basic information that other books and videos leave out. ... Read more

Product Description
In this bible for telemark skiers, author Paul Parker covers everything you'll need to know to free your heel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Amazon.com Review
In this bible for telemark skiers, author Paul Parker covers everything you'll need to know to free your heel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Informative but Incomplete
I'm a long time cross country skier working on improving my downhill technique.I found this book to be well written and somewhat useful, but it's only about skiing on modern downhill-centric "telemark" skis with little camber and loads of sidecut.The techniques are quite different than those used on classic free-heel skis.If you ski on bog-standard free-heel cross-country skis, the instruction in this book isn't very helpful.The author says that cross country skis are too stiff for making turns, and leaves it at that, nevermind all the cross country skiers who turn just fine.There's a big world of freeheel skiing.This book is great within its limited scope, but doesn't cover all that its title suggests.

This book doesn't age --- it just gets a new edition
I am pretty sure a new edition will come out soon, given the rapidity of gear evolution.The basics remain the same --- the technique just gets refined and simplified over time.Except for the telemark technique, this book can be read with profit by any skier, alpine or nordic.

Truly a bible of free heel skiing
Great book that all free heel skiers should read. Eye opener is that "Telemark" is just a turn - free heel skiing is hell of a lot more. Good reasoning why you should do the tele the way Mr Parker is proposing. This book changed my free heel skiing for good.

The Bible of Learning to Telemark.
The book is wonderful.

It is abound with simple, practical, and easy to remember helpful hints;I call them little golden nuggets of information that you take with you on each run, or even turn, as you practice your downhill ski skills On or Off Piste.

It also has a wonderful introduction to the history of skiing and a very honest analysis/assessment of telemark gear.

It is incredibly suited for all beginner and intermediate tele-skiers.

it works!
Using only this book and a few random tips from strangers, I picked up telemarking in two days.(I also started with 25 years of alpine experience.)This book is clear, concise, and effective.It made all the difference in the world in getting me skiing expert trails reasonably well by the end of my second day.I am nowhere near handling moguls, glades, ice, cornices, etc., but I did have twenty or so graceful, linked turns in a steep bowl ... Read more

Product Description
Break through to the next level of ski performance! Renowned instructor, coach, and ski technique expert Ron LeMaster takes you beyond The Skier's Edge by improving, expanding, and enhancing that seminal work. The result, Ultimate Skiing, will help you master the mechanics of great skiing as never before--explaining how it's done, showing how it looks, and describing how it feels.

LeMaster has made Ultimate Skiing a comprehensive manual on ski technique. Learn how skis interact with the snow and how best to manipulate your skis, boots, and poles on the steepest slopes, in monster mogul fields, and through the deepest powder. Technique tips and kinesthetic cues help translate the sensation of each movement.

Throughout, LeMaster incorporates his one-of-a-kind, full-color photo montages and 3-D diagrams to take you onto the slopes and into the action. These phenomenal images capture some of the world's greatest skiers while illustrating the correct techniques for every condition and terrain.

To get the most out of your skiing potential, you need the ultimate in ski instruction. You need Ultimate Skiing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent book
This book is a must have for anyone that is into gates and competitive skiing. Well written, with great pictures and sketches in every page (which is something that most of the skiing books I have lack...). Also, a true modern (2010) approach and orientation. Many of the other skiing books were written before 2005, with some concepts that were applied before pre-shaped skis.

Excellent tool to improve your understanding of ski technique
a perfect book to add to your collection if you are avid about improving your skiing technique.Clear, concise details and informative pictures make it easy to put into play new things to try.

outstanding
I am a PSIA certified instructor with 14 years of teaching skiing at a major Utah ski resort. This book is the finest resource I have seen. It has influenced the way I think about skiing and the way I teach my guests. I have purchased additional copies as gifts to other instructors. Many others in our ski school have copies. We had the opportunity to haer Ron LeMaster lecture for 2 hours on the concepts in his book about 3 months ago. The concepts he shared in his lecture and in the book are stll being discussed by us at our lineup or on the chairlift. If you want to better understand skiing buy this book, read and then re-read it. I will be studying it for years to come.

THE book for improving your skills!
I bought quite a few skiing books for my reference and this is one now I keep in my bag, very helpful adn very clear. The other book, All Mountain Skiing, is pretty good to.

ultimate sking
Much too technical,even for me and I am a physics major. Last 25% of the book has a few good tips but overall not practical. ... Read more

Product Description
Make the most of your skiing with expert advice from top ski instructor Harald Harb and elite sports fitness trainer Paul Frediani.

The revolutionary Ski Flex program takes just ten minutes a day to improve your skills and keep you fit both on and off the mountain. This easy-to-use guide provides a dependable strength and conditioning program for first-timers and regular weekend skiers alike. The fourth book in the highly popular pocket-sized Sports Flex series, Ski Flex meets the demand for sports-specific flexibility programs that can be done anywhere in a shorter amount of time! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ski instruction
I ordered a couple of his books and while one may be interesting they are kind of redundant.If ordering just try one first.

Stretch for the Slopes!
Get in shape for ski season with this guide to stretching.These easy exercises work well as a morning wake-up call.

Good book on ski conditioning
This is a good book - a relatively inexpensive book to help know how to get in shape for skiing season. I also purchased Fitskiing (hardback) which is more exhaustive (and was more what I was looking for), but this book is worth the cost.

Flexibility - yes!Fitness and conditioning - not really...
It is well established that stretching improves agility and quickness of skiers. Resistance exercises strengthen the muscles, but they also shorten them. Stretching makes muscles longer again. This leads to flexibility (greater range of motion in the joints) which allows to get the most out of your training program and helps to ski longer, in better control, with less fatigue. Many books in the past emphasized primarily physical training during off-season period. In the last few years, flexibility and stretches got increasingly large attention. This book is entirely focused on stretches. It contains a well-illustrated 10-20 minute warm-up and stretching routine, and several additional excersises to improve balance. The exercises are very easy, and can be done, e.g., in the morning before work. They help to wake up and to feel better. Additionally, there is a section on warm-up and stretches recommended for the slopes before skiing (partly with the skis on), and a few exercises on skis to improve balance.

The authors emphasize that it is important to do these stretches every day since the result will be nil if you do them irregularly. However, it is not quite clear what kind of progress you can expect if you do them every day. While I appreciate the importance of stretches, I strongly suspect that the result may be rather insignificant if you do these routines every day, but nothing besides them. Stretches obviously work best when they are combined with more vigorous exercise program, such as strength training or aerobics. It is a pity that this book includes very few of those - if it did, it could be an indispensable source for pre-season conditioning. The good part, however, that practically all suggested exercises can be done at home on the floor or standing against the wall, with the equipment which can be purchased at a local harware store, or with no equipment at all.

The subtitle of the book (see the bottom of the book cover) is misleading as it says "flexibility, fitness, and conditioning for better skiing". Flexibility is definitely there, and is very well written; fitness and conditioning - sorry, guys, I did not see much of it in the book. Four stars.

A trainer gets trained
I'm a personal trainer working in a New York City gym and when a client of mine wanted some exercises for his favorite sport, I did a search and found this book.It has been excellent.All I needed to tailor a program for him, and even exercises he can do on the mountain in full gear.Clear, honest and effective.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing is an instructionalbook written to educate and excite parents, coaches and school-ageathletes about skiing.Unique among books of this type, TechnicalSkills for Alpine Skiing provides readily applicable exercises anddrills to enhance the performance of young skiers.Young skiers arehighly motivated by their desire to free ski; ski anywhere on amountain.They also respond eagerly to challenge and the opportunityfor personal achievement.Through "directed free skiing," skiers canwork toward a goal, develop a routine to encourage optimumperformance, and add constructive focus to each run down the mountain.These themes provide the basis for Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing.

Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing contains numerous exercises that teach and refine skiing skills in a very progressive manner beginning with wedge turns and building to expert skiing.Hundreds of photographs, including multiple-image composites, enhance a clear and descriptive text that is concise and easy to understand.The photographs of talented young demonstrators and of the author, combined with the text, make this book as accessible to skiers of all ages and levels of expertise.

The book covers in depth: technique, "directed free-skiing", wedge turns, beginning parallel turns, dynamic parallel turns and step turns.Specific areas of development include balancing exercises, skill development, ski pole action, turn shape, terrain/snow conditions and perceptual skills.

A detailed table of contents allows the reader to assess skiers' strengths and weaknesses and to derive a listing of exercises to meet individual needs efficiently.The glossary makes sense of the words common to the language of skiing.An appendix provides pertinent information concerning appropriate ski equipment for young skiers.It discusses, among other things, the correct sizing of ski boots, skis and poles.

True narratives precede each chapter.They relate experiences that had a deep effect on the author's development as a teacher and as a person.There were two major influences on her work: an extraordinary wealth of personal experience, and her ability to listen to children and to visualize skiing through their eyes.

Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing is a favored book among ski instructors and coaches nationwide. ... Read more

Product Description
For twenty-five years, Hal O’Leary and the Winter Park Handicap Ski Program have been the acknowledged leaders in adaptive skiing for more than fifty disabilities and have become the model for other programs around the world. This guide is essential for instructor and student alike. The manual covers skiing for the visually and hearing impaired as well as the physically and developmentally disabled. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

very good book
Very well written and illistrated.A very good resource for adaptive skiing instruction. Book was as new condition

Adaptive Teaching
A good reference book! A little out of date but still a very good source book for teaching adaptive skiing.Good disability definations and review of meds.A handy book to have if you are studing for Level 1 exams.

A skier's evaluation
This is basically a technical book for instructors, BUT, a handicapped skier can benefit by reading the section that pertains basically to their situation. Also it is a confidence builder to know there are people out there who really know their stuff and are not just there for the Buck$.

The bible of adapted skiing
This is a fantastic, all-inclusive how-to for the ski instructor looking to learn ski instruction for people with physical difficulties. O'Leary is legendary for his program at Winter Park, and this book shows why. ... Read more

Product Description
This entertaining series features fascinating quick-reference guides to all the Winter Olympic sports and events. Filled with fun facts, dramatic stories, and dynamic photographs, each book is a terrific guide to both historical and current records, as well as to the reigning Olympic champions. Alpine skiing has been an exciting Olympic sport since 1924. Racing down snow-covered slopes at breathtaking speed requires outstanding athletic skill. Freestyle skiing combines speed, agility, and precision. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn the key steps to skiing perfection and master the mountain.

Harald Harb, inventor of the Primary Movement Teaching System, has already helped thousands of professional and recreational skiers achieve ski mastery. Now, Harb reveals the basic lessons that will give you immediate improvements at any level.

This easy-to-use yet powerful program is proven to create success on the slopes, whether you are a coach, racer, recreational skier, or just starting out. With in-depth descriptions and clear, detailed photos, these techniques and exercises will benefit all skiers.

Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing will show you how to:
* Perfectly coordinate your upper and lower body movements
* Increase your balancing ability
* Expertly control speed, carving arcs, flexing and tipping
* Much, much more

Whether you have never strapped on a pair of skis or hit the slopes every weekend, Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing is your guarantee of skiing success.

Bonus FREE video offer included with purchase: Get the latest video coaching from Harald Harb with the special video offer. Details provided inside the book to unlock your free skiing video companion to Essentials of Skiing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Teaches the six steps to skiing perfection
Essentials of Skiing: the Fastest Way to Master the Slopes teaches the six steps to skiing perfection, and comes from the inventor of the Primary Movement Teaching System, which has helped thousands of professional and recreational skiers achieve ski expertise. From coordinating upper and lower body movements to increasing balancing and controlling speed, this provides clear black and white, step-by-step photos for every phase of skiing instruction.

want more reviews?
This volume is a reprinting of the book published in 2006, which has 25+ reviews.

If you want more perspectives on the book, go to the reviews for that edition.

Beyond the Snow Plow
I'm an advanced skier, former PSIA Instructor, and think this is the very best book on alpine skiing using shaped skis (have accumulated some 19 ski books in my home library).Harald Harb backs up what he writes with superb demos of pertinent exercises on green and blue hills, and additional skiing footage on black/double black diamond slopes.These demos are best seen in the 3 DVDs mentioned below. Chocked full of great "how to" information, the ESSENTIALS book contains the salient points of skiing from Mr. Harb's 2 highly successful earlier works:ANYONE CAN BE AN EXPERT SKIER I and II.Mr. Harb begins where ski turns start - the feet - and works his way up the body's kinetic chain in an easily understandable way.DVD demos of the ESSENTIALS book are available for purchase (3 of them) separately:"Tipping", "Complete Upper Body", and "Flexing & Fore/Aft Balancing."Recommend acquiring these DVD's too, however, the book stands alone for enormous instructional value.Finally, if you're a never-ever skier, you might want to start with the "Expert Skier" books and their DVDs, mentioned above. ... Read more

Product Description

What type of skier are you? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How can you improve your skills and your downhill experience? Total Skiing was developed specifically to help you answer those questions.

Product Description
White Heat is pure adrenaline -- a thrilling exploration of extreme skiing that pushes the reader over the edge with heart-pounding accounts of people who risk their lives on the fastest, steepest slopes.

Often obsessed and possibly crazy, extreme skiers and snowboarders are having the time of their lives facing death-defying challenges. But the extreme skiing life isn't just about the quest to finish first; it's a lifestyle made up of insane jumps, bone-breaking speeds, and world records -- not to mention the wild off-mountain social world, the flamboyant gear and slang completely unique to it, and, of course, the remarkable history of the racing champions and events that is its backdrop.

Wayne Johnson, former competitive skier and acclaimed novelist, takes us into the cult of extreme skiing populated by stars such as one-eyed jumping champion Jerry Martin, who held the North American distance record for more than a decade, and Vinko Bogataj, whose world-famous wipeout on ABC's Wide World of Sports gave rise to the expression "pulling a Vinko." Here are real-life adventures, everything from Shane McConkey ski BASE jumping the Eiger in Switzerland to Shawn White, the Flying Tomato, throwing 1260s in the halfpipe. Johnson, who has spent a lifetime on the mountains, also puts you in his boots when recounting goose-bump- inducing tales of high-speed downhill racing, Nordic jumping competitions, avalanche control, and the hip, ripping world of snowboarding.

If you've ever wondered what kind of nut would willingly choose to fly off a twenty-story ski jump, or have ever dreamed of living outside the usual boundaries, or just like to read about people having life-expanding adventures, then White Heat is an exhilarating thrill ride that will leave you breathless. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

When you can't be Skiing, read this book!!!!
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to jump hundreds of feet on skis, learn to drop explosive charges into avalanche zones or deal with a dying, severely injured skier as a First Responder? Wayne Johnson has personally done all of these things and much more. In addition, he explores almost every other aspect of the skiing life from the eccentric ski bum who tragically dies while living in the woods to the struggles of World Class racers. If you want a heavy classic, as some reviewers seem to desire, read, "1984" or the "Grapes of Wrath".If you want a teriffic book to inspire and motivate you this ski season, read this book. A great gift for any adventurous person in your life!!!

A taste of the ski life
An excellent read giving a glimpse at ski culture.I have been a ski patroller in the Midwest for over twenty years, doing it full time for the last seven years. I know patrollers that drive three hours to volunteer to patrol or drive all night to allow their children to race in the Upper Pennisula, MI.

To the best of my knowledge I have never met the author but I have skied Park City, The Canyons, Alta and other areas. I have stood in the patrol hut at the top of Jupiter lift with twenty five other patrollers performing an avalanche rescue drill on West Face.Getting from the hut to the avalanche site meant skiing the ridge in a sixty mile per hour whiteout.

The author accurately portrays the thought processes on rescues and opening and closing sweeps.
The author also gives a good representation of the various aspect of other snowsports including racing and snowboarding.

The author fails to inform the reader of the many mundane actions a patroller performs including the paperwork after the care for the injured has been transferred.Each incident requires an incident report and usually an investigation. While not part of the glamour and adrenaline, it is a vital part of the incident follow-up.

Soporific
There are some readers who do not like the style it is written, replacing "him" with a stylistic "you" in some of the narrative.Although somewhat annoying, I do not think that is the main problem with the book.The main problem is it lacks focus.Is this a book where the author gives his personal account/experiences or a reference/who's who in skiing and snowboarding?It started out strong as I read about his stories as ski patrol and avalanche patrol but then it moves to ski racing and there are virtually no personal account on that.The same for ski jumping which has very little personal account and ditto for snowboarding, and freeriding.As a reader I'm left confused whether this is a reference book or more memoir/personal experience?!

Superb take on the culture, history and techniques of Skiing
I am a journalism professor who teaches writing and a non-skier who has both friends and colleagues who live skiing, which is something that I never truly understood until I read this book. To me, skiing always seemed a bit too dangerous, but I always enjoyed watching it and many of the rather heroic careers of skiing champions written about in this book were known to me - though not in the depth covered here. I flatly loved this book!!! It's exciting from the first page - and even I could feel my pulse starting to race and sense the love of this sport that dominates those who've made skiing an important - even central - part of their lives!!! If I were younger and a bit healthier than I am today, I'd have made skiing an important part of my life. The book is artfully written with exceptional prose to help the reader share the sensations felt by avid skiers. The author uses first, second and third person as appropriate, andemphasizes second person as both a form of direct address to the reader and to bring the reader into the narrative. A truly exceptional read that I'd recommend to all with a desire to know better the skiing life complete with it's subjective feeling as well as an objective history and description of technique. Simply superb!

G. Davey, Ph. D.

A Tour De Force
This wonderful book addresses the lives and life surrounding the extreme aspects of skiing (avalanche controllers, racers, ski jumpers, snowboarders, mountain patrollers, and a sundry feast of other characters), and readers will find it an inspiring and lucid examination of just what drives people to such extremes, be it a love of speed or heights or jumping off helicopters.Wayne Johnson has delved deep into the hearts of those who aren't content to live out their lives in a prescribed, socially acceptable manner, and he's written a fine book honoring the idiosyncrasies of their lives.It is a thrilling account, and the narrative is written as daringly as the lives it examines.You don't have to love skiing to enjoy this book --it's entertaining as hell and you'll be hard pressed to find any writer out there with the massive talent Mr. Johnson brings to his subject.Odds are that when you get to the end of the book you'll do as I did:you'll go back to page one and start reading it again.

Regarding an earlier review, in which the reviewer claims the book suffers from "enormous stylistic flaws," one has to wonder what planet he lives on (I laughed out loud at the absurdity of the statement).He has a problem with Johnson's use of second person narration, a perfectly valid and effective technique used by countless writers and essayist throughout history.I would direct the reviewer to the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Faulkner, Samuel Beckett, Gunter Grass, Italo Calvino,, Jay McInerney, Carlos Fuentes, John Updike, and many, many other gifted writers.One wonders if the reviewer would have been more pleased if the book had been written in an uptight, faux scientific manner, complete with footnotes and a good dose of pretentious Latin terminology. (Thankfully, author Wayne Johnson has spared us that scenario).In fact, by its tone and tenor (petty, plebeian), one wonders if this profoundly uptight reviewer was passed one too many times by Mr. Johnson on the ski hill. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you ski competitively or recreationally, you know that great skiing requires great control. Only with total command of your body can you achieve and maintain balance in motion. Exceptionally good skiing and performance skiing does not come from wearing a flashy powder suit. Performance skiing comes form the condition of the motor under all the stretch neon and Gore-Tex. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sophisticated ski advice
A very practical book with a focus on the physical skills involved in alpine skiing.The best combined collection of off-hill and on-hill training exercises I've seen and, as a bonus, excellent race skill development tips from an experienced coach (who's also done it himself).If you are interested in philosophy or the Newtonian physics of a ski turn, there are other books.If you like to (or want to learn to) ski hard, this is a great book.

packed with information, highly professional, very clear
I wouldgive this book 6 stars if I could as it is the best book on skiing-related fitness I have seen so far. Written by a professional ski coach, it is filled with information starting from the body metabolism, plyometric and strength training exercises, to training which can be perfomed while skiing. All off-snow exercises which I saw in skiing videos, books, skiing journals, and on the internet are in this book. The importance of each group of exercises is clearly explained. No special equipment is required (except for the access to an average gym for strength training). The suggested training routines are based on US skiing team manuals and on over 80 references cited in the bibliography. All 200 pages are densely packed with information, all presented so well that it does not overwhelm you at all. Another aspect of this book which I liked is that the author treats the readers as intellegent people, who can put together their own training schedule according to their needs and possibilities. There is no suggested training schedules, just recommendations how much one should exercise and why not more or less than that. Although it is not a book on skiing, there are some tips on racing and ski tuning as well. This book is worth many others published on this topic, and I applaud the author for doing such a fine job!

Excellent book on training
I ordered this book because I am looking for training tips for my son -a young ski racer. The book is 80% devoted to training excercises, both on/off snow. The author is correct that the new shaped skiis have littleeffect on the validity of the training taught within. I would recommend thebook to coaches, racers, and others for whom skiing isn't just something todo on the slopes, but for whom the pursuit of maximum performance is mostimportant. ... Read more

Product Description
Beginners use more energy than novice and advanced skiers so it's a good idea to embark on a pre-season conditioning program. Condition and adapt your body for the unusual demands placed on it from cold weather, high altitude, and new movements.Understand equipment and clothing selection for your body type to meet your expectations.Negotiate and familiarize yourself with tricky resort rules and etiquettes from the parking lot, to various types of lifts, all the way down the slopes; so that you don't look like a greenhorn.Read trail maps correctly.Gather expectations of PSIA certified ski schools to take full advantage of your first lessons.Develop a proper skiing stance.Use the wedge for braking and turning.Maintain your expensive gear for years of enjoyment.Glossary included. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the key to expert skiing by learning how to use your whole body when you ski! In Skiing with the Whole Body you'll learn how to let your ankles work together with your knees to achieve easy knee flexion; find the balance point for easy turning; speed up your learning by a factor of ten; and teach yourself to ski like you've always dreamed you could. This book uses Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement exercises to make learning downhill skiing fast, simple, and fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You are your own best teacher!
If you love to ski and want to improve faster than traditional methods will allow, this book is for you.Rather than showing you a standard and having you try to produce the movements that meet the external standard, Mr. Heggie teaches you how to teach yourself the small simple component movements which when combined produce the desired end result skill.The lessons are easy to follow and produce immediate results.Mr. Heggie makes the book very interesting and easy to read by including real life examples of skiers that he has trained in every chapter.I would highly recommend this book for any skier to take his enjoyment of skiing to the next level. ... Read more

Product Description
This book in the series of Olympic Handbooks of Sports Medicine and Science which runs in parallel with the Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine. This is a practical manual which focuses on Alpine Skiing and brings basic scientific information and practical considerations to those who are directly involved in competitive sports. Chapters cover the characteristics of alpine skiing, functional anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biomechanics and psychology, the principles and aims of nutrition and injury including risks, mechanisms of injury, prevention, immediate care, treatment, rehabilitation and return to training. ... Read more

Product Description
Race Skills for Alpine Skiing is an instructional bookthat teaches skiers to become racers and racers to become champions.It provides a wealth of information for aspiring racers as well asexperienced competitors.It can stand alone or be a next-in-a-seriesbook to follow Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing.Very fewbooks about how to ski race have ever been written.None cover themany aspects of the different alpine race disciplines in such a clearand organized way.Distinct chapters cover Giant Slalom, Slalom, andthe speed events of Super-G and Downhill.The reader learns aboutrace technique as well as tactics: where to turn in a race course.

The Preface of Race Skills for Alpine Skiing is written by 1994 Olympic Downhill champion, Tommy Moe.He is pictured on the cover of the book.

Race Skills for Alpine Skiing begins with a description of turn technique that sets the foundation for subsequent chapters.It contains an explanation of precise turns, a description of body movement and ski action, and a list of turn characteristics.Throughout the book, action photographs of junior champions provide exemplary images for readers to study.They show, among other things, the layout of different gate (two-pole) combinations along with the racer's position in relation to the gates.Numerous diagrams depict official gate dimensions, gate combinations, how to set courses and the racer's optimal path through a course.

Giant Slalom, Slalom and speed event chapters are organized into topics that relate to skill development, gate drills, course description and tactics.The skill development segment is designed to enhance race performance through the development of technique.Gate drills further improve skill development and help skiers learn how to determine their path through a course.The layout of race courses, specific to each event, is thoroughly covered.

The detailed table of contents makes this book an excellent resource piece.The glossary helps readers better understand the terminology specific to ski racing.

Equipment especial to racing is discussed and safety concerns are addressed.The appendix covers a topical issue concerning ski helmets.

For skiers of any age who ponder over the confusion of Slalom poles while watching a World Cup race on television, this book will clarify race courses and explain the rules.It is a perfect book to read by the fireside in anticipation of heading up the mountain the next morning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book
Great book! She goes pretty in depth for such a thin book. Good book for serious racers looking for pure technique related material. No frills. Only drawback was that it's written more for coaches working with youngerskiers. Pictures are mostly of kids. That's OK though, This lady knows herbusiness. ... Read more

Product Description
You have taken your first step to success in learning to ski with the purchase of this book. Alpine Skiing: Steps to Success combines the knowledge and experience of master teacher John Yacenda with the latest developments in learning how to become a safe and proficient Alpine skier.

Alpine Skiing: Steps to Success is a unique guide designed to minimize the time it takes you to learn to ski. It is a breakthrough in sport skill instruction through its development of complete learning progressions--the steps to success. You will climb 12 steps on your way to skiing success. Each step (chapter)

* explains why the concept or skill is important,

* identifies the keys to correct technique,

* helps you correct common errors,

* explains how to practice each skill in realistic ways,

* lists specific performance goals for each drill,

* gives you a summary checklist for evaluating proper technique, and

* lets you proceed at your own pace.

Each of the steps you will take is an easy transition from the one before. Your first few steps provide a solid foundation of basic skills and concepts. As you progress you will learn how to position yourself more effectively on skis to control their movement--whether gliding, stopping, turning, or traversing. As you approach the top of your climb to success, you will gain the skills to confidently ski in the fall line of your chosen terrain and experience the satisfaction of becoming an accomplished alpine skier. ... Read more