Book Description
Martin Volken and his co-authors provide skiers with all thetools and knowledge they need to safely and successfully travel in themountains. The guide features intermediate-to-advanced techniques for skitouring and ski mountaineering, from planning wilderness trips toperfecting turns in rolling terrain and mastering uphill climbing. Forthose skiers ready for a more technical, high alpine environment, they drawon traditional mountaineering skills, including roped climbing, settingprotection anchors, using ice axes, climbing on bare rock, and more.

In addition to mastering techniques, Backcountry Skiing also featuresinformation on recent evolutions in ski equipment; avalanche safety tips; aprimer on mountain weather and glaciers, trip planning tools, a discussionof emergency situations, nutrition and fitness advice, and winter campingbasics. Throughout this guide, a special emphasis is put on being well-informed andmaking good decisions-whenever you strap on your skis and skins and headout into the backcountry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Volken, Schell, & Wheeler have an instant Classic!
This new "Backcountry Skiing" guidebook is destined to become a classic in The Mountaineers Books collection ... one that will be considered an indispensible reference in the libraries of mountaineers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.Authors Martin Volken, Scott Schell, and Margaret Wheeler have each guided ski tours in the Alps throughout Europe, where Ski Mountaineering has been popular for quite some time ... and have introduced their clients to the famous summits of the Alps, as well as the local peaks of the Cascade Range.We have a large number of Alpine Climbers in the Pacific Northwest, many of whom may find that their "next step" is Ski Mountaineering ... thanks to the information in this new and comprehensive guidebook.The large number of excellent pictures makes the text all-the-more understandable.Those Reviewers preceding me have already given a good account of some of the specifics that they've found valuable ... so I won't elaborate here, except to say that the information on avalanche safety is invaluable for ANY one who ventures into the backcountry.We have lost nine lives to avalanches in Washington State already in this season!The authors of this guidebook are Instructors of the AIARE courses, and are passionate about personal safety above all else. I've already sent copies of this "new classic" to some of my best friends!Armed with the knowledge from this book, the readers can venture into the backcountry with newfound confidence and enjoyment of a sport that is bound for increasing popularity worldwide.

Great Book
This is a great book.It allows beginners to develop a good base of knowledge and provides a great reference for those with years of experience.It is exactly what we have come to expect from the Mountaineers.

Great Book on the Best Type of Skiing
This is a great book. Not too basic and not too advanced for someone wanting to get into the best way to ski-the earn your turns way.

I used to teach alpine touring and ski mountaineering in the army and this would have been a great book to have around as the textbook. We taught all of this and then went in depth on the important items like avalanche safety (avoidance) and rescue. This book gives a beginning or intermediate ski mountaineer a taste and encourages AIARE level one certification (I recommend level two personally...)

I still have my copy of the past standard, Peter Cliff's out of print classic "Ski Mountaineering" (no, I won't be selling it on EBay) and this is an improvement on it.

It is great for learning and a great review for those that think they remember everything. I got some good tips on gear that, damn, I SHOULD have known!!!

Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Backcountry Skiing" is strongly recommended
The collaborative effort of Martine Volken (IFMGA certified Swiss Mountain Guide, founder and owner of Pro Guiding Services and Pro Ski Service of North Bend, Washington); Scott Schell, and certified AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Scott Shell and Margaret Wheeler, "Backcountry Skiing: Skills For Ski Touring And Ski Mountaineering" is an informed and informative instructional guide and manual for skiing safely in winter mountain terrains and trails. Aspiring skiers are provided with intermediate to advanced level techniques for ski touring and mountaineering; skills for mastering uphill travel; primers on mountain weather and avalanche safety; practical advice on selecting gear, troubleshooting, and adapting to varying conditions; vital information on constructing emergency shelters and sleds; as well as a wealth of useful tips for wilderness trip planning and navigation. Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Backcountry Skiing" is strongly recommended for anyone contemplating skiing mountain terrain in winter conditions anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

Perfect for the modern ski mountaineer of steep skiier.
A welcome entrant, Martin Volken has written the best how to book for modern steep skiing and ski touring. He logically progresses through the process of a ski tour giving advice and insight for every level of skier. Well worth the acquisition. ... Read more

Book Description
Learn the Six Key Steps to Skiing Perfection!

Harald Harb, inventor of the Primary Movement Teaching System, has already helped thousands of professional and recreational skiers achieve ski mastery.Now, Harald reveals the basic lessons that will give you immediate mprovements –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, clear, detailed photos, and its accompanying instructional DVD, 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, poles, and 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Excellent Book
Excellent book!Easy to read with good picture examples and do at home excercises.Definitely helps to achieve good solid ski technique!

Essentials
Harald is a major force in ski instruction and race coaching. Essentials of Skiing is exactly that, there is no BS. The sample turn approach is fantastic and the exercises work! I have been studying, teaching and coaching full time for twenty seven years and there is no other single book (except Expert 1 and 2) that comes close to the ESSENTIALS. If you want to improve your skiing and would like to self coach; read and follow this book, visit the PMTS forum and you are on your way to expert skiing movements. JR Nolan

great addition to skiing library
Along with Harold Harb's "Anyone Can Be a Great Skier" books 1 & 2, this is a great book on ski instruction.The techniques, drills, exercises for both on and off snow that are illustrated in the book are extremely helpful.This is by far the most beneficial and worthwhile series of books on the modern technique of skiing.I went from taking lessons on a local hill and even at Vail and was stuck in the intermediate level of skiing.The techniques given to me by traditional instruction just couldn't help me control my speed adequately on steep and icy terrain apart from the physically draining bandaid technique of skidding in one form or another.

Mr Harb's technique is reasonably simple to learn and quite effective.It now has me skiing the whole mountain, and I experience continual improvement as I continue to practice the drills in these books.What's not to like about that!

The most innovative ski instruction text to date.
I'm a former PSIA certified ski instructor, current ASIA amateur ski instructor, and licensed Doctor of Chiropractic.

Harald Harb's "Essentials of Skiing," along with his previous books (ACBES I and II) explores the most efficient, biomechanically advantageous movements and skills used in the sport of skiing today.

What I like most about Harb's "Primary Movements" Teaching System is the consistent application of the movements from the beginner levels of skiing all the way up to World Cup racing level, moguls, powder, and off-piste conditions.Whereas other "traditional" methods of ski instruction show very little continuity in their approach to teaching differing skill levels, and different snow conditions (leading to confusion and frustration), the "Essentials" form a solid foundation for all situations of skiing.

Be aware that Harb's books are somewhat controversial in the world of ski instruction and coaching.And like most other controversial things, it is that way because it works better than the status quo.For some ski technicians, this book is innovative and revolutionary.But for others, the radical departure from so-called "mainstream" ideology is a hard pill to swallow.

If I had to keep only one ski instruction text in my library, this book would be it.I suggest dissecting this book rigorously, practice practice practice the Essentials, compare it to other methods you've known and tried... and you'll be well on your way to joining the upper echelon of skiers on the mountain!

Great Book, Great system PMTS, Great author
I have all of Harald's books and videos, Highly recommend. As a ski instructor-I have greatly improved my own skiing and his books, videos and clinics are highly recommended. No comparison to any other teaching systems. ... Read more

Book Description
By one of the world's leading instructors, a step-by-step guide to mastering the new shaped skis. Fat boys, carving skis, cross skis, extreme shaped skis: that is the new language of alpine skiing. This best-selling classic has been completely rewritten to explain what makes the shaped skis so revolutionary--and so exciting, especially for beginners. With over 300 specially commissioned color photographs showing step by step how to turn and how to maintain control easily under all conditions, and with its clear text, this is the book for a new generation of alpine skiers. Featuring more than eighty unique stop-action photographic sequences, The New Guide to Skiing shows how to ski with greater ease, precision, and control while obtaining optimum performance from shaped skis. Based on the newest and least stressful methods, it demonstrates how to deal with skiing off trail or in deep powder and illustrates the eleven specific turns needed to master difficult conditions, including ice and moguls. 300 color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

haven't broken anything yet
Just started skiing this year.39 y/o male.The book has been a good resource in addition to the lessons I have taken.I have read through a few times and get more and more out of it as I have progressed as a skiier

This book delivers - outstanding instruction
This is an outstanding instructional covering a wide variety of important foundational and advanced skills for confident skiing, safety & fun on the slopes. It delivers great instruction to really build a strong repertoire of skiing skill beyond parallel & carving down the mountain.

Ski lessons left me disappointed & frustrated. Instructors contradicted each other. Questions asked in lessons left unanswered, are handled here. The fundamental skills that made me feel totally at ease and free on skis were not taught in standard lessons, but found here.
When I browsed through this book I knew I'd struck upon a gem. This was what was needed to help me become the skier I want to be.I love an instructional that "feels right" is well organized, clear & to the point with solid, consistent & effective methodology. Mr. Heckelman's clarity of writing cuts right to the heart of it with logical, systematical instruction and exercises. He creates solid building blocks during beginner instruction for advanced skiing with multi-skill building exercises that are lot of fun. Sage advice is given with care and concern towards safety throughout the book.

It is an amazingly easy book to follow. Instruction is described & photographed so well you can feel exactly how to perform each new skill. It was easy to take what I'd read to the snow, practice & master.I had a blast with the exercises! As a result I'm a much stronger skier and a lot quicker on my feet/skis. It's great to feel comfortable where ever I'm skiing & smile when I'm challenged with difficult runs.It's a pleasure skating across the flats to the lifts, passing those who shuffle along. This book has taught me how to make skis my friends and an extension of me. It only gets better each time I ski.This book goes to the slopes with me & I review the things I want to practice before I greet the snow.

While no book is the end all of instruction in a sport, this book should be a first book as it is thorough, well rounded and gives a solid base from beginning through advanced skiing. There is a lot of fun advanced skiing technique included as well as sections for skiing a variety of terrain and conditions.The knowledge & skills here have helped me find the type of ski instruction I can truly benefit from.Advanced skiers may want to review all four sections of the table of contents to insure they aren't missing any skills covered.

I learnt from this book
I was a beginner when I bought this book. I followed the instruction to practice. By the end of that ski season, I could already go down diamond slopes.

I think it would be easier for most people to learn skiing from instructors. But if you like learning from books instead (like me), this book is an excellent choice, at least it worked for me. This book teach you a lot of advanced technique, which I find it very useful on bumpy or steep slopes.

Clear advice on skiing
I found this book, with many fine pictures and clear instructions to be very useful, at least for an intermediate skier who wants to improve.I particularly liked the recognition that there is more than one "right way" to ski.I question whether a complete novice could learn without instruction using this book, but the beginners section would probably be a good guide for instructors on useful beginners exercises. ... Read more

Book Description
The real mogul-skiing instruction you're looking for. Whether you want to ski gentle moguls with comfort and confidence, turn heads on your local mogul run, or compete in mogul contests, this book will give you the specialized techniques you need to reach your goal. In this first-of-its-kind book, mogul-skiing competitor Dan DiPiro reveals techniques that have remained largely unknown and unaddressed outside of competitive mogul-skiing circles. Most skiers try to ski moguls using only groomed-trail techniques, says DiPiro. But the bumps require a special set of techniques that have nothing to do with groomed-trail skiing. With an understanding of these special techniques, most fit, expert skiers can become good mogul skiers, and some can become excellent mogul skiers and even mogul competitors. For the aspiring mogul skier, this book is full of invaluable instruction. For the seasoned bumper, it's an ideal tune-up guide and a long-awaited affirmation. For all skiers interested in broadening their understanding of downhill skiing excellence, it's an original, eye-opening read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A must for any serious bump skier
I read some other books about moguls and then I figured I'd give this one a try as well.It turned out this one was superior, by far.The author not only competed in moguls (was once ranked 21st in country), but is able to share and explain the necessary techniques needed for effective mogul skiing.This is a must for an aspiring mogul skiier.

Well written and a great resource
The author does a great job of contrasting mogul technique with carving techniques used on groomers.For those who have been working at moguls and are looking for the final pieces to go over the top, this seems like a great resource.Mogul and race techniques are both hugely enjoyable things to learn and great skills to develop -- the author does a great job of helping those who have only learned one way of skiing (based on racing/carving) to learn a hugely enjoyable skill that can really fill out a skier's tool box.Thanks for writing something that makes it so clear.

This Book Cracks the Code
At last, there is a book that de-mystifies mogul skiing. Dan Diprio's book simplifies a rather complex form of skiing that plagued me for years. I must have taken 3 lessons on mogul skiing, and they were all a waste given that all 3 emphasized short radius turns (i.e., slalom carving) over and thru the bumps. What a waste of money and energy !!

Dan has it right. DO NOT listen to those carving experts who wrongly think that carving skills on the groomed and hard pack apply on the bumps. Bumps require a far different skill most expert carvers lack or don't appreciate (e.g., less round turns and edging, steering the skis, reduced hip angulation, weighting both skiis equally, etc).

Just returned from a Winter Park Colorado trip, and can now do moderate sized bumps on intermediate trails thanks to Dan's book.

Thanks Dan for a well written book that is easy to understand and will allow skiiers to venture beyond the groomed !!

Great instructional reading, Dan Dipiro really get's it done.
I've read my fair share of articles and books on sports intruction and can say without hesitation that this book ranks as high as any other.
Dan Dipiro provides the reader not only techniques and drills to apply on the mountian, but also the same for when your off the mountian. I highly recommend this book to any level of skier who's interested in increasing his bump skiing ability.

At last, a practical book on mogul skiing.
First, I am 63 and have been skiing for 40+ years.I now live in Southern California but generally ski at either Mammoth or Snowbird. I can turn my skis right and left and can usually get down most of the in-bounds trails at most resorts including the mogul runs.I like it all, but I really like bump skiing.

To that end, I want to give Dan DiPiro a big THANK YOU for writing Everything... . Frankly, my experience suggests he's absolutely right when he says that most ski instructors do not know how to ski bumps and try to teach people to ski bumps using racing technique.So while I do OK in the bumps, I have never quite mastered skiing the zipper line the bump skiers use.

Of course, it never dawned on my until read Dan's book, that the problem was not me, but my not knowing the techniques that the pro bump skiers used.I found the way in which he broke down the differences between trail and mogul skiing to make a lot of sense and I am looking forward to using the exercises he includes in his book to develop an alternate skill set that I can use to improve my bump skiing.So here's to Dan - for making a major contribution to skiing in general and my bump skiing in particular.

... Read more

Book Description
For the novice to intermediate cross-country skier: instruction by a former member of the PSIA National Nordic Demonstration Team

* Technique demonstrated with step-by-step photos

* Special learning activities reinforce instruction

* Sidebars for trouble-shooting common problems and matching technique to terrain and snow conditions

* Tips for helping kids fall in love with the sport

From the first time you step into your bindings to mastering the stride, the glide, and the skate: Steve Hindman has you covered. As a fully certified instructor, he's introduced hundreds of people to the sport; and also contributed to the last two instruction manuals on nordic skiing for the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Here he shares the same tips he uses on the snow to help you have more fun whether you're setting out for a city park, looking for family fun at a groomed ski area, or heading into the backcountry to set your own track.

This comprehensive guide covers equipment and accessories, waxing for grip and glide, training and conditioning, snow camping, route finding, and avalanche awareness. It will take you from how to fall (and how to get up again), through classic and skate skiing basics (including stance, poling principles, and downhill tactics), and up to more advanced variations of the sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent XC ski book
Steve Hindman's book is an outstanding introduction to Nordic skiing.He starts from scratch, describing the types of skis and bindings, and showing you how to get started for the first time. He then gradually progresses to the more advanced techniques of efficient and enjoyable cross country skiing. I have been Nordic skiing for 26 years without much instruction, and I learned a lot from the book. I highly recommend it.

An excellent comprehensive primer on enjoying the snow via skis
Aspiring skiers will love Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: it joins others in Mountaineers' 'Outdoor Expert' series, providing a long-time PSIA instructor's techniques using step-by-step photos and learning activities to back instruction. Common problems receive sidebars of easily-accessed information, while technique is surveyed for different terrain and snow conditions. Cross-Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: isn't just about technique, though: it includes games, health concerns, and tips on selecting skis and clothing. An excellent comprehensive primer on enjoying the snow via skis.
... Read more

Book Description
This book is a must-have gift for anyone interested in skiing or in the art of the poster.Organized by country, it features the world's foremost winter sport by drawing on an unparalleled collection of 800 vintage posters and paintings.Amassed by Mason Beekley over a lifetime dedicated to the celebration of all things skiing, the collection is now housed at the Mammoth Ski Museum in California and open to the public.In the 1910s and 1920s, skiing became the "in" thing among the young and the fashionable, who made such glamorous resorts like St. Moritz, Chamonix, and Garmisch famous.Like car racing, skiing was one of the sports that defined the twentieth-century's notion of the modern.It combined fast-paced action with the need to appear in stylish, sporty yet appropriate attire.Since it took place away from everyday urban life in remote and breathtaking mountain locations, it also combined the romance of travel with the stylishness of après-ski social life and ski chalet rusticity. Even in the steamship era, skiing quickly jumped the Atlantic and spawned such now famous ski resorts such as Vermont's Stowe, Colorado's Aspen, and Canada's Banff and Whistler (all featured here in their pre-war glamour). The book is rounded out by chapters on the contemporary skiing scene and on skiing fashion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book - fantastic gift for the skier fanatic!
This book has great visuals, from all different countries, and is a perfect gift for the skier you know who likes old-school stuff. I actually bought this for someone who doesn't understand English, but the artwork stands on its own. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

a must for beginners
if you are new to skiing word this book will help you a lot from finding the wright equipment to planning your ski vacation.

Excellent Book
Loaded with tidbits to make your skiing experience better... Some of the stuff is common sense but other material in the book is useful and very worthwhile. If you are new to skiing or just finally getting into the grove of the sport, I think you will find this book interesting, useful and practical. The author gives some excellent advice.Even if you only pick up just a few things from this book, I think it is well worth the price of addmission.Happy skiing!

Great book for any skiier (beginner or expert).
I usually don't write reviews for purchases I make.If I'm having to write a review for this one, it really means something.

I found this book very useful and informative.This book covers everything from boots and skis to vacations and lesssons. This book is almost like an Encyclopedia for anything skiing related.Skiiers of all caliber can greatly benefit from reading this book.Great read!

Hey, this is a really cool book
I must say this is a really cool book.I mean, first of all, the title is exactly what this book is about "Things Every Skier Must Know".Finally, a book that lives up to its title!Daaamn!This book is quite unique in that it does not teach you ski technique or ski mechanics or ski maintenance...just way, way too many of these books.Instead, this book teaches you stuff...really useful, practical stuff like how to hook up your skis on your car rack...the right way!Or how to look for a well-qualified ski instructor - believe me, this is not an easy task to do!I've taken so many ski lessons and ended up with so many bad ski instructors, it's not even funny and I pretty much had to learn skiing on my own.There is also great advice on how to prepare for a ski vacation and some brief notes on skiing on various terrains and even a chapter on ski racing!This book ponders on almost every aspect of skiing but the kitchen sink (What does that have to do with skiing, you wonder...absolutely nothing).I highly recommend this book.It is a great read on the plane or long trips to the ski resort.I mean it is quite lengthy for a ski book, but then I can't recall a ski book that is about everything there is to know about skiing?

Vital information for new skiers
This book contains a lot of information useful to new skiers. I wish I had it when I started skiing a few years ago. Worth at least the price of a few skiing lessons. ... Read more

Amazon.com
While on the slopes, take advantage of your most powerful muscle. Theauthors teach skiers how to relax, concentrate, banish unnecessary fears--and enjoy themselves. Thisrevised edition of the skiing classic will give you the self-confidence to excel on the slopes andbeyond.Book Description
A New, Completely Revised Edition of the Classic Guide to Better Skiing

Have you been searching for a way to overcome your fear, trust your instincts, and ski to your greatest potential? Inner Skiing will help you do all this and more. In this newly updated edition of the skiing classic, W. Timothy Gallwey and Robert Kriegel offer advice on and examples of how to gain the "inner" self-confidence needed to ski well and have fun on the slopes.

Inner Skiing will help you:
Focus on each step of a particular technique (like the parallel turn), then put it  all together so that the motion seems effortless
Analyze your fears to distinguish between healthy fear and unnecessary fear that you can overcome
Achieve "breakthrough" runs in which you experience natural and coordinated  movements
Move to the next level in your skiing ability and feel in control


Gallwey and Kriegel are two of the leading innovators in sports, and this new edition refines the techniques they have perfected over their long careers. Their easy-to-follow examples and anecdotes will help skiers of all abilities--from beginner to expert.

Inner Skiing will change the way you ski. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very helpful
A selection of phrases that come to mind after reading this book - well written, insightful, down to earth, will definitely help my skiing. I will read this again and again. The light bulb above the head went on !

Inner Skiing
Have his original edition. Thought the new edition would contain new info. Does - but small print. All his books are excellent.

Transform your skiing
Unlike most of the ski books I read, this book helped me zero in on my attitudes-- all the little mental numbers I did on myself while trying to improve or just enjoy skiing.It helped me focus on areas I had problems with, without heaping criticism on myself.It changed the way I learned by teaching me constructive things to replace that inner critic with. "You look so loose and relaxed," an instructor who had worked with me before commented.This book shows you how to allow yourself to learn unencumbered by fears. Things I read here helped me when I learned to inline skate, and pavement is a lot rougher than snow.

Helped overcoming fear
I can only recommend this book. I have been fighting fear on the slopes for three years. This book seems to have freed me of fear. Thanks a lot!

26 years of skiing, 6 teaching, and this book is #1
I rad Inner Skiing about 6-7 years ago, and it changed my skiing life.Most everything written about skiing (and other sports, as far as I can tell) is about technique, tricks, how-to's and so on.Inner Skiing is about being a skier - about the fundamental relationship we have to the snow, the mountain, the skis and ourselves.

Discovering who I am as a skier (and what my fears, my doubts, my anxieties look like) have exploded this sport for me.This book works on the emotional, intellectual and physical levels - I use the discovery tools on myself, and with my students, and get incredible results.

Even if you don't ski, this book is great - I've used some of his approaches in many areas of my life.They're fun, they're doable, and they help me focus on what's really there, not what I imagine.And beyond that, they open up incredible opportunities to play, explore and have a great time on the slopes or off.

The earlier edition of the book poo-pood technique - I don't agree with that, and my sense is the book took a bit of a hit for that.There's things to learn about skiing, and taking lessons from a great instructor will make a huge difference whether it's your first day or you've been at it for decades.Nonetheless, I recommend this as book #1 for anyone who wants to ski, or who wants something more from their skiing.ANd for the instructors out there - read it! ... Read more

Amazon.com
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

Book 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 (19)

True to its title
Of all the numerous books on ski instruction that I have, this is among the best.The text and the illustrations are perfectly in sync and they are equally compelling explanations of what is going on.This book explains what it means to ski the whole mountain.

Did not gain much after reading the whole book.
Do not agree with some of the "tools", especially "steering". Do not think that an intermediate skier (as myself) can benefit from the "tools" introduced in this book.I did learn something new in this book, though not much.

lacks diagrams, pictures, etc.
Yes, this book contains much information about the different components of skiing, ie., balance, weight transfer, pressure control, etc. etc. It also contains a wealth of exercises/drills that allows one to improve every aspect of how they ski...

Unfortunately, there are absolutely minimal pictures (cartoon drawings at best) to explain those concepts, and those exercises/drills..!! Yes, there are pictures - but they are mostly for posterity and not for supporting the words contained in the book.

For a subject like "Skiing," diagrams are a tremendous help, and this book has much to be desired on that area...

I Have Seen The Light, One Little Step At A Time
Woah. Problem with skiing instructors (and dance instructors too) is that they put too much into each hour lesson. With this book I was able to read it at bedtime, take it skiing and read it at lunch. I started with jumping around reading part and decided to take the author's advice and get my "tool set" in order so I started at the beginning. Whoa! 2 ski days this weekend and I feel like I've made incredible progress. (Trying to ski the black diamonds). Each chapter is full, but I would come away with one item at a time that I would remember on the slope.

If you are picking up speed that you don't want and then compulsively traversing the hill until you are stuck on your uphill ski, this is because you haven't completed your turn. That's me!! An expert skier is always turning, loading and unloading and using the C-shaped turn to keep their speed down. All of a sudden, the black was no longer scary! Going slow and falling on steeps is very harmless stuff!

Keep your stance very straight on shape skiis. People complain about burning quads and weak legs. It's because you are leaning into your boots and using your quads to take the energy in a turn. You should be using your bone structure. That's me!!! I was going to buy women's skiis because of this problem. Instead, I tightened my boots as stiff as I could so they wouldn't flex forward and I concentrated on skiing with a straigher leg, and guess what? I could ski the whole run and not get tired. (there are times when you need to get down, but a lot less than I thought).

I normally wouldn't think twice about my arms and pole planting. Boy, after reading that chapter last night, I decided to spend the whole day on the slope concentrating on my arms: shoulder width plus a little, don't swing your arms,swing your hands straight forward in relation to the skiis, and KEEP YOUR HANDS(BOTH) VISIBLE IN YOUR PERIPHERAL VISION! I wasn't doing this. You don't have to keep your hands way out in front or really wide likestraight skiis demand. And the biggest thing about pole planting? You are always swinging the pole! Your pole is either coming from behind or planting and then falling away. This is pretty no brainer on tight S-turns(the secret behind steep skiing) but on the long GS turns, I was waiting and then at the last minute swinging my pole forward and planting. Brad says this causes your skiing to be erratic and low and behold, I saw a change immediately! All of a sudden it is all related into one fluid dance.

The expert skier is always turning, making us of the dynamics, turning complete "C" turns to maintain speed on the steep, and swinging their poles into plant (sometimes you use more of a pole, sometimes you don't). Everything falls into place. My turns started matching my pole rythm and/or vice versa and I started feeling like I was really skiing.

Get the latest edition, I believe it is the 2nd Edition because it has been updated for shape skiis.

JohnA. Davis

All-Mountain Skier: The way to Expert Skiing
What I appreciate the most about this book is that it covers everything...in detail! Understanding then incorporating the subtle adjustments to stance, conditions, equipment, etc. allows the refinements to become part of better form. That translates into more fun skiing. There are a lot of paperbacks out there. The two "must have" books are this one, and Witherell's "Athletic Skier". ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for cross country and telemark skiers
This is a great book if you are looking for a guide to some of the best cross country and telemark trails, however since i was looking for more of a downhill backcountry guide, this is not really what i was looking for, but it is still a very informative and well written book.

An absolutely user friendly outdoor guide
A superbly presented compendium of two dozen classic ski and snowboard tours throughout the states of Vermont and New York, David Goodman's Backcountry Skiing Adventures offersthe best routes, equipment and backcountry riding tips; topographic maps and photos for each tour; information on avalanche awareness, winter camping, gear, safety, and first aid. This absolutely user friendly outdoor guide is a "must" for anyone planning a skiing or snowboarding excursion in Vermont or New York. Also very highly recommended is the other title in this outstanding Appalachian Mountain Club "Backcountry Skiing Adventures" series: Classic Ski and Snowboard Tours in Maine and New Hampshire. ... Read more

Book Description
This is the definitive history of the sport that has exhilarated and infatuated about 30 million Americans and Canadians over the course of the last fifty years. Consummate insider John Fry chronicles the rise of a ski culture and every aspect of the sport's development, including the emergence of the mega-resort and advances in equipment, technique, instruction, and competition.

The Story of Modern Skiing is laced with revelations from the author's personal relationships with skiing greats such as triple Olympic gold medalists Toni Sailer and Jean-Claude Killy, double gold medalist and environmental champion Andrea Mead Lawrence, first women's World Cup winner Nancy Greene, World Alpine champion Billy Kidd, Sarajevo gold and silver medalists Phil and Steve Mahre, and industry pioneers such as Vail founder Pete Seibert, metal ski designer Howard Head, and plastic boot inventor Bob Lange. Fry writes authoritatively of alpine skiing in North America and Europe, of Nordic skiing, and of newer variations in the sport: freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and extreme skiing. He looks closely at skiing's relationship to the environment, its portrayal in the media, and its response to social and economic change.

Maps locating major resorts, records of ski champions, and a timeline, bibliography, glossary, and index of names and places make this the definitive work on modern skiing. Skiers of all ages and abilities will revel in this lively tale of their sport's heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great for the historian and skiier
This book is perfect for the person who loves history and skiing. I think it would be a little dry for the average reader. Personally, I enjoyed reading about where skiing has come from, and it made me so glad to be a modern day skier after reading about what the 1920's skiers endured for the sport.

John Fry's Best Publication
Most comprehensive review of winter sports, especially Skiing that has been published in years.His first hand observations and knowledge have given a rarely found "life" to the many aspects that have contributed to this mega sport. From the hills of Europe where skiing was second nature to the Western world where it is a year round sport drawing a diverse group of people to share in the thrill of being propelled on snow, John has captured it all.Congratulations, this book is a collectors must have.

a gold medal book
This is just a great book about the world of skiing.John Fry combines a complete knowledge of skiing with a terrific writing style that makes every page a joy to read.

If you like to ski (and read), you'll love this book!
If you are a skier with at least a modicum of curiosity about how the sport you are passionate about evolved and mushroomed, and who the players were along the way, this is a book that tells the whole story, how all the parts fit together, and it reads so well and so easily that at times it seems like a novel, and you wonder what happens next. But the author, John Fry, clearly knows his subject very well and has done his research meticulously, with annotated notes for every chapter, a glossary, bibliography, index of names & places, maps, record charts, etc. Skiing is a fun sport, and Fry makes it a comparable pleasure to read about modern skiing's fascinating history. Skiers, it's a great read!

Viva la Sport of Skiing
With ski icon John Fry as author and with a delicious poster art "cover" of spectacular ski slopes, any thoroughbred skier will find this book a gem - a fascinating 50 year chronicle of the development of the sport- its ups and downs and inside scoops.You'll feel nostalgic as you read this detailed account and thank John Fry who gives us such a unique, well researched and educated schuss down memory lane.A must for your library!

Sandra Heath
Stowe, Vermont
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

backcountry skiing
This is a good guide for those that are experienced at backcountry wintertravel.He shows several routes and peak descents,and rates them accordingto difficulty.There is some basic information on winter travel, includingsnow camping and avalanche safety, but you would be wise to study thesetopics further before attempting any of these routes. ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Skiing provides all the basics to help you enjoy a day onthe slopes. Although designed with the novice in mind, this resourceful guide is also handy for theoccasional skier or the family taking its first ski vacation together. Chapters provide detailed informationon the gear you'll need (and how to get fitted for the right stuff); making turns; graduating to moguls,powder, and steep terrain; planning a vacation; skiing with children; and other forms of snow fun such ascross-country skiing and snowboarding. Read this and you won't get left at the bunny slope.Book Description

You're no idiot, of course.You've watched the winter Olympics, and as a kid, you sledded wildly down your street after a blizzard and even threw some mean snowballs. But when it comes to gearing up for the ski slopes, you may as well put tennis rackets on your feet.Don't cancel that winter getaway yet!Whether you want to ski for fun or sport, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Skiing will teach you everyting you need to know about getting to the slopes, braving the peak, and coming back down.In this Complete Idiot's Guide you get:

Customer Reviews (5)

Complete Idiots Guide to Skiing
A very elementary introduction to skiing.Only good for the very beginners.

Great for New Skiers
I've been skiing for a long time, so I don't need this book, but I think it's great for new skiers. I've given it to a couple of beginners and people who said they wanted to try skiing. It covers all thebasics--clearly and succinctly--but it doesn't overload new skiers withmore information than they need.

Great for New Skiers
I've been skiing for a long time, so I don't need this book, but I think it's great for new skiers. I've given it to a couple of beginners and people who said they wanted to try skiing. It covers all thebasics--clearly and succinctly--but it doesn't overload new skiers withmore information than they need.

First-Time Skiers Only!
The book was too simple for my tastes.I have been skiing for about a year and most of the information was way below my "beginner" level.There is really very very little information on actual skiing.Thebook basically covers the snow plow and simple turns as related to your skilessons.There were some interesting tidbits in the book but on the wholeI found it very lacking.If you have never ever been skiing and knowabsolutely nothing about it then the book might be helpful....but if youhave skiied once in your life I don't think it will be that much morehelpful.

VERY NICE BOOK FOR VERY BEGINNERS
Excellent book for someone who has never skied and is not used to snow activities.

All the basics are in there, not aiming to replace a real ski class. The author fully achieved the goal proposed. ... Read more

Book Description
Guided by a strange epiphany, Richard Phipps traveled to Japan with $600 and a pair of skis. The result, Skiing Zen, is much more than a ski adventure. It is a tapestry of thought about sports and awareness, about differences between Eastern and Western thinking, and about individualism amidst group pressure.

Woven into the travel anecdotes, cultural insights, and skiing action are intriguing concepts such as the spectrum of attention and distraction, the evolving spiral of learning, the power of guided imagery, and the correlation between Zen and love. Stunning in scope and yet penetrating in its earnest insight, Phipps is indeed Searching for the Spirituality of Sport. ... Read more

Book Description
Tao of Skiing provides a comprehensive insight into thetechnical aspects of modern cross-country skiing, where the secrets are inthe basics and the way (Tao) is in the correct preparation and execution ofthe details. The information is an expos? of key information from the worldof elite xc skiing which is designed to fast track the development ofspecific skills and fitness. Beginners and Experts will benefit from therichness of ski tips, generous use of photos and intelligent explanations.An excellent tool for coaches and instructors. The definitive multimediareference on XC skiing (300 pages).

This product is included on the Nordic Skiing Technique DVD, and Learn ToNordic Ski DVDs sold on amazon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Key product
The amazing thing is that... this CD cost me less than a day pass at the local ski site, and saved me years of floundering around on snow.Tao (the way) of skiing is a large web site on a CD-Rom, complete with ample advise (text, images and small movies).The movies were a lot of fun and the text was straight to the point. (The way you would want to be instructed).Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the package and appreciated what it has done for me... and I'm not hung on an occasional Typo.

Great format and delivery - Well Done.
The CD-ROM is packed full of great advice delivered in easy to read point form (like an Aide Memoire). Each sentence or teaching point stands on its own.I could take one gem of knowledge at a time; without having to wade through pages of pretentious prose.The explanations were very precise and most meaningful to those with some skiing experience under their belt. Best read with an open mind.

What a fun way to study technique
A CD-ROM; I do not know why someone did not think of this before. It is great. I spent hours digesting hundreds of hints on everything from technique, to training and playing the fun and informative Quicktime videos. It is not often that you can look into a decade worth of training diary entries and training notes of a World Cup Gold medalist.

Excellent in every way!
Tao of Skiing is technically not a book.It is a CD-ROM packed full of goodies.The multimedia works very well especially if you are looking for a better way to ski.The Tao of Sking is the most rewarding reference I have found.Thousands of hints and ideas, photos, diagrams and a dozen quicktime videos kept me totally engaged.I also purchased the xczone video "On Snow" and can highly recommend both.

Totally Amazing
I was completely blown away with this CD-ROM.The information is priceless and the multimedia presentation was captivating. It is good to see some world class skiers putting together something that can inform both beginners and elite skiers alike. ... Read more

Book Description
Skiing and the Art of Carving is a revolutionary new book that teaches skiers of all levels to improve their skills immensely. Learning and refining carved turns is presented as the means for becoming an accomplished skier.This is the only book available that has kept pace with rapidly changing ski technology.It provides the means to maximize performance on today's equipment.Readers can learn to carve true arcs on the new deep sidecut skis as well as on traditional skis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The most informative Book on Skiing
I personally found this book easy to understand,the authors made sure that they gave only the information that you needed,when you needed it,And all the information was explained in detail. With the companion video it justgets better. To put it simple,this book explains it all from A to Ski!

Inspirational.The only ski training book you need.
This is the most up-to-date and complete guide I have run across.Its coverage is encyclopedic, yet remarkably succinct, covering every issue from equipment to skills, drills, and mental approaches.It should beuseful to avid skiers and instructors at any level, supplanting volumes ofmanuals normally available only to professional instructors, yet theexercises detail a path that even novices can effectively pursue todevelop the most refined technique.The book is perfectly complemented bythe companion video which gives clear evidence that the book'sprogression of exercises can cluminate in the gorgeous turns the Ms. PostFoster, her coauthors, and demo team do so effortlessly.The combinedeffect is truly inspirational.

This book is the only ready material youshould take on your next ski trip.If you read it before then (and youshould), you will quickly develop a powerful longing for the slopes.

A must read for all skiers who want to perfect carving
This is a fantastic book for all level of skiers. It will take you through the steps to using your shaped skies as they were meant to be used. By the way: There is a video that accompanies this book - it is also excellent.And should be watched the first several times with the sound - and thenmute the sound and just watch the skiing. Maybe Amazon.com could supply it?

Very good
I spent quite some time in bookstores looking for a book that would teach me how to get the most out of my new shaped skis.I found out quickly that almost all cover only traditional skis.This book is an exception.Althought it addresses both very well I would prefer that it focusedexclusively on shaped skis.Who is buying traditional skis nowadaysanyway?Although the pictures are detailed and easy to follow they wouldbe even more effective accompanied by a training video.Ms. Foster whydon't you make a video to go with the book?I'd be among the first to buyit! ... Read more

Book Description
Whether you're a bunny-hop beginner or a hotdog wannabe, Skiing For Dummies is your ultimate guide to downhill fun, from choosing the right equipment and mastering the fundamentals to understanding ski slope etiquette and finding the best powder.You even get tips on snowboarding and other extremely fun ski slope activities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Everything you want to know about Skiing
I found this book quite helpful as a beginner who knows squat about skiing.. It takes you through every process of the sport from Learning to Ski to purchasing your lift ticket and everything in between.I found many of the tips quite useful.Although my best suggestion is just go and purchase a lesson it's well worth the money and hands on skiing is definitely way better than reading about it!

Whether you've already tried skiing, or want to
This is a terrific guide!For people who have already tried skiing and are still somewhat mystified by the complexity of the equipment and the rental shop and just finding one's way around, this book is an invaluableaid in moving up to the next level.For people considering taking up thesport in the next season, it will help you to have a satisfying, enjoyableexperience.

The author provides handy, valuable tips on things assimple as what to wear, and things as complex as how to choose a ski.Heexplains how ski boots should fit, and how to rent them.There is a bigemphasis on the importance of taking a lesson, but more importantly, how toget the most out of that lesson.

For anyone who plans a ski trip fornext season, whether it is a day or a week or more, the small investment inthis wonderful guide will be returned many times over.Even the mostexperienced skiers will find something useful.

Common sense
When buying a book, you would hardly expect to get only a pieceof common sense for your money. Unfortunately, this is the case with thisbook. Its main message is "get yourself a skiing instructor and learn how to ski". I agree, noone learns how to ski (swim, play basketball, etc.)from a book only, but nonetheless the book should advise on techniques, not tell one that he/she needs a coach. It's pretty obvious, even for a dummy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Cross country skiing
Great book. Beautiful color photos, great historical stories that give an enjoyable perspective on XC skiing. The technique and equipment are also reviewed.

Good basic
This book begs to be picked up.The photos are beautiful.Why 3 stars?Because there are simply too many errors in the actual ski techniques to get you past novice.

Great Looking Book
This is a great looking book on cross-country skiing.Color photos andsuperb layout.It is one of the nicest books for beginner and noviceskiers.

Better skiers are going to find it weak on technical contentwith most of the explainations taking a certain artistic licence at theexpense of accuracy. Two books advanced skiers should look into are"Tao of Sking" and "Ski Skating With Champions."

Great book for beginners
I recently started Cross country skiing and I purchased this book.I found it very helpful and informative.Anyone just starting cross country skiing should buy it.It has many great pictures and diagrams that help inlearning different techniques.

An excellent book for the beginning cross country skier
This is an excellent book for the beginning cross country skier. Theauthor gives a good overview of classic track skiing, skating, andbackcountry skiing. I would not recommend it for somebody who has XC skiedfor more than one or two years. For those who would like to begin and haveno idea where to start, this is the book for you. ... Read more