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 Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
First-Rate Alpine Ski guidebook, 17 Oct 2005
Alpine Ski Montaineering contains excellent information, maps, and photos in a sensible format - flexible plastic covers, which goes into your rucksack. Of course, you do need local maps for detailed navigation, but this book pulls together the plan for the day and provides an overview. The route descriptions are not overlong, but this helps keep the size of the book down. I have skied some of this terrain, and look forward to more. I really look forward the the volume which covers the far East, from Innsbruck on past Grossglockner.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
First-Rate Alpine Ski guidebook, 17 Oct 2005
Alpine Ski Montaineering contains excellent information, maps, and photos in a sensible format - flexible plastic covers, which goes into your rucksack. Of course, you do need local maps for detailed navigation, but this book pulls together the plan for the day and provides an overview. The route descriptions are not overlong, but this helps keep the size of the book down. I have skied some of this terrain, and look forward to more. I really look forward the the volume which covers the far East, from Innsbruck on past Grossglockner.
150 glorious years in 250 pages, 19 Jan 2007
This is a masterly compilation of the AC's 150-year history, told through the achievements of its illustrious members and others, particularly in the two 'golden ages' of Alpine-style mountaineering. The first, in the mid 19th century, was epitomised by Whymper, Stephen, Mummery and others, who hired the best local Guides and make the best use of them, eventually climbing as unassisted Amateurs. Between the Wars, Shipton, Tilman and others explored the greater ranges, unsupported, for months on end. The second age has been since WWII, with landmark ascents of the 8,000 metre peaks, first Annapurna, then Everest and Kangchenjunga, the only one to be first climbed by Britons (Band himself, with Joe Brown). A new generation of British Alpinists such as Bonington, Boardman & Tasker, Fowler and Venables have continued the tradition, while finding new ways to expand the boundaries of the possible.
George Band's book is meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and well-written, by a man now well into his 70s. After being called up as the youngest member of John Hunt's 1953 team, he got to know and climb with many of the world's finest Alpinists, and his personal experience shines through the text. Inevitably, stirring stories have been edited for space - Herzog's Annapurna epic gets only one page - but the book achieves a good editorial balance, and is refreshingly free from jargon. Among many rarely-seen illustrations is a charming study of Hunt in conversation with Geoffrey Winthrop Young.
There's the odd slip - Reinhold Messner is variously categorised as West German (p155) or Austrian (p192), whereas he was born in the South Tyrol, part of Italy. Otherwise, the book delighted me, as I am sure it will thousands of 'armchair mountaineers', not to mention those whose names grace its pages.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
First-Rate Alpine Ski guidebook, 17 Oct 2005
Alpine Ski Montaineering contains excellent information, maps, and photos in a sensible format - flexible plastic covers, which goes into your rucksack. Of course, you do need local maps for detailed navigation, but this book pulls together the plan for the day and provides an overview. The route descriptions are not overlong, but this helps keep the size of the book down. I have skied some of this terrain, and look forward to more. I really look forward the the volume which covers the far East, from Innsbruck on past Grossglockner.
150 glorious years in 250 pages, 19 Jan 2007
This is a masterly compilation of the AC's 150-year history, told through the achievements of its illustrious members and others, particularly in the two 'golden ages' of Alpine-style mountaineering. The first, in the mid 19th century, was epitomised by Whymper, Stephen, Mummery and others, who hired the best local Guides and make the best use of them, eventually climbing as unassisted Amateurs. Between the Wars, Shipton, Tilman and others explored the greater ranges, unsupported, for months on end. The second age has been since WWII, with landmark ascents of the 8,000 metre peaks, first Annapurna, then Everest and Kangchenjunga, the only one to be first climbed by Britons (Band himself, with Joe Brown). A new generation of British Alpinists such as Bonington, Boardman & Tasker, Fowler and Venables have continued the tradition, while finding new ways to expand the boundaries of the possible.
George Band's book is meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and well-written, by a man now well into his 70s. After being called up as the youngest member of John Hunt's 1953 team, he got to know and climb with many of the world's finest Alpinists, and his personal experience shines through the text. Inevitably, stirring stories have been edited for space - Herzog's Annapurna epic gets only one page - but the book achieves a good editorial balance, and is refreshingly free from jargon. Among many rarely-seen illustrations is a charming study of Hunt in conversation with Geoffrey Winthrop Young.
There's the odd slip - Reinhold Messner is variously categorised as West German (p155) or Austrian (p192), whereas he was born in the South Tyrol, part of Italy. Otherwise, the book delighted me, as I am sure it will thousands of 'armchair mountaineers', not to mention those whose names grace its pages.
A very good look at the basic's of skiing, 06 Nov 2000
Fred Foxon's book covers the basic's of skiing from the first day through to skiing bumps and powder. Skiing has changed drastically in the last few years but,the basics are still the same. Even though this book was written in 1991 it still has much to offer the reader. Excellent photos help make it a clear and an easy to understand teaching aid.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
First-Rate Alpine Ski guidebook, 17 Oct 2005
Alpine Ski Montaineering contains excellent information, maps, and photos in a sensible format - flexible plastic covers, which goes into your rucksack. Of course, you do need local maps for detailed navigation, but this book pulls together the plan for the day and provides an overview. The route descriptions are not overlong, but this helps keep the size of the book down. I have skied some of this terrain, and look forward to more. I really look forward the the volume which covers the far East, from Innsbruck on past Grossglockner.
150 glorious years in 250 pages, 19 Jan 2007
This is a masterly compilation of the AC's 150-year history, told through the achievements of its illustrious members and others, particularly in the two 'golden ages' of Alpine-style mountaineering. The first, in the mid 19th century, was epitomised by Whymper, Stephen, Mummery and others, who hired the best local Guides and make the best use of them, eventually climbing as unassisted Amateurs. Between the Wars, Shipton, Tilman and others explored the greater ranges, unsupported, for months on end. The second age has been since WWII, with landmark ascents of the 8,000 metre peaks, first Annapurna, then Everest and Kangchenjunga, the only one to be first climbed by Britons (Band himself, with Joe Brown). A new generation of British Alpinists such as Bonington, Boardman & Tasker, Fowler and Venables have continued the tradition, while finding new ways to expand the boundaries of the possible.
George Band's book is meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and well-written, by a man now well into his 70s. After being called up as the youngest member of John Hunt's 1953 team, he got to know and climb with many of the world's finest Alpinists, and his personal experience shines through the text. Inevitably, stirring stories have been edited for space - Herzog's Annapurna epic gets only one page - but the book achieves a good editorial balance, and is refreshingly free from jargon. Among many rarely-seen illustrations is a charming study of Hunt in conversation with Geoffrey Winthrop Young.
There's the odd slip - Reinhold Messner is variously categorised as West German (p155) or Austrian (p192), whereas he was born in the South Tyrol, part of Italy. Otherwise, the book delighted me, as I am sure it will thousands of 'armchair mountaineers', not to mention those whose names grace its pages.
A very good look at the basic's of skiing, 06 Nov 2000
Fred Foxon's book covers the basic's of skiing from the first day through to skiing bumps and powder. Skiing has changed drastically in the last few years but,the basics are still the same. Even though this book was written in 1991 it still has much to offer the reader. Excellent photos help make it a clear and an easy to understand teaching aid.
Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing, 09 Jun 2008
What a pleasure to read a book that is technically excellent and informative, yet is easy to understand from start to finish. From early intermediate skier to aspiring instructors at all levels, this book will be read again and again and cannot help but improve both your technical understanding and "on-snow" skiing.
A fantastic ski book for all, 04 Nov 2007
"Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing" is an invaluable source of information for all levels of skier, it clearly explains how to develop your skiing both on and off the piste. Once read, this book will continue to be a priceless reference document for those wishing to challenge their skiing abilities and further develop their understanding of the sport. This book will make a fantastic Christmas present for any skier.
Fantastic Book, 01 Oct 2007
A really easy to read book about skiing and ski teaching. Some great diagrams and photos, deffinately one for the xmas pressie list for skiers.
Skiing, 23 Sep 2007
This book is not only an excellent tool for all ski instructors, but is written is such a way that it will help anyone who wants to improve their skiing. It is well written, easy to understand, has good clear diagrams and some inspiring photographs!
At last, a practical ski book!, 19 Sep 2007
Finally a ski book that makes sense. This is not just for the advanced skier but anyone who wants to make their skiing better! Very well written and in plain English without jargon. Covers a multitude you would normally not even think of. Simply, it makes sense!
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the _only_ book I would recommend. I would defy anyone to read it and not feel that they have learned something which they can use to improve their skiing.
First-Rate Alpine Ski guidebook, 17 Oct 2005
Alpine Ski Montaineering contains excellent information, maps, and photos in a sensible format - flexible plastic covers, which goes into your rucksack. Of course, you do need local maps for detailed navigation, but this book pulls together the plan for the day and provides an overview. The route descriptions are not overlong, but this helps keep the size of the book down. I have skied some of this terrain, and look forward to more. I really look forward the the volume which covers the far East, from Innsbruck on past Grossglockner.
150 glorious years in 250 pages, 19 Jan 2007
This is a masterly compilation of the AC's 150-year history, told through the achievements of its illustrious members and others, particularly in the two 'golden ages' of Alpine-style mountaineering. The first, in the mid 19th century, was epitomised by Whymper, Stephen, Mummery and others, who hired the best local Guides and make the best use of them, eventually climbing as unassisted Amateurs. Between the Wars, Shipton, Tilman and others explored the greater ranges, unsupported, for months on end. The second age has been since WWII, with landmark ascents of the 8,000 metre peaks, first Annapurna, then Everest and Kangchenjunga, the only one to be first climbed by Britons (Band himself, with Joe Brown). A new generation of British Alpinists such as Bonington, Boardman & Tasker, Fowler and Venables have continued the tradition, while finding new ways to expand the boundaries of the possible.
George Band's book is meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated, and well-written, by a man now well into his 70s. After being called up as the youngest member of John Hunt's 1953 team, he got to know and climb with many of the world's finest Alpinists, and his personal experience shines through the text. Inevitably, stirring stories have been edited for space - Herzog's Annapurna epic gets only one page - but the book achieves a good editorial balance, and is refreshingly free from jargon. Among many rarely-seen illustrations is a charming study of Hunt in conversation with Geoffrey Winthrop Young.
There's the odd slip - Reinhold Messner is variously categorised as West German (p155) or Austrian (p192), whereas he was born in the South Tyrol, part of Italy. Otherwise, the book delighted me, as I am sure it will thousands of 'armchair mountaineers', not to mention those whose names grace its pages.
A very good look at the basic's of skiing, 06 Nov 2000
Fred Foxon's book covers the basic's of skiing from the first day through to skiing bumps and powder. Skiing has changed drastically in the last few years but,the basics are still the same. Even though this book was written in 1991 it still has much to offer the reader. Excellent photos help make it a clear and an easy to understand teaching aid.
Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing, 09 Jun 2008
What a pleasure to read a book that is technically excellent and informative, yet is easy to understand from start to finish. From early intermediate skier to aspiring instructors at all levels, this book will be read again and again and cannot help but improve both your technical understanding and "on-snow" skiing.
A fantastic ski book for all, 04 Nov 2007
"Parallel Dreams Alpine Skiing" is an invaluable source of information for all levels of skier, it clearly explains how to develop your skiing both on and off the piste. Once read, this book will continue to be a priceless reference document for those wishing to challenge their skiing abilities and further develop their understanding of the sport. This book will make a fantastic Christmas present for any skier.
Fantastic Book, 01 Oct 2007
A really easy to read book about skiing and ski teaching. Some great diagrams and photos, deffinately one for the xmas pressie list for skiers.
Skiing, 23 Sep 2007
This book is not only an excellent tool for all ski instructors, but is written is such a way that it will help anyone who wants to improve their skiing. It is well written, easy to understand, has good clear diagrams and some inspiring photographs!
At last, a practical ski book!, 19 Sep 2007
Finally a ski book that makes sense. This is not just for the advanced skier but anyone who wants to make their skiing better! Very well written and in plain English without jargon. Covers a multitude you would normally not even think of. Simply, it makes sense!
Very funny, and not just for skiers, 07 Dec 2000
I am giving this collection of travel stories five stars not for sparkling prose or timeless classic potential, but because I found it immensely enjoyable. Finkel, an American freelancer on various skiing and sports magazines, travels all over the world and has a funny and thoughtful way of telling the reader about it. Look out for a great description of skiing on dry slopes in Britain, and a brilliant account of skiing on America's smallest slope. I didn't put it down, and finished it in a day.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent for intermediate/advanced skiers who have had formal lessons!, 17 Feb 2007
I have to say that for me (can ski anything on-piste) this book is fab!!
It is ideal for good skiers who have had formal lessons in the past on snow. It won't make as much sense if you were taught by mates as the chapters build on the traditional snowplough, stem turn, parallell approach. Having learnt in Italy and France i got so far and then started to struggle on sustaining good technique on steeper slopes. In the last couple of years I have had 2 private lessons by an English & a Canadian instructor who were able to communicate the 'feel and flow' parts of the skiing technique that I was missing on carving skis. Like many I tried to apply the way I had been taught 15 years ago to newer carving ski technology which does not work.
As soon as I started reading I knew exactly what the author was talking about. The drills were similar to those in the 3 hours of private lessons that I had had. What I was reading made sense and I could easily apply it to my skiing.
If you just want to ski and not bothered by technique then this is not the book for you. If you are willing to read it and practise some of the techniques and drills then they will benefit your skiing. Having now skied 9 weeks out of the last 15 years I found his advice and instruction very useful as did my mate (her partner has still not forgiven me for lending it to her -something to do with her reading it at 5am by headtorch!)
The chapters on equipment are very useful. Skiing technology just keeps changing and his descriptions are easy to understand. Out of the group I have just been with they helped one skier sort heel lift with orthotics, another with black toe problems and another whose skiing was adversely affected as the flex was adjusted wrongly - our skiing all massively improved as a result. I can't agree with all the comments!, 20 Nov 2006
It's a good basic book and a useful reference. But it won't make you a good skier and it certainly won't make you "an advanced skier overnight".
If you're anything but a beginner take a look at "The Athletic Skier" by Warren Witherell and see what a really good ski manual is all about. Top notch - still a reference book for me, 24 Oct 2006
I'm a Ski Instructor and can heartily recommend this book.. especially the section on "you can blame your equipment sometimes" ! I used it myself a few years ago when I was preparing for my instructor exams and found it an excellent read. The exercises are useful too and some of them have found their way into a number of my high-end lessons.
It's also good in that it's a modern book - ski technology has changed over the years and therefore so has technique. This book is up to date, as opposed to some (although still excellent in some areas) other books that are now becoming dated.
As others have said, it's not a book for beginners but if you have an idea of proper ski control, body management etc. it can give you a good headstart for a week away and will make an instructors life easier when you go for tune-up lessons ! It just clicks ater reading this book!, 22 Jan 2006
. For someone interested in skiing well, especially the technical side of things, this book is a god send! The author explains things in a detailed manner which is really easy to take on board. I read this book before skiing for two weeks in Austria, on the third day I was skiing fast,(let's face it anybody can) but with perfect control,(not many people can) on any run. It seems like when an instructor is repeating the same thing over and over again your brain just dosen't take it in. However, once you've realised for yourself what you should be donig, it just clicks! The book is is split into common sensed chapters starting with building a collection of basic skills, the author calls this a tool box, tackling basics like; stance, edging, pressure control then moves onto specific techniques for powder, moguls and steeps among other things blending tools from the toolbox to hone a good technique in the differint conditions. I concentrated on one chapter per day, practicing what the author preached. It worked great. There is drills to help emphasis certain technique particulars and also trouble shooting section in each chapter if you still have problems. One of my favourite things in each chapter is that the author tells you what you should see and feel through the skis and your tracks when you get it right. Often this is very simple and you may remember from previuos experience when you have got it right. However, sometimes it's very discreet and you would never have realised. There is also a good section on tuning skis referring to edge angle and binding tuning, although it is a bit ahead of my standard but worth a read never the less. By working with this book you could easily be one of those people everyone watches from the lift! This book is well worth the money and I would definatley buy it if you feel your not getting anywhere with lessons. Maybe your just sick of waiting for all the slow ones to catch up! Lessons aren't cheap at the end of the day and it's a fraction of the price. Although I have skied before a with a good level of instruction, my skiing and understanding of it definatley improved due to this book. Everyone has give 5 stars for a reason, thats why I bought it.
The best ski book. For anyone except total beginners., 21 Jan 2004
Some people will never be able to get any benefit from reading a book on a sport. Not everyone can take the knowledge of _how_ something should be done and the advice on how it should look/feel, and be thinking about it when they are trying to perform the action later. For them, all such books are wasted efforts. Luckily for me I get real benefits from these sorts of books if they are done well. Especially in sports that are technical and often counter-intuitive, which skiing certain is. This book is superb example of a sports manual and it does all that one could hope for in a book. For me the most useful aspects of the book are:
- the author explaining to you in detail what is happening when you ski, how it works, what your body does and what the skis do
- how it should _feel_ to do something right. This allows you to have a goal to work towards and goes some way to addressing the disadvantages of not having an instructor.
- the drills The overall structure of the book is also a strong point. The author breaks down 'skiing' into stance, steering, edging, body movement etc and goes into great detail on each. This helps you to target areas more specifically and find where lies the weakness that seems to be holding you back. There is also a great section on choosing your equipment, and perhaps more importantly, having it set up correctly. Later on in the book the chapters move away from this 'toolbox' approach and onto how a skier should use their tools ski in a certain manner and to deal with different terrain and conditions (steeps, crud, trees, bumps). This sections of the book feels like getting the best advice your instructor/friends ever gave you. Certainly you then have to get out there and do it in order to learn, but at least you know what you should be doing, how it should feel, what your problems may be etc. I have already gone on long enough, but in closing I would remind anyone reading how much even 1 hour of tuition costs. Even if you don't get as much out of this book as I did it is a bargain, and the | | |