Suddenly, I cant ski!!

Question
Hi Lisa- Help!! I am a fairly solid intermediate skier.  I have been skiing 10 ?15 times a year for the past 5 years, and 4-5 times a year for about 20 years prior to that. I  feel comfortable on most  black trails, as long as they抮e not icy, very  steep and narrow or total moguls. This year, before the start of the season, I got new boots and also had my skis tuned ....waxed and sharpened?.something I do not do anywhere near as often as I should. I ski in upstate NY, mostly 2 mountains called Gore and Whiteface.  I have been skiing 3 times this season and something is going on.

The first time out, I figured I was just rusty, but now, having just returned from my 3rd ski day of the season (all 3 days have had good conditions), I don't know what is going on. My skis feel very wobbly even on fairly easy intermediate slopes. When I try to carve, it is not unusual for the rear of my ski to feel almost like it is catching, and doesn't take the track I intend. Only the easiest of terrain is enjoyable. I have always tightened up on ice, but in good conditions, have always loved a  fairly difficult intermediate or somewhat easy expert trail.

I tried going back to my old boots (had the bindings re-adjuted), thinking that might be the problem - no change. I also thought that maybe there was a problem with the tuning ?maybe they messed up the waxing or something, so I am bringing them back in to have a new tuning? I don't know if maybe something happened to my skis since last winter (they are about 10 years old, but were totally fine last season.) I have heard something about a ski that has lost its camber possibly causing something like this. I am thinking about renting a pair of skis, just to see if that makes a difference. It could be me, but  that doesn抰 really make any sense to me - I have been skiing for many years, and this has never happened to me. With the exception of extremely steep, big moguls, or icy conditions, I am at least adequate on any terrain. I can't imagine that I all of a sudden got that bad.

Do you have any idea what could be going on? I am really upset because I have always loved skiing, and I am at a point where it just isn抰 even fun.

Thanks so much for any ideas you can give me.
Kathleen


Answer
Hi Kathleen and thanks for the questions.

Im afraid to be the barer of bad news but you are suffering a severe case of "tuned skis".
Yes it can be this bad. Especially; as you are learning, if you dont get them tuned very often. Even as instructors - we would never tune our skis in the week before an exam unless we ALWAYS skied on tuned skis as they can be very unforgiving.

A tuned ski will have edges that work - that is burr free that bite into the surface holding an edge to give you back better control, however as most dont ski well tuned skis they are not used to this sensation and have trouble 'holding on' when the ski does bite. But once you have felt it and felt what it can do [catapault and throw you into the next turn which when done feels awesome and what skiing is all about] you will want to do it more often. So to answer your questions:

CAMBER:
put your ski on the ground - if there is still bouncy clearance under the binding and skis are the same height off the ground then your camber is still ok.

YOUR REAR CATCHING:
When skis are tuned tip to tail they can be tricky to get used to. If you feel they are catching, your ski technique is letting you down as you arent skiing through the entire turn. With untuned skis the tails would be sliding out - hence you wouldnt be comfortable in icy conditions. You may need to have the skis 'detuned' at the tails if this is something you cannot change through technique.
Learning to ski through the end of the turn requires a bit of work [and bravery at times] - start with traversing on your edges and bases, feel the ski slip and catch - you are wanting the catch as that will bring the ski around under you and set if off into the next turn as well. The slowly make this into more and more of a turn until you are doing full turns. You will need to make sure you are keeping your body moving down the hill, rolling with the knees [tip water out of your boots].

OLD BOOTS: these as you found out wont correct your technique nor your tune up. Stick to your new boots as they will offer more support and correct fit. You will be noticing the difference of this firm fit - smaller movements to achieve the desired goal.

ICE:
with poorly tuned skis the edges are unable to bite into the ice - hence your dislike for the conditions [you had no edges im guessing]. you need to relax and make smaller and less movments so the ski can grip. too much slide in your technique and the tails will go out from under you giving you the sensation of less control. it is an artform that only a few take the time to learn. But it is very good for your overall skiing - especially balance and pivoting.

You can have your skis detuned at the tip and tails - thus helping you return to the technique you are used to skiing. HOWEVER, a better option is to go and spend the money not on a rental ski but a lesson. Get some feedback and advice and tips on how to ski your freshly tuned ski. You would take the time to learn to use a computer program for work and the new dvd player - so why not do the same for the sport you enjoy this much? A group or private lesson will give you what you need - just make sure you let the instructor know what is happening and what you want to achieve.

Goodluck, be patient and enjoy the extra benefit freshly tuned skis can offer - oh and tune them more often so its not such a shock next time [tune up every 10 days skiing is a good rule of thumb, more often if the condidtions are icy]

ps: to detune your tails, get a 2mm bastard file or some course sandpaper and roughly file the last inch or two of your ski - you can do the same to the tip inch as well if they are catching.

lisa