Harald Harb's blog

Hintertux New Snow

2008-05-01T08:06:00.002-06:00

Skiing in Austria

2008-04-28T10:30:00.005-06:00

We are here in Tirol, Hintertux Glacier

Watch for updates during Camp

I have been skiing here for the past thirty years, and my father before me in the thirties. One of the greatest skiing experiences in the world. This is the only 365 day skiing experience remaining in Austria. We thought 30 years ago we would never see the day when the glaciers went away. Well it's happening.

Hate Catching your edges and crossing your tips?

2008-03-18T16:20:00.012-06:00

Who doesn’t?
Rid Yourself of these Life Long Skiing Problems in One Day!

Catching the inside ski edges and crossing the ski tips are two of the perpetual and persistent dilemmas that plague skiers. How is it that regular ski instruction can’t seem to cure these problems?

Let's Start with, Stop catching an Edge:
To understand these situations completely, let’s look at them more closely. If I understand correctly, you are catching the new inside edge at or after transition. Or to many skiers who have never had a PMTS Lesson, at the beginning of your turn. This is a occurrence that simply means one of two things are happening. You are either leaning your body into the new turn too early. Or you have “old weight” still on the old stance ski and you are pushing yourself into the new arc by extending the uphill leg. This is known in some circles as (extension off the old inside edge and leg ) or inside leg extension, which we don’t teach in PMTS, some think it’s a technique, I won’t go there.

The instant solution, try to time and strengthen your counterbalance.

Notice how my upper body is leaning out over my outside ski? Blue and red lines indicate leaning upper body toward outside ski. That’s counter balance! Develop it at the beginning of each turn.

Also, lighten and lift the inside ski or free ski more aggressively, until you have gained better timing. This is basically the Phantom Move. For references about and more in-depth descriptions, check my Books on Amazon. My first two books are “Anyone can be an Expert Skier 1 and 2.

Link to Amazon: Look over to "Links" on the right of this page, click on Harald's Books.
Counter Balance is described in my fourth book called:

“Harald Harb’s Essentials of Skiing”

Crossing your tips?

Crossing the tips can be disastrous, while being the easiest problem in skiing to rid yourself of, in the shortest time. Fear of crossing the tips can be even more devastating. It holds you back, which makes you a defensive skier. A defensive skier lets more things happen to them, instead of controlling what is happening out front. You can’t just become an aggressive skier by thinking aggressive. You have to make the correct movements that instill confidence, to raise your aggressive levels.

How do you get confidence? You feel your skiing become easier and it begins working for you. So what is the greatest movement to stop crossing your tips and increase you skiing confidence? The greatest movement in the history of skiing, it’s called the Phantom Move.

The Phantom Move is very easy to learn, but very difficult to perfect. With a little practice you can become a Phantom Move expert, instantly functional and reap the rewards. It can be learned by following these simple steps. At the end of each turn, lift your downhill ski. This means you have to shift your weight to the other foot. Try to shift your balance to the other foot while keeping it on the uphill, little toe edge. Your little toe edge is on the outside of your foot, trust me, remember this, as it’s hard to check with ski boots on.

Starting the Phantom Move

As you begin to lift the stance foot or downhill ski, at the end of a turn to get the Phantom Move started, tip the lifted foot toward it’s outside or little toe edge. Just to confirm, both your skis are tipped toward their little toe sides now.

Not really, this can never happen, but the more you try to accomplish this, the better your turns will become and you will never cross your skis again. Notice how my lower ski leads, with the wedge movement background you learned, skiers keep doing the opposite, the upper ski leads, that's why skis cross.

Climbing season is just around the corner

2008-03-16T13:52:00.006-06:00

Keeping and staying in good enough physical condition, year round, to ski 150 days a season, is now a full time job. A few years ago, I could do it without metering out my energy. Now I have to measure how I use energy. This means starting my training early, or never stopping. Rest is as important as training, resting properly and not over doing too many hard effort days in a row, makes lots of sense. This has always been my challenge with competition and preparing. I used to over train and try to over prepare. Now I know the consequences and I have learned to spread out my efforts.

My goals are to climb better and more difficult pitches this summer, so training has to start early and stay controlled. Hard to do while still skiing and also preparing for a strong bike riding season. Oh well, I’m sure there are worst problems.

Very,Very steep side of Lone Peak, Big Sky

2008-03-14T17:37:00.004-06:00

Latest Post: Powder Skiing Tips, Look down the page

2008-03-11T12:22:00.004-06:00

It's not too late to get in some of the best skiing of the season. Now that was some fat snow!

Hip to the snow Carving arcs, the PMTS way

2008-03-03T21:38:00.002-07:00

Powder tips for Ripping through heavy stuff!!

2008-03-02T14:55:00.005-07:00

Powder Skiing for 2008 not over

Some of the best power skiing of the season is in March and April. It may not be the light blow away stuff that marketing photos are always promoting, but it is the type of snow you’ll most likely encounter over the years you’ll be skiing. It makes sense to know how to ski it. You want this to be a fun experience as you’ll most likely see many more of these dumps than the light bottomless kind.

For those skiers that are still dreaming of that perfect powder day; I’ll blow your bubble, they just don’t happen often enough to wait.

How can you have a great time in these heavier one foot type spring snows?

-Start early in the day, as the snow is lighter before the temperatures go up.
-Warm up on steeper slopes than you normally ski, as on blue runs the heavier snow will slow you down too much to develop the momentum you need to push through it.
-Ski the snow like you would a steep bump run, make some runs where you complete your turns before you decide to let loose.
-Ski black bump rums as soon as possible, the snow will slow you down and you don’t have to hold nearly as strong and edge as on hard bumps.

From the technical side:
- You will need to bend your legs to let the skis go flat and into the next arc.
- Keep your core strong and stable over your feet or your body will tend to over rotate.
-Aim to finish each arc with a goal. One of the best technical ideas is to keep the chest facing the stance boot as early in the arc as possible. That isn't the old" face down hill" idea either!!!
-Aim the zipper on your jacket toward the stance boot and hold it in place at the release and transition.

Signs that this is not happening are:
1. Your skis are over turning and you are finding you can’t slow down without a long traverse between turns.
2. You often spin around, end up facing uphill after a few turns, then flip backward downhill.
3. Your ski tails split causing a wedge turn.
4. You thighs start burning.

None of these undesirables will happen if you flex to release, keep a stable upper body and prepare to hold your upper and mid body in a counter acting relationship before the turn ends.

My choices for skis in these situations are the Head, Super Shape or the Monster 78, in a 171cm length; for the turning minded skier. For the straight liner, a Monster 82 will take care of your needs.

There is still plenty of great skiing left in March and April, so don’t put away the skis just because it’s 60 degrees in town and the golf course is greening up.

Skiing at the Yellowstone Club

2008-03-02T13:33:00.006-07:00

Here's a Yellowstone Powder Turn...

Carving techniques

2008-03-01T19:14:00.003-07:00

Harald Harb and Diana Rogers Carving Together

Harald's Nordic Adventure - Yellowstone

2008-03-01T12:53:00.003-07:00

While en route to Montana, we stopped near Yellowstone Park to do some Nordic skiing. Take a look!

What does counter acting really mean?

2008-02-19T22:23:00.007-07:00

Counter Acting is the movement that puts your hips as close to parallel to the skis as possible. Although not everyone has the flexibility shown in this photo, the movement is part of improving your skiing. Holding this counter is important during the whole releasing phase. Polish up on your two-footed releases and than add more counter acting to your skiing. You'll be a powerful expert skier before you know it.

Harald Harb's Two-Footed Release

2008-02-17T12:49:00.017-07:00

This is the two-footed release that is so critical to your skiing advancement. Learn how to do it and watch the movements. Make sure you have the same beginning position as in the video. Reach downhill and plant pole downhill from the heelpiece of your bindings. Release or flatten both skis and let gravity take the tips downhill. Stay forward as you release so the tips react. As soon as you are sliding downhill, tip the inside ski toward the little-toe edge. Balance on the outside ski as you finish and prepare your pole pant for the next release.

Connnected Two footed Releases
Connecting two footed releases develop skills toward Brushed Carve turns; if you begin to increase edge angles through tipping of the skis in the upper parts of the arc, you will become a great skier.

If you can achieve higher edge angles you will not feel the urge to push out of the turn. A push constitutes an up movement and an interruption between turns. Most skiers have an edge set and a push because they don‘t understand foot tipping or early edge and balance transfers. Two footed releases teache important refinements in your skiing. Many skiers can ski with brut force and upper body movements. But truly refined skiing is an art that few understand or realize even exists

Tipping ability still reigns in importance!

2008-02-16T22:57:00.002-07:00

The Harb Ski Systems Team just finished up our last Blue Camp of the season at Sol Vista, in Granby, Colorado. Although we have three other camps this season, this is the last blue level in the US. The rest of the schedule is: an All Mountain Camp at Big Sky, Montana, a European, May camp in Austria, and a Race Camp at Mt Hood in June. Check my web site for details: www.harbskisystems.com
This last camp kept reinforcing the success of the "Essentials of Skiing" concept from my last book, “Harald Harb’s, Essentials of Skiing“. Although there are five Essentials outlined in my book; it is clear that to most skiers tipping the feet is the weakest of the Essentials. Once tipping ability increases a whole new world of skiing is opened. Once tipping the feet becomes comfortable, access to slopes, skiers never dreamed of skiing becomes attainable. There is still plenty of winter left, so don’t miss the chance to improve your tipping skills. Look for more information and video on this subject in the coming days here on my blog.

A little bit of tipping and a little bit of counter and a little bit of balance, adds up to angles.

2008-02-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

"Harb Shop "The Skunk Works" off I 70 in Dumont Colorado."

2008-02-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

Honk when you drive by on I-70! Exit 234 going west look to your right.

HH all mountain steeps

2008-02-08T18:24:00.001-07:00

Strategy on Steeps: click on the link below this photo

Pallavicini is steep enough to keep you interested, but not so steep to frighten anyone. It normally has big bumps and irregular snow; so you never know what to expect. I didn’t take any reconnaissance runs here; I wanted to jump in and make the best of it.
In these situations you don’t want to get too fancy; solid skiing is the best approach. As far as releases go, you are just looking for what feels best. In uneven snow like this you don’t want a ski to catch or hook, so I use more of a two footed release, with new inside ski leading the tipping for the new turn; this approach serves me well here. You don’t want to jam your big toe ski edge into the snow or go for outside ski edge grip too early or too hard. You have to feel your way into the top of the arc, so the skis don’t catch or rip off in a funny direction.
Although it looks very fast and dynamic; I’m really taking my time at the top of each arc, trying to feeling the snow. Definitely every new turn is exciting, you never know what you’ll get, so you have stay alert. It’s exciting and very satisfying at the same time. I test myself in these situations every season to make sure I’m not losing any of my quickness or reflexes. I used to take more chances even on the opening runs in these situations, but now I take my time and wait to feel my skiing senses for this type of terrain develop. After a few days in these situations; I begin to really let go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxHOdUEbqAg

This is unrehearsed skiing, I jumped right into the steep slope without a practice run. You have to have your head about you to do this, figure out your main points of concentration before you ski. Take a moment to calm yourself and think about relaxation, with an adequate portion of aggression and keep yourself within the boundaries of control. The important thing to remember is that it won’t be a smooth, comfortable, or an easy ride. You have to make it that way, you have to impose your will on the slope, don’t let it beat you.

How to be sure you will become an Expert Skier

2008-02-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Philosophical about skiing It’ s easy for me to be philosophical about ski instruction, it’s been my life in one form or another for 40 years. The legacy of main stream ski instruction is definitely consistent and continues to stay on the same course, leading skiers in the wrong direction. It boils down to the TTS organizations (traditional ski systems)not understanding efficiency of movement. Ski instruction split into factions decades ago. The racers and coaches accepted and understood that skis must be put on edge to make speed. This was greatly due to Warren Witherell’s book, “How the Racers Ski”. The instructor world stayed in the same place even in the face of overwhelming proof that skiing works better with skis on edge, rather than with skis twisting. So TTS (traditional ski systems) continued to teach maneuvers and outcomes that conflict with expert skiing and skier efficiency. This was in total contradiction to expert movements, what skiers used called "efficiency". Unfortunately, the systems that move skiers toward inefficiency are still dominating the world of ski instruction.

I’m sure skiers don’t know this about ski instruction and if they knew; I’m sure they would say it’s about time that ski instruction changed.

It is important for the TTS to keep instructors and the skiing public dumb, to avoid discovery. The inefficiencies in TTS become very obvious when you watch skiers struggling with Wedge Christie movements, when they should be skiing parallel, the first step to becoming an expert. It’s hard, but I try to justify traditional instructional approaches in my mind. Since most national ski instruction systems still, not only teach, but reinforce the Wedge Christie in skiers. I can only guess they don‘t see the long term damage done. They still believe in the short term results the wedge teaching system produces. However the residual effects are damaging, as they result in skiers and instructors stuck with a wedge and a wedge movement pattern. Rather than changing to a system that brings skiers to ski with less effort and that makes them look like skiers that people see in the movies, skiers stay clumsy and unbalanced. In an earlier Blog, I wrote that I often teach intermediate skiers. I watch them struggle with the wedge opening and body rotation needed to get around the bracing stance ski, big toe edge, that the wedge creates. Skiers taught this way can’t find a way to release the outside ski. They have to move into the next turn with an interruption of movements that otherwise, with an efficient approach, would easily connect turns.

After decades of opportunity for change, skiing may still be the only sport that teaches completely different movements than those used by expert skiers.

Hence the popularity and growth of Snowboarding, especially with the image conscious youth? I find these traditional approaches to skiing so pervasive there is no one pointing out the deficiencies in the national systems; everyone is bought in. Therefore there is no motivation for them to even consider a change. Why is it that in this day and age, national systems have yet to investigate their systems and the outcomes they produce for skiers? The fact that they aren’t researching their results, evaluating their performance, and addressing these issues and outcomes, keeps them believing old school teaching methods are still justified. But unfortunately they are a major deterrent to skiing growth and enjoyment for the general public? Skiing as an industry has to pull together and confront this debilitating insidious problem. We have to introduce efficiency into ski teaching. The only biomechanically efficient teaching program in the world is PMTS. PMTS teaches toward efficiency and national teaching systems teach away from efficacy. To understand this completely we have to know what is meant by efficient skiing and what is not. Inefficient skiing, blocks the body from moving naturally with or in the direction of the natural and developed forces that help move the body from turn to turn. Anytime a skier resists the natural forces, as thousands do with the wedge, it causes defensive core movement approaches. Defensive movements block and brace against the natural elements that would smoothly move the body toward the new turn. These defensive reactions are caused by movements like: leg extension, which moves the body back uphill, body rotation that moves the body around the blocking wedged out ski, the obstacle. In all of these cases, the obstacle is the planted big toe edge of the wedged out, stance ski. If that edge is holding, the ski can’t release; therefore the body can’t move into the new turn. If anyone isn’t grasping what I’m saying, I’m saying traditional teaching systems don’t intend or know they produce these results, but the fact is their wedge based inefficient movements and dead-end accompanying movements result in dissatisfaction. Humans are very crafty at developing movements getting them around skiing obstacles. When there is a technical barrier that creates difficult situations the body adapts. When skiers begin using adaptive movements they stop progressing and basically survive. These adaptive ways don’t move skiers toward expert skiing. Two of the movements that result from inefficiency and adaptive needs; I described earlier, actually become stronger and reinforced in skiers as they ski. Every time a skier uses these habits, wrong movements become more ingrained and this dependence becomes powerful. It’s very logical and easy to see how every time skiers ski with inefficient movements they move further away from efficiency, making the road back, increasingly difficult. I teach skiers using PMTS, which teaches only efficient movements, and I can reverse inefficient movements with my PMTS Direct Parallel system. The reversal can take a day or a week, depending on a skiers dedication and persistence. Teaching toward efficiency is a completely different way of teaching skiing. PMTS teaches efficiency from the first time a skier hits the snow. Because there is no bracing big toe edge wedge or stems taught in PMTS. The problems that plague skiers from other systems are never developed and the skier is never dependant on the stem and wedge as a crutch. Skiing with Efficiency

The problems TTS produce become very clear when you have to teach skiers who are stuck in the movements of the national systems. Fortunately, with PMTS getting the results from efficient movements, doesn’t take long. How is this done? It’s done with an emphasis on balance transfer and releasing movements, rather than with Stem Christie movements. Every skier who uses Stem Turns develops bracing and body rotating dependencies. The strength of the PMTS system is the versatility taught to skiers early in the system. PMTS skiers learn how to relax into a new turn by using movements that allow the body to move without pushing against the slope and gravity .

To ski correctly you have to learn a different set of movements.

The first step is learning and becoming comfortable with real balancing on all the edges of the skis. This is part of the core PMTS development program that is totally neglected in traditional national systems. How do you test that skiers have learned these core balancing abilities? Very simple approaches that involve traversing the slope on each of the four ski edges. If skiers can traverse a slope on both the little toe edge side of the uphill and the big toe edge side of the downhill ski; they can ski with parallel movements. When skiers learn this ability they tend and are much more likely to allow the body to move freely into the next arc, in balance. This is facilitated by the what you learn next in PMTS; relaxing and bending of the stance leg to change the ski edges for the new turn. Yes, these are expert skier movements. Who doesn’t want to learn using expert skier movements?

Isn‘t it logical that learning expert movements from the beginning, accelerates your skiing to an expert level?

It’s been more than ten years since my first article appeared in “Skiing Magazine“, called “Become Expert in a Day”

This article was widely criticized by traditional instructors, as being far too optimistic and unachievable.

The critics totally missed the point. I still stand by the name of the article and the results achieved by the movements. The meaning of the title is focused on the huge difference you can achieve for your skiing, in one day using PMTS to reverse the damaging movements. In one day you can change your skiing; and build it toward efficiency, rather than staying stuck in the rut that only deepens the frustration generated by the inefficient movement spiral. Becoming an expert skier in a day, is a reality, because with PMTS movements, the day you decide to learn with efficiency, will be your first day into the expert skiing world. Every time you ski with PMTS, expert movements are reinforced, rather than destroyed; and you came closer to the goal of becoming an expert skier.

Super Phantom anyone?

2008-02-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

The great thing about my job is the availability of teaching all levels of skiing. I teach beginners, intermediates moving forward, and wanting to become experts; and experts wanting to be perfect.
This week I taught intermediates. It’s amazing, every time I go out with intermediates, I get as excited as I do teaching world class racers. So what does a racing coach with World Cup skiing experience teach intermediates. “The Super Phantom” of course.
What’s the Super Phantom? It’s the upgraded “Phantom Move”, from my first book, added and presented in my second DVD “Anyone can be an Expert Skier 2”.
click here for info about Harald's book and DVD 2

Basically learn to ride your little toe edge. Do this by lifting the stance foot and traverse the slope on the little toe edge. Practice this at least ten times on each foot. If you can’t stay balanced on that foot after 10 tries, you have an alignment problem. Please refer to my first book or this web site for more information about alignment.

click here for more info about alignment
Alignment

After you are comfortable with standing on the little toe, use the lift and tip “ Phantom Move”, from my first book. These are movements designed to realize perfect parallel skiing. Qualifier, don’t try use these movements to turn , these are movements; not turns. In fact, try not to turn. Turning only gets you in trouble. Turning is what “Traditional Teaching Systems” teach. In this approach keep the ski going toward the other side of the slope as long as you can make it go there. You will realize quickly that by not trying to turn, but by using these movements instead; you will making the best turns you have every made.
More to come, for now, over and out.
Harald

Sol Vista Green/Blue Camps

2008-02-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone, this is my first post on the Harald Harb Blog.
We just finished a Green Camp at Sol Vista. I’ll comment first on the great improvements that occurred at Sol Vista this summer. The lodge is new, the grooming is excellent, and the slopes are safe and perfect for teaching. This is not a big resort experience; it’s only better. Sol Vista offers perfect teaching terrain without interference from skiers and snow boarders who want to show off how fast they can whiz by skiers who are learning. The slopes are wide, easy to ski and they inspire confidence in the learning skiers. That’s why we hold camps at Sol Vista.
More to come, over and out for now.
Harald

Coming Soon

2008-01-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Harb Ski Systems is entering the 21st century. Harald and Diana will each have their own blogs, starting soon!