Bethel Citizen 2/25/16

For further information contact:  Terri Messer at tmesser@aol.com or 207-671-0715

Now that Maine school vacation week is over, many Prime Time Ski Club members have returned to the Sunday River ski area slopes, hoping to once again enjoy some uncrowded mid-week skiing. Although Sunday River has the most open terrain in the East with over 525 skiable acres, not as many members seem to be skiing this year or staying out as long during the day compared to last year when we had tons of snow and great conditions throughout the season. This year’s challenging conditions, a “weather whiplash” as a Sunday River email described it, have left many of our members feeling uncomfortable on the slopes.

However, it’s never too late to take a lesson on how to ski specific conditions whether it be ice or heavy, granular snow, both of which we have had within days of each other. For those who have neither the desire nor the money to take lessons, here are a few tips that could help you enjoy varying conditions more and keep you on the slopes longer each day. The best way to adjust one’s skiing to these varying conditions is to make sure that you are in balance, skiing with your weight over the arches of your feet most of the time. One way to tell if you are in balance is if your quadriceps muscles, the large muscles on the front of your thighs, start to hurt. In most cases that means that you weight is too far back. If your calf muscles feel extremely tight while skiing, chances are that your weight is too far forward. It is most common for skiers to be “in the back seat,” meaning that weight is too far back.

You can also have a friend ski ahead of you and then watch as you ski down a trail, noting what part of your ski the snow is spraying from — the front, middle or back — and that shows what part of the ski your weight is concentrated on. Another balance test and a good way to tweak your balance is to try lifting the back of one ski while skiing on the flat part of a trail, leaving the tip of the ski on the snow. If you can’t do this with each ski, try adjusting your weight back or forward (not a large movement, maybe just an inch or so) until you can lift one ski at a time off the ground and hold it there for a few seconds. This is a good check and adjustment to make during the first run of the day and throughout the day whenever you ski on flat terrain.

When skiing over ice, flatten your skis and then use your edges to skid to slow down. Sideslipping is another way to conquer icy slopes, using skidding and edging for speed control. If you try to carve on icy conditions, you will probably gain too much speed and find it difficult for edges to hold on the ice. The more balanced you are, the more prepared you are to react to changing conditions. Ski safely and ski with a friend. If you’re looking for someone to ski with, you can meet Prime Time Ski Club members at North Peak Lodge at 10 a.m. weekdays (upper level, right hand side past the bar). Or you can meet up with Prime Timers in the Mahoosuc Room at South Ridge prior to the lifts opening at 9 a.m. Check out our website at www.primetimeskiclub.com.