Deb Armstrong and Tom Gellie answer questions from subscribers about skiing and ski improvement.
– How to improve if you only ski 1-2 weeks a year?
– Ski selection. What skis are best?
– If you could only teach 3 things what would they be?
– Beliefs you held but no longer do?
– The inside knee and foot how important is it?
– What informs you?
– What do you think of the white pass turn?
And more…..
Thanks for watching. If you’re interested in learning more from Tom you can checkout his page https://www.bigpictureskiing.com
17 Comments
Never thought to have these 2 match up, but now I don't know why I was such a silly goose.
Deb, I'm with you on your rotary explanation and what advantage it gives to skiing. As for me I totally get it while I was rollerblading and it was the best tool to learn it.
Those awesome Sarajevo Olympics posters behind Deb 💙💙💪💪👏👏
Wow, just 10mins into this, and I'm thrilled! First, you are 2 out of my 3 favourite skiing-related content creators.❤ Then, I'm a re-starter, I had to stop skiing for 14 years and I had (have and will have) max about 10 days for skiing in a season, so the first topic fits me perfectly. Now, before going to ski this year, I made skiing-specific training sessions for MONTHS, and it helped me a lot. A LOT. Although I worked as a swimming instructor/coach for 10 years and used to be a competitive swimmer, I still work out 4-5 times a week (not swimming these days), so I try to be as fit as possible all-year-long. But different sports require different abilities. Also, gliding sports, excellent advice! I did some rollerblading and ice skating, and in the summer, I ride a motorcycle – which is awesome as you have to lean with the bike like you have to lean in skis… You know what I mean. And Vision. Vision is the game changer when on a bike, that's for sure. So I trained for my 2×4 days skiing availibility this year, I trained hard: physically AND mentally! I watched hundreds of YT-videos about skiing on an intermediate level, yours Tom and Deb, helped me a lot in this preparation process. What to look for, what to try, how to try, etc. And I managed to put my hand down on a carved turn sometimes… 😉 Which felt fantastic, and everybody said I ski way better than an average guy with altogether… I don't know, about 30 days skiing experience in 20 years under his belt… 😉 Awesome video, excellent advices, thank you for creating it, much appreciated!
Wow, what a great video, my two favorite you-tube instructors! I've had the privilege of a ski lesson in Steamboat with Deb a year ago, what a game changer. She taught me where I should be feeling the movements, to upgrade my skis and above all that this is a sport and to be intentional with my actions. I took these feelings and used Tom's dry land training to build the muscle memory during the non-skiing months, always focused on the intention of how it feels while skiing. We skied 30 plus days this year at four resorts and my biggest takeaway was a day in Sun Valley mid-week. We noticed that almost everyone on the mountain was an expert skier and how odd that was, lots of skillful turning. I asked the locals over burgers and beers if they all grew up in the racing program due to the high level of skiing we saw that day, proudly they said yes. Like Deb said, let's shorten that 10-year gap for the recreational skier. Thank you so much, you two are great!
Love these interviews . Tom @ 45'28s" get forward" debs ….never use the phrase "get forward" . I agree with debs that phrase should be banned however they both describe ways of achieving that action without using said phrase . Another phrase that should be banned is "driving the knee" as you should describe the action properly.
Also Tom in previous vids that "shin pressure isn t important "then describes in a white pass turns the best way to achieve the needed shin pressure to pressure the front of the ski. Btw shin pressure is one of my absolute fundamental concepts that should be consistent with ALL instructors. The problem is that it has been made into a meme via ' crush the boots' and you guys are too scared to use it. Just like inside leg "pressure" in high performance skiing tom nails it…need to carve the inside however you need weight / shin pressure to do so. The distribution of forces is still 80/20 70/30 on favour of the outside even if you put most of your weight on the inside due to the high centripetal forces and in one of toms recent videos as a beginner he talks about depressuring the inside leg due to slow speed therefore no centripetal forces and to achieve the 70/30 need to deweight the inside. This is not a contradiction . Just that it is totally misunderstood by EVERYONE.
I could listen to you two for hours. Great stuff.
Now it's time for Deb to join you here in Aust for a slide. 👍👍
Deb, call that savvy #bumpswagger!
Can you provide a link, if possible, to Josh Fog’s presentation that was reference?
I asked if I could perform the the hand to snow drill from a prior video on my 102’s. I can see I might have touched a nerve 😊. I travel with two pairs. An 82 and a 102. I think it’s more on me if I can’t get the feeling you’re describing on one of those pairs rather than the tools themselves.
Two of my absolute favourite skiers/instructors!
I enjoyed this even more than the last time you two chatted! So much great feedback.
One question on the inside knee: any tips to strengthen it off season? This season I was practicing inside edge angle, caught an edge and nearly injured my knee. I think Tom’s movement program saved it, since the torque was transferred and absorbed also in my hip. But it got me thinking that there might be some specific prevention exercises.
It is a bonus to learn from two of you in one video
Great 🙂 Can someone please make time marks ? I Would love to hear Tom's opinion on certain things but not watch the whole video
A great video indeed. This last season I became a first time, baby ski instructor, and I watch a lot of Mr. Gellie's and Ms. Armstrong's videos to learn from their expertise. This video stimulates my imagination and inspires me. I have only been skiing 8 seasons and I love teaching and skiing. Wonderful, wonderful video and I thank Mr. Gellie and Ms. Armstrong for sharing their incredible knowledge of and infinite passion for skiing. A giant Thank you.
Oh man, I hope Deb Armstrong can come back and tell us what her one drill was!
But I 100% know what mine would be: unbuckling my boots and learning to ski without tightening them. For the first time ever, I felt my balance through the bottom of my feet and truly experienced what it felt like to ski "from feet up".
Between Tom's approach of figuring out the physics of skiing and teaching us ways to become more aware of our bodies, even this scaredy-cat was able to learn to "get forward" without just throwing myself into the abyss (which I would never have done anyway).
Confidence is over-rated: understanding is everything.
Hugely appreciate this conversation!
Great discussion about skiing! I think you guys may have missed a layup on the 'how to improve when only skiing a week or two question.' Hiring a qualified ski instructor is an excellent way to make to most out of your time on the hill to improve.