Skiing: How to Break Beyond the INTERMEDIATE PLATEAU

For the full series of tutorial videos, head to www.alpinetutorials.com/intermediate-skiers
The Intermediate Plateau is where the majority of skiers end up. Folks that can get around the Blue & Red runs easily enough, but struggle to progress much further than that. Sadly, many skiers stay there and miss out on the joys of more advanced skiing.
This tutorial introduces 3 ways to progress from intermediate to advanced skiing and to break out of the dreaded intermediate plateau.

[@louiscruz624]

First guy i see on youtube who actually really knows what he's talking about

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks a lot Louis

[@Na-Vse-Ruki-Master-1872]

I've found that the advice about keeping shoulder parallel to slope EXTREMELY HELPFULL. Every single advice from this guy is easy to understand and follow, and it makes an enormous difference. I can honestly say that because of this channel my skiing technique improved greatly. In contrast to several training sessions with ski resort instructors (i.e. live person) - which were a waste of time (most instructors may be a good skiers - but not good instructors). The Avoriazskischool rocks !

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks so much for leaving this awesome comment - happy to have helped and I hope you have good times on skis! Cheers, George

[@wisecoonie]

I would perhaps add a 4th point and that is a correct pole plant. Lots of intermediates just don’t realise how important that is for developing a constant rhythm and a correct skiing style and posture. I see so many intermediates flailing around on the slopes nowadays, everything people (especially the young) appear to be interested in, is speed. Never mind the other skiers around them and even less a correct or fluid technique.

[@TokyoTom64]

Super clear instruction as always, love this channel.

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thank you Tom 🙏🏻

[@xerocrashious8355]

Really like the visual of the shoulder angle relative to the slope. Had not considered that previously. Something to practice

[@Avoriazskischool]

Hope it helps, have fun!

[@Arianne2019]

It’s a great video and I love the series that you have posted on KZbin. Generally speaking, you successfully demystify what is a very complex thing to explain in words. Skiing, as I have learned far too slowly, is about feeling and emotions. It’s a heavy load for words! Having said that, the earlier comment about quickly loading and unloading the appropriate ski resonates with me. Thank you again for your videos which have made me even more excited about our upcoming breaks in Austria and Italy for Winter 2023/24. Goodness me though…..lift passes have increased in price this past year!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks David - you make a great point about skiing being feeling and emotions. I learnt to surf as a kid and I am terrible at teaching it as I really struggle to translate it into words. Thankfully I’ve had enough practise and training teaching skiing; but translating it into simple words that resonate with your clients is what is the ongoing challenge. I hope you have an awesome time in Austria 🙌🏼, cheers, George

[@short_macchiato3222]

Very clear tutorial

[@Avoriazskischool]

Thanks hope it helps

[@jamesbentley5046]

Looks like the real secret to short turns is maintaining a cheesy grin

[@Avoriazskischool]

😂I had to mute the audio from that clip as Mark was HOLLARING in fear at having to ski backwards down a red run - hence the perma-grin

[@mahsaaslani4870]

Hi Thanks a lot for the tutorial, very clear and detailed As a beginner - intermediate skier I have 2 questions: 1- I am not used to take poles with me. In this video I learned they can be used to keep the balance but it is not still clear to me at what exact moment should I use them? and in general is it possible to keep balance without poles? 2- I learnt how to do the short turns and I think I am able to take short turn on the gentler slope but on the steeper one I am not able to reduce the speed as much as I feel comfortable. When it gets fast I freak out haha. And I do the longer turns. Is there any technique for someone in my level to help them reduce the speed on the shorter turns?

[@Na-Vse-Ruki-Master-1872]

Thanks!

[@Avoriazskischool]

Wow, thanks to you to! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@misterfunnybones]

Good skiing & fast skiing in racing are a fine balance. You can dominate in slalom with excellent skiing, but you won't win a GS, super G, or downhill race without abandoning some "good" skiing. The only way to go top podium is to take massive risks, i.e., be faster than everyone else, & that often means flailing through turns & adapting posture to keep the skis planted at 130km/h. If you try to ski with perfect technique during a race, you'll lose. There's only one way to determine your fast skiing threshold & that's by going there & risking the crash & burn. The greatest skiers (racers) know their threshold by learning it & testing the limit every race. Fast skiing is inherently risky & dangerous & for that reason, some people have a very low speed threshold.

[@mengshaliu7952]

Good skiing, or technical skiing is still the fundamental for racers of any discipline. However, racers uterlize technical skiing to go as fast as possible, whereas recreational skiers are benefit from technical skiing to ski all mountain, ski safer and ski more efficiently.

[@misterfunnybones]

@@mengshaliu7952 racers also need to spend time anticipating the snow conditions & spend $$$ tuning & waxing their skis. Wax at the competitive level can get quite expensive, whereas recreational skiers can get away with a super hot sauce treatment after 5-10 ski days.

[@gogglebro9421]

Technical question. Based on the order in which you present the key points, assuming that they need help with both, do you as a “general rule” work with students on directing pressure to the outside ski first, before working on their flexion and extension movements? This question has come up when my buddy and I were doing video movement analysis last week. If you have any feedback for us , it would be appreciated. //Marshall

[@Avoriazskischool]

Hi Marshal - yes as a general rule, when teaching skiers through the parallel turn sequence, I’ll make sure they are balanced over the outer ski first and layer the up down movement onto their skiing after. However, for some people, the up down really makes a difference, and I will use that earlier in the sequence if they are struggling, But for most learners, I’ll get them balancing on the outer ski as early as possible. Cheers

[@drewmac2573]

Am I going mad or did you used to have a video on skiing the Swiss Wall?

[@aaronlawrence5331]

Can somebody explain how to get ebtter at leaning forward into the boot

[@Avoriazskischool]

Have a go at skiing an easy run with your boot buckles undone whilst trying to keep contact between shins and front of boots. Then buckle them back up and realise the support you may previously have taken for granted 👌

[@MrDogonjon]

as usual cause and effect are never connected. The reason for a lack of progress is simple. failure to complete the course. Each level of skiing is a course that must be complete to progress to the next class level. We rush skiers through the beginning courses and put too much effort into teaching parallel skiing while the prerequisite rudiments are firmly in the stem turn which is never taught any more. We graduate students without checking for understanding and they think they are ready for level 5 parallel turns when their skills limit them to level 4 stem turns they were never taught and never learned. It's just like graduating students from high school who can't read or do basic math. then expecting them to go to college. The longer a skier languishes in the intermediate purgatory the less they will accept a remedial lesson in stem turns.

[@Avoriazskischool]

You make a great point - I think this is often the case when skiers are only on snow for short trips per year and are therefore incentivised to rush their progression to either meet their personal goals or to keep up with other members of their group

[@7billionTurkeys]

agree. The emphasis on parallel is putting ‘style’ over competence. I guess the emphasis on some sort of incompetent ‘parallel’ style is due to demand - these skiers see expert skiers and think “I want to look like that!”. But they can’t put in the miles, in crud, ice, slush, poor visibility, glorious bluebird powder days … I believe lessons definitely help to improve skiing, but to advance beyond intermediate requires time on slopes. Lots, not just a couple of weeks at a resort every year.

[@dank5018]

​@@7billionTurkeys as someone who is really insecure about their technique, but can only ski for 3-7 days a year. Your comment is strangely very comforting. The last few years have been filled with frustration as I try to fix, and maintain, my stem turns. But in the grand scheme of things, I have not had that many opportunities to practice. (Approximately 30 hours a year, if Im being extremely generous) I'm even more grateful to the one teacher I had who insisted on working on my basic turns and form. I have some hard choices to make if I really want to achieve my skiing dreams.