Tips from the Pros

STORY BY ALISON TAYLOR

WHISTLER EXPERTS HELP SET GOALS TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME FOR THE SEASON AHEAD

Getting ready for ski season is an annual rite of passage in this mountain town. It’s what preoccupies us during the rainy fall season when all eyes are trained daily on the tops of the mountains and the teasing snow line.

Preparation is all in the details. You’ll see the locals at the Turkey Sale in October—Whistler’s annual discounting of skis, boots and all the gear of the season—making sure everything is in order a month before opening day. You’ll find them at the gym, squatting deeply to prep the quads, trying to get the body in that elusive form of “ski ready.” You’ll hear the talk of the weather projections—what does the Farmers’ Almanac predict this year? (Editor’s Note: this year calls for average winter precipitation with brisk temperatures—in other words, the skiing should be good!) >>

Quietly, however, many skiers start to turn their minds to what they want to get out of their sport this season—how are they going to up their game? What new challenges lie ahead?

“There’s always some objectives for the season,” says instructor Ralph Forsyth. “There’s always something for us to improve on. The perfect run has eluded me!”

Now that’s saying something. Forsyth has been a ski instructor for 35 years, starting when he was 17 years old in Quebec, and spending the last three decades in Whistler. He has been named instructor of the year at Whistler Blackcomb many times, though he’s reluctant to talk about that, preferring instead to boast about the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Party Animal of the Year award at the Ski Esprit ski school four years in a row, starting in the 1991/’92 season when he first arrived. “A title,” he deadpans, “that was never matched.”

Forsyth’s advice for anyone looking to get better this season?

Take a lesson. And not just from any instructor. Get a reference. Find someone who’s good at what you’re looking to improve upon—skiing bumps, improving speed and style on groomers, tree skiing, big mountain skiing, etc.

Forsyth’s passion is off-piste—big mountain skiing off the groomers. The beauty of ski lessons is you get mileage, says Forsyth.

“We routinely do dozens of runs in a day,” he says.

Mileage with tips from the pros can make a huge difference. While technique is almost always about balance and instructors can make changes to suit each person’s style, Forsyth offers this advice too for the season ahead: “Take what the mountain gives you. Not every day is a powder day.”

The key is to find what’s best on any given day. “That’s as important to your improvement as anything I say to you.” >>

Like forsyth, instructor john smart has been teaching in Whistler for decades through his Momentum Ski Camps. Smart is a two-time Olympian (Lillehammer in 1994 and Albertville in 1992) and was a member of the Canadian Freestyle Team in moguls skiing.

Moguls can often be the bane of any skier’s day. Picture Whistler Bowl late afternoon—a landmine of moguls toying with you. Good skiers point skis down and go. But inevitably skiers traverse the top, looking for the best way down. The trick, says Smart, is to “get connected to the front of your ski.” A day with Momentum Ski Camps, learning from the best, will make you understand exactly what he means. But essentially he’s talking about finding pressure with your shins to connect to the tips.

“The front of your ski is your feeler. That’s where your response comes from.”

It’s the tip of your ski, after all, that reads the mogul first. But, he adds, this advice applies to any style of skiing, not just moguls.

Once you get that connection to the front of the ski, things will start to fall into place. Now, says Smart, focus up. Take your eyes off the mogul and look ahead. You must learn to trust your peripheral vision.

With your vision up, “everything will come at you slower,” he adds. And that makes skiing difficult terrain that much easier.

TAKING LESSONS IS A GREAT WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR CROSS-COUNTRY SKI SKILLS.

Just as instruction can take your downhill skiing up a notch or two, lessons can also help your cross-country ski skills. The key is finding your balance.

“Balance is really the basic building block to cross-country skiing,” says instructor Nadine Steenhoek, who is also manager of sport and programs for Whistler Sport Legacies which operates the stunning Nordic facility in the Callaghan Valley—Whistler Olympic Park.

Cross country skiing is a sport that’s very easy to get into, she adds, particularly classic cross country; skate skiing, which looks more like ice skating with skis, can be a little more challenging.

But once you get a feel for the balance on your skis, propulsion and coordination will follow.

“It doesn’t matter what level you are at, it’s important to always return to our basic building blocks,” she says.

Here’s Steenhoek’s advice for a successful day on skis whether it’s at Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley, Lost Lake Park on the edge of the Village, or elsewhere around town on some of the municipal trails that are track-set for free along the Valley Trail. The trick is to: Layer up. “Dress as if you’re going for a run or a hike in cold weather,” she says. That means non-cotton layers that can move easily with your body movement and wick sweat. She brings a pack with her essentials: a cell phone, water, snack, whistle, sunglasses, sunscreen, rain gear if in the forecast, or if not in the forecast! You’ll know what to pack if you check out Nordic Pulse, where you can search conditions based on area. Check out nordic-pulse.com.

This preparation sets you up for success which in turn makes you want to get out more.

It’s a long ski season. Challenge yourself, says Steenhoek, and change it up. Try some longer days along with the shorter days. And get outside and enjoy the ride.