Product Description
The early, romantic days of skiing in the West-the 1930s, '40s, and '50s-were a time of glamour and great excitement. Hollywood movie stars in the latest snow fashions shared chair lifts with the originators of "extreme" skiing. Skiers zoomed down the mountains with primitive equipment, relying on enthusiasm and their own brand of skill to take them successfully to the bottom. Otto Lang, Hannes Schneider, Errol Flynn, and dozens of other celebrities and even early Olympic athletes peppered these snowy slopes, having the time of their lives.

That era of fun and elegance was captured on film by famed outdoor photographer Ray Atkeson and ski moviemaker Warren Miller, who became friends in Squaw Valley in 1949. In this nostalgic tour of an earlier time, Miller reminisces about the places, people, and props that color the history of skiing in the West. His lively, firsthand account of the events that populate this unequaled photo collection is fascinating reading.

Ray Atkeson became a legend in his lifetime, taking over 40,000 photos of the pioneer years of skiing the West. Warren Miller has produced nearly five hundred sports films during his fifty-year career. He teaches skiing in Big Sky, Montana. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book, even better photos!
This is a super book with loads of great stories and wonderful photographs! A must own for any skiier.

Photographic history of the early days of skiing in the West
Ray Atkeson was the premier skiing photographer in the 30's - 50's.Through his beautiful photographs you'll enjoy seeing the early days of skiing in the Pacific Northwest, Utah, Colorado and California. It's remarkable not only for the photographs, but for the camera equipment Ray had to use to capture these scenes. See the ski areas, equipment and clothing from this early area.This is a terrific coffee table pictorial of a bygone skiing days.

Great coffee-table book.
First saw this book in the Denver, CO airport. What a greatbook. If you like skiing you will enjoy the photos in thisbook - particularly if you frequent any of the resortsfeatured in the photos (most of which are in the westernUS - WA, CO, UT, CA). Like most any ski related itemassociated with Warren Miller - awesome! ... Read more

Product Description
Make the most of your skiing with expert advice from top ski instructor Harald Harb and elite sports fitness trainer Paul Frediani.

The revolutionary Ski Flex program takes just ten minutes a day to improve your skills and keep you fit both on and off the mountain. This easy-to-use guide provides a dependable strength and conditioning program for first-timers and regular weekend skiers alike. The fourth book in the highly popular pocket-sized Sports Flex series, Ski Flex meets the demand for sports-specific flexibility programs that can be done anywhere in a shorter amount of time! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ski instruction
I ordered a couple of his books and while one may be interesting they are kind of redundant.If ordering just try one first.

Stretch for the Slopes!
Get in shape for ski season with this guide to stretching.These easy exercises work well as a morning wake-up call.

Good book on ski conditioning
This is a good book - a relatively inexpensive book to help know how to get in shape for skiing season. I also purchased Fitskiing (hardback) which is more exhaustive (and was more what I was looking for), but this book is worth the cost.

Flexibility - yes!Fitness and conditioning - not really...
It is well established that stretching improves agility and quickness of skiers. Resistance exercises strengthen the muscles, but they also shorten them. Stretching makes muscles longer again. This leads to flexibility (greater range of motion in the joints) which allows to get the most out of your training program and helps to ski longer, in better control, with less fatigue. Many books in the past emphasized primarily physical training during off-season period. In the last few years, flexibility and stretches got increasingly large attention. This book is entirely focused on stretches. It contains a well-illustrated 10-20 minute warm-up and stretching routine, and several additional excersises to improve balance. The exercises are very easy, and can be done, e.g., in the morning before work. They help to wake up and to feel better. Additionally, there is a section on warm-up and stretches recommended for the slopes before skiing (partly with the skis on), and a few exercises on skis to improve balance.

The authors emphasize that it is important to do these stretches every day since the result will be nil if you do them irregularly. However, it is not quite clear what kind of progress you can expect if you do them every day. While I appreciate the importance of stretches, I strongly suspect that the result may be rather insignificant if you do these routines every day, but nothing besides them. Stretches obviously work best when they are combined with more vigorous exercise program, such as strength training or aerobics. It is a pity that this book includes very few of those - if it did, it could be an indispensable source for pre-season conditioning. The good part, however, that practically all suggested exercises can be done at home on the floor or standing against the wall, with the equipment which can be purchased at a local harware store, or with no equipment at all.

The subtitle of the book (see the bottom of the book cover) is misleading as it says "flexibility, fitness, and conditioning for better skiing". Flexibility is definitely there, and is very well written; fitness and conditioning - sorry, guys, I did not see much of it in the book. Four stars.

A trainer gets trained
I'm a personal trainer working in a New York City gym and when a client of mine wanted some exercises for his favorite sport, I did a search and found this book.It has been excellent.All I needed to tailor a program for him, and even exercises he can do on the mountain in full gear.Clear, honest and effective.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
& 100 b/w photos & 6 x 9 .Thorough guide to gear and technique& Authoritative advice from leading skiers and instructors& Detailed photographs throughoutIn only six inches of snow, in any place, and at any age, anyone can take part in cross-country skiing, one of the fastest-growing winter sports in the nation. It combines safe, low-impact activity with a complete cardiovascular workout; there is simply no healthier total body conditioner. In this illustrated guide, Jules Older examines technique, equipment, preparations, safety, and ski touring centers--all in a conversational and entertaining style that emphasizes the importance of going at your own pace and enjoying the outdoors.Jules Older, an avid skier and winter sports enthusiast, teaches writing at the University of Vermont and has been published in national and international skiing magazines. He lives in Albany, Vermont. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Retroactive
If you are someone who loves cross-country skiing for its quiet nordicstep and glide through the woods, wearing woolen knickers and munching ongranola, or if you are looking for a traditional introduction into thesport then this book is for you.

On the otherhand, if you are a skiskating racer in day glow spandex gulping power-gels and looking for thestate-of-the-art technique and training advice then keep looking.

What a kick!
One of the things I love about cross-country skiing is its diversity. Another thing is the easy-going quality-- you just go and enjoy the hell out of it, whether you're skating or track skiing or telemarking or runningaround the backcountry yodeling. The thing I DON'T like is how manypractitioners take it sooo seriously.Jules Older's book is a kick inthe pants. He has the right priorities. Whether he's talking aboutequipment, clothing, technique, skiing with your old dog, even waxing(which attracts the real fanatics!), you feel he's about to giggle. andit's contagious! There's still plenty of useful information; but thecontext - including photos - makes it fun. If you'd like to learnabout a great sport, hear some great stories, and laugh a lot in theprocess, I'd choose this over any other book! (And yeah, I used to be oneof those fanatics; turns out it's more fun to learn and laugh at the sametime.) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Good Tips for All Levels of Tele Skiers
Love the book - laid out well. Each "tip" concise and easy to understand. Book travels well, keep it in your pack for a reference while skiing. Many of the tips are focused on the same basic principles (back foot weighting, upper body facing the fall line, etc...) but approaching these principles in multiple different ways increases the chance that a tip will stick in your brain.

My boyfriend wouldn't listen to me, so I bought him this book.
What a great Christmas present for my bf - everything I was trying to teach him and more (I learned a bunch too), without the dirty looks after saying, "Almost got it, try again".The illustrations are funny and ultra useful because they show you how to do the technique right, almost right, and wrong.You decide which category you fit in.

Fun and informative little book!
This book is really well done; there are lots of fun and humorous illustrations and accompanying text with helpful little tele tips. If you are new to telemark skiing (as I am) this is a great little book. If you are already a good telemark skier there are some good tips and advice for you too. This book's illustrations are really fun and explain the text well. This book's tips range from really basic to really hard, from good basic tele form to skiing tele backwards. It's a great quick read, and you don't have to read it in the order given. Another fun aspect of this book is a flow chart which helps you decide which tips you should be working on. A nice read for the drive up to your ski resort. I can't wait to read the authors' book about backcountry skiing.

Drop the knee - Not the bomb!
I'm the illustrator of this groovy book. If the following sounds like shameless self promotion...it is. 123 tips in this UPDATED book!I personally subjected my ski partners to my less than subtal research technique, I bugged 'em by asking every concievable question and making 'em try (almost) every tip in the book. The winter of 97/98 involved getting up in the morning and going backcountry skiing, then coming home and drawing bizzare cartoons of what subtal telemark insights I uncovered durring the day. The result was the first edition of this book. People actually stop me on the street and thank me for improving their tele-skiing! Then, I spent the next decade practicing and refining NEW tips for this book. Now available, reafdy for your ski season. For example there is a funny cartoon of a guy puting a penny in his [...]...really! Strange but true, this is a valuable tool to perfect this beautiful style of skiing. 'nuff said...Mike Clelland!

The Awesome learned from this BOOK!
When I ask a very awesome and strong tele skier to teach me; she recommended this book. After having reviewed the basics - I can't wait for SNOW to do all the lessons that apply to me!! ... Read more

Product Description
In this one-of-a-kind book, Mermer Blakeslee shares the proven techniques that have earned her international recognition as an expert on fear management.

As Mermer Blakeslee points out in her introduction, fear "resonates far, spreads widely across many boundaries, sinks to the lowest levels, and grows big very quickly." In this compelling meditation on fear, Blakeslee uses skiing as a metaphor to introduce us to what she calls our "nags and guides." Knowing when and why we should heed-or silence-these competing inner voices, can help us expand our areas of comfort as we strategically move into and out of our personal YIKES! Zone. And she encourages us fearlessly engage our fear in dialogue, demonstrating how we can make the subtle and not so subtle adjustments necessary to lead the life we desire.

With her reassuring, non-confrontational approach, Blakeslee shows how the mind, body, and spirit can work together to foster trust and positive action. Much more than a self-help manual or a guide to skiing, In the Yikes Zone is a provocative, accessible book that will help us to revitalize our lives and use the power of surrender to exist fully in the moment.In the Yikes Zone is for anyone who has ever stood at the top ofa literal or figurative slope and contemplated taking the big plunge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Face to Face with Fear
As this book is out of print, I paid much more than I normally would for a ski book. As it turns out, I feel this is one of the best books I have ever read.It struck a very strong chord with me.I found the suggestions extremely helpful.But more than that, I found sharing the experiences that Mermer had gone through with the people she has coached to be cathartic.I have felt the feelings that were being described (frozen in place, unable to move or to breathe) and I have also experienced the transition to surrendering to gravity and the joy of being able to flow down a trail that had at one point terrified me.To be able to help people (especially women) to understand what this is like and to share in Mermer's descriptions of these experiences and skiing in general (the emotions involved, the fact that skiing is a metaphor for life and the things one can learn about oneself, the love of the sport, the feeling of being in harmony with the world and of being a completely free spirit) is transcendant.

strange name...great book
More than a skiers book on fear.Mermer demonstrates how to tackle fear head on.If you need a book to get you over the edge....this is the one.

More Than skiing
Ms. Blakeslee's writing captures the reader with thrills and laughter; she takes the experiences of skiing way beyond the realm of skiing. This book helps the reader to use ANY fearful experience as a learning tool to move forward.

Performance Success
"In the Yikes Zone" provided me with the tools to manage my performance anxiety for a recent Professional Ski Instructor Association (PSIA) exam. Mermer's book is filled with real-life anecdotes that the reader can relate to and transfer to their own experiences. "In the Yikes! Zone" lets you know when to push it and when to back-off, and how to manage your fears and emotions through-out. A definite read for athletes and non-athletes, this book is filled with important strategies to handle the many fears we face in all aspects of life.

Much more than I bargained for!
Mermer's book gave me much more than I bargained for!As a Professional Ski Instructor for Women's Clinics, I found her perspective on fear invaluable.Fear is real - it's not always rational, but it's real and we learn to deal with it. Males and females will both recognize themselves in this book.It was a big help to me not only as a teaching tool, but also in my personal skiing and most recently in a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) ski exam.Thanks to Mermer, I was relaxed and comfortable.Whether preparing to audition for a Broadway Play or to ski a steep, icy mogul field - this book helps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

interdisciplinary breadth and moderate technical depth
This is a great book, and it's a shame it's out of print. It shows it's age a bit (1982), but Vic keeps it pretty timeless by focusing mainly on those concepts which are forever-relevant. The book covers Nordic skiing, and some Alpine touring, and also winter mountaineering. Really though, he's not writing about several distinct hobbies, but rather being very down-to-earth about how to get maximum enjoyment out of the mountains.

My favorite thing about this is the technique covered. Even though this is largely a book about nordic skiing in the mountains, he goes well beyond telemark turns. Also covered, are paralell, wedeln, reverse telemark, and a number of really silly looking ones as well. Practicing one type of turn will help with others, so this is a good way to strengthen overall technique. I think it's perfect for a book about the backcountry because conditions/terrain may be especially unpredictable and it's useful to have a variety of techniques handy. Some of the things this book suggests practicing essentially amount to being ready for some crazy positions you might find yourself in by accident.

Another good thing about this book is the technical discussion of gear. Vic advocates being fully prepared, but keeping gear to a minimum. He discusses technical attributes of skis, bindings, and boots concisely and on a practical level (e.g. how to decide whether your skis should be torsionally-stiff/long/shaped/etc.).What can be found in this part of the book is useful in giving the reader a more thorough understanding of how a ski works, so it's useful for any kind of skiier. Although I've been reading up on this kind of stuff for a while, there were several things that I didn't know or wasn't clear on--this book put them in refreshingly straightforward form.

The author is open-minded and thorough--a powerful combination. He's got a good view of what's important in skiing (enjoyment), and delivers his message clearly and simply. I think this book is a must for anyone heading to the backcountry, or hopping on telemark gear, and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in any kind of skiing/snowboarding/teleboarding/whatever. ... Read more

Product Description
Turn your recreation in the snow into a spiritual high point!

"Activities that are exhilarating and fun are not usually thought of as spiritual. But to the contrary, such ventures may well point us to our most profound spiritual connections. For when we are able to come fully into the present moment, turn off the noise in our minds, feel our true essence as complete union of body-mind-spirit, we enter into a kind of `other worldly' state of ecstasy that we can experience only as a spiritual dimension."
--from Chapter 1

Debunking the myth that your body has nothing to do with your spiritual life, avid winter sports enthusiasts Dr. Marcia McFee and Rev. Karen Foster demonstrate how spirituality is fed by play and challenge and how your snow-filled adventures can serve as a set of metaphors for seeing life's ups and downs as part of a sacred rhythm.Whether you have a need for speed or are drawn toward more lyrical motion, McFee and Foster offer poignant insights on how you can find your peak spiritual life in your favorite snow sport, no matter your skill level. Learn how to:
-Reduce stress and embrace your need for fun
-Achieve harmonious integration of mind, body, and spirit
-Trust your body's inherent wisdom
- Appreciate the details in nature and everyday life
- Clear your head and persevere in difficult times
- Cultivate a sense of community

"Explains the phenomena of a lifestyle in snow ... the tranquility and peacefulness, the exhilaration and treacherousness ... [the] magical, spiritual connection that ties us to the mountains, the wonder that propels us through the snow and through our lives."
--Kristin Krone, former Olympic skier

"Explores [this] quixotic topic as [you] might descend a mountain, with variances in tempo and technique, with injections of humor and humility, with strength and subtlety in equal measure. A pleasant and worthwhile read."
--Rick Phipps, author, Skiing Zen: Searching for the Spirituality of Sport

"Spiritual fun is what we should be about in our daily lives. Playing at the feet of God, as children of God, as created beings, is our heritage and our inheritance.Hooray for Spiritual Adventures in the Snow!"
--Susan Saint Sing, author, Spirituality of Sport: Balancing Body and Soul ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Even if You Aren't a Skier
With insights from each of the two authors' experiences in the snow, interviews entitled "Conversation with an Adventurer" in each chapter and more, this book is like yoga for your soul: both relaxing and invigorating.I'm not much of a skier, but loved the descriptions of nature and suggestions for integrating body, mind and spirit and found it applicable to my life nonetheless.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Skiing is the most comprehensive and up-to-date skiing-specific training guide in the world today. It contains descriptions and photographs of over 80 of the most effective weight training, flexibility, and abdominal exercises used by athletes worldwide. This book features year-round skiing-specific weight-training programs guaranteed to improve your performance and get you results.

No other skiing book to date has been so well designed, so easy to use, and so committed to weight training. This book enables skiers of all types to increase strength, flexibility, and speed, resulting in higher jumps, quicker runs, and overall success on the slopes. The programs also help raise endurance and helps prevent injuries.

Both beginners and advanced athletes and weight trainers can follow this book and utilize its programs. From recreational to professional, thousands of athletes all over the world are already benefiting from this book and its techniques, and now you can too!

As an added bonus, this book also contains links to free record keeping charts which normally sell separately for $20. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

WEIGHT TRAINING FOR SKIING
Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Skiing (Ultimate Guide to Weight Training...) GOOD GUIDE WITH EASY TO UNDERSTAND INSTRUCTIONS & PROGRAMS

Disappointing
Disappointing

When the Soviets tested potential ski racers the key desirable capability they were looking for was leg strength (60%) with specific focus on explosive power (plyometrics).The remaining attributes tested for were skeletal alignment (posture), flexibility, balance, reaction speed, and range of movement from center core through the hips, knees and feet (joints) - with special attention paid to range of dorsa flexion.

BTW neither the Soviets nor anybody else cares about upper body strength other than how it might be tweaked to improve posture or overly trained which might negatively affect flexibility.

So you would think a book so targeted to weight training for skiers would focus on lower body strength with special emphasis on enhancing both flexibility and range of motion.And would most certainly reference the bio mechanics required to be a good skier."The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training" ignores all these frames.

Rather it is a standard rehash for a general strength program - it might as well been written and targeted for badminton players and weekend anything.
... Read more

Product Description
For twenty-five years, Hal O’Leary and the Winter Park Handicap Ski Program have been the acknowledged leaders in adaptive skiing for more than fifty disabilities and have become the model for other programs around the world. This guide is essential for instructor and student alike. The manual covers skiing for the visually and hearing impaired as well as the physically and developmentally disabled. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

very good book
Very well written and illistrated.A very good resource for adaptive skiing instruction. Book was as new condition

Adaptive Teaching
A good reference book! A little out of date but still a very good source book for teaching adaptive skiing.Good disability definations and review of meds.A handy book to have if you are studing for Level 1 exams.

A skier's evaluation
This is basically a technical book for instructors, BUT, a handicapped skier can benefit by reading the section that pertains basically to their situation. Also it is a confidence builder to know there are people out there who really know their stuff and are not just there for the Buck$.

The bible of adapted skiing
This is a fantastic, all-inclusive how-to for the ski instructor looking to learn ski instruction for people with physical difficulties. O'Leary is legendary for his program at Winter Park, and this book shows why. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the key to expert skiing by learning how to use your whole body when you ski! In Skiing with the Whole Body you'll learn how to let your ankles work together with your knees to achieve easy knee flexion; find the balance point for easy turning; speed up your learning by a factor of ten; and teach yourself to ski like you've always dreamed you could. This book uses Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement exercises to make learning downhill skiing fast, simple, and fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You are your own best teacher!
If you love to ski and want to improve faster than traditional methods will allow, this book is for you.Rather than showing you a standard and having you try to produce the movements that meet the external standard, Mr. Heggie teaches you how to teach yourself the small simple component movements which when combined produce the desired end result skill.The lessons are easy to follow and produce immediate results.Mr. Heggie makes the book very interesting and easy to read by including real life examples of skiers that he has trained in every chapter.I would highly recommend this book for any skier to take his enjoyment of skiing to the next level. ... Read more

Product Description
Two books in one! This 355-page book is the bible ofcross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and backcountry skiingin Idaho, the Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks.Itincludes descriptions of hundreds of cross-country ski and snowshoetrails.Backcountry aficionados will also find it invaluable withbeautifully done aerial illustrations detailing snowboard andbackcountry ski routes in some best terrain in the west.And the bookis filled with stories, honoring and retracing the rich traditions ofwestern winter travel.To top it off, it has been carefully andlovingly designed which is obvious by its pleasing graphics,easy-to-use maps, enticing photography, and overall visual appeal.All in all, this is truly a model guidebook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Factual, funny, informative and engrossing - a must !!
I found this book to be highly informative with exactly the type of information I needed for planning skiing and snowshoeing forays into Idaho's snow country - but more than that, it is highly readable with outstanding anecdotes and historical facts liberally spread throughout. A must-have for anyone interested in winter outdoors ... Read more

Product Description
Some skiers are not content to just follow the ski runs at the local mountain. You ask them about a double black diamond? They say, "Been there, done that. Not enough of a challenge!" These skiers, they wish and dream for something more extreme. BrownTrout brings it to them in this Extreme Skiing calendar with photographs of skiing more edgy and heart racing than ever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Classic
This is a classic, classic ski book and should be read as a historical reference, a milestone, but nothing more.The modern ski technique is vastly different and much more efficient for the newer shaped skis.

The Bible about skiing
As a former racer and an experienced ski-teacher in Europe, I have benefited enormously from this book that was recommended to me in person by Prof. Georges Joubert when we met back in 1983. Later in 1993, when I mentioned this book to then the director of the ski-school at Grouse Mountain near Vancouver, B.C. Canada, the comment was 'Ah, the bible...' Just a glance on the technical analyses on the last ~100 pages will convince you that this is still the most resourceful aide to anyone seriously engaged in ski-teaching and ski-coaching. Yet, the first few chapters are easy to read and follow by anyone novice willing to learn skiing by his/herself, which was the original intention of this book.

Yes indeed, the Bible! I have no intention to deny many other excellent books written about various aspects of skiing. However, for ultimate understanding of the details of the alpine ski technique this book is a must.

You'll find every thing on ski technique even after years
I know Georges Joubert, he is still very present on the scenary of ski competition in 2002.(at more than Eighty !) This book contain analysis which will lead you to understand fundamentals and key drivers of competition best practises.
Starting from the basics, I have got the chance to be coached by Georges for two years , I caught this gentle touch that keep me close to competition high standard requirements. I still enjoy ski, and may be because of Georges Joubert influence, I made a quick turn which lead me to a full life of business all over the world.Enjoy !

The first and last word on modern ski technique.
This book is the absolute bible of modern ski technique.The best racers today are doing no more or less than what is in this book.If you want to become intellectually involved with skiing, then this book is better than all the meat-head instructors in Colorado, all the ski tips in the magazines, all the other ski instruction books put together.I wish Poudre or somebody would republish it, because I am always recommending it to beginning (and better) skiers, and my copy is falling apart from rereading it so many times. ... Read more

Product Description
The High Sierra may well be the world's consummatemountain range for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. BackcountrySkiing California's High Sierra provides in-depth information on avariety of day tours and multiday journeys, including the Sierra Cresttour and the popular Mammoth to Yosemite route. Over 60 challengingpeak descents are also described. This is the perfect sourcebook forplanning your next winter trip to the Range of Light. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

backcountry skiing
This is a good guide for those that are experienced at backcountry wintertravel.He shows several routes and peak descents,and rates them accordingto difficulty.There is some basic information on winter travel, includingsnow camping and avalanche safety, but you would be wise to study thesetopics further before attempting any of these routes. ... Read more

Product Description
Joining Golf•ing, Sail•ing and Fish•ing in the new bulging Pocket Dictionary format, SKI•ING is the lexicon with 200 hilarious definitions-completely revised by an inspired Henry Beard, who added 50% new material-and over 50 equally funny line drawings. From advanced skier: anyone who can remain standing while skiing down a mountain for as long as he or she stood in line waiting to go up-to zipper: handy fastener found on skiwear that can be easily operated by anyone who can pick his or her nose while wearing oven mitts-Ski•ing celebrates the obsession.

After a day on the slopes, SKI•ING is the perfect après-ski entertainment-somewhere between le soaking of les tootsies, la long nap, le stiff drink, le big wait at la fancy dump for le lousy meal, and le checking on le airline to see if they have la earlier flight home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good laughs
Funny definitions of skiing-related terms.Does not contain any stories, but it is a dictionary after all.Would make a great little gift for any skier.Makes me smile every time I open it up, and I've read through it multiple times.

A good short laugh for skiers
While the book doesn't contain any stories or annecdotes on skiing, it does, lampoon the popular sport and all of it's connections quite cleverly. A good stocking-stuffer for the ski-bum in your family or circle of friends, this little book of quips will have them chuckling to themselves as they remember incidents where theycan relate to the inventive definitions for normally confusing ski-terminology. I lived in a ski-town for two years and found myself laughing out loud as I read the original editor of the National Lampoon series' take on everything from equipments to lift lines and often unpronouncable german and nordic words associated with the sport. Not a book for those looking for a Patrick McMannis take on Skiing (I.E. Humorous Stories) but a funny lampoon of a ski-glossary that should get some chuckles none-the-less.

A Dictionary?
This is a humorous book but beware. This is a dictionary. There is no funny stories or anything like that. There are some funny cartoons and the definitions are humorous but this is just a dictionary. Nothing else. A piece of advise. Un-less you collect dictionary's....there is no point in getting the book and is not worth your money.

A Dictionary?
This is a humorous book but beware. This is a dictionary. There is no funny stories or anything like that. There are some funny cartoons and the definitions are humorous but this is just a dictionary. Nothing else. A piece of advise. Un-less you collect dictionary's....there is no point in getting the book and is not worth your money. ... Read more

Product Description

A valuable guide to pre -season training.

Proper training and conditioning are the best safeguards for an enjoyable and injury-free holiday of skiing or snowboarding. Unlike most sports, skiing and snowboarding put huge demands on both body and mind. A momentary lapse in coordination, concentration, flexibility or reflexes can lead to disastrous, even life-threatening injuries.

Skiing and Snowboarding Fitness is a well-organized, comprehensive illustrated guide to a realistic and dynamic fitness program that can be specifically tailored to an individual. The book recommends specific programs to guard against the most common types of skiing-related (or snowboarding-related) dangers:

• Spinal injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee and ligament sprains
• Improper nutrition and hydration.

Step-by-step exercise programs treat the body as a whole, with attention on strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Many of the exercises improve timing and balance, the two essential factors so critical on the hills and mountainsides.

The fitness programs can be completed in months or in weeks and will benefit skiers and boarders of all levels. Required equipment is remarkably simple, gimmick-free and commonly available.

Skiing and Snowboarding Fitness is a complete workout program that will help participants perform better, avoid injuries, and have more fun when they hit the slopes.

Customer Reviews (1)

Superb resource for skilled skiers, get away from the crowds
This is a superb resource for skilled skiers who would like to get furtherinto the backcountry and escape the crowds of intermediate skiers whothrong to the easier, more well known spots.The Seattle backcountry skicommunity considers this book to be the premier guide for the area. Friendshave been known to steal their friends' copies.Burgdorfer makes it clearthat this book is for those who already know what they are doing.Itincludes tours that have been removed from newer books and excellentspecific information on local snow, avalanche and weather conditions. Learn how to figure out where to ski on Saturday by paying a littleattention to the weather during the week. If you are lucky enough to find acopy don't loan it out or you may never get it back! ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive guide to backcountry skiing in Northern Colorado, with more than 100 tours and trails for all ability levels, from novice to advanced to expert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

For the passionate ski tourer
Wow. Almost ten years since someone wrote a review of this excellent book.

In the 20 years since this book has been written, the Colorado backcountry in winter has become more popular for snowshoeing and AT/tele "big bowl" skiing.

The simple joy of ski touring has become a lot less popular.

This book is aimed at people who enjoy being out on skis all day and traversing through the winter landscape.

The tours range from novice tours that let people get their ski legs to tours where a person should be knowledgeable and comfortable deep in the Colorado backcountry. Many of these tours will take you off the beaten path and into places where few skiers go (or anyone for that matter).

The book is sans color photos and other pretty accouterments of more recently published books. These "features" are often better for impulse purchases than for actual information.

It is a "Just the facts ma'am" approach that is effective:
A brief tour description, mileage and elevation gain, directions to the TH,maps neededand a rating of the skill level of the tour. Each tour is pictured on a large scale topo map that will give you a general idea of the tour itself.

The only slight downside of this book is that in a few places, access issues have changed since the book was published (e.g. Mammoth Gulch).

With nearly 150 tours listed, it is indeed a book for every "serious front range backcountry skier".

Essential for the Colorado Front Range backcountry skier
This book contains easy descriptions of touring and trailheads within day-trip distance of the Denver area.While the "extreme" backcountry skier may find that most tours described lack the desiredexcitement, there are still quite a few gems, and for the more classiccross country skier this book cannot be beat.Check out Dawson's guide to14ers for the death-defying routes, but this book has everything to keepmost skiers entertained.Most of the expert terrain described requireslong approach routes, but every serious front range backcountry skiershould buy this book without question. ... Read more

Product Description
*** Note: This product has now been integrated with Nordic Skiing DVD products by XCZONE.TV ***

Tao of Skiing provides a comprehensive insight into the technical aspects of modern cross-country skiing, where the secrets are in the basics and the way (Tao) is in the correct preparation and execution of the details. The information is an expos? of key information from the world of elite xc skiing which is designed to fast track the development of specific skills and fitness. Beginners and Experts will benefit from the richness of ski tips, generous use of photos and intelligent explanations. An excellent tool for coaches and instructors. The definitive multimedia reference on XC skiing (300 pages).

This product is included on the Nordic Skiing Technique DVD, and Learn To Nordic Ski DVDs sold on amazon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great content, but technically outdated
This would certainly have been a great product 10 years ago. Today it is simply outdated. I give it 3 stars because the content is excellent and very helpful. The text provides first-class advise on how to improve your skiing technique (both for classic and skating, but tilted towards skating). Different to many other sources the text is easy to understand and easy to follow. Even better are the video clips that are both amazing to watch and extremely helpful.

However, I was quite disappointed by the poor resolution of the video clips. They are so small that I found myself touching the screen with the nose to see anything. Also, the material is not as well organized as one would expect from a web style presentation. The reader is forced to go through it in a linear fashion like for a book or a DVD without any cross referencing. Not even a Glossary (which would have been helpful to understand the Candian terms like 1-skate for V2 etc) is provided.

Not Much Help
This CD is not much help for a beginner or anybody. The CD in not put together very well. I wouldn't have bought it if I would have known what was in it. I wouldn't have given it any stars but I had to give it at least
one for the review

Key product
The amazing thing is that... this CD cost me less than a day pass at the local ski site, and saved me years of floundering around on snow.Tao (the way) of skiing is a large web site on a CD-Rom, complete with ample advise (text, images and small movies).The movies were a lot of fun and the text was straight to the point. (The way you would want to be instructed).Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the package and appreciated what it has done for me... and I'm not hung on an occasional Typo.

Great format and delivery - Well Done.
The CD-ROM is packed full of great advice delivered in easy to read point form (like an Aide Memoire). Each sentence or teaching point stands on its own.I could take one gem of knowledge at a time; without having to wade through pages of pretentious prose.The explanations were very precise and most meaningful to those with some skiing experience under their belt. Best read with an open mind.

What a fun way to study technique
A CD-ROM; I do not know why someone did not think of this before. It is great. I spent hours digesting hundreds of hints on everything from technique, to training and playing the fun and informative Quicktime videos. It is not often that you can look into a decade worth of training diary entries and training notes of a World Cup Gold medalist. ... Read more