Title : The Encyclopedia of Surfing
Author : Matt Warshaw
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Like Surfers Journal... almost
I surf almost every day and can never seem to quench my thirst. My favorite read, by far, of all books and periodicals is The Surfers Journal. It truly captures the many angles of the sport. This book is somewhat in the same vein. It's exhaustive, comprehensive and true to the roots. If you love the history of the sport buy it. If you read Surfing, have never ridden more than one type of board or never traveled to pursue a new wave... don't (do those things instead... THEN buy it). Good bedside book... alongside my Bible.
Title : Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun
Author : Bode Miller
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Have fun, be bad, be the Bodiest
This is a really interesting quick read. Bode is a fascinating character. The first 53 pages of the book mention little about ski racing and focus instead on Bode's family background and outdoors lifestyle. He comes from a clan of rugged outdoors maverick. The press has described his lifestyle as austere, growing up in a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running hot water. In the book, Bode describes his childhood in enchanting ways. He had a freedom to explore nature, and experience the elements. He loved every minute. Every moment was an opportunity to be challenged and have fun. He never had time to be bored or watch TV. So, it did not matter that he did not have one.
Bode is just an all around world-class athlete. In high school he was the tennis state champion. He also was an excellent varsity soccer player. Later in 2002, he won the CBS Superstars competition beating out a bunch of NFL and NBA pros at various "Survivor-like" events. His ski coaches encouraged him to pursue snowboarding racing instead of ski racing. He placed 2nd in a national snowboarding race. But, his heart was set on skiing. However, his snowboarding adventure would change skiing forever.
Bode was a pioneer in racing on shaped skis. He liked the side cut of snowboards better than the straight alpine skis. He pressured a K2 ski rep relentlessly for K2 to develop the first shaped racing ski. Bode succeeded in getting K2 to manufacture such customized parabolic skis for him. And, the rest is history. Bode and his shaped skis took the world by storm. Because of Bode everybody quickly shifted to shaped skis, as they carved better and faster turns. According to Ingemar Stenmark, the living legend of alpine skiing shaped skis revolutionized racing technique much more than anything else.
Since his early high school days, Bode developed an all out technique that results in many falls, but also many wins. This originally drove his coaches crazy. But, now coaches support this low percentage but high success rate approach.
In the opening of the 2004-05 FIS World Cup, Bode had the best start in the history of alpine racing. He won 6 of the first 10 races. He won in all four disciplines in the same season in just 16 days. Only two other skiers had duplicated this feat, and it took them nearly an entire season to do it. He describes this apex of his career near the end of the book. The book's timing is perfect as it ends on this high note.
Ever since, his career has gone downhill (no pun intended). He still managed to win the 2004-05 FIS World Cup. But, that was because of his 16-day miracle. He skied poorly the rest of the season. The 2005-06 season, including the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics were disappointing. At the Olympics, he looked out of shape compared to the Austrians.
Increasingly weird statements have come out of his mouth. Within the book, he indicated that he might start a pro tour with sponsored teams such as in bike racing that would compete on the FIS World Cup. That was a strange leap. He also indicated that (maybe because of his pro tour concept) he might not participate in the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics. He ultimately did; but performed poorly. Later he accused Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds to take steroids. With hindsight, nobody will blame him for mentioning Bonds. But mentioning Armstrong caused a huge devaluation in his advertising potential.
Bode's ultimate fall from grace does not detract from this very original biography. The book is enjoyable whether you are into skiing or not. Heck, as Bode indicates throughout the book he is more into having fun than skiing (if the two shall meet so be it). That's at the essence of his phlegmatic charisma, his successes, and his downfall. If you enjoy this biography and also like tennis, I strongly recommend John McEnroe's "You Can't Be Serious," Boris Becker's "The Player," and Ilie Nastase's "Mr. Nastase." They are all multifaceted characters.
Title : Snowboarding: A Woman's Guide (Ragged Mountain Press Woman's Guide)
Author : Julia Carlson
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Not Only for Women
As the author of a site dedicated to "grays on trays" (older folks learning how to ride), I was eager to read some books on snowboarding. Most books on the subject (like most magazines and web sites) are written with the juvenile reader in mind. This book is not one of them, and the "gray" reader can be grateful for that.
The brief testimonials or stories of women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s helps point out that the sport is not limited to teens and pre-teens.
Sure, there are some "girl power" throwaway lines along the way ("With a file guide, sharpening your edges is about as difficult as shaving your legs"). For the most part, however, the women-specific information is useful for men as well, if only for providing a contrast. For example, Carlson explains how women's feet differ from men, and how that effects the choice of boots. (Not only do women tend to have smaller feet, but the proportions of different parts of the feet differ.)
The book offers plenty of reasons why learning how to ride is worth the effort. It does a good job of explaining the different types of riding (freestyle, freeriding, alpine) and how that should influence the kind of equipment you buy. The index is useful, but there should have been a glossary as well.
I have read this book twice, and Kevin Ryan's "The Illustrated Guide to Snowboarding" only once, but here's my take on comparing the two. Carlson is self-consciously appealing to women, and in general, to adults. Ryan does not, but then, it's not exactly a juvenile book, either. Carlson's book is more about freeriding, carving, and cruising; Ryan spends a fair amount of time talking about freestyle. Ryan also takes much more time with preliminaries, too. If you have a thing for zen, he's your man.
If you're starting out, read Carlson first. Then you may want to read Ryan, but you may not need to.
Title : The Athletic Skier
Author : Warren Witherell
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Careful
As a PSIA Ski Instructor I would recommend folks be very careful about some of the canting information in this book. The book assumes that all bowlegged skiers are overcanted and while this is mostly true it is not absolutely true. Many bowlegged skiers (including myself) are naturally undercanted and the advice presented in this book is incorrect for us. This book seems to be the source for the 'if you are bowlegged, cant on the outside of the ski' common wisdom, and again that is simply not true in all cases. Canting solutions are individual and must not be over generalized. Instead, read the descriptions of what effects over or under canting can have and see which fits you. Then cant as necessary.
Also, I would say that this 'used to be' the definitive guide. After reading both this and All Mountain Skier by Mark Elling, I would definately recommend the latter. Ellings book is much more useful for actual practice. There is not much in here that is not better covered in Ellings book. Also, the technical information in Ellings book (on canting for example) is much more accurate.
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Title : Trail Atlas of Michigan: Mountain Biking, Hiking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Nature Trails.
Author : Dennis Hansen
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : One stop research
Hansen's book is a staple in any adventurer's library whether you ski, hike or bike. He's to the point. With so many trails to cover in both peninsulas it's tough to stay current. He should update it yearly.
Title : Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life
Author : Hermann Maier
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A little disappointed
This book gave me insight into the competitive world of ski racing and I found it very informative. Maier's comeback from his horrible accident is indeed inspiring, but I found the book way too long and detailed to keep my interest from waning. I finished it, but it was tedious. A good editor and a little more flair could have made this a great book.
Title : All-Mountain Skier : The Way to Expert Skiing
Author : R. Mark Elling
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Pretty good book on skiing
I started out really liking this book, but was less impressed by the end. What I liked about the book is the writing style. Its well written, in an engaging way that makes it easy to keep turning the pages. However, I felt that much of the content was a bit disorganized, like a brain-dump of a terrific skier, but not presented in a way to nurture a skier along from one skill to the next. A good skier will be easily bored with this book in my opinion, I learned very little from it.
I offered the book to an intermediate friend of mine, thinking it would be ideal for him. He started out being enchanted by the writing style also, but after a few chapters gave up because the content was too scattered and random in the way its presented. In my opinion this is like a a brain dump from a ski instructor that has learned a lot of "tips" over the years and tried to find an engaging way to publish a bunch of those tips into a book form. I didn't entirely agree with a few points, but overall, I thought most of the tips and technique ideas were accurate and well presented with great drawings to illustrate them. Just kind of random order and so much information that an intermediate would be quickly overwhelmed and not know what to try next to apply any of this. My intermediate friend put the book down after a few chapters and just said it was "too much to think about". Each chapter did provide exercises at the end of the chapter for applying what that chapter talks about. So a committed skier could take them one chapter at a time and go work on it perhaps. However, I thought many of the exercises were just the typical exercises that every PSIA instructor uses to emphasize skills. What if the reader performs the exercises wrong? There were very few if any photos illustrating proper way to do the exercises. And the order of the chapters is not a step ladder of growth..its just random different topics.
I think the book could be useful for an intermediate that doesn't plan to read the whole book and follow it from start to end, but rather keep it as a reference. As they decide they need to work on one particular skill (Let's say after taking a lesson and finding out they are weak in an area), they could read the chapter covering that skill and try the exercises, perhaps remembering that these exercises are very similar to the ones they get in their lesson, and also read the in depth explanations about it..to help sink the ideas into their brain a little better. I see the book as more of a reference tool to come back to, little bits at a time.
I think a ski instructor could benefit from this book also because it provides a lot of examples of how to give a lesson.. It basically *IS* a series of PSIA lessons in a book. An instructor can learn verbalogy to use, exercises to a apply towards specific skills, etc. Of course all of that is also available through standard PSIA literature, but hey...another source doesn't hurt.
For me and my own skiing, there was nothing revolutionary in it. I much prefer "The Skiers Edge" by Ron LeMaster which did indeed teach me some things I didn't know. Its even more technical though...truly a book for experts.
Title : Free-Heel Skiing: Telemark and Parallel Techniques for All Conditions (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series)
Author : Paul Parker
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : it works!
Using only this book and a few random tips from strangers, I picked up telemarking in two days. (I also started with 25 years of alpine experience.) This book is clear, concise, and effective. It made all the difference in the world in getting me skiing expert trails reasonably well by the end of my second day. I am nowhere near handling moguls, glades, ice, cornices, etc., but I did have twenty or so graceful, linked turns in a steep bowl
Title : Inner Skiing: Revised Edition
Author : W. Timothy Gallwey
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Helped overcoming fear
I can only recommend this book. I have been fighting fear on the slopes for three years. This book seems to have freed me of fear. Thanks a lot!
Title : Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing (Includes Free DVD)
Author : Harald Harb
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The Best Skiing Instruction Book, Bar None!!!
I have all of Harald Harb's books on skiing. I discovered them 5 years ago. I immeditely knew that he was teaching something different. I bought his first two books (anyone can be an expert 1 and 2) and now I have this book. In my opinion, this is the best manual on how to ski ever written. It is a treatise on how to carve and on how to ski effectively and effortlessly in all conditions. The book focuses on 5 fundamental movements in skiing which Harald calls the essentals. Each one is discussed in detail and each chapter contains specific drills that will enable the reader to perform each essential correctly. Because of this, the book is of equal value to both beginners and advanced skiers.
In my opinion, these are the tools that every skier needs and without them improvement in skiing can be hard fought. This is not traditional ski instruction!!
As with any sport or disciplne, practice makes permanent!! This book give you the the movements to practice that all great skiers use. If you have skied for years yet still have a stem in steeper or more difficult terrain, this book will rid you of it forever. If you want to ski like the best skiers and racers, parallel in all terrain, in all snow conditions, buy this book. It will give you the fundamentals to make you as good a skier as you want to be.
I highly reccommend this book!!!
Title : Everything the Instructors Never Told You About Mogul Skiing
Author : Dan Dipiro
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The title says it all
If you are a good-to-expert groomed-trail skier who has been frustrated when trying to use those skills in the bumps, there's a reason. Contrary to what so many of us believe, mogul skiing isn't just a harder version of carving turns down groomers. It's a totally different animal, and once Dan DiPiro explains it in his outstanding new book, you'll understand why all that effort in the bumps has so far not produced any results.
The title is apt. Ski instructors at most resorts, unless you are lucky enough to find a true moguls expert, tend to believe that the basic skills they teach to all skiers are equally applicable in the bumps. But they're not. As DiPiro explains, basic techniques like carving and hip angulation will actually prevent you from skiing the bumps efficiently, while other techniques -- such as keeping your skis close together and maintaining a more erect "home posture" -- will suddenly make you feel at home in the bumps as never before.
In a series of logically organized chapters, each with photos, easy-to-follow tips and practice drills, DiPiro -- who is an accomplished moguls competitor and now teaches skiing in New Hampshire -- explains the specialized techniques that help demystify the bumps. While DiPiro is a moguls competitor, the book is written to benefit any good skier who wants to ski the moguls better, more efficiently and, since so many mogul runs are directly under the lifts, more stylishly. If there's any shortcoming, it's in the section on line choice. Most of us could use more help in figuring the best way through the irregular mogul fields that dominate eastern skiing, but it may be that a video, rather than a book, is the best way to illustrate those choices.
Even if you never venture into a "pure" mogul run, DiPiro's techniques will help you ski through any run that's been chewed up by being over-skied, or hasn't been groomed in a while, or has gotten bumpy and irregular from a day's heavy snow. If you're a good skier who wants to "ski the whole mountain" but needs the techniques to do it, this is the book for you.
Now, if only he would make a downloadable video to bring onto the slopes in your digital camera or camera phone!
Title : The Story of Modern Skiing
Author : John Fry
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : If you like to ski (and read), you'll love this book!
If you are a skier with at least a modicum of curiosity about how the sport you are passionate about evolved and mushroomed, and who the players were along the way, this is a book that tells the whole story, how all the parts fit together, and it reads so well and so easily that at times it seems like a novel, and you wonder what happens next. But the author, John Fry, clearly knows his subject very well and has done his research meticulously, with annotated notes for every chapter, a glossary, bibliography, index of names places, maps, record charts, etc. Skiing is a fun sport, and Fry makes it a comparable pleasure to read about modern skiing's fascinating history. Skiers, it's a great read!
Title : Snowboarding: A Woman's Guide (Ragged Mountain Press Woman's Guide)
Author : Julia Carlson
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Great book for women who want to learn to snowboard!
I am a 24 year old female who has been secretly yearning to try snowboarding. I haven't because I didn't know what stuff to rent or buy, or how not to look stupid. After reading this book, I can't wait to try it. Great explanations of what gear is best for women and why, and detailed explanations of what to do once you are on the snow. Very lighthearted and encouraging tone.
Title : Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing (Includes Free DVD)
Author : Harald Harb
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : I like it! But...
I couldn't wait to get this book after having read Harald Harb's ACBES 1 2. I was hungry for a simpler version of those two books and I think Harb delivered.
At first read, the book is much more reader-friendly than the two ACBES books. It's great that Harb focused on movements of the whole body and not just the foot, as he grossly overanalyzed in the previous two books.
My only major problem with his books in general is that while his system is superior to any other instructional skiing methodology, Harb yet to learn the art of user-friendly explanations rather than getting too academic. But "Essentials" is the closest he's come and it feels good.
The accompanying DVD's production quality isn't as good as the previous discs. It's only about 15 min. and at the end he reveals it's basically a teaser for another set of DVDs he'll release soon. It got into topics like Counterbalancing and flexion so early on. How about basic stance? How about arm position? This is where I was disappointed in the lack of simplicity in this and many other DVDs. If you're going to title your series "Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier" or "Essentials of Skiing," you had better make sure that "Anyone" can understand how to even start the "Essentials!" (Do we have to leave simplicity to Marty Henckleman's old-school videos?)
One thing I wish all ski gurus would keep in mind is that the target market for skiing instruction is people who, yes, want to learn to ski... but first and foremost ski to have FUN. There's a huge opening for instruction that's easy and enjoyable too without being so academic. The closest I've seen to being both thorough and valuable is Harb's colleague Lito Tejada Flores-- who's taken Harb's PMTS and adapted a more Zen-like lesson for the novice skier.
I would recommend "Essentials," though, for anyone (like me) who thought Harb's ACBES books were a bit too academic for such simple, ingenious teaching technique as PMTS.
