Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier 1: The New Way to Ski, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Harald Harb (Author)

Book Description

Series: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier | Publication Date: August 22, 2003

Achieve your skiing potential with pioneer ski instructor Harald Harb.

All it takes to be an expert skier are the correct movements and the right equipment. Join Harald Harb as he helps you learn these movements and offers advice on how to pick the equipment that's right for you. Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier 1 features Harald Harb's innovative Primary Movements Teaching System (PMTS), a complete teaching system suitable for beginners and experts. Whatever your ability, you'll learn expert technique and how to recognize the dead-end movements that keep you stalled at the intermediate level.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harald Harb has made a lifelong study of skiing technique. Harald directed ski racing programs that produced some of the most successful US National Team members. His PMTS Direct Parallel method has improved the technique of thousands of skiers worldwide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hatherleigh Press; Revised edition (August 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578261538
• ISBN-13: 978-1578261536
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,581,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greetings Skiers,
Latest News, Update: DVD video series of the book, "Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing", is now available. Check my web site www.harbskisystems.com

Here is a short history about my skiing and teaching career.

I was born in the Austrian Alps and grew up in a skiing and outdoor alpine oriented family. I started skiing at 3 years old, began teaching skiing at 15, north of Montreal in the Laurentians. I started my racing career at 16 yrs old, earned two medals at the Canadian National Junior Championships, at 18 years old.

I raced in my first International World Cup race at 18, in 1968. Skied for Canada until 1971.

In the professional skiing ranks, I won "Overall Eastern Regional US Pro Championships", in 1973.

I began coaching in 1973, and was Head Coach, Stratton Mt School from 1975 to 1979. In 1979 I became Director and Founder Mt Washington Valley Educational Foundation, in North Conway, New Hampshire. In 1985 I moved to Alaska and became director and Head Coach of a school for skiers, and Director of the Alyeska Ski Race Program and formed the Alpine Alaska Program from 1986 to 1992.

I was selected for the US National Demonstration Team in 1992 and participated until 1996. Became the Director of the Performance Centers of Aspen, Colorado 1996-97.

I formed my own company in 1998, and have been President of Harb Ski Systems from 1998 to present.

I am the author of the 3 best selling ski books since 1997 ("Anyone can be an Expert Skier 1 and 2") and ("Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing") to present. I am the inventor of the PMTS Direct Parallel ski teaching system, Harb Carvers and Ski Boot Canting plates.

I have a ski shop in Dumont, Colorado. In 2008, I produced a 3 DVD set of the latest PMTS teachings, which is a detailed step by step program of the successful "Essentials of Skiing" book. We ski and teach skiing almost year round, through our Harb Ski Systems ski camps. For any interested skiers, please visit my web site at Harb Ski Systems.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the way to expert skiing, December 1, 2005

By 

Dan (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier 1: The New Way to Ski, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier 1 is the first in a series that describes a fully modern, systematic instruction method and approach to skiing that, unlike traditional ski area teaching, takes full advantage of the most modern equipment. With a scientific understanding of the actual (bio)mechanics of skiing and clear, simple, powerful instruction, this book (and book 2) has finally brought true expert skiing within my reach.

After (too) many seasons working with traditional or mainstream PSIA instructors, some of them friends, with few results other than frustration at their obvious lack of understanding of their own sport (and a smaller bank account), I began looking at other ski teaching systems, starting with the very good Breakthrough on Skis by Lito Tejada-Flores. But when I found Harald Harb's books and videos, and his Primary Movements Teaching System, that's when my skiing really began to take off. Why? Because Harb's approach, besides displaying a great depth of knowlege of skiing dynamics, offers simple explanations of simple yet powerful movements of specific body parts, explained clearly as to their function and execution, that immediatly began to transform my skiing.

After working with the Harb material for two seasons now it is clear to me that his is the best approach, with absolutly superior results. Harb has more depth, clarity, and detail than Tejada-Flores and is FAR superior to the muddle of tradition and misunderstanding that is mainstream PSIA teaching. My skiing has gone from stuck (frustrated, pissed off) stemming my turns and being uncomfortable with any terrain that wasn't blue groomed to being totaly cool with bowls, bumps, steeps, you name it, and I'm having an absolute blast!.

Skiing isn't hard. With the right movements, it can be incredibly easy. This book and DVD (and book 2) is for anyone of reasonable athletic ability who desires to learn the movements and develop the balance necessary for true expert skiing. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars One Good Skill Does Not a Book Make, June 2, 2009

By 

Christi Dant "Hunters Emma" (Severna Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier 1: The New Way to Ski, Revised Edition (Paperback)

I concur with another reviewer...it was waaaaaaaaaaay too long and annoyingly repetitious. And, no, not anyone can be an expert skier, so I hate the title. Anyone who is willing to ski 50 days a year can be, but this provides no instant fix. I read the book a few years ago when I was just learning. I wasn't able to actually understand and apply what was in the book until I was advanced skier (and I do ski 55+ days a year). The Phantom Move really did allow me to up my game while maintaining control. Not for beginners, in my humble opinion.

So while the technique has genuine merit, the title is misleading and the book an awful read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, November 28, 2005

By 

Reviewer1500 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier 1: The New Way to Ski, Revised Edition (Paperback)

The author explains skiing in a straight forward manner and gives you many easy to understand drills that build the foundation for skiing using simple energy efficient movements. The written descriptions are accompanied by step-by-step pictures that show how to do each drill. This is an "action" book. You read the material and then practice what you have learned (there are even tear out cards you bring to the slopes to help remind you of the different drills).

The DVD is a terrific supplement to the written material but it doesn't replace the book. Think of the book as the instructor and the dvd as the ever faithful assistant putting on a demonstration.

I'm not sure why some of the other reviewers don't like this particular system...all I can say is that it has worked well for our family.