Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book has what you need to make progress as a skier. The photo sequences are highlighted to point out the objective. Any individual lesson or exercise can be used independently - so you can pick one as a refresher to practice on. The lessons are well sequenced with accurate and detailed descriptions of exercises. The book is readable and coherent.

There are a few of defenders of Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and other ski instruction books that have posted here and given what I think are unfair low ratings. I think they are somewhat narrow in their criticism. They seem to focus on the fact that he is not preaching the "approved" PSIA method. So what? Is there only one way to teach someone how to ski?

I personally used this book and advanced my ski skill and confidence in a few weeks, after having stagnated for a couple of years. I had taken numerous lessons from PSIA intructors and progress was slow. My opinion is that most self-motivated skiers could benefit from the lessons in this book (at a low price). Give it an honest try and then go pay $75 for a PSIA "approved" lesson and see which one gave you more insight and advancement.

I am such a die-hard ski fan. Usually I eat up anything about skiing. Books? Forget about it. I shred them up in minutes. But this one? Wow, it was hard to digest. The writing is so bad and it was just so boring. Most of it is so repetitious. Way, way, way too long. Did I mention is was too long? One of those useless frame-by-frame books. How many pages do you need to say this: if you lift up one leg, the other leg will start to lilt towards that leg and *voila* edging. Duh. Other key points: Stance foot quiet, free foot steer. Keep stance narrow. Focus on your feet. This book is bad. See my other reviews for better ski books.

Before you buy this book or any of the videos please be aware that although there is a small group of Harb fanatics, these books and videos preach a method of learning to ski which is out of the mainstream of current modern skiing.

Harb's competition is of course the PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) If you go to any Ski Area, the vast majority of Instructors will be PSIA members and trained in modern skiing technique as taught by the PSIA. The techniques taught by PSIA represent the very best ideas and approaches that the tens of thousands of PSIA ski instuctors have found and developed. PSIA will gladly explore and incorporate any ideas that work. On the other hand, in order to justify why people should spend money on his books, videos, and clinics, Harb needs to present 'new' or 'different' techniques from what is taught by PSIA - he needs to implicitly criticize the PSIA and its methods and claim his system is superior. But think about it, you have a national organization in PSIA with tens of thousands of members all working to develop the best methods for learning to ski - and then you have Harb claiming they are all wrong and he is right. Sure.

In an effort to be unique, many of the 'techniques' that Harb puts forwards are actually quite unsound. For example, Harb recommends lifting the inside ski and tipping it to initiate turns. In general you are better off keeping both skis on the ground, lifting one ski can put you off balance and reduces your stability. Lifting one ski can also cause you to shift your weight up hill to compensate and that is exactly what you do not want to be doing at turn initiation. Lifting the inside ski is a 'gimmick' and an unsound one at that. If doing it 'seems' to help your skiing, it is probably because there are other problems with your alighnment or technique and lifting the inside ski 'compensates' for those issues. Of course, instead of compensation one would be better off fixing the cause of the problem and becoming a more sound skier.

If you want my advice, if you are still learning to ski don't bother with Harb and his PTMS system. If you are already an expert you may find an idea here or there that you can play with, but I wouldn't base my basic skiing style on Harb's gimmicks.

A much better book on Skiing is Mark Ellings "The Expert Skier." Elling teaches accepted modern skiing techiniques that are sound and effective.

I expect the Harb Fanatics will attack this review, but don't buy their hype.