Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier: The New Way to Ski, For Beginner and Intermediate Skiers [Paperback]

Harald Harb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 16, 2000

All it takes to be an expert skier is the correct movements and the right equipment. Anyone can be an Expert Skier helps you to learn these movements, and to pick the equipment that's right for you. The book features Harald Harb's Primary Movements Teaching System. With this revolutionary new teaching system, whatever your current ability level, you learn expert technique, avoiding the dead-end movements that keep you at the intermediate level. Teach yourself or others. This complete teaching system is suitable for beginners through experts.

Harb is the industry leader in balance and alignment research. Here, he describes the latest developments. You'll learn to select boots and shaped skis to maximize your skiing performance, and you'll understand how equipment affects your ability to move and balance while skiing.

The book contains many photos and photomontages. As well, there are tear-out, color "Pocket Instructor" cards that you can bring skiing with you.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have learned a lot from Harb....This book could spark a long overdue revolution in American ski instruction. -- Lito Tejada-Flores, author of Breakthrough on Skis

From the Back Cover

"As a skier and ski teacher, I have learned a lot from Harald Harb. His insights into the multiple makeup of expert skiing - equipment, biomechanics, and functional primary movements - are vital, accurate, and above all immediately useful. This book could spark a long overdue revolution in American ski instruction." Lito Tejada-Flores, Author of "Breakthrough on Skis" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Hatherleigh Press; illustrated edition edition (November 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578260736
• ISBN-13: 978-1578260737
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,537,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing > Downhill

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

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yep! The Secrets of expert skiing finally revealed., September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier (Paperback)

An excellent book which explained the secrets of skiing in such a precise and logical fashion. The photo sequences were also helpful in seeing whether you were on the right track. I found that the moves and excercises he used in the books were easy to learn and emulate on the ski slopes. The speed of my improvements were mind blowing and the great thing about Harold's technique is that, you can take it anywhere ie. steeps, crud, bumps. This is where other systems seem to show there flaws! The Biomechanical explanations as it relates to ski movements were also a very good addition. The alignment section, showed me that I have been on the wrong path for years and helped me choose the right equipment for my anatomy and skiing ability. You will find that because his methodolgy is so simple, you will be able to analyse and correct your movements on the slope. I hope he writes a second book on skiing steeps, crud, bumps etc... you know the tough stuff.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harald's new technique makes skiing simple, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier (Paperback)

Last fall in one of the many ski publications that come to my home, there was mention of a new book by Harald Harb. Having been in instructor clinics with Harald in the past, and being impressed by his technical mastery and outstanding skiing skills, a former PSIA National Demo team member, it made me want to read his book. What struck me most about the book, Anyone can be an Expert Skier was its utter simplicity. It was devoid of all sorts of extraneous things and reached the essence of excellence.

Harb's Primary Movements Teaching System is bio-mechanically sound and thus "far more user friendly." You are using the body in a manner to take advantage of its strengths.

For people who are "intermediate skiers" it was possible to get them out of their stem christies and make parallel turns, usually in one PMTS lesson. If not, they are at least able to see how to get to parallel using exercises from the PMTS.

So, in conclusion, the door to enjoyable, exhilarating, addictive skiing is open. Take these comments, and read what Harald has to say

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most concice learning material on true parallel skiing., June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anyone Can Be an Expert Skier (Paperback)

My wife and two young sons took up skiing last season and it has very quickly become their most favorite sport, as it has been mine. I purchased Harald's book and video in an effort to help my family understand and become proficient in true parallel skiing. After reading Harald's book and watching the video, the whole family now has a much greater understanding of the correct movements and actions which are to be performed to really enjoy and improve carved parallel skiing.The chapters on pole use and alignment are excellent in that they detail in a step by step fashion how important these areas are, which are generally overlooked and/or not introduced to people who are learning how to ski. The alignment chapter also recommends particular types of ski gear for people with different lower body make-ups, eg bowlegged skiers, knock-kneed skiers etc. In summary, I believe all skier's can benefit from taking Harald's teaching methods and putting them into most enjoyable action.