Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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

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.

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 enjoyed reading the other reviews of Harb's book. Still, they seemed to be rather harsh critism of what I have found to be an effective technique for the right students. As a PSIA instructor I have learned that it is important to have several different approaches to find the best fit for each individual. While some respond best to 'traditional' PSIA methods others are able to quickly move to parallel using Harb's approach.

Harb shows a method that is makes skiing relatively easy by using the shape and flex of the ski to do most of the work. Most of his techniques have the same basic foundation as PSIA: pressure, rotation, edge control and balance.

Harb was an early adapter of using the shaped ski to its advantage. He presents a reasonable progression that allows a non-skier to use the ski to initiate turns almost from their first run down the hill. PSIA has adopted many of the same approaches as it has moved to take advantage of modern ski shape. The typical wedge is a carry over from the traditional ski and doesn't do much to take advantage of modern equipment.

For some skiers learning the wedge is the most effective way to safely begin their skiing experience. Unfortunately, they will have to devote some of their future skiing time to learning how to lose that same wedge. How many skiers have you watched who start every turn with at least a small wedge or finish every turn by brushing the tails of their skis out to reduce their speed. The chances are very good that neither of these skiing styles were being used by one of Harb's students.

With modern equipment skiing is actually quite easy. Its hard to learn to ski or to develop beyond the basics by reading a book. But Harb's book is a well thoughtout step-by-step approach that can be an effective supplement to good instruction. My suggestion is to find an instructor who understands and uses both PSIA and PMTS. Let that instructor help you find the steps that will work best for you.

I bought this book after a few weeks of lessons as an absolute beginner. In the space of a few hours, I progressed from a pathetic "pizza pie" skier who was ill at ease on the easiest green run, to a moderately proficient skier completely at home on blue runs.

Given that the written format is not exactly well suited to teaching a physical activity, this book does an admirable job. The time lapse photo sequences are excellent.The graduates sequence of exercises develop along a natural progression which both expose you to the sensations of turning and build your confidence.

Not sure if there is an accompanying video, but if there is, go out an get it. The combination of the two would be very powerful.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

My wife and I are advanced skiers. I take lessons yearly and have been to a PSIA 4 day instructional course. But after reading Harold's information I wouldn't take another lession unless it was in the PMTS technique. The books and video helped both my wife and I reach a new level of skiing in a very short period of time. This is the only technique that should be taught. The information is clear and easy to understand and it will help the new beginner to the expert. The PMTS instructor manual is also a must have.

This looks like an early edition of Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier, and it 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 (in it's current edition).

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. Oh my, Mr. Harb challenged the Ski Instructors PSIA church!

I found that Harold Harb's book taught a method of skiing which yielded results quicker than I ever thought possible. It proved to be immensely useful in improving my all-terrain carving technique and I loved the way he explained everything in such a precise and logical fashion. The photo sequences were also very useful guide in knowing whether you were on the right track. This book was quite unique in the fact that all the excercises and techniques he taught are very easy to learn and perform in real life ie. when it counts. He also gave me an understanding of the biomechanics behind certain ski movements, which assisted me in getting equipment that suited my anatomy and skiing ability. It also allowed me analyse and correct my movements on the slope. I hope he publishes another book on skiing steeps, chutes, crud, crust etc...you know the really tough stuff, soon.