How the Racers Ski [Paperback]

Warren Witherell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1988

A revolutionary study of the fundamentals common to all great skiers—a new and more natural way to ski for competitors and recreational skiers alike.

Warren Witherell founded Burke Mountain Academy and was its headmaster from 1970 to 1984. Within two years of its founding, ten young racers from his center earned places on the United States Ski Team, and its graduates have dominated American competition in the years since.

How the Racers Ski is a landmark book in the advance of ski-teaching methodology. It provides competitive skiers with a guide to modern racing technique and offers recreational skiers a more natural and efficient way to ski than is usually taught at ski schools. It focuses on the fundamentals that international-class skiers strive for: optimum balance, economy of motion, and use of the characteristics of their skis to create turning forces.

The author has added new material for this paperback edition, discussing significant recent changes in equipment and what changes in fitting, stance, and technique the skier must make to use them most efficiently. This edition also includes a new introduction by Doug Smith, managing editor of the Journal of Professional Ski Coaching and Instruction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (February 17, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393303446
• ISBN-13: 978-0393303445
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #873,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing > Downhill

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to carve:A ski classic to take you to the expert level., February 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: How the Racers Ski (Paperback)

I read this book on the advice of a fellow ski journeyman (now renowned Aspen Mountain Ski Instructor, Paul Wade) in the mid 70's as an instructor at Sugarbush, Vt. I've been skiing all my life and this book almost single handedly - along with Paul's advice - changed my skiing forever delivering me to the 'next level' ... the magic "it" where the "there" is. Witherall's clear and concise writing took me from an excellent skier [albeit sliding, sometimes carved turns] to an expert, consistently on the ski's edge with beautiful ripped and carved turns. Even with shorter, phatter skiis of 2004, Witherall's writing is still current and uniquely relevant, if not even more so because skiis have gotten so much better as described by Witherall [maybe even predicted? where yesterday's term "sidecut" means the same as today's "parabolic"] ...If you understand how skiis work, and Witherall documents this, you'll understand even more how phat, tapered waist, i.e parabolic, skiis will help you, partner with you, to carve perfect turns. I hear this book has been controversial, that not everyone agree's with Witherall [in Western US ski teaching camps with softer snow conditions, there's more emphasis on equal weighting and "sliding" your skis], but until otherwise advised, this book has no equal for learning how skiis work and how to carve and rip through harder packed, iced, Eastern US ski conditions. It will take you to a rad, bad and oh so fine expert level wherever you ski, however freestyle you go.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to carve: A ski classic to take you to the expert level., February 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: How the Racers Ski (Paperback)

I read this book on the advice of a fellow ski journeyman (now renowned Aspen Mountain Ski Instructor, Paul Wade) in the mid 70's as an instructor at Sugarbush, Vt. I've been skiing all my life and this book almost single handedly - along with Paul's advice - changed my skiing forever delivering me to the 'next level' ... the magic "it" where the "there" is. Witherall's clear and concise writing took me from an excellent skier [albeit sliding, sometimes carved turns] to an expert, consistently on the ski's edge with beautiful ripped and carved turns. Even with shorter, phatter skiis of 2004, Witherall's writing is still current and uniquely relevant, if not even more so because skiis have gotten so much better as described by Witherall [maybe even predicted? where yesterday's term "sidecut" means the same as today's "parabolic"] ...If you understand how skiis work, and Witherall documents this, you'll understand even more how phat, tapered waist, i.e parabolic, skiis will help you, partner with you, to carve perfect turns. I hear this book has been controversial, that not everyone agree's with Witherall [in Western US ski teaching camps with softer snow conditions, there's more emphasis on equal weighting and "sliding" your skis], but until otherwise advised, this book has no equal for learning how skiis work and how to carve and rip through harder packed, iced, Eastern US ski conditions. It will take you to a rad, bad and oh so fine expert level wherever you ski, however freestyle you go.