The New Guide to Skiing: A Step-by-Step Guide in Color, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Martin Heckelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2000

By one of the world’s leading instructors, a step-by-step guide to mastering the new shaped skis.

Fat boys, carving skis, cross skis, extreme shaped skis: that is the new language of alpine skiing. This best-selling classic has been completely rewritten to explain what makes the shaped skis so revolutionary—and so exciting, especially for beginners. With over 300 specially commissioned color photographs showing step by step how to turn and how to maintain control easily under all conditions, and with its clear text, this is the book for a new generation of alpine skiers. Featuring more than eighty unique stop-action photographic sequences, The New Guide to Skiing shows how to ski with greater ease, precision, and control while obtaining optimum performance from shaped skis. Based on the newest and least stressful methods, it demonstrates how to deal with skiing off trail or in deep powder and illustrates the eleven specific turns needed to master difficult conditions, including ice and moguls. 300 color photographs

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Martin Heckelman, one of the most sought-after private instructors in the French Alps, is producer and director of the "Ski Tips" series of instructional videos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Revised Edition edition (December 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393319660
• ISBN-13: 978-0393319668
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book delivers - outstanding instruction, March 14, 2007

By 

dean - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Guide to Skiing: A Step-by-Step Guide in Color, Revised Edition (Paperback)

This is an outstanding instructional covering a wide variety of important foundational and advanced skills for confident skiing, safety & fun on the slopes. It delivers great instruction to really build a strong repertoire of skiing skill beyond parallel & carving down the mountain.

Ski lessons left me disappointed & frustrated. Instructors contradicted each other. Questions asked in lessons left unanswered, are handled here. The fundamental skills that made me feel totally at ease and free on skis were not taught in standard lessons, but found here.
When I browsed through this book I knew I'd struck upon a gem. This was what was needed to help me become the skier I want to be. I love an instructional that "feels right" is well organized, clear & to the point with solid, consistent & effective methodology. Mr. Heckelman's clarity of writing cuts right to the heart of it with logical, systematical instruction and exercises. He creates solid building blocks during beginner instruction for advanced skiing with multi-skill building exercises that are lot of fun. Sage advice is given with care and concern towards safety throughout the book.

It is an amazingly easy book to follow. Instruction is described & photographed so well you can feel exactly how to perform each new skill. It was easy to take what I'd read to the snow, practice & master. I had a blast with the exercises! As a result I'm a much stronger skier and a lot quicker on my feet/skis. It's great to feel comfortable where ever I'm skiing & smile when I'm challenged with difficult runs. It's a pleasure skating across the flats to the lifts, passing those who shuffle along. This book has taught me how to make skis my friends and an extension of me. It only gets better each time I ski. This book goes to the slopes with me & I review the things I want to practice before I greet the snow.

While no book is the end all of instruction in a sport, this book should be a first book as it is thorough, well rounded and gives a solid base from beginning through advanced skiing. There is a lot of fun advanced skiing technique included as well as sections for skiing a variety of terrain and conditions. The knowledge & skills here have helped me find the type of ski instruction I can truly benefit from. Advanced skiers may want to review all four sections of the table of contents to insure they aren't missing any skills covered.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learnt from this book, April 12, 2005

By 

Patrick Ho (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Guide to Skiing: A Step-by-Step Guide in Color, Revised Edition (Paperback)

I was a beginner when I bought this book. I followed the instruction to practice. By the end of that ski season, I could already go down diamond slopes.

I think it would be easier for most people to learn skiing from instructors. But if you like learning from books instead (like me), this book is an excellent choice, at least it worked for me. This book teach you a lot of advanced technique, which I find it very useful on bumpy or steep slopes.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear advice on skiing, October 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Guide to Skiing: A Step-by-Step Guide in Color, Revised Edition (Paperback)

I found this book, with many fine pictures and clear instructions to be very useful, at least for an intermediate skier who wants to improve. I particularly liked the recognition that there is more than one "right way" to ski. I question whether a complete novice could learn without instruction using this book, but the beginners section would probably be a good guide for instructors on useful beginners exercises.