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  Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier 1: The New Way to Ski Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 5 More Information Okay, but no longer the best  On: 2006-11-02My main criticisms are: 1) Too much time is spent on non-instructional filler material. 2) The photography is not conducive to learning the techniques. There are not enough slow-motion and close-up shots to really show what is going on with foot and ski position. 3) Some ski terms and jargon are not defined in the video. This can be confusing to a new skier who has to figure out what Harold is describing by watching the video multiple times. If the jargon was defined when first used, it would be immediately clear. There are better instructional ski videos out there where the photography is much, much better with more time spent on theory and practice. This video was good when it first came out, but it has been surpassed by better ones. A fully modern, up to date method for modern equipment  On: 2005-11-29Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier 1 is everything that it says it is, a fully modern instruction method and approach to skiing that, unlike traditional ski area teaching, takes full advantage of the most modern equipment. After many seasons working with traditional or mainstream PSIA instructors, some of them friends, with little results other than frustration at their obvious lack of understanding of their own sport, I began looking at other teaching systems, starting with the very good Breakthrough on Skis by Lito Tejada-Flores. But when I found Harald Harbs books and videos, thats when my skiing realy began to take off. Why? Because Harbs approach is based upon a scientific understanding of the actual (bio)mechanics of skiing. After working with the Harb material for two seasons now it is clear to me that his is probably the best approach, more depth than Tejada-Flores and 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 wasnt blue groomed to being totaly cool with bowls, bumps, steeper runs where you ski around rocks, and, of course, powder. Specific movments of specific body parts are explained clearly as to their function and execution. Big improvment in my skiing happened right away and continues. This book 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. Wrong technique for shaped skis?  On: 2005-03-27Having competed on a national level when in college in 1980s I recognize elements of Mr. Harbs techniques used back then (i.e. ski on one leg). However, we now have shaped skis, which seem to need a different approach to achieve level of enjoyment and performance not possible on 20-year old straight skis. I am certainly not an expert, but I did take a lesson recently from a professional instructor. Here is what Ive learned (and what seems to be opposite to Mr. Harbs teachings): - Ski on both skis (only if you have "shaped" skis) - make sure that inner ski is at the same angle to the slope as the outer one (for that you need move inner knee closer to the slope - it feels awkward at first) - during transition between turns, you hold skis parallel to slope and quickly turn them in the direction they need to go without putting them on edge (this is very quick, less than a second and somewhat unstable move) - After skis are turned in the direction you need, put both of them on the edge and enjoy a feeling of acceleration. When you ski like that, there is almost no side sliding of skis, and it feels that you actually accelerate in the turn. Unbelievable! When I compare how Mr. Harb turns (and diagrams that he draws on weight distribution) with clips of current racers. it feels as if Mr. Harb uses turns to slow down - see flares of snow. Perhaps this is because he turns only on one ski. Opposite to his approach, racers on the very same DVD almost always ski on both skis and one can see almost perfect trajectories of both skis without wasteful side sliding. Mr. Harb, I hope you personally experience the new technique and make an updated video that I am able to learn from. However as it is, I cant recommend this DVD nor the "Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier 2: Powder, Bumps, and Carving" DVD, that seems to be using similar principles. Very good for second season  On: 2004-09-09This is a great DVD for those who wants to stop skiing with "wedge" and "snowplough" all the time. The method is very simple to understand. Seeing it in a video makes a lot easier than reading about it. I "test" the method recently, and YES that works great. I was capable to start skiing parallel almost immediatly. Of course took some time to improve, but the results came fast. I could actually think about what I was doing while skiing, remembering the lessons on the DVD. That gave me the sense of practicing the theory. Only thing that I missed a bit is a lesson explaining a way to STOP doing wedges and trust in the "Phanton Movement". I guess this part was quite overlooked. Well..worked for me. I am skiing a LOT better. Great technique, but could be simpler. On: 2004-01-31Harold Harb is a pioneer in ski instruction and his PMTS system will have you skiing like you never have before. His form is very inspiring, and you wont be able to wait to get on the slopes to try out his lessons. However, his video suffers much the same problem as his book(s)-- his technique is ingeniusly simple, but his explanations are highly technical, not organized to its best, and confusing. The names given to each movement tend to be somewhat academic, and any claim that these lessons will work for the first time skier may be a stretch. Id say this is a a great video for the intermediate at best-- I got this video to make better sense of his book of the same name. Ive learned his technique from an instructor, though, and this video makes a great refresher to what I learned that day. |