The All-Mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing

This book is amazingly comprehensive for its size. It is roughly two-hundred pages, yet it breaks down the essentials of making good turns, contains an in-depth look at each ski equipment and how to maintain it, and breaks down special techniques for various snow conditions (powder, moguls, etc). If this isn't enough, there is a more technical section at the end for serious ski freaks. This is nuts. I also have the book, "Ski the Whole Mountain", and it probably has only half the information this book has.At first glance, you may not like this book because it is black and white and not as flashy as "Ski the Whole Mountain". Also, most of the pictures are hand-drawn illustrations. However, upon reading it, you will be hypnotized and the black and white illustrations seem to almost come alive. It is testimony to the fine writing by the author.If you ever want to ski moguls, this is the book. For years, I look at expert mogul skiers go down and I keep saying to myself that they must have some special paths they follow but I just don't know what. Well, this book draws the path, the moguls, the works!This is an amazing book and probably the only book you need to ski like a pro. But I read "The Skier's Edge", and that book actually contains even more technical information (if that's possible) so you may want to check that one as well.

This book is great. A beginner or even an intermediate may find much of the information to be too advanced to be useful. Advanced skiers should find it to be an excellent resource.The book, among other things emphasizes the importance of steering, espescially in the important transition phase between turns. (Intermediate and even advanced skiers who learn how to edge effectively, often abandon their steering skills and simply step from the outside edge of one ski to the outside edge of the other ski.) The mechanics of effective steering are explained well as is the importance of the skill in more difficult terrain.Fundamentals are emphasized. The modifications and different blends of skills which are required on moguls, powder, crud, steeps, ice and in the trees are also explained very well.

Highly recommended book for any skier who aspires to the Holy Grail of being able to ski in all kinds of terrain, in any condition. This book is most suitable for intermediate to advanced skiiers who are hoping to make the progression to all-terrain skier one day.It's often very difficult to pay attention to all of the different skills needed to ski well at the same time. Mr. Elling uses a "toolbox" approach to break down each skill, and recommends specific drills to strengthen one's abilities in each skill.Where this book really shines, though, is Elling's explanation of how these different skills should be combined in order to tackle different types of terrain and/or snow condition. Many ski instruction books out there are written with the goal of teaching you how to ski expertly...on perfectly groomed snow. But the skills that apply to Eastern hardpack/ice (edging, pressure on single ski, etc.) do not apply to Utah powder (even weighting on both skis) and Mr. Elling spells out the differences better than anyone else I have come across.Also a useful section on ski equipment and boot fit that correctly drives home how important good boot fit is to effective skiing.Overall an excellent book that anyone who wants to stray off the corduroy should take a look at.

I read this book on my way to a ski vacation at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I tried to apply as many of the "tool kit" concepts in skiing the steep, ungroomed runs at JH, and found that the approach raised my skiing to a higher level. This book is designed to improve intermediate and advanced skiers, and based on my experience, it definitely achieves this objective. Over the past 15 years I have read a number of ski instruction books, and have purchased several, but none as effective as this one. Comparable books in another sport are Vic Braedon's tennis instruction series. Braedon's and Elling's books break their respective sports into the basic physical principles and techniques to understand the mechanics and make significant performance improvements. I highly recommend this book.

This might be the very best book ever written about the type of skiing that most of us are trying to achieve. Sitting in my Jacuzzi in Calgary at the end of October 98 with a good snow flurry developing (it is missing the mountains altogether) I read the book. The book is very well planned and laid out. It does not start at square one. He assumes the reader has experience with skis and that the reader is enthusiastic about the sport. In most ski books one must wade through a lot of useless information before getting anything out of it - not in this case. It is easily referenced. He has been very careful to clearly convey skiing philosophies and techniques. It is comprehensive - there is a lot of information here. I know my skiing is going to improve this season because of reading this book.