Your opinionion on the Skier's Edge Trainer
April 2, 2005
17 posts
10 users
11k+ views
I am interested in this trainer for off season conditioning and was wondering if anyone has used/owned one. I would appreciate any opinions. Thanks!
Yeah it's pretty good for a workout and puts you in a nice stance for skiing .... when you do it try to *only* tap your poles on the ground like when you pole plant ... don't use them for support when using the machine. This will force you to remain balanced and in rhythm which is beneficial for skiing.
Vesty, Are you thinking about buying one? I'm curious as to the cost.
Crush, I'm fun to watch just walking and chewing gum. I have a Nordic Track and had a hard time keeping rythm (can't spell it either). Do you think SkiersEdge is easier to use than NT?
Jimmy
My sister has one and its great! We get together on weekends for Redskins games (the pain, the pain!) and have impromptu contests on how many 'turns' each person can do at a given tension. It is really great cardio in addition to ski conditioning.
I want to get one for our place but the rec room is pretty full of desks, servers, workstations, dog crates and cat climbers and there is just nowhere to put the dang thing .. its biggish. Only place left in our house is the middle of the living room floor ... hmmm that might not be a bad idea!!
they are expensive - around $1000....
Jimmy - umm yeah it takes a little more to do the Skier's Edge than a Nordic Track. And I agree with everyone it is real expensive. But on the other hand it does give you the timing/feeling of making snappy slalom turns so if it is worth it then by all means, but for the price you could have a nice ski holiday!!!
Thanks for your opinions. I am thinking of getting one. I understand they can run from $1,000 to $1,500. I was thinking of it more as an investment where I could cut back on the private lessons. I am sure I spent at least $500 on lessons (group & private) over the last 2 seasons.
Disclaimer, I am a ski instructor.
I think the Skier's Edge is more for getting your legs and body in shape to ski. Lessons will address more issues concerning how you ski. I personally don't have a Skier's Edge but talking with some of the other instructors I know, they use it to get in shape for the season but it doesn't help with improving technique.
Please, please don't cut back on lessons .. that is truly a false economy. If you have to cut back, changing from privates to groups might be the way to go. Sometime a good group lesson can give you a lot more than a private ... watching the other skiers and listening to the instructor critique can be a real eye opener.
As far as the Edge goes .. buy it as an adjunct to your lessons, not instead of. The Edge is not an instructor but merely a machine that will help you with muscle memory and conditioning. It can't tell you what you are doing wrong or right.
no no nononon no .. no don't cut back on lessons. In fact if you have to make a choice, spend the $1,000 of a ski camp or something ... you can always get into just as good shape doing jumping jacks (really)!
Thanks,I got the literature in the mail and have decided that I can not afford the $1600 investment at this time. I will continue running and going to the gym for now. I would also have to skip a trip to Killington during spring break.
Maybe Santa will bring me one...
vesty,
Why not try rollerblading as a lower cost training alternative to the Skier's Edge? $1600 is an awful lot of money for a piece of training equipment. Would you pay $1600 for a pair of skis?
Picked up a used skier's edge at the Ski Chalet swap today for around $350. What a deal!
In addition to the activities mentioned by JohnL, Nordic Walking is not a bad activity to engage in to get in shape for the slopes. It's a good cardio vascular activity that is easy on the knees (because of the poles) and not bad for the upper body (again because of the pole activity).
http://walking.about.com/cs/poles/a/nordicwalking.htmCycling is another good activity.
I've had some considerable frustrations with this that I need to share; I am not saying you will experience anything like this.
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The foot rolls through the step to push off with the toe. This lengthens the stride behind the body, getting the most out of each stride.
It's that foot rolling onto the ball that really brings out the Morton's neuroma every time the GF tries this or XC skiing (classic) or climbing shoes. Usually it takes almost a week for the inflammation to die down (she has not had surgery).
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Picked up a used skier's edge at the Ski Chalet swap today for around $350. What a deal!
Hey Vesty, How about an update? My cousin was up from Tampa for our annual get together. Last year he was worn out after a day & half. He's been "on the edge" since September and the difference in his leg endurance was amazing; four days, no whining!
jimmy
As you're planning for next year, I recommend the Skier's Edge, but agree it's expensive. FWIW, my family had this machine's predecessor 35 years ago, and it did wonders for all of our skiing. Still, it will never replace lessons.
I was surprised how much work the new machine is. You can work to some serious thigh burn. I agree it helps with rhythm, but it's also great for balance, especially once you're stable enough on the machine to train without poles. I did not buy the platform that tips forward and back, but may before next season. That would prove very challenging, and lets face it ... good balance is essential to good skiing.
The thing with balance is that it's achieved with so many small muscles rather than just the large ones. The Skier's Edge works them all.
They are available on EBay.
