Hey Wolfer, I don't work for the "Skier's Edge" company, but if they offered me a job selling them I would take it in a minute. I'm sixty years old, and I can ski from first chair to last chair, and not get a burn. There is no doubt in my mind that I can do this only because of my use of the Skier's Edge machine. I bought mine (the basic "Classic Carver") at a ski show around the last week of Oct 2004. I used it for a little over three weeks before I got the first opportunity of that season to get in some turns on Nov 20 at Killington. From the first moment I jumped off the chair at the top of "Rime" I knew something good had happened to me. I not only felt physically strong I felt as if I had already been skiing for several weeks in terms of my stance and rhythm.
I couldn't believe how "centered" I felt on my skis and how easily I could initiate turn after turn, short or long. I was simply amazed. Before my "gushing" turns you off, let me assure you that getting to that point involved some serious work on my part. Like absolutely any other piece of exercise equipment, it is useless if you don't use it. In the summer I try to get in a minimum of 3 work-outs per week. In season I do four to five if I can't get out to the slopes. I don't work out the day before a trip, or the day after.
I got a "deal" on my machine because it was a "show demo." I paid around $1450 for it, and my wife thought I was nuts. If you do consider buying one, make sure you also buy the "Slope Simulator" attachment. If you have seen either a live demo, or viewed their demo video on their web site you may not have seen the Slope Simulator. The machine is excellent without the SS, but it work wonders with it. Without, you get a fantastic aerobic workout that not only works the "ski specific" muscles in your legs, but it also conditions the muscle groups that make "angulation" (it?s what helps you lay your edges over) totally natural and effortless. I now make my turns using both the inside edge of the outside ski, and the outside edge of the inside ski. In fact, if I ?catch an edge? I easily and automatically shift my weight to the ski that is properly set without any drama. With the Slope Simulator you get the added benefit of improved balance because your feet are not only free to swing from side to side, but they are also free to tilt forward and back. Initially it feels awkward (they can be set to limited movement until you get used to the free motion) but after a time you realize how much your balance improves. It is uncanny how this attachment helps you train your muscles so that you can balance without conscious effort. I can literally stand on one foot and put on a sock without holding on to anything. I know it sounds silly, but think about how steady that makes you feel with your foot in a boot locked into your bindings.
My goal at each workout is to do between 2,000 to 3,000 ?turns? on the Edge Machine. I usually do about 100 - 105 turns per minute. A ?turn? is defined as going from the top center of the machine to one side, and back to the center. Two ?turns? is from center to far right back through center to far left, then back to center. I also do 100 -120 ab crunches off the floor, 100 -120 pushups, and 100-120 various upper body exercises using some weights.
Final note: My wife ended up using the machine to rehab her ankle after having broken it and healed. She used a lighter tension setting, and also used the console of our treadmill as a hand support instead of the poles that are provided. Any questions? Please feel free to PM me if you wish. Yes, I like it.