Making Skiing Fun Again

[Jilly]

then the problem lies with the instructors.

I disagree with this in the context of the article. She mentions that these skiers had taken lots and lots of lessons. But because THEY have been so focused on the technique, they are not enjoying skiing. They want the perfect turn, perfect edge, perfect position. There is nothing an instructor can do except tell them they're fine. I used to ski with one of these people. Do I have this right? Am I doing this correct? Geez, relax and go ski it!!

And those of us who ski big mountains will be intimidated by the East Coast skiers who are awesome carvers...

That's me I hope!! And I don't need to carve on snow, just ice. Bumps and powder don't need carving.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I disagree with this in the context of the article. She mentions that these skiers had taken lots and lots of lessons. But because THEY have been so focused on the technique, they are not enjoying skiing. They want the perfect turn, perfect edge, perfect position. There is nothing an instructor can do except tell them they're fine. I used to ski with one of these people. Do I have this right? Am I doing this correct? Geez, relax and go ski it!!

In that case, what changed when they skied with Blakeslee? What allowed them to let go?

 

[Jilly]

Mindset. Exactly as she states. A little psychology can go a long way.

 

[Skisailor]

As an instructor, I can say that it's critical to every lesson to ascertain the goals of the student. And it's to the student's advantage to be open and even assertive in their communications with the instructor regarding their goals and expectations before and during the lesson. This gets more and more important at higher levels where the goals may be more narrow and refined.

That said, I always have my antennae up for students who seem overly focused on technique for texhnique's sake.

In my view, skills are just a means to an end. The more of them you own, the more the mountain environment opens up to you and the more chances you have to have fun, create memorable experiences and to explore the beauty of our mountain world.

So I always make sure to connect anything we are working on to how that will be useful on the mountain.

I do agree that ski resorts need to create more "bridging" terrain to help move skiers more easily into off-piste situations. It's easier for the large resorts to do this because some of it will fall into their laps so to speak - there is so much terrain. So even when they are NOT doing a good job in this regard, it's likely that instructors will know how to find the teaching terrain they need. That's why resorts like Jack Frost should really be commended for the approach they've taken as described by @vanhoskier.

 

[heather matthews]

In my view, skills are just a means to an end. The more of them you own, the more the mountain environment opens up to you and the more chances you have to have fun, create memorable experiences and to explore the beauty of our mountain world.

This perfectly sums up how I feel about technique.I've worked hard on mine over the past couple of seasons and theres been a few times when I'll admit that I wasn't always having fun but I knew that it was a sort of investment that I was making.And slowly but surely its working,my skiing has become more solid,I can more confidently ski differing terrain and I could almost keep up with Katy Perrey in February!!!(I suspect she could go a lot harder and faster).Three years ago there is no way I could have skied with skiers like Katy and her friends and had such a blast doing it and thats why its worth(to me anyway)spending time learning to try to do things well.Now I just have to wait for this storm to finish,the tows and lifts to be de-iced and hopefully I'll be skiing Saturday and Sunday

 

[Skier31]

Last year, I was in a skiing rut and was a bit frustrated because I was not making the progress I wanted. I signed up for a race clinic. It was the best day of the season and jump started my skiing.

As an instructor, I try to incorporate an adventure into every lesson. (Within students' ability but they may not think so at the onset).
It is great to see the excitement and sense of accomplishment. Hopefully, the skills and the fun parts help people love skiing.

 

[ling]

Can't say I understand the problem.

I always enjoy skiing. (well, when I didn't enjoy it much, I skiing less). So I'm not sure I understand skiing but not having fun.

I see technique as the means to the end of enjoying skiing. So I ONLY do skill practice and lessons when I feel I'm limited by my technique/skill. As such, I don't feel the compulsion for skill improvements. Certainly never be the reason that makes skiing less fun!

That said, when the condition were so-so (no new snow), I do enjoy working on specific drills, just to motivate myself to go out there. But I only do that when I'm already at the mountain. Otherwise, I just stay home and catch up on my chores.

Even when I was working as a rookie instructor, I still looked at lessons much the same way. The clients come to take the lessons expecting the lesson will help them enjoy skiing more. Whether that enhanced enjoyment is through drills or challenging terrain depends on the individual. I'm there to provide it. (it's almost always a combination of both. But to different portion based on the client's reaction)

 

[marzNC]

Here's an interesting article by Mermer Blakeslee (yes, that Mermer Blakeslee, of A Conversation with Fear and the well respected fear clinics). It's about how for some people, skiing has become less than fun for a variety of reasons, and what resorts can do about it. The article recently appeared in Ski Area Management.

What do you think?

I don't relate to either of the situations personally because my situation and personality are quite different. But I have observed quite an impact of lessons from very experienced instructors (PSIA Level 3 at destination resorts) on my main ski buddy who was a bit like the ex-racer.

". . . An ex-racer who grew up on straight skis, she skied fast, and could get down just about anything. So she never took a lesson. . . .

As she got older, she challenged herself less and less in the bumps, trees, and icy steeps. She came to the Fear Workshop not because she was scared, but because she wanted to break out of her boredom and feel some thrill again. But, she added, “I don't want to kill myself.” She was already a self-identified skier, but her desire needed to be rekindled.

Even though Dana was a “good skier,” her experience of skiing had grown as stagnant as Jen's. She hadn't expanded her repertoire to tackle new terrain, and she hadn't felt a new internal sensation from her skis in years. The top-down teaching she'd experienced as a kid reinforced for her an endpoint in learning. As an adult, she already “knew” how to ski—she didn't have to bother with learning.

Unfortunately, this is all too common among self-described experts. Confirmed by the current paradigm of our culture, they value the smug comfort of knowing over the vulnerable risk inherent in learning. This makes them miss one of the main gifts skiing offers: its infinite continuum of learning, its never-ending capability to provide new-ness. . . . "

My ski buddy didn't race as a teen but was essentially an expert skier at Aspen during high school. Fast forward a few decades . . . he was doing more cross-country skiing than alpine skiing. When we started skiing together about ten years ago at a school alumni event at Alta Lodge, he seemed content with social skiing even if that meant blues or the easier blacks most of the time. The short story is that a few years later we did a semi-private lesson together at Alta that started him on the path to tweaking his stance and skiing technique enough to make it easier on his knees. Took another season or two and a few more lessons to create a new normal that was more natural. I assume he started having more fun on the slopes since he started doing other ski trips besides the mid-season and late season trips that we do together.

Now he can carve the modern way, or revert to the narrow stance technique for fun when he feels like it. After a Taos Ski Week last season, he is skiing far more challenging terrain and looks much smoother even on groomers. Without the lessons in the last few years, I doubt he would be as comfortable on Taos double-blacks. I know I wouldn't have been exploring Taos black dumps without the lessons I've had starting five years ago. The two of us ski far more terrain at Alta and Snowbird now, including a few trails that he said he wouldn't have tried without the lessons.

I remember being a bit bored at Snowbird during a powder storm a couple decades ago because I was an intermediate stuck on a few short groomers. Have found that with better technique and more knowledge about how to practice on groomers at large and small mountains, I have far more fun regardless of snow or weather conditions. For me, lessons made a huge difference but it took a few seasons.

 

[Tvan]

Last season at Diva East, I took a lesson on the day after a torrential rain storm followed by plunging temperatures. On the morning of my 3-hour-non-refundable-very-expensive lesson with a level 3 instructor, the hill was pure boilerplate. And it was great. I gritted my teeth and told the instructor that I needed to learn how to ski on ice and that's what we did for 3 hours. I had a good, challenging lessonand came away with some confidence and new skills to practice.

I am considering doing a womens workshop somewhere this winter (recommendations, anyone?) to really focus and raise my confidence level. My husband says he thinks i ski better than I think I do, and I's like to see if he's right.

 

[newboots]

I am considering doing a womens workshop somewhere this winter (recommendations, anyone?) to really focus and raise my confidence level. My husband says he thinks i ski better than I think I do, and I's like to see if he's right.

Last year everyone raved about the Okemo women's weekends, I think they were called. I'm moving to the area and I hope to do one this year.

 

[ski diva]

Last year everyone raved about the Okemo women's weekends, I think they were called. I'm moving to the area and I hope to do one this year.

I think you'd do very well there.

I've reviewed both the Okemo and Sugarbush clinics in my blog. Go here and here.

 

[Tvan]

I've reviewed both the Okemo and Sugarbush clinics in my blog. Go here and here.

Thanks - will check out both reviews.

 

[bounceswoosh]

My husband says he thinks i ski better than I think I do, and I's like to see if he's right.

Odds are, he's right. Most women underestimate their abilities. But if you're the type to pick apart your skiing, you'll likely focus on the feedback no matter how often your instructor says you're skiing great.

 

[Mary Tee]

Last year everyone raved about the Okemo women's weekends, I think they were called. I'm moving to the area and I hope to do one this year.

Okemo has 2, 3 and 5 day Womens Weeks. I did the 5 day last year, and had a lot of fun with a great group of women, and I do think my skiing improved. I loved the group dynamic and the social aspect of the Okemo clinic. They did great job of dividing the groups. There was no one my group that was much better or worse than anyone else, so no one slowed the group and no one seemed to be bored either. That said I came away with same thought I usually have after a group lesson...just not enough skiing. I think I might try 2 or 3 half day privates rather than the group lesson next year. The times I have taken private lessons, I always felt I came away with one or two things to work on that made a big difference in my skiing.
I almost forgot, if you are looking to demo some skis there is that opportunity within the clinic at no additional cost.

 

[Mary Tee]

New boots...I didn't know you were moving to Okemo!!!

 

[Tvan]

I'm seriously considering the Okemo Woman's program this season. Thanks for the recommendations!

 

[Abbi]

And those of us who ski big mountains will be intimidated by the East Coast skiers who are awesome carvers...

That's OK! We admire that you can see powder without a face plant in it! Or I do, shouldn't make myself into 'we'!

 

[santacruz skier]

That's OK! We admire that you can see powder without a face plant in it! Or I do, shouldn't make myself into 'we'!

Oh I've had my share of face plants, double ejects, etc.

 

[Tvan]

So, I spoke with my boss today and got approval to take 2 weeks off in January. I'm going to register for the Okemo Women's 5 day workshop, and then ski Diva East the following week. Anybody want to join me at Okemo, or meet up for a meal, etc?

 

[ski diva]

So, I spoke with my boss today and got approval to take 2 weeks off in January. I'm going to register for the Okemo Women's 5 day workshop, and then ski Diva East the following week. Anybody want to join me at Okemo, or meet up for a meal, etc?

Happy to meet with you, either for skiing or dinner. Just keep me posted.