Male or female instructors? Any difference?

[cwmscm]

The gender does not matter to me but I do like the instructor to have a good sense of humor and to laugh a lot.

 

[BitchHound]

Gender doesn't much matter to me. What I would look for is someone who can break technique down mechanically so I could really understand very specifically what the ski, boot, ankles, knees, etc... need to do. Most of the instructors I have been around tend to be more artistic types that talk about feel. Sigh. Such is the burden of being an engineer.

Now to be honest I have never really had a formal lesson per se. Just 3 years at Red River Race Camp to tune up for the year where the instructors run groups through the basics and we run gates (the UNM ski team sometimes provides tips ). Nothing like a private lesson or skill specific class (moguls, steeps, etc...) though. It has been fun and I learned a bit in the process.

 

[lynseyf]

Often, when I struggle down a run, DH will tell me to look up from the bottom. "Look at what you just skied!" And yeah, it's steep (and bumped up or rocky or lots of trees or whatever), and yeah, I got down it, but if I didn't feel I did it *well*, seeing that I got down something rough doesn't do anything for me mentally.

Sorry off topic but this really resonates with me. I am alittle timid of steeps and HATE ice, Last year we're going up a lift over a steep black and my boyfriend says lets ski it, I don't wnat to but he talks me into it. I hate it, I have no control. I get to the bottom and I'm a mess. He says " don't you feel great you just skied that" I didn't "ski" it though, I got down it and it wasn't fun. I was no worse than anyone else on the slope but I got absolutley no feeling of accomplishemnt from doing it.

Back on topic but I've only had one female instructor and she was rubbish, I've had a couple of male ones who were great and the rest were so-so. To be honest I think this was more a result of the level of instructors, the woman was only a BASI 1 which is the lowest level while the really good ones were ISTD which is ( I think) as high as you can go.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

( rolls eyes, not believing she is taking this bait)
I had a great male instructor.
So I married him.

Does he have a twin?

 

[callmijane]

OMG I agree with this so much. My DBF has been "challenging" me lately- last weekend it was mogul runs. I had a tough time getting down it- and he's all, look what you just skied! and I said, no, I didn't (meaning that I got down it on skis, yes, but i didn't SKI it, you know?) and he doesn't get it.

So I'm more likely to do better and get more out of it if I'm being taught by a female- they get it, and I get it. :-)

 

[whitewater girl]

I do find that when skiing or mountain biking or whatever-ing with my friends, the men are more likely to say "Just go for it!" The women are more likely to walk you through it and give you concrete suggestions. And when pressed, the women are more likely to actually know what skills are required, whereas the men can't always articulate what it is they are doing. And that doesn't mean that all women or all men think or learn a certain way, but I do see a trend there. It could be inherent, or could be caused by gender-based expectations that start when we're little kids ... but I digress ..

I have had ski instructors take me down things that didn't really progress me, but not things that were completely beyond me. It sounds like for AG, that 12' drop with a flat landing fell into that category. I wonder if male students are more likely to go "Woohoo, look what I just did!" and feel awesome about it, whereas female students want to feel that they're doing it *well*?

Often, when I struggle down a run, DH will tell me to look up from the bottom. "Look at what you just skied!" And yeah, it's steep (and bumped up or rocky or lots of trees or whatever), and yeah, I got down it, but if I didn't feel I did it *well*, seeing that I got down something rough doesn't do anything for me mentally.

this very much resonates with me as well......skiing, kayaking, hikingbikingswimmingskating, whatever, all too often the guys I'm out with (or being taught by) approach it sooo differently that, well, it's difficult to stay mentally in a place where I can progress (or even feel good about how I am doing)...

...the good instructors I've had have managed to bridge that...the not so good one's didn't...

 

[Skise]

I've also had a male instructor "challenge" me with a too difficult slope. He didn't actually expect me to learn anything from that, the ability to come down the run was intended as a confidence booster for easier runs (it was a difficult red and I wasn't even comfortable on blues but he felt I should be). Didn't work the way he thought though, it has taken me two years to build up courage to ski any reds in that resort (I'm skiing blacks elsewhere) and I've still not gone anywhere near THAT red (the most difficult one there).

But still, that particular instructor is one of the best I've had. I visited "his" resort last week, took two lessons from someone else (when I booked the lessons in advance I got offered two instructors who were the only ones present teaching higher level lessons) and then one lesson from him and felt the two previous lessons were a waste of time. "Fine tuning" to get rid of several faults when he found the basic fault causing all the other ones in a few minutes. In addition to his ability to see what is going on he's also very good in explaining how things should be done, why and how to do it. The bad thing is that he's getting old and only teaches beginner lessons any more. Call's himself the King of Bunny Hill :D My lesson was the first time this season he was teaching elsewhere.

 

[Rosie Facer]

I've also had a male instructor "challenge" me with a too difficult slope. He didn't actually expect me to learn anything from that, the ability to come down the run was intended as a confidence booster for easier runs (it was a difficult red and I wasn't even comfortable on blues but he felt I should be). Didn't work the way he thought though, it has taken me two years to build up courage to ski any reds in that resort (I'm skiing blacks elsewhere) and I've still not gone anywhere near THAT red (the most difficult one there).

But still, that particular instructor is one of the best I've had. I visited "his" resort last week, took two lessons from someone else (when I booked the lessons in advance I got offered two instructors who were the only ones present teaching higher level lessons) and then one lesson from him and felt the two previous lessons were a waste of time. "Fine tuning" to get rid of several faults when he found the basic fault causing all the other ones in a few minutes. In addition to his ability to see what is going on he's also very good in explaining how things should be done, why and how to do it. The bad thing is that he's getting old and only teaches beginner lessons any more. Call's himself the King of Bunny Hill :D My lesson was the first time this season he was teaching elsewhere.

I'm not sure male/female matters to me, but I haven't had that many ski instructors. In general terms I've had good and bad of both sexes and you never get the exact equivalent in the opposite sex of a good/bad example. The good have usually got a sense of humour, a good instinct for people and try different ways of explaining things until something clicks. I've been equally reticent (chronic shyness!) about whether or not something has clicked with men and women until fairly recent years. A good instructor will recognise that in a student and make sure they are getting sufficient feedback to know how best to help the student. For example the bit in bold above totally works for me. OH had me on a green run that had me practically on my knees (oh how I wish I'd started skiing at 3!) but when I survived the descent and headed back to the bunny hill I was so much more relaxed about the bunny hill that I could really focus on my drills instead of the icy expanse full of bodies in front of me.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

I don't think male or female matters to me. Basically, the best instructors (for me) are the ones that in addition to being able to explain something multiple ways (in case I don't get the first explanation), but also have the ability to "read" the student (some students need to be pushed beyond what they think their limits are and others need their hand held more). If the instructor can't figure out what type of student they are dealing with it is less likely to be a successful lesson.
The best instructor I've had (and I use him every year) is male and has never overfaced me. He knows exactly what trails will be a challenge for me without making me shut down mentally.
I've been overfaced before once by a woman and once by a man and it was not fun.
I just look for an instructor who "gets" me.