This is STUPID

[Ringrat]

canadianjem, I'm tempted to make a snarky comment about RCR, but as I have no experience with the ski school at Fernie or any of the other RCR resorts, it would probably be unjustified.

A day back out on the hill by yourself or with someone you ski with regularly may be what you need. No, it might not help you break bad habits or progress, but hopefully remind you of why we do this crazy sport...because it's FUN and we ENJOY it.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience!

 

[AliceH]

Fill out the comment card, with a note that you'd like a response within 48 hours. If that doesn't get a response, and if you can't reach a manager at their ski school, there are other ways to make their lives miserable ;)

Here's their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FernieAlpineResort?sk=wall

Here's their Twitter account: https://twitter.com/skifernie

Here's their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/FernieAlpineResort

I'd start off nice on their Facebook wall, mention that you'd like to speak to someone directly about your experience with your lesson recently but that you're not having any luck reaching someone and that your comment card has gone unanswered. Don't put your phone number on their Facebook wall - there's enough information there for them to contact you.

If that's not answered pretty promptly (within two days, max) start ramping it up. Keep a list of the dates you tried to contact them, and what dates you posted on their Facebook wall. Also make note if they're deleting your posts on their wall. You can also write on your own wall with a link to their wall and it will show up on their wall (unless they block you, in which case I'll help you escalate it further because that's just really bad customer service).

With twitter, post an @SkiFernie message, which will show up in their feeds. Same route, if you choose to do Facebook first (which I think is more effective) then you can pick up with the tweeting at whatever point you need to.

On YouTube, you can post directly to their video channel. It will show up anytime someone visits their channel. As long as you're polite I don't think there's a way for them to block you.

I think at the *very* least they should offer you a free lesson with a different instructor. They placed you in that class, and the instructor chose to ignore your needs during that class.

 

[canadianjem]

This instructor wants you to drop back to Level 2??????

This is from the Fernie website:
"Adult Skier Ability Levels
Level 1 This is your first time skiing.
Level 2 You ski cautiously in a wedge and find Green runs a challenge.
Level 3 You ski Green runs comfortably but would like more confidence.
Level 4 You cautiously link turns on Blue runs. Your skis are mostly parallel.
Level 5 You ski blue runs with confidence and want to challenge black runs and off piste.
Level 6 You are comfortable on all black runs and off piste but want to ski with more performance and confidence."

This is what I cant understand...I welcome criticism.... but I have no wedge....i find greens boring....i spend my time now in the bowls doing blues.....

My biggest problem is telling me i have problem without any advice on how to fix it

 

[Downunder Diva]

Canadianjem I can feel your frustration re: lesson blues - you've had a tough time what with this lesson and the horror private one before this... What I don't understand however is why you would want to throw in the towel? Particularly considering the wonderful epiphany / experience you had skiing last week when everything came together for you in the powder bowl. Your post then was one of pure elation. Perhaps when you're feeling down you should reread this post of yours to reconnect with why you ski (why any of us do)... Skiing can be frustrating in a good way - it inspires us to reach higher but basing your skiing raison d'être on something so unable to be contolled by you (ski instructor opinion) is a needless frustration. What does it matter if someone says level 2 for you? At the end of the day if the advice doesn't fit with you why should it have so much meaning to the point where you would consider selling your skis? Skiing is all about having fun ***and*** challenging yourself - but most of all it's about having fun!

 

[Mom of Redheads]

Hmmm. I think you have two different issues here, and they don't have to be addressed in the same way...

Issue 1: bad lesson with moron instructor! Complain, ignore 99% of what moron instructor said, and try and get some form of redress. If that fails, take a deep breath, vent here, and then... let it go...

Issue 2: possible ski technique problems! Recognize that if moron insructor said anything useful to you, it's that your fundamental technique might need some work (why you took a lesson in the first place, no doubt). Also realize that many of us here (me included) will agree that it is possible to become an "intermediate/expert" "advancing intermediate" or whatever skier - comfortable on blues and easy blacks - with less-than-solid fundamental skills - especially if you've never taken regular lessons. And many of us (me above all) have the same conundrum. So, there you are, flying down blue groomers (or blacks) and your technique (or lack thereof) catches up to you. You struggle on steeps. In glades. On bumps. In crud. On ice. (Pick your favorite or fill in the blank!) And you realize that some of what you're missing - if you had taken regular lessons to begin with - was probably taught back in the level 2-4 lessons in the first place! I think it's possible to be very comfortable (and competent) on level 5 terrain but to have imperfect fundamental skills (weight transfer, upper body/lower body separation, etc.).

If all that is the case... and I can't say it is or isn't based on what you wrote... then come up with your best possible plan to slowly improve any problems you have with technique! Videos, private lessons, books, a camp (like Roxy)... we all have our favorites! Just make sure your plan does not include moronic instructor!

Downunder Diva makes a good point... don't worry about labeling your level - just focus on what you can do to get to where you want to be next! FWIW, all that's easy to say, but it can be really tough to shake off a bad lesson. Try though. It'll be worth it!



Now: emoticons for DD who won't stop bugging me and who is "helping" me type (she loves these things):

 

[Perty]

"European skiing"???
What a ***** cheek!

On that basis, maybe Didier Cuche needs a few lessons from your @rseh**e of an instructor.

Yours seethingly
Perty (learned to ski in Europe)

 

[Indianaskier]

I taught at a very small ski area, no frills, no mountain, just big hills, but had we ever been reported as treating a client like you were treated, something would have been done about it and it wouldn't have been pretty for the guilty party.
Some people do better in small group lessons, but many are more comfortable in a private lesson.
One thing you don't want to do is keep practicing the wrong technique. A good instructor will see what you need help with, listen to your specific concerns and do their best to guide you in a way that you learn best. Nobody learns the same way. Once you correct that one thing that may be holding you back, it is the best feeling ever. I remember that feeling myself.
I've had some major illness issues in the past 6 yrs and had to go back to skiing very slowly. About 2 yrs ago I was getting comfortable again, only to be zapped again. I'm back at it this year, but it seems to be taking me longer to feel confident again. I intend to take a private lesson, just to have someone help me see what it is that is holding me back and while I am just level 1 PSIA certified, I was a strong skier and I'm afraid I'm re-learning some bad habit. It will seem odd to do that, but if I'm going to ski with total joy again, I think it is the best choice for me.
I hope I don't sound preachy! I just loved teaching and it burns me up to think of anyone having such an awful experience.

There are many great instructors out there, you happened to get a real jerk!

 

[canadianjem]

"European skiing"???
What a ***** cheek!

On that basis, maybe Didier Cuche needs a few lessons from your @rseh**e of an instructor.

Yours seethingly
Perty (learned to ski in Europe)

sorry Perty...in no way did I mean to offend you. Just repeating what my instructor said

 

[canadianjem]

Fill out the comment card, with a note that you'd like a response within 48 hours. If that doesn't get a response, and if you can't reach a manager at their ski school, there are other ways to make their lives miserable ;)

Here's their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FernieAlpineResort?sk=wall

Here's their Twitter account: https://twitter.com/skifernie

Here's their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/FernieAlpineResort

I'd start off nice on their Facebook wall, mention that you'd like to speak to someone directly about your experience with your lesson recently but that you're not having any luck reaching someone and that your comment card has gone unanswered. Don't put your phone number on their Facebook wall - there's enough information there for them to contact you.

If that's not answered pretty promptly (within two days, max) start ramping it up. Keep a list of the dates you tried to contact them, and what dates you posted on their Facebook wall. Also make note if they're deleting your posts on their wall. You can also write on your own wall with a link to their wall and it will show up on their wall (unless they block you, in which case I'll help you escalate it further because that's just really bad customer service).

With twitter, post an @SkiFernie message, which will show up in their feeds. Same route, if you choose to do Facebook first (which I think is more effective) then you can pick up with the tweeting at whatever point you need to.

On YouTube, you can post directly to their video channel. It will show up anytime someone visits their channel. As long as you're polite I don't think there's a way for them to block you.

I think at the *very* least they should offer you a free lesson with a different instructor. They placed you in that class, and the instructor chose to ignore your needs during that class.

sigh...its a slippery slope here and I have to tread carefully.
Fernie is a VERY SMALL town and everyone knows everyone. Believe me when I say...If I start complaining...I am going to me known as "that girl". And trust me...my name and complaint will spread rapidly...Even if my complaint is valid and warranted.
I am a fernie "newbie". The "locals" are a tight knit group and some have made it quite clear that I can never be a true "local".
Any who...thats a whole other can of worms I care not to open right now.
I am just not sure if I want to make my complaints public for all to see

 

[segacs]

I may not know much about ski technique, but I do know a lot about marketing.

A ski school is a service business. They live and die by reputation. Smart service businesses know that a customer whose complaint has been resolved is far more loyal than a customer who had a fine experience to begin with.

The best way to get what you want is to contact the right person. Maybe it's a manager; often it's even someone who works in marketing. Customer service may not be their job, but they're the ones who "get it" and understand what they have to lose if they don't address your complaint -- and what they stand to gain if they do. If you can't find out who the best person to talk to is by networking with your friends, you could always try searching on LinkedIn.

One little secret is that you'll often get what you want a lot more if they think of you as an "influencer". Without being obnoxious about it, you could find a way to drop into the conversation that you have a large network of contacts including locals and tourists who come to Fernie, and of course that there are loads of us Ski Divas on here waiting to hear the resolution to this problem. (If Fernie was really smart, they'd have social media monitoring in place and they'd pick up this conversation in their search, and send a representative on here to answer it. But I digress).

Don't be afraid to complain. It doesn't make you 'that' person. It makes you a person who legitimately paid for a service and did not get what you were promised.

As to whether you have technique issues, I have no comments on that; most of the Ski Divas here are much more qualified to answer that one. I'll only say that I vaguely remember Stem Christy as the technique they taught me when I was a kid in the 80s and learning to make parallel turns. I never heard of it referred to as "European" -- but hey, what do I know? I'm just one of those people MomofRedheads mentioned, who skipped a ton of essential technique along the way and has occasionally had to go backwards to learn some of it.

 

[litterbug]

Just tritto what the other people said.

Quadditto for me.

The European was of skiing is.....Lifting my uphill ski slightly while making a turn. I found that if i didnt lift my uphill ski slightly...my tips would cross....so now the slight lifting and turning feels natural...I guess its wrong.

Lifting the ski? Yes, I confess I still sometimes do it under pressure, and am having a lot of trouble getting over my fear of catching an edge, so it's hard to get myself to angulate and weight both skis. Nowadays catching an edge is rare, but sometimes balk at going fast because I don't want to tumble if I revert to my old ways.

sorry Perty...in no way did I mean to offend you. Just repeating what my instructor said

I don't think you offended her; your instructor did! What an uninformed jerk. And he takes you on a black run when you say you're terrified and then, instead of giving you some tips like a professional, he basically says "shut up, I have no time for you?"

sigh...its a slippery slope here and I have to tread carefully.
Fernie is a VERY SMALL town and everyone knows everyone. Believe me when I say...If I start complaining...I am going to me known as "that girl".

What a drag. The insider-outsider thing is so common in tourist towns, and I'm so sorry you have to deal with it. Maybe you could find other newcomers who'd be less entrenched in the social structure? People come and go in resort towns, so you could sniff around for them.

My first suggestion was going to be to save up your money and invest in a private lesson, but don't do it unless you get a recommendation for someone who is happy to help you break through to the other side. You'd need to screw up your confidence and say you're absolutely in love with skiing. If you can make it happen, do it. If not...well, either you find an unemployed instructor and buy them a great dinner in exchange for an hour of teaching (resorts usually don't allow anyone to teach for compensation unless they're a ski school instructor), or travel to a resort where someone will care. And do ask for a Level II or III instructor; I'd think they have more at stake because they get national certification.

Do be willing to step down, but level 2? Come on, what kind of a boneheaded jerk would say that to someone who's able to do a stem Christie? You deserve better than that. If you have some bad habits or basic technique problems you might end up doing basic drills that seem stupid, and you need to keep an open mind, but you're not snowplowing; you're skiing some blues, are ambitious, and need help getting on the right track, not bludgeoning!

 

[geargrrl]

segacs said,

skipped a ton of essential technique along the way and has occasionally had to go backwards to learn some of it.

Wow, that's great. I'm in that club.

Another way to handle it is to just take a deep breath, let it go and then in the course of your day to day stuff just make inquiries, if anyone knows a really good instructor. I totally get the small town thing and not wanting to stand out for being THE pain in the....

None of us ( ok maybe a few gifted folks) get this stuff over night. There are a lot good resources out there, and here, that will give you useful information that you might connect with. I skied for 15 years without a single lesson and was the skier below that momofredheads describes. And then, once I started lessons and it was back to baby drills...omg... it's hard to not feel insulted!


I really like what momofredheads said. This was me for a long time.

Also realize that many of us here (me included) will agree that it is possible to become an "intermediate/expert" "advancing intermediate" or whatever skier - comfortable on blues and easy blacks - with less-than-solid fundamental skills - especially if you've never taken regular lessons. And many of us (me above all) have the same conundrum. So, there you are, flying down blue groomers (or blacks) and your technique (or lack thereof) catches up to you. You struggle on steeps. In glades. On bumps. In crud. On ice. (Pick your favorite or fill in the blank!) And you realize that some of what you're missing - if you had taken regular lessons to begin with - was probably taught back in the level 2-4 lessons in the first place! I think it's possible to be very comfortable (and competent) on level 5 terrain but to have imperfect fundamental skills (weight transfer, upper body/lower body separation, etc.).

 

[maggie198]

I do guarantee you that they have a director of the ski school, and that's who you need to call. Just call the resort's number and ask for the ski school director. If they want to know why tell them it's personal. Leave a voice mail if you have to. But be heard at the top! I do think that if you explain what actually happened, and just tell them nicely that all you want is an instructional lesson which you paid for in good faith, you'll probably get it. Your lesson was shabby at best, and any professional in the business would agree that it wasn't right.

And every once in a while you run across a real @%#hole of an instructor. My adult daughter's first group lesson left her in tears and hating skiing. When she told me about her experience, angry and frustrated, it made me feel really bad for her. She's a very athletic and physically capable young woman, but it sounded like she had an awful instructor. I told her that I'd go skiing with her and show her how much fun skiing can be. I hadn't skied in 20 years! It got me back on the slopes, she ended up loving skiing and is now about a level 7. One of the things we really enjoy, and try to do several times a season, is participate in women's ski clinics. Not to knock male instructors, as there are many good ones, we find the women's clinics very supportive and encouraging.

And calling stemming European style is just lame.

 

[mustski]

My dad (Irish from Ballymena) taught me early in life the best way I know to deal with bad customer service. He practiced it on Canadian Immigration Officials when they refused to let my mom back into Canada on their honeymoon ... oops they went to the American side of Niagra Falls! My mom got back in!

Clerk: Please fill out the comment card and we will be glad to get back to you.
Customer: Of course, but then I would like to talk to you about it.
Clerk: Our procedure is to fill out the card and then someone will get back to you.
Customer: I completely understand that you don't have the authority to help resolve my problem. Who's you boss? I would like to speak to him/her.

... You follow it up with comments like ... He/she doesn't have a name?
You are not allowed to release his/her name?
Can you connect me to his/her voice mail so I can request an appointment?
No connection possibility .... follow with:
I understand completely. What's your name? and then write it down!

I have learned over the years that more often than not, you are passed "upstairs."

You work your way up the ladder this way until someone understands that you are a dissatisfied customer. Remain polite and understanding of their lack of "authority" at all times. It really p****s them off!

 

[segacs]

Oh wow, look at this (from Wikipedia):

The stem Christie is a technique in skiing for turning. It is a refinement of the basic stem technique where, prior to the turn, the uphill ski is stemmed (tail skidded outward) from being parallel with the downhill ski to form a V shape.

The turn was named after Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, where the name Kristianiasving was used for the parallel turn, differentiating it from the Telemark turn.

The technique was introduced to central Europe in 1910 by the Austrian ski guide Johannes Schneider.[citation needed] Along with the other two stem techniques, it formed the basis of his Arlberg technique and instruction method.

The technique was popular and widely used up until the late 1960s, when its use diminished in favor of the parallel turn, inspired mostly by ski racers. Radical side-cut skis, developed in the late 1990s, have accelerated the obsolescence of the stem Christie.[1] It is still occasionally taught to intermediate and advanced skiers to demonstrate the difference in efficient movements with less efficient movements.

So I guess it is sort of "European" after all. Shows how much I know.

(That instructor still sounds like a right @$$, though.)

 

[geargrrl]

canadianjem, I'm tempted to make a snarky comment about RCR, but as I have no experience with the ski school at Fernie or any of the other RCR resorts, it would probably be unjustified.

A day back out on the hill by yourself or with someone you ski with regularly may be what you need. No, it might not help you break bad habits or progress, but hopefully remind you of why we do this crazy sport...because it's FUN and we ENJOY it.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience!

if it's not a powder this weekend, and I'm not sick, I'm up for it.

 

[2ski2moro]

So I guess it is sort of "European" after all. Shows how much I know.

It's not surprising that many skiing techniques are European. People were skiing in Europe before the US was a country. (Google: History of Skiing.)

 

[AltaEgo]

You Deserve Better...

If you can't get anyone's attention at Fernie, please don't give up on trying to get better. I normally find it best to watch someone ski then advise, but there are some great video instruction cds and books, like Harold Harb's Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier or Ellen Post's Technical Skills for Alpine Skiing, or some of the videos available to the public on www.psia.org. I wouldn't try to fix it all at once, but instead would do one "drill" a day to slowly incorporate the new skills into my current skill set. If you really can't get a lesson somewhere else, (or need some summer poolside reading!) these resources may help.

 

[Rosie Facer]

So sorry you had a crappy lesson. I'm thankful I've never had an instructor as hopeless as the one you had. So far I've had better luck with female instructors (ski and board instructors) on my home hill but based on observations of the male instructors and my experiences with the female ones, the ski school at my local hill manages to attract (or instill) a person focus in their instructors. Can you get to another mountain for your lessons? I had good luck with women-only lessons last year.

As an aside, "PowderMatt (aka Matt Mosteller, VP of Marketing at RCR) "looks forward to your comments" on his blog - https://powdermatt.com/about/ - a shame that doesn't extend to the business he works for I guess. He also responded to reviews on TripAdvisor (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g182167-d207580-Reviews-Fernie_Alpine_Resort-Fernie_Kootenay_Rockies_British_Columbia.html) so perhaps they do some social media monitoring. However, based on his response to the negative review dated 7 May 2010, you might be on a hiding to nothing.

"European skiing"???
What a ***** cheek!

On that basis, maybe Didier Cuche needs a few lessons from your @rseh**e of an instructor.

Yours seethingly
Perty (learned to ski in Europe)

:ROTF: You go girl!

 

[snow addict]

sigh...its a slippery slope here and I have to tread carefully.
Fernie is a VERY SMALL town and everyone knows everyone. Believe me when I say...If I start complaining...I am going to me known as "that girl". And trust me...my name and complaint will spread rapidly...Even if my complaint is valid and warranted.
I am a fernie "newbie". The "locals" are a tight knit group and some have made it quite clear that I can never be a true "local".
Any who...thats a whole other can of worms I care not to open right now.
I am just not sure if I want to make my complaints public for all to see

This is so ridiculous what you are saying! What a stupid attitude they have. 'Local' or not you are one of the people providing their income. I ski in the major resort but it is essentially a small village, not even a town, where everyone knows everyone, but such things are unheard of. Maybe because there are many ski schools and many ski shops and they are all jumping out of their skin to help when someone is only considering getting their services. Tourist or a local. I know that sometime during group lessons there can be a ski school employee "shadowing" (usually someone on instructor course getting his first experience) the lesson, but instructors attention is always on the paying customer. because they want you back and they like seeing you progress and they make sure you get their name and number and they ask you to call them if you have a technique issue. looks like this resort has some sort of monopoly on teaching and they think you will be paying them so that they could show you an attitude.

Maybe you should come to Europe and learn the real "European" way of skiing';)