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If I could change one thing about skiing, it would be.....

Perty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Lilywhite, I agree with you, but only to a point. Lessons are only any good if the instructor is any good. I am sure I'm not the only one who have up on lessons in France in the 90s as the quality of instruction was so dire. I found them frustrating, contradictory, and often unhelpful. Since then I have had occasional lessons, usually from native English speakers, and this season we have splurged on proper off piste tuition. But I admit I have been on many ski trips where we have not had a lesson at all.

What I really really hate are the obviously out of control blokes who hurtle past me (and I'm no slow coach) in a semi snow plough, straight-lining a run, often with their jacket flappeing open for some reason, and without a helmet. They are out of control, see speed as the sole arbiter of ability and cannot turn in an emergency . They try to kid themselves and others before a ski trip that they are good skiers, and then you find they can't ski a red run without falling over, that they get tired after 2 runs, and usually use the excuse that they are hungover/need to do some "serious après" to bail out at 3pm!
Trouble is, these days, for the vaguely sporty person, it is possible to get by after a couple of lessons. Skis and boots are so much more set up to help you ski.
 

Lilywhite

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Perty, your spot on with quality of lesson being a factor to consider.
It's more the people who "get by" yet consider themselves good skiers that really get my goat especially when they throw scorn on anyone that has a lesson. Your description of the open coated helmetless bat out of hell is all too familiar, god help them if they need to stop suddenly! Frequently these are the loud braying show offs using words like "owned, gnarly, hucked"etc in the hotel bar.
 

SkiMoose

Certified Ski Diva
I agree with itri and Skier31.

As far as ease between car and lift: With 8 of us in the family (3 couples and 2 toddlers), I'm exhausted by the time I get on the lifts. Between carrying all the gear and the 2yo who can't make it up stairs with all her ski clothes on, it's a wonder I have any energy to ski at all. But as soon as I get off the lift and get that rush of fresh air in my face... everything is right with the world. :snow:

As far as out of control snowboarders (not that skiers are immune from this, but I've had more bad experiences with snowboarders): We were up skiing with friends early in December, and my friend got taken out 5 times in the first 3 hours by snowboarders!! Once she even hit her head pretty hard, and that was WITH a helmet on. I've seen snowboarders run over small children (<5yo) and not even stop to see if they are ok. :scared: Even if I don't know the child, I want to go after the a$$hole and give them a piece of my mind . :boxing: If you can't safely turn out of someone's way, you shouldn't be on that run!

That being said... skiing really is the perfect sport!:ski:
 

Perty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Perty, your spot on with quality of lesson being a factor to consider.
It's more the people who "get by" yet consider themselves good skiers that really get my goat especially when they throw scorn on anyone that has a lesson. Your description of the open coated helmetless bat out of hell is all too familiar, god help them if they need to stop suddenly! Frequently these are the loud braying show offs using words like "owned, gnarly, hucked"etc in the hotel bar.
Yes...you've just reminded me of someone I used to have to ski with who resolutely refused to have a lesson, even as the rest of the party improved. Don't ski with him anymore, for reasons I don't need to rehearse here, but which are entirely at one with his pig headed, chauvinistic, "nobody can tell me what to do" attitude to lessons. I always hated skiing in front of him as he would keep up, in that hurtling fashion, all 15-16 stone of him....and then overtake me. And the reason he could not ski well in less than optimum conditions was always to do with his kit/the weather/ the light/the quality of the snow...never his own limited skills. And heaven forfend if anyone in our party gave him a tip on technique.....
 

Ashleigh Lawrence

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's funny you should say that Lilywhite. I had an interesting chat with my last French instructor, who was busy pouring scorn on the French skiers, making all the same comments about them that you just made about the Brits. He then went on to say that in his experience, us Brits, together with the Dutch were very keen on having lots of lessons, as we all wanted to be good, technical skiers!

Anyhow, one thing I would get rid of is people who queue jump, either at the lifts, the lift pass office, or anywhere else for that matter!
 

HeidiInTheAlps

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Demos in Europe!

I understand from the Dutch forum, there seems to be a big demo gig in Solden somewhere early November...they hope for fresh snow, otherwise they ski the glacier... I feel a road trip coming on....
 

HeidiInTheAlps

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
+1 on Perty's first comment

My husband was called a few weeks ago for a gig in Switzerland, unfortunately he was over qualified for the job (read, it didn't pay enough).... but for a few fleeting moments, I thought - :banana: maybe...

No offense to Utah friends, but skiing aside, I absolutely hated living, or should I say working, in Utah. I just couldn't deal with the culture, the conservative - church guided politics, it really rubbed me wrong...

But yeah, changing where I live would work for me.

1) That aside, in France, the unthinkably rude French folk that are completely vacant of any ounce of respect for a queue in a lift line!
2) My condition, which I actually have some control over
 

Christy

Angel Diva
He then went on to say that in his experience, us Brits, together with the Dutch were very keen on having lots of lessons, as we all wanted to be good, technical skiers!

I think just about every Brit I've met at Whistler (and there are lots that go there) does full day lessons or camp every single day of their stay. I don't know how they do it--my legs would be like jelly (lessons seem to take much more out of me than skiing on my own).

That aside, in France, the unthinkably rude French folk that are completely vacant of any ounce of respect for a queue in a lift line!

I've been told (by Brits at Whistler--see above) that all of Europe has lift lines like that, even Austria and Switzerland. No?
 

HeidiInTheAlps

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think just about every Brit I've met at Whistler (and there are lots that go there) does full day lessons or camp every single day of their stay. I don't know how they do it--my legs would be like jelly (lessons seem to take much more out of me than skiing on my own).



I've been told (by Brits at Whistler--see above) that all of Europe has lift lines like that, even Austria and Switzerland. No?

Well, none of them are organized like lift lines stateside, only a few lift lines have a 'single's' line, but the ones in France are just absolutely the worst, even the kids do it, in fact they are the worst. I refuse to take that sh*t from kids, even if it is 'their' country, I give them the big 'ole stink eye, find a few french words to mutter out, and use my strongest body language to let them know, it's NOT OK to shove me or my kid, or just step in front of me, just because you can.... yeah, it's pretty offensive...

For the other countries, the lines just aren't organized and you need to be a bit on top of things if there is a crowd, but not offensive like France. It makes we wonder how the Brits survive skiing France, Brits love queuing up, sometimes I think they queue up, just to be queuing up, without even know what they're queuing up for! And at a ski resort, there is a proper reason to be queuing up, but no queue! Must drive them nuts.
 

segacs

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It makes we wonder how the Brits survive skiing France, Brits love queuing up, sometimes I think they queue up, just to be queuing up, without even know what they're queuing up for! And at a ski resort, there is a proper reason to be queuing up, but no queue! Must drive them nuts.

I had the same observation. British vs. French culture clash is never more obvious than in a lift line in the Alps. The French make fun of the British for their obsession with queues, and the British get mad as hell at the French for completely ignoring the queue. It was quite funny after a while, actually.
 

Indianaskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Indiana would have mountains, because I doubt I ever get to move where there are any.
Since that is not likely, I agree totally that something more needs to be done about out of control and rude, dangerous skiers/boarders. This is probably the biggest problem I have with not being able to totally let go when I am skiing sometimes.
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
+1 on more comfortable ski boots and no out-of-control-skiing-above-ability skiers on the hill.

And while we're at it, a ski-in/ski-out year round residence with a private pool would be just about heaven.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
As far as the lift line goes, I have found pole planting to be useful on more than just the slopes. (Nope, those bratty kids did not sneak past ):bounce:

I wish all ski hills had clearly marked trails, and trail maps at both top and bottom of each lift to help everyone (me included) to stay on the trails they should be on.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
While I'm here, +1 on the ski in- ski out. I keep lobbying for that slopeside abode. My argument is that since DH doesn't ski, he wouldn't feel left out as much. He could happily tend the fire and sit with his laptop and the dogs, and we would pop in and out through out the day as needed. Thoughtful of us, huh?
 

litterbug

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
No offense to Utah friends, but skiing aside, I absolutely hated living, or should I say working, in Utah. I just couldn't deal with the culture, the conservative - church guided politics, it really rubbed me wrong...
It's a weird place to live, which is why I live and work downtown. Ever notice that SLC is the only island of blue in Utah? We've even got a liveable-city-loving environmentalist mayor.
And while we're at it, a ski-in/ski-out year round residence with a private pool hot tub would be just about heaven.
Fixed it for you. :wink:
 

SkiNana

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I would like to see some respect (I.e. discounts) for senior skiers! Not only is there no uniformity concerning when a "senior" deserves a discounted ticket, but they keep raising the age that qualifies! The more active and fit older people are becoming, it seems, the more they are penalized for what really should be encouraged. At Boyne (in Michigan) seniors ski free at seventy. But here at Big Sky (owned by Boyne) I doubt I'll ever get old enough to catch a break: the older I get the higher they raise the bar! If you're old enough for a heart attack, you absolutely should ski free in my book! (But maybe I'm biased?) DH has (had) prematurely silver hair and was given senior rates by the (young) ticket sellers in Michigan at 55, without them even asking. That would work as a qualifier too. If you have to suffer the vagaries of advancing age, there surely should be a reward: discounted, or free, ski passes work for me!

While I'm complaining about prices, I would also change the outlandish price of private lessons. At least at Big Sky the rates are ridiculous. Maybe others can afford $400 for a three hour lesson, but I find it outrageous, especially considering a tip is expected on top of that!

Aside from high prices, I second, or third, the complaints about speeding, out of control skiers - and most notably boarders - on the slopes. I'd love to see boarders confined to certain slopes . . . say, for example, those at Moonlight Basin! (our neighboring resort) Barring that, a little more intervention by patrollers or instructors - anyone in the employ of the resort - would serve to discourage the crazies. Although we don't have a huge problem here - and less since they removed the huge halfpipe - there's very little to discourage reckless behavior.
 

SkiMoose

Certified Ski Diva
I would like to see some respect (I.e. discounts) for senior skiers! Not only is there no uniformity concerning when a "senior" deserves a discounted ticket, but they keep raising the age that qualifies! The more active and fit older people are becoming, it seems, the more they are penalized for what really should be encouraged. At Boyne (in Michigan) seniors ski free at seventy. But here at Big Sky (owned by Boyne) I doubt I'll ever get old enough to catch a break: the older I get the higher they raise the bar! If you're old enough for a heart attack, you absolutely should ski free in my book! (But maybe I'm biased?) DH has (had) prematurely silver hair and was given senior rates by the (young) ticket sellers in Michigan at 55, without them even asking. That would work as a qualifier too. If you have to suffer the vagaries of advancing age, there surely should be a reward: discounted, or free, ski passes work for me!

Killington has a super senior (80 and over) pass this year that's $39 and no blackout dates!
 

marymack

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
-Change the trail rating system: make trails more comparable between mountains and make it easier to compare trails within a particular mountain.

-Less environmental impact: Provide more shuttles/carpool benefits, use less water/energy in snowmaking, less tree clearing/regrading of trails, energy efficient lodges/snowcats/chairlifts, local food, use solar panels/windmills
 

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