First Time Skier Information

[skigirl]

Thought I would throw a variant into this equation: What if friend IS an instructor, and certified? I can only speak for DH, who, while not currently teaching, can somehow go into third-party instructor mode if/when asked by skiing friends onhill -- i.e., "I feel off-balance, what am I doing wrong?" "Is there a better way to ski icy moguls, can you help?" I've seen him give 30 second tips that have really helped others (including myself). I know this is kind of an off-shoot, but this seems like a more acceptable alternative. I haven't seen him teach a beginner in decades, however - horse of another color. Also, my son taught us both to snowboard (also an instructor and certified) and was also able to maintain the "distance." We both got 1 hour privates. DH got it but didn't like it. I stunk We both quit while we were ahead!

Since this thread is about beginners I will answer from that point of view.

I have seen other instructors TRY to teach their SO and fail. I can not tell you how many relationships I have saved over the years. I was always the go to instructor when other instructors tried and failed to teach their SO to ski. So my advice to other instructors is to pick out one of your fellow instructors to teach your SO to ski. Your relationship will be a much happier place.

As far as getting pointers when you are a more advanced skier goes, that can work if you can take their criticism. If you can not then don't do it. My husband and I are both instructors and we actually teach each other. I also taught him how to ride horses. It works for us because we both repsect the each other's ability to teach.

Thank You Divas for your support of this thread. I thought long and hard on what to say without actually teaching. My goal is to get good information out to new skiers so they will go try skiing for the first time and have fun!!

 

[skigirl]

I just want to keep this up high, especially now being a vacation week.

Last night I saw another bad teaching situation going on. This was 2 snowboaders, one never ever and the friend, not so good themself, trying to teach. They were fighting at the top of hill. I did not stick around to see the out come. I have seen several skiers in the same boat this week too.

Do your friends a favor and get them a lesson or two.

 

[SueNJ]

Maybe I'm the exception--my SO has been skiing for many years and did a 1-season stint as a ski instructor at a local mountain. He got me up and skiing (wedge to parallell) my first season on skis, and if anything, we got along better. He still gives me one of those "aha!" pointers every now and then when he sees me struggling at any particular moment. I didn't take a formal lesson until the end of my second year, when I did a 3-day women's ski clinic at Stowe, and by then I was skiing all blue runs at bigger ski areas and some black diamonds in smaller areas. I really feel I progressed quickly because he taught me good technique, and because he was with me every time I skied and could help me tweak my form or point out where I was slacking off with form.

I guess some of it has to do with how the SO approaches teaching their mate. Mine is very patient and sweet, and from the first day, the instruction and tips he gave me really helped. He pushes me a little to test my ability boundaries, but earned my trust early on by never pushing me too far outside my comfort level. Those few times I found myself at the top of a run that was probably more than I could handle, he gave me "survival" tips to get down safely, which resulted in improving my confidence.

I guess I'm a lucky exception!

 

[jnmcarroll]

This is great advice! My husband taught me to ski when we were dating. On my first day, after 2 runs down the bunny hill he thought I was ready for something more. Unfortunately he is a great skiier and wasn't familiar enough with the beg/intermediate runs and we ended up at the top of a giant mogul field. The only way down was sliding on my butt. That was not a happy moment--I still married him, but that first ski day was pretty dicey.

 

[perma-grin]

I try desperatly to avoid teaching immediate family members! To much access to too many buttons! Yesterday I had to rescue my sons girlfriend from his impatients with her. And he's an instructor too! He is normally very patient with students. We just tend to have higher expectatians for the people we are personally connected with. I must add that Meg has only been on skis 4 times and is already doing very nice matched turns on the blues, but he is being overly nit picky about every thing she does and is always in teacher student mode with her. For some reason he has totally forgotten about letting her just get some quality milage in. So that she can learn to relax and enjoy it. My sage advice was " You've done a nice job teaching her the basics, now shut up and let the girl ski!" This is suppost to be fun!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Maybe I'm the exception--my SO has been skiing for many years and did a 1-season stint as a ski instructor at a local mountain. He got me up and skiing (wedge to parallell) my first season on skis, and if anything, we got along better. He still gives me one of those "aha!" pointers every now and then when he sees me struggling at any particular moment. I didn't take a formal lesson until the end of my second year, when I did a 3-day women's ski clinic at Stowe, and by then I was skiing all blue runs at bigger ski areas and some black diamonds in smaller areas. I really feel I progressed quickly because he taught me good technique, and because he was with me every time I skied and could help me tweak my form or point out where I was slacking off with form.

I guess some of it has to do with how the SO approaches teaching their mate. Mine is very patient and sweet, and from the first day, the instruction and tips he gave me really helped. He pushes me a little to test my ability boundaries, but earned my trust early on by never pushing me too far outside my comfort level. Those few times I found myself at the top of a run that was probably more than I could handle, he gave me "survival" tips to get down safely, which resulted in improving my confidence.

I guess I'm a lucky exception!

Same here -- We ARE lucky! I think instructors know how to (or SHOULD) maintain that level of objectivity. In the same vein, I simply cannot imagine how parents home-school. I did lots of tutoring, and that was hard enough. I think most here are pointing out the potential if not frequent or inevitable issues arising from friends who aren't qualified to teach others doing so. As for us, we have the unprecedented luxury of being able to ask "what am I doing wrong?" and getting a straight answer of suggestions and exercises, plus demos.

 

[SueNJ]

Same here -- We ARE lucky! ...
As for us, we have the unprecedented luxury of being able to ask "what am I doing wrong?" and getting a straight answer of suggestions and exercises, plus demos.

Exactly! We were skiing in some pretty cruddy conditions the other day and I had my Volants (hadn't skied them in a couple of years) and was wrestling with them a bit. My SO saw that I was struggling and suggested a slightly different technique, showed me what he meant, and bingo! I was having fun!

 

[skigirl]

This really is the EXCEPTION not the RULE! You got very lucky and I am glad it went well for you. I still highly recommend that all First Time Skiers take a lesson or 2 or even 3 or more if that's what it takes. I just want everyone that is starting out to have a great time and fall in love with skiing.

Every time I go skiing I see people trying to teach a friend how to ski or snowboard and I can see the potential in the beginner but the friend just doesn't know how to explain it to them so they can get it. This is just so sad because I know that when that person gets to the bottom that will be it, they will never be back.

I have stopped many times and asked if the skier would like my help and from there I have taken over and gotten the person skiing. This is a lot of fun and very tough at the same time because it is hard to start a beginner out in the middle of the "Big Hill"! I help when I can.

Maybe I'm the exception--my SO has been skiing for many years and did a 1-season stint as a ski instructor at a local mountain. He got me up and skiing (wedge to parallell) my first season on skis, and if anything, we got along better. He still gives me one of those "aha!" pointers every now and then when he sees me struggling at any particular moment. I didn't take a formal lesson until the end of my second year, when I did a 3-day women's ski clinic at Stowe, and by then I was skiing all blue runs at bigger ski areas and some black diamonds in smaller areas. I really feel I progressed quickly because he taught me good technique, and because he was with me every time I skied and could help me tweak my form or point out where I was slacking off with form.

I guess some of it has to do with how the SO approaches teaching their mate. Mine is very patient and sweet, and from the first day, the instruction and tips he gave me really helped. He pushes me a little to test my ability boundaries, but earned my trust early on by never pushing me too far outside my comfort level. Those few times I found myself at the top of a run that was probably more than I could handle, he gave me "survival" tips to get down safely, which resulted in improving my confidence.

I guess I'm a lucky exception!

 

[SueNJ]

Yes, that's why I started and ended my post by saying I'm the exception. I can't imagine how terrifying it must be for someone to find themselves at the top of the mountain because a well-meaning but clueless friend or family member told them they could do it, or they should tough it out because that's how he or she learned how to ski.

When I did my first stint with skiing about 25 years ago, I never took a lesson and never really got to the point where I enjoyed skiing. It was more like skiing in survival mode, and I found myself skiing by myself most of the time because the guy I was with at the time was a high-intermediate skier who didn't have the first clue as to how to instruct me and never bothered trying. After our relationship ended, I never touched skis again until I met the man I've been with for the past 4+ years. He's got experience as a ski instructor, he spent time with me to teach me something new every time we went skiing throughout the first season (it was as if I took a ski lesson every time I went skiing), and he taught me right--absolutely no regrets there, because I love, love, love skiing now. But he still encourages me to take a lesson now and then to learn something new, or to correct a bad habit, or whatever. The key is that he has worked as a ski instructor and knows how to break things down for a beginner skier. With his instruction, I progressed from a rank beginner to skiing blues and easier blacks during my first season of skiing. Bottom line, based on my experience, any time I talk with someone who would like to try skiing, the first thing I tell them is to plan on taking at least one lesson to get started.

 

[skigirl]

This weekend brought out a lot of new skiers. Some of them were taking lessons and others were not.

Friday night was my first save of the year. My husband and I noticed a small group of boys on hill some of them could ski and one could not. His friends were trying to help him. At 9pm my husband and I decided to stop and try to help the boy because we knew his bus would be leaving soon and he needed to get down the hill. His friends left him on the hill to catch the bus. I am happy to say that we got him skiing and he made it to the bottom in time to catch his bus.

Sunday I saw a guy dragging a woman down the hill. It was so sad. He was just dragging her!!

Monday night. We saw another guy just dragging a woman down the hill. These 2 happend to fall down right near me so I went over and nicley said, "If you love her you will get her a lesson. I don't want to see anyone get hurt." The guy was very nasty and told me,"They were just fine!" Trust me when I say that were not close to being fine.

In both caes the women could not do anything on their skis. They could stand up for only a few feet and down they would go. The guys they were with were putting not only the women in danger of injury but everyone else that was skiing on that trail.

Please don't take never evers up the hill until they can stop and link turns in complete control.

Please take lessons it is worth the money. I don't want to see anyone get hurt because their friends thought they could teach. It is very sad to see this happen because I know that person will never be back to ski again. We want to keep new skiers not lose them because they did not get the right start. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Skiing is such a fun sport and easy to learn when it is taught right.

 

[SueNJ]

This weekend brought out a lot of new skiers. Some of them were taking lessons and others were not.

Friday night was my first save of the year. My husband and I noticed a small group of boys on hill some of them could ski and one could not. His friends were trying to help him. At 9pm my husband and I decided to stop and try to help the boy because we knew his bus would be leaving soon and he needed to get down the hill. His friends left him on the hill to catch the bus. I am happy to say that we got him skiing and he made it to the bottom in time to catch his bus.

Sunday I saw a guy dragging a woman down the hill. It was so sad. He was just dragging her!!

Monday night. We saw another guy just dragging a woman down the hill. These 2 happend to fall down right near me so I went over and nicley said, "If you love her you will get her a lesson. I don't want to see anyone get hurt." The guy was very nasty and told me,"They were just fine!" Trust me when I say that were not close to being fine.
...

Please take lessons it is worth the money. I don't want to see anyone get hurt because their friends thought they could teach. It is very sad to see this happen because I know that person will never be back to ski again. We want to keep new skiers not lose them because they did not get the right start. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Skiing is such a fun sport and easy to learn when it is taught right.

I'm sure that young man was very grateful for your help!

I wonder if you planted the seed in that woman's mind... "if he loves me, he'll get me in a lesson..." She was probably absolutely terrified!

 

[skigirl]

I saved another one yesterday. This is a funny yet scary story at the same time. I get off the lift for my second run and a girl is laying with her skis off next to the lift. She is not happy. I stop and ask her boyfriend if she has ever skied before and he said yes. I skied away. I get to the top for my 3rd run and they have only gone about 50 feet. She is yelling at her boyfriend. :yell: I decided to stop and ask her if she would like some help. She said Yes, her boyfriend said no. I went with what she said and stayed to help. I asked why she came up and she said he made me. She wanted to stay at the bottom and take a lesson and he would not let her.

My first side note on this story is, ladies don't ever let a guy make you do someting you don't want to do!!!! I told her this.

She was good sport and I did finally get her to the bottom. Her motivation was to get to her boyfriend so she could KILL him!!! She was very grateful for my help. She said there was no way she would have gotten to the bottom without my talking her down. I was able to tell her what to do every step of the way. Her boyfriend had no clue.


Her boyfriend tried to tell her what to do a few times and she just looked at him and said I don't trust you I only trust HER!!! She kept telling him to get away.

I had a lot of fun with her. When I got her to the bottom she went into rest and said she planned on getting a lesson the next time.

Please take lessons. Both of the people that I saved this week got lucky because I came along and was willing to help them. This is another huge exception not a rule. In most cases someone like me does not come along and bail you out!!

 

[num]

My first side note on this story is, ladies don't ever let a guy make you do something you don't want to do!!!!

This is one of those ski tips that applies to all parts of life off hill too!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Another horror story, this one from last season at Sugarloaf (where it really is rare to see this kind of nonsense): DH and I approach intersection, stop, look uphill to yield - high speed skier in distance, I thought for sure it was a racer (why going so fast in busy traffic???). Skier approaches, it is a completely out of control, terrified beginner going MACH SCHNELL, I'm talking 40+. Teen gal. Her 3 male friends are at side of run yelling "FALL DOWN, FALL DOWN!"

Everyone on that run (a blue-plus with headwalls) was clearing the deck, stopping to watch this jaw-dropping event.

She is approaching a CURVE in the run and DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO STOP MUCH LESS TURN. And dead ahead is a stand of trees. Everyone watching was heart-racing breath-holding.

She somehow made the turn, disappeared over another headwall, then a puff of snow. DOWN. People converged from everywhere.

She was rattled to the max but okay.

DH and I read the freakin Riot Act to her friends, although we didn't scream at them. Being the first female on the scene, I de-skied to help her out and give her some comfort. She wanted to be taken down in a sled. Ski Patrol complied.

I've seen my share of out of control beginners/never-evers in my day, but NOTHING like that. It could way too easily have been a fatality.

And the really totally sad thing is that she COULD have taken a lesson and had a great time doing so.....

 

[SueNJ]

Wow, these stories are amazing, frightening! Kudos a hundred times over to you ladies for stepping in and helping--you may have given these folks another chance at seeing how great a sport skiing is. I'll make sure to do the same if and when I see this going on.

Maybe we should all carry a supply of cards with the URL for Ski Diva on it, to hand out to all these poor female beginners who get talked in over their head. We'll straighten 'em right out! Of course, I'd offer to help a guy who was struggling, too.

Sue

 

[IntheClouds]

Maybe we should all carry a supply of cards with the URL for Ski Diva on it, to hand out to all these poor female beginners who get talked in over their head. We'll straighten 'em right out! Of course, I'd offer to help a guy who was struggling, too.

Sue

Sue - Great Idea for the cards !

So DH has finally picked a day to try skiing, this coming Sunday. He keeps asking if I couldn't just teach him. hahahahah. He finally gets it after my continual emphatic no,no, no- that is what instructors are for. They know what you need to learn & will keep you safe. No letting him force me into doing something I don't want to do ! (in reverse sorta)
I refrain from repeating any of these stories. Just keep telling him that learning to ski needs to come from an instructor who knows what they are doing. Anyone short of an instructor will probably get you hurt.

 

[IntheClouds]

These stories are really sad. Most if not all will never try skiing again. Even worse, is if they go back and tell their girlfriends about their experience, they will either not try skiing, or be fearful from the onset. The ski industry must be aware of this. I know at my local hill, this week was learn to ski week. $25.00 gets you a limited(beginer lift only) lift ticket, rentals, & a 2 1/2 hour lesson. Cheapest possible lift ticket is $51.00. so the incentive monetarily is there to do the beginner package. Normal beginner pricing is $49. so still lower price. HOWEVER, there is always that friend or group of friends who talk the beginner out of a lesson. I've seen it. I will Diva up & be "miss stick her nose in" next time & say my piece when I hear this in the future. An easy way to avoid tragedy. After all, a Ski Diva doesn't just stand by does she ?

 

[SueNJ]

Camelback in PA has a program on Tuesdays where a beginner who comes there with someone who buys a full Adult ticket gets a free beginner lesson, free lift ticket to the beginner area, and lunch. Slowly but surely, the ski areas are getting it, and are making it enticing for beginners to take lessons.

 

[IntheClouds]

That's awesome. A Free Lunch would get me to take a lesson ! Oops, I already do that & still pay for my lunch ! No free lunches for the already initiated I guess.

 

[IntheClouds]

Camelback in PA has a program on Tuesdays where a beginner who comes there with someone who buys a full Adult ticket gets a free beginner lesson, free lift ticket to the beginner area, and lunch. Slowly but surely, the ski areas are getting it, and are making it enticing for beginners to take lessons.

I'm really glad the ski areas get it. Now they have to work at overcoming the influence of the beginner's "friends". Re-post those "GO with a PRO" signs would be in order. Or some type of marketing to the "friends" about tragedy in the making if they try to teach the friend/gf/so themselves.