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First Time Skier Information

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This seems like a great forum for women skiers - I'm glad I found it!

It is a great forum. I'm a beginner too, and everyone here is very welcoming! The Divas love newbies!

Today, I am thinking that perhaps I will sign up again for another private lesson or two, with the focus on strategies to get down the green run and overcome my fear of hurling myself down steep hills covered in snow and ice on boards (skis) designed to pick up speed, since walking down is not something I want to do again. Doing the bunny slope over and over is only teaching me to be really good at doing the bunny slope, and not a green run, it's clear I need to go back up there and attempt it again, though nothing has changed to make me think I'm going to be any happier doing it a second time.

Do it, do it, do it! Tell your instructor exactly the words you typed out here. I don't know yet if there's such a thing as too many lessons. Your instructor will know what to do to help you over this bump. Also, try re-thinking how you approach this. The goal is not so much to just get down this hill as it is to develop the skills needed to interact with the hill to enjoy what it can bring you. For example - the second day I alpine skiied, I was skiing in the afternoon (lesson in the morning) - it started snowing and visibility got worse. My goggles were being VERY uncooperative, so as I went down the steeper of the 2 beginner slopes, I had to navigate my way down more by feel than sight. Since there was no one there, and since I could see the boundaries of the slope well enough to avoid injury, this ended up helping me a lot, because it made my feet work hard to feel the terrain underneath.

I am interesting in knowing if anyone has started off from a similar place but gone on to learn to love skiing - or at least enjoy it and be confident. It seems like lots of different people from all walks of life learn to ski and have so much fun doing it. I am envious as I watch other skiers float by effortlessly, seeming unconcerned with tackling the next turn or steep hill, or avoiding the drop off on the side. I fear that much of my "inability" to ski is actually psychological and wonder how that can be overcome, or it it can. If it can, how? It would great to hear any inspirational stories from folks who have felt this way but gone on to overcome it.

Thank you for any thoughts or suggestions!

Pull up a chair, babe.

I grew up in Southern California. Snow, for us, is like a theme park - you go visit it, play in it, and come home that evening. You don't live in it, drive in it, shovel it, and so on. So the whole idea of having something slippery under my feet was TOTALLY foreign.

So for Christmas 2004 - between Xmas and New Year's - DH suggests we go skiing. He is an expert skier, has skied since he was 4 (he's now 55). He suggests we go to Utah - better snow, smaller crowds, and it's about the same drive time as to Tahoe anyway. We end up going to Snowbasin in the upper Wasatch. The first day, after trying to find boots to fit me and finally getting out to the ski school area, I spent an hour in a lesson with DS and the instructor. DS is making amazing progress. I.....am not. I am scared to death. The boots don't fit; they're cutting off circulation and my feet feel like they're on fire. My oh-so-patient instructor keeps the lesson moving along for DS' sake, while working with me as best he can. After an hour, DS goes to get a drink of water, and I tell the instructor that I can't walk easily because of the boot problem. He suggested we go switch out gear and lesson for cross-country; that my fear factor will end up being even more trouble than the boots, and I need to start on snow in a mellower setting.

I picked up the kick-glide pretty quickly, but was still stymied by the slippery stuff under my feet. Hills were still an issue - that first year, I side-stepped down hills that I now have been known to double-pole down on my classic XC skis.

Went back at Christmas 2005 - baby steps of progress. Still VERY skittish on hills. Xmas 2006 we were in Boston. February 2007 we went back. There was hardly any snow at all; it snowed 14 inches the night we arrived, thankfully, or I'd have had nowhere to ski! The first day we worked on the trails. The next 2 days, the trails were really icy, so we went back near the lodge and worked over and over and over on going downhill. My instructors hyper-analyzed what I was doing; we broke it down into tiny parts until I was more confident. The 4th day, there had been snow the night before and the trails were freshly groomed. Suddenly things started to fall into place. I was still skittish of the hills (now, these XC hills are wussy compared to alpine hills) but I was more confident in my ability to control my speed and to stop. My instructor reminded me that if I could get up and down the hills in icy conditions, this fresh-groomed powder would seem like heaven. It was!

December 2007 - back again. More XC. Getting better, bit by bit, on the hills. I ended up doing one of the more advanced XC courses on the 4th day, then on the 7th day I did the most advanced course about 1/2 way. Keep in mind my classic skis are 185 cm and SKINNY, so control is a really different thing from alpine.

February 2008 - at Snowbasin again (we REALLY like that place!). I do the advanced course all the way the first day (about 6 km) and we ended up hiking back to the old lodge, where we returned to the main lodge on one of the green downhill slopes. I was switching from parallel to wedge with no problems, and when we got to the bottom, my instructor said, "go over to Diamond Peak and get yourself some alpine boots; they have a great bootfitter over there and I think you can try alpine now." So we did. The next day my instructor let me go up the magic carpet with all the little kids at first, just so I could assure myself of being able to wedge to a stop. No problem. Decent boots made a BIG BIG BIG difference. It was harder to get off the carpet than anything!

The rest of that morning, we worked on the 2 bunny slopes (Powder Puff and Little Cat). Powder Puff got easier and easier. Little Cat was still a challenge. We kept up the same routine for the next 2 days, and I made good progress. I was still skittish of Little Cat after my 3rd day (our last day there, my instructor and I went to XC ski Soldier Hollow so we were gone all day).

3 weeks ago, I went up to my local mountain (Snow Summit) and took 2 more lessons. More progress, although quite gradual. I made it down the low intermediate hill several times, and the regular intermediate hill once. I had some equipment issues that held me back (rental skis and boots that we later found out were too big) but I was definitely doing much better.

Am I still scared of the big hills? Yeah, a little. You won't find me doing the Wildflower womens' downhill Olympic run at Snowbasin any time soon, but I am making progress. Mileage is everything. I am finding the more confident I am in my ability to control my speed and stop when necessary, the better. And honestly, sometimes I have to take the Nike approach and just do it. You have to know where the line for you is between healthy apprehension and wussing out.

Once I got those skills more firmly in place, it really got to be fun. And if on that low intermediate hill, I was screwing up, I'd go back to the bunny slopes and work on that skill over and over until I was ok, then go back up the mountain.

The resorts aren't promoting lessons just so they can make a buck off you. Lessons are the key to enjoying this and making progress. Every instructor I've worked with (especially at Snowbasin) is genuinely committed to making sure you have a great time, no matter what you end up doing.

I started alpine skiing for real at age 47. I am not a skinny minny. I am 5'8", and need to lose about 40 lbs. (I have already lost 37 lbs so I'm better than I was!) Aside from the weight, my health is good overall; we are active and I try to eat healthy. Honestly, after that very first day 4 years ago I never thought I'd ever put on alpine skis again - and now I not only have a full XC setup, but I have my own alpine boots too. I can't say strongly enough that if I can do this, anyone can. I've got a long way to go to be solid as a rock on the Snowbasin blue slopes, but given that I couldn't get from the top of the magic carpet to the bottom of the ski school area that first day, it now really seems possible!

Again, if I can do it, I'm sure you can do it. Take your time, take a lesson (or 5!), and take time to stop and enjoy the view from time to time.

I've also found that a pint of good beer at the end of the day, watching the sunset, is a perfect ending!

Sorry this got so long - but my path back to alpine was a long one!
 

drjoyous

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi--I can't agree with you all more. First skiers need to take lessons--just to stay sane and happy...and keep marriages and friends together longer. I learned how to ski 4 years ago--at 49 years old. My (at that time) 16 year old son and I took lessons in Austria, and with neither of us understanding German. But it worked fine. My son took off like it was easy, and I took off like a clutz. It was very hard to learn.
However, in 4 years, I worked hard at it (50+ days a year) and now ski (usually) only black and double black, with most of my time off-piste in any conditions. If you want it badly enough, you will (l)earn it. I agree with the poster who said stay in the moment--I pay attention to every single move I make in all parts of my body in order to develop solid technique.

What gripe I have on the mountain is that I see way too many men trying to "direct" women in skiing...and who usually don't know what they are talking about. And so often they have the new skier on a much more difficult run than they should be on, simply because the man wants to go down a steep hill! Bad combo. Let the guy do his guy-thing, and let the woman get her lessons and take it at her pace!

But I also see that men seem to do fine when teaching their kids (most of the time)--in fact, they seem to be better teachers of kids than their mothers, who are oh-so-concerned that their kiddo will get hurt. Guys seem to just leave the kids pretty much alone, and the kids do fine. Obviously, lessons are the first line of defense, but after that...

And the best idea yet is for the parent and the kid to take lessons together. It's a blast. If you are a skier, take snowboarding lessons with your kids--they just love to see you flop around like a fish! And kids seem to get it quicker...!
 

SueNJ

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
gardenmary, your tenaciousness is nothing short of inspirational! Everyone progresses at their own rate, but as long as you're having some fun and feel like you're making progress, it's all good. Fear can be such a huge limiting factor--I highly recommend Mermer Blakeslee's book, "In the Yikes! Zone" which discusses fear (from the perspective of skiing, but certainly applies to life in general) and how it can hold a person back.
 

drjoyous

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sue NJ--This looks like a fantastic book, not just for skiers, but for a LOT of people! But it is $65 on Amazon, and ebay doesn't show any available--do you have any idea where one can find a less expensive copy?
 

SnowHot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sue NJ--This looks like a fantastic book, not just for skiers, but for a LOT of people! But it is $65 on Amazon, and ebay doesn't show any available--do you have any idea where one can find a less expensive copy?
The Ski Divas have a copy of it in rotation. I can't remember where the thread is but I think its in the DOD area.
The deal is, read it and pass it on.
Mermer Blakeslee was a coach at ESA Big Sky, which I missed. I'm still kicking myself for not making it a priority to do Big Sky ESA. :(

Did a search and Duh! Found it is a Sticky in the DOD area Other Stuff!
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3365
 

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
gardenmary, your tenaciousness is nothing short of inspirational! Everyone progresses at their own rate, but as long as you're having some fun and feel like you're making progress, it's all good. Fear can be such a huge limiting factor--I highly recommend Mermer Blakeslee's book, "In the Yikes! Zone" which discusses fear (from the perspective of skiing, but certainly applies to life in general) and how it can hold a person back.

Thanks Sue! Since DH and DS were off on the blues and blacks, I needed to do SOMETHING - and even though Snowbasin's main lodge is GORGEOUS I couldn't sit inside all day.

I would really like to take a look at that book. You're right, it applies to life in general.

Of course, my interest is fast approaching obsession level, much to DH's chagrin! He didn't realize what he was starting!
 

IceAngel

Diva in Training
Hi! I went skiing for the first time with my boyfriend a few weeks ago, and I'm addicted to it completely!

We rented skis, boots and poles from one of the shops, and borrowed everything else from his father and stepmother. We both had lessons on the first day, and spent the afternoon on the green run, practicing what we had learned that morning.

The next day we went out with his parents, did a couple of runs on the green run first, and then tried a few blue runs! It was great skiing with them, they gave me an idea of what to expect on each run, and tips on how to conquer any challenging (for me) parts. I didn't even fall over that much, but then i have also cycled, surfed, and skated (rollerblades) a lot, so I'm sure it helped! I definitely will have another lesson or 2 next time, turning right at speed is a challenge for me. (Too much rollerblading at the skating rink=bad skiing habit! :redface:)

I can't wait to go again, I have already been to a local ski shop who have knowledgeable staff,and found a pair of boots that are right for me, the boots i rented put my feet to sleep after a few hours. So yeah, that's my happy first experience of skiing! :D
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Welcome to both skiing and The Ski Diva! The Divas here are a wealth of info so don't hesitate to speak up and ask if you have questions. Can't wait to hear about your next trip. :smile:
 

SnowHot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi! I went skiing for the first time with my boyfriend a few weeks ago, and I'm addicted to it completely!

......................
I can't wait to go again, I have already been to a local ski shop who have knowledgeable staff,and found a pair of boots that are right for me, the boots i rented put my feet to sleep after a few hours. So yeah, that's my happy first experience of skiing! :D
Welcome!
Its exciting to see someone fall in love with Skiing!!:ski2:

Like Robyn said, don't hesitate to ask us anything. We've all been where you are, and are happy to share seeds of wisdom from our experience.

We have some SkiDivas from your neck of the woods, Shellski comes to mind............

Glad you found us!
:thumbsup:
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
:bump:

This is a great thread that deserves to be bumped up -- especially with the new season starting. Anyone have any other advice for newbies?
 

CAdreaming

Certified Ski Diva
This is a great thread for those who are first time skiers and for those who want others in their lives to learn how to ski.

My DH has been skiing since he was 8years old so he, at 41, is an advance skier. 15years ago, he tried to teach his first wife how to ski himself. First day on the mountain, she broke her ankle. Their marriage eventually broke up too for other reasons. She never tried to ski again.
So, my DH learned his lesson through this experience.

When we got married last year, we made a promise to each other that he would learn how to scuba dive (I am a diver) and that I would learn how to ski. We are both in our 40s.
My DH became a certified scuba diver and we went to a nice scuba diving trip for our honeymoon.
Last ski season, my DH took me to Tahoe and took me straight to the ski lesson counter. He signed me up for lessons every time when we went skiing during last season. Obviously he did not want to take any chances this time around.

So, thanks to the unfortunate accident of his first wife, I learned how to ski by pros and I really am loving it this season.
And of course, he signed me up for another lesson on the first day of skiing this season. (ha ha ha).

In fact, he was so impressed with my progress, he decided to sign up for an advance ski lesson this season for himself. He wants to learn new tricks so he will be signing up for a private lesson with a pro.
 

skigirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I am glad to see that your husband learned his lesson and got you lessons. :yahoo:

To everyone else that is reading this please take a lesson your first time out or get a lesson for your friend or family member their first time out. I have already saved 3 first time skiers this season. In all 3 cases they were brought to the top of the hill by either a boyfriend or a friend that thought they could teach and found out quickly that it is a lot harder to teach than they thought it would be!! :noidea: I got lucky and had all 3 of them skiing by the time we got to the bottom. This is not an easy thing to do. It takes all of my teaching experience to make this work.

The 3 that I helped have by no means been the only ones I have seen on the hill. I help the ones that I can but I can't save them all.

If you really want your friend or family member to like skiing a lesson is the only way to make that happen. You only get one shot at making it work so please don't blow it by trying to teach them yourself.:nono:
 

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I took DS to Big Bear (Snow Summit) yesterday to ski (morning session until 130 was GREAT then the crowds showed up), and we saw this sceanrio over and over below us as we went up the lifts. What does a lesson cost, maybe $50 for a group and a little over $100 for a private? If your family member ends up hating skiing, you've not saved a dime. And worse, if they end up getting hurt, that amount is peanuts compared to what your ER bill is going to be.

Also, many ski areas this year are running specials - if you have an AMEX card and reserve your private lesson with it, you get 35% off - or some similar thing. That's a heck of a deal.
 

weasy

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Inspiring!!! I'm 49 and new to all this having moved to Utah from Australia. I had one and a bit days of miserable skiing 23 years ago in Banff when mates tried to teach me and we all know how that goes. After that I never wanted to ski again in my life. I'm also a bit scared of heights so the idea of chairlifts and launching myself down a slope on 2 planks of wood did not appeal at all and then my hubby got relocated to Utah!!!

I've now had 2 alpine lessons and 1 practice day (on a full green slope I'm proud to say) and just bought my own gear. I've also taken up XCountry with a group of other newcomers to the area. So far I'm really pleased with my progress. I'm still super cautious and find it hard to overcome my fear but I'm doing heaps better than I thought I would. I've also learnt to go at my own pace when not in a lesson and completely ignore any well meaning friends or family who try and push me along. Hopefully, with practice and more lessons I'll eventually reach the blues but I have no desire to go down black diamonds :eek:. Do you know what though? I'm learning that this sport is enjoyable if you take lessons and go at your own pace.

Thanks for your story.

It is a great forum. I'm a beginner too, and everyone here is very welcoming! The Divas love newbies!



Do it, do it, do it! Tell your instructor exactly the words you typed out here. I don't know yet if there's such a thing as too many lessons. Your instructor will know what to do to help you over this bump. Also, try re-thinking how you approach this. The goal is not so much to just get down this hill as it is to develop the skills needed to interact with the hill to enjoy what it can bring you. For example - the second day I alpine skiied, I was skiing in the afternoon (lesson in the morning) - it started snowing and visibility got worse. My goggles were being VERY uncooperative, so as I went down the steeper of the 2 beginner slopes, I had to navigate my way down more by feel than sight. Since there was no one there, and since I could see the boundaries of the slope well enough to avoid injury, this ended up helping me a lot, because it made my feet work hard to feel the terrain underneath.



Pull up a chair, babe.

I grew up in Southern California. Snow, for us, is like a theme park - you go visit it, play in it, and come home that evening. You don't live in it, drive in it, shovel it, and so on. So the whole idea of having something slippery under my feet was TOTALLY foreign.

So for Christmas 2004 - between Xmas and New Year's - DH suggests we go skiing. He is an expert skier, has skied since he was 4 (he's now 55). He suggests we go to Utah - better snow, smaller crowds, and it's about the same drive time as to Tahoe anyway. We end up going to Snowbasin in the upper Wasatch. The first day, after trying to find boots to fit me and finally getting out to the ski school area, I spent an hour in a lesson with DS and the instructor. DS is making amazing progress. I.....am not. I am scared to death. The boots don't fit; they're cutting off circulation and my feet feel like they're on fire. My oh-so-patient instructor keeps the lesson moving along for DS' sake, while working with me as best he can. After an hour, DS goes to get a drink of water, and I tell the instructor that I can't walk easily because of the boot problem. He suggested we go switch out gear and lesson for cross-country; that my fear factor will end up being even more trouble than the boots, and I need to start on snow in a mellower setting.

I picked up the kick-glide pretty quickly, but was still stymied by the slippery stuff under my feet. Hills were still an issue - that first year, I side-stepped down hills that I now have been known to double-pole down on my classic XC skis.

Went back at Christmas 2005 - baby steps of progress. Still VERY skittish on hills. Xmas 2006 we were in Boston. February 2007 we went back. There was hardly any snow at all; it snowed 14 inches the night we arrived, thankfully, or I'd have had nowhere to ski! The first day we worked on the trails. The next 2 days, the trails were really icy, so we went back near the lodge and worked over and over and over on going downhill. My instructors hyper-analyzed what I was doing; we broke it down into tiny parts until I was more confident. The 4th day, there had been snow the night before and the trails were freshly groomed. Suddenly things started to fall into place. I was still skittish of the hills (now, these XC hills are wussy compared to alpine hills) but I was more confident in my ability to control my speed and to stop. My instructor reminded me that if I could get up and down the hills in icy conditions, this fresh-groomed powder would seem like heaven. It was!

December 2007 - back again. More XC. Getting better, bit by bit, on the hills. I ended up doing one of the more advanced XC courses on the 4th day, then on the 7th day I did the most advanced course about 1/2 way. Keep in mind my classic skis are 185 cm and SKINNY, so control is a really different thing from alpine.

February 2008 - at Snowbasin again (we REALLY like that place!). I do the advanced course all the way the first day (about 6 km) and we ended up hiking back to the old lodge, where we returned to the main lodge on one of the green downhill slopes. I was switching from parallel to wedge with no problems, and when we got to the bottom, my instructor said, "go over to Diamond Peak and get yourself some alpine boots; they have a great bootfitter over there and I think you can try alpine now." So we did. The next day my instructor let me go up the magic carpet with all the little kids at first, just so I could assure myself of being able to wedge to a stop. No problem. Decent boots made a BIG BIG BIG difference. It was harder to get off the carpet than anything!

The rest of that morning, we worked on the 2 bunny slopes (Powder Puff and Little Cat). Powder Puff got easier and easier. Little Cat was still a challenge. We kept up the same routine for the next 2 days, and I made good progress. I was still skittish of Little Cat after my 3rd day (our last day there, my instructor and I went to XC ski Soldier Hollow so we were gone all day).

3 weeks ago, I went up to my local mountain (Snow Summit) and took 2 more lessons. More progress, although quite gradual. I made it down the low intermediate hill several times, and the regular intermediate hill once. I had some equipment issues that held me back (rental skis and boots that we later found out were too big) but I was definitely doing much better.

Am I still scared of the big hills? Yeah, a little. You won't find me doing the Wildflower womens' downhill Olympic run at Snowbasin any time soon, but I am making progress. Mileage is everything. I am finding the more confident I am in my ability to control my speed and stop when necessary, the better. And honestly, sometimes I have to take the Nike approach and just do it. You have to know where the line for you is between healthy apprehension and wussing out.

Once I got those skills more firmly in place, it really got to be fun. And if on that low intermediate hill, I was screwing up, I'd go back to the bunny slopes and work on that skill over and over until I was ok, then go back up the mountain.

The resorts aren't promoting lessons just so they can make a buck off you. Lessons are the key to enjoying this and making progress. Every instructor I've worked with (especially at Snowbasin) is genuinely committed to making sure you have a great time, no matter what you end up doing.

I started alpine skiing for real at age 47. I am not a skinny minny. I am 5'8", and need to lose about 40 lbs. (I have already lost 37 lbs so I'm better than I was!) Aside from the weight, my health is good overall; we are active and I try to eat healthy. Honestly, after that very first day 4 years ago I never thought I'd ever put on alpine skis again - and now I not only have a full XC setup, but I have my own alpine boots too. I can't say strongly enough that if I can do this, anyone can. I've got a long way to go to be solid as a rock on the Snowbasin blue slopes, but given that I couldn't get from the top of the magic carpet to the bottom of the ski school area that first day, it now really seems possible!

Again, if I can do it, I'm sure you can do it. Take your time, take a lesson (or 5!), and take time to stop and enjoy the view from time to time.

I've also found that a pint of good beer at the end of the day, watching the sunset, is a perfect ending!

Sorry this got so long - but my path back to alpine was a long one!
 

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Inspiring!!! I'm 49 and new to all this having moved to Utah from Australia. I had one and a bit days of miserable skiing 23 years ago in Banff when mates tried to teach me and we all know how that goes. After that I never wanted to ski again in my life. I'm also a bit scared of heights so the idea of chairlifts and launching myself down a slope on 2 planks of wood did not appeal at all and then my hubby got relocated to Utah!!!

I've now had 2 alpine lessons and 1 practice day (on a full green slope I'm proud to say) and just bought my own gear. I've also taken up XCountry with a group of other newcomers to the area. So far I'm really pleased with my progress. I'm still super cautious and find it hard to overcome my fear but I'm doing heaps better than I thought I would. I've also learnt to go at my own pace when not in a lesson and completely ignore any well meaning friends or family who try and push me along. Hopefully, with practice and more lessons I'll eventually reach the blues but I have no desire to go down black diamonds :eek:. Do you know what though? I'm learning that this sport is enjoyable if you take lessons and go at your own pace.

Thanks for your story.

Yea, another mid-life starting skier! We'll be at Snowbasin during the second week in February. If you're anywhere near it (up the 39 from Ogden) let me know, maybe we can do greens together. DH and DS will be hurtling themselves down the tough runs and won't want to wait for me.

Utah's a bit different from Australia, isn't it? LOL!
 

weasy

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Tell me about it, the difference has been a bit of a shock to say the least.

Since I live in Park City now though it's unlikely I'll be going to Snowbasin any time soon but if I do I'll certainly let you know and if you're ever in Park City.........

Yea, another mid-life starting skier! We'll be at Snowbasin during the second week in February. If you're anywhere near it (up the 39 from Ogden) let me know, maybe we can do greens together. DH and DS will be hurtling themselves down the tough runs and won't want to wait for me.

Utah's a bit different from Australia, isn't it? LOL!
 

katbird

Certified Ski Diva
Yes for Lessons

I am a newbie to the skiing world. And defiently say take a lesson the first time out. Though my very first lesson wasn't the greatest in the world at least I did learn a lot. Then went skiing the 2nd time with my boyfriend and found out that I still had somethings to learn so I took another 1/2 day lesson. And my confidence and skiing looked a lot better according to my boyfriend and friend we were with. Which he was so impressed with that of my lesson that he took a refresher lesson himself. Even though he had been skiing before and for several years. After his lesson I saw a huge difference in his confidence and skill.

So I would say yes yes yes to ski lessons. Especially if you can find a good place to take them from. They defenitly help build not only your ability but your confidence as well. :ski2:
 

katbird

Certified Ski Diva
Something else on taking lessons. Even the kids need to take lessons from insturctors not family/friends. My boyfriend tried this with his four year old son and both of them got really frustrated. His son and I took our first lessons Thanksgiving weekend so when got to CO on Christmas break we just went up on the mountain to some of the easy areas and try out what we learned. That first day his son just didn't seem to be having a lot of fun and was frustrating for them both, so he put him in the children's ski school the next day. On the third day, when we went out, his four year son had learned sooooo much that neither one of us could get him to slow down and take breaks, he just wanted to keep on going.
 

Delawhere

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been a lurker on these forums for a while but I thought I would add another thought about lessons. Even intermediate and advanced skiers should take lessons. Too often we stop taking lesson in new activities once we have the basics down.

Half a life time ago, when I was in my early twenties, I was a ski instructor at a southern California ski resort. I couldn't afford to ski very often in college and then stopped skiing for several years.

I started skiing again when I decided that I wanted my kids, then 4 and 6 years old, to start skiing. Needless to say, I was surprised by the changes in equipment! I eventually got used to shaped skis and started working on my carving. A couple of weeks ago, I got tired of skidding through the middle of my turns so I FINALLY decided to take a lesson. An hour later I finally had it down! I should have taken a lesson 8 years ago when I restarted skiing.

I'm not sure why I was so reluctant to take a lesson, we require our kids to take at least one lesson early in the season. Both my kids show a huge improvement by the end of the lesson. To be honest, they never want to take the lesson but always come back with huge smiles because they know how much they learned.

Another advantage of taking a lesson as an intermediate or advanced skier is that you frequently get a one hour private lesson at an inexpensive group lesson price since there are no other students taking higher level lessons.

Thanks again to all you ski instructors. Y'all rock! :clap: :yahoo: :clap:
 

gardenmary

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm coming back to report on my latest ski trip. We are headed home today after a week at Snowbasin, Utah. I took a private lesson each of six mornings, and progressed over the week from skiing only the tiny bunny slope to skiing some BLUES from the top of the mountain! Yesterday afternoon I was able to ski with confidence with my DH and DS from Needles Lodge, down the mountain on blues with greens further down. We had a FABULOUS time, and the progress I made is hard to believe. Lessons made all the difference in the world for me - plus, since we've been going for so long we know a lot of the staff, and I am able to work with the same few instructors each time. They are becoming good friends, which is a nice benefit.

The snow was plentiful, the conditions were great - I only got in over my head once, when I went up the mountain and found almost zero visibility. But I made it down to better visibility without harm (though I did have to sidestep down a little bit of a steep face, due to a wrong turn). I'm still amazed that I was able to make such progress - 4.5 years ago, I was so terrified I couldn't even wedge down the bunny slope, let alone ski it.

If I can ski, ANYONE can ski! Now I can't wait to go again!
 

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