Groups or private lesson Park City

[SkiMI]

Hi All!
I am new to this group and am so happy to a have a group of women to get advice. I’m a 48 year old who learned to ski 3-4 years ago. I’m a low intermediate and a NERVOUS skier. I have taken lessons but seem to be stuck at the same skill set. I’m not able to find my edges or hockey stop which seem to be basic skills that other students seem to get much quicker than I do. I’ve also regressed this December after my first skiing trip out west (Beaver Creek). My expert skier husband, who skis extremely fast and doesn’t bother reading signs lost me. I ended up with no way down except a blue, which I had never done and was terrified. I made it down but felt out of control and that I was going way too fast to stop if needed. It was extremely traumatic and my skiing has suffered. I’m grudgingly joining my husband and son on a trip to Park City and am wanting to take a lesson to try to gain confidence. Private lessons are so expensive and very difficult to justify the cost. I’m wondering if a group lesson, which is more affordable would be a good option or if I need to pay for the private? My ultimate goal is to learn the skills/control and confidence to join my husband and son on blues but I seem to be stuck. My husband is an expert skier but is a terrible teacher and we end up fighting if he tries to advise me as he doesn’t understand my deep fear when skiing.
Sorry for the long post and appreciate any advice.

 

[ski diva]

Welcome, SkiMI! Glad you could join us.

A word of advice: NEVER have your husband/boyfriend/significant other act as your instructor. There's too much emotional baggage there, and it's so not worth it.

It definitely sounds like you could benefit from lessons. Obviously, the one-on-one in a private can't be beat, but yes, the cost can be an obstacle. Don't sell a group lesson short; you can get a lot out of those, too. Plus if the lesson doesn't fill up, it could end up as a private or semi-private, anyway. Keep us posted on what you do and how it turns out.

 

[scandium]

If you only took lessons 3-4 years ago and have been "instructed" by a partner who doesn't understand your fear, then it's no wonder you are struggling to progress. Definitely get a lesson, private is not necessarily the only way forward - a good group lesson can do wonders especially if you are well matched to others in the group, and explain clearly when you are signing up about how terrifying you find skiing and what you are trying to learn.

Learning skiing as an adult from scratch IS terrifying, especially if you are naturally sensible and risk averse - because you have a better understanding that attaching yourself to sliding planks and throwing yourself down a hill can be inherently dangerous to everyone involved.

And seconding that friends, husbands, partners etc. make terrible teachers, especially if they have been skiing since childhood (or early adulthood, even...) as being able to ski doesn't mean you can instruct, and even being able to instruct doesn't mean it's a good idea to teach someone you intend to remain in a relationship with!

 

[contesstant]

Hi All!
I am new to this group and am so happy to a have a group of women to get advice. I’m a 48 year old who learned to ski 3-4 years ago. I’m a low intermediate and a NERVOUS skier. I have taken lessons but seem to be stuck at the same skill set. I’m not able to find my edges or hockey stop which seem to be basic skills that other students seem to get much quicker than I do. I’ve also regressed this December after my first skiing trip out west (Beaver Creek). My expert skier husband, who skis extremely fast and doesn’t bother reading signs lost me. I ended up with no way down except a blue, which I had never done and was terrified. I made it down but felt out of control and that I was going way too fast to stop if needed. It was extremely traumatic and my skiing has suffered. I’m grudgingly joining my husband and son on a trip to Park City and am wanting to take a lesson to try to gain confidence. Private lessons are so expensive and very difficult to justify the cost. I’m wondering if a group lesson, which is more affordable would be a good option or if I need to pay for the private? My ultimate goal is to learn the skills/control and confidence to join my husband and son on blues but I seem to be stuck. My husband is an expert skier but is a terrible teacher and we end up fighting if he tries to advise me as he doesn’t understand my deep fear when skiing.
Sorry for the long post and appreciate any advice.

Are you skiing on Epic passes? If so, do you have available days at Snowbasin? If you do, their lesson prices are much more reasonable. I could give you several names (one of them being my husband ) of excellent experienced (mostly level 3) instructors that you could request in advance. A 3-hour private would be a really good experience for you.

 

[SkiMI]

If you only took lessons 3-4 years ago and have been "instructed" by a partner who doesn't understand your fear, then it's no wonder you are struggling to progress. Definitely get a lesson, private is not necessarily the only way forward - a good group lesson can do wonders especially if you are well matched to others in the group, and explain clearly when you are signing up about how terrifying you find skiing and what you are trying to learn.

Learning skiing as an adult from scratch IS terrifying, especially if you are naturally sensible and risk averse - because you have a better understanding that attaching yourself to sliding planks and throwing yourself down a hill can be inherently dangerous to everyone involved.

And seconding that friends, husbands, partners etc. make terrible teachers, especially if they have been skiing since childhood (or early adulthood, even...) as being able to ski doesn't mean you can instruct, and even being able to instruct doesn't mean it's a good idea to teach someone you intend to remain in a relationship with!

I should rephrase to say that I did take private lessons to learn to ski and also some lessons here in Michigan over the past 3 years. I just seem to be stuck at the same level for the past 1-2 years which is very frustrating and then regressed after the terrible experience in CO. My husband completely agrees that he shouldn’t be even trying to teach me but also can’t empathize with me deep fear.
I appreciate your validation of my feelings. I think I needed to hear that!

 

[SkiMI]

Are you skiing on Epic passes? If so, do you have available days at Snowbasin? If you do, their lesson prices are much more reasonable. I could give you several names (one of them being my husband ) of excellent experienced (mostly level 3) instructors that you could request in advance. A 3-hour private would be a really good experience for you.

Wow, I just looked and Snowbasin is less expensive! It seems so strange how prices at Vail resorts vary by so much! I am skiing on an Epic Pass but Snow Basin is a bit of a hike, I read 50+ minutes from PC?

 

[ski diva]

In addition to the lessons, you might be able to benefit from a book by ski fear expert Mermer Blakeslee. It's called In the Yikes Zone, and quite a few people here have read it and say it really helps.

I interviewed Mermer for my blog here.

 

[SkiMI]

In addition to the lessons, you might be able to benefit from a book by ski fear expert Mermer Blakeslee. It's called In the Yikes Zone, and quite a few people here have read it and say it really helps.

I interviewed Mermer for my blog here.

I wish I had posted earlier as I think this book would be incredibly helpful. We leave tomorrow for Park City so too late to get it beforehand. I read your blog and this quote makes me not want to tell the ski school of my fear :
MB: I started to teach skiing at Wyndham (NY), and no one liked teaching the fearful women who came in for lessons

Sigh...

 

[Iwannaski]

I wish I had posted earlier as I think this book would be incredibly helpful. We leave tomorrow for Park City so too late to get it beforehand. I read your blog and this quote makes me not want to tell the ski school of my fear :
MB: I started to teach skiing at Wyndham (NY), and no one liked teaching the fearful women who came in for lessons

Sigh...

FLIP side... you want someone who is willing to work you through your fear. Hiding your fear isn’t going to help you.

I’m taking a midweek lesson next week and put in the notes that I feel tentative on blues, and that I would like an adult woman (ideally a mom) to be my instructor because I want someone who understands the loads we carry. I was SUPER blunt.

YOU are paying THEM to instruct you. You don’t owe them anything other than your money and your attention. You don’t owe them not feeling your feelings. They can give you techniques to help, if they know where you need it.

Hope you have fun and success!

 

[contesstant]

Wow, I just looked and Snowbasin is less expensive! It seems so strange how prices at Vail resorts vary by so much! I am skiing on an Epic Pass but Snow Basin is a bit of a hike, I read 50+ minutes from PC?

Yes, but it’s almost all freeway. If the forecast is for snow at valley levels, it can be a real slog. Otherwise, it’s an easy and very pretty drive.

 

[SkiMI]

FLIP side... you want someone who is willing to work you through your fear. Hiding your fear isn’t going to help you.

I’m taking a midweek lesson next week and put in the notes that I feel tentative on blues, and that I would like an adult woman (ideally a mom) to be my instructor because I want someone who understands the loads we carry. I was SUPER blunt.

YOU are paying THEM to instruct you. You don’t owe them anything other than your money and your attention. You don’t owe them not feeling your feelings. They can give you techniques to help, if they know where you need it.

Hope you have fun and success!

I love your outlook and you are clearly a fierce woman!!! You inspired to me send an email to the ski school! I basically copied your words, verbatim, because they were so perfectly phrased. : )

 

[Iwannaski]

Glad I could help.

We’re always good advocates for the ones we love, sometimes we have to remember we love ourselves, too. (I have been trying to do a better job of practicing this so that I can be a good role model for my daughter. I want her to feel comfortable and confident advocating for herself.)

 

[brooksnow]

I like those blunt notes too.

I'm glad you've decided to be open about your fear. The ski school knows which instructors are more patient and understanding of fear.

Often fearful people ski defensively, in ways that feel safer to them but are actually less effective movements. You need an instructor who can work with changing those habits gently. Don't be surprised (or frustrated) if you start on very easy terrain. You will work on skills there that will help you approach the steeper trails with more confidence.

Have fun! Ski trails that are appropriate for you and meet the speed demons for lunch.

 

[SkiMI]

I like those blunt notes too.

I'm glad you've decided to be open about your fear. The ski school knows which instructors are more patient and understanding of fear.

Often fearful people ski defensively, in ways that feel safer to them but are actually less effective movements. You need an instructor who can work with changing those habits gently. Don't be surprised (or frustrated) if you start on very easy terrain. You will work on skills there that will help you approach the steeper trails with more confidence.

Have fun! Ski trails that are appropriate for you and meet the speed demons for lunch.

You’re exactly correct! Even my husband told me I ski defensively and told me to try to ski more offensively. Easier said than done but hopefully lessons will help.

 

[SkiMI]

Glad I could help.

We’re always good advocates for the ones we love, sometimes we have to remember we love ourselves, too. (I have been trying to do a better job of practicing this so that I can be a good role model for my daughter. I want her to feel comfortable and confident advocating for herself.)

So true! I definitely need to work on this. Thanks you!

 

[Iwannaski]

I will share one more thing, because I think it might help. I returned to skis after almost 20 years off. Because we had had a lesson and I remembered how much I loved it, and saw how much speed demon son loved it, I went ahead and bought skis (I still had functional boots). First time I felt out of control or scared, I felt myself move back, but at that time, I had spent about 2 weeks stalking this board like the lurker I am/was.

One thing that came to mind was COMMIT (I think it was @Ursula & @liquidfeet?) and I pushed my weight forward. The skis flipping SANG ... they were so happy. (I don’t think they have feelings for real, but...maybe?) While the speed scared the absolute crap out of me, the control and balance were fantastic. I basically did a turn and stopped, did a turn and stopped, all the way down the hill.

Now, every time I feel a little tentative, I push FORWARD on my boots and focus on that one word, COMMIT. It declutters my mind.

It’s hard to do all the things when you’re scared, ask your instructor for 1-2 things that will make the biggest difference FOR YOU and just anchor on those?

 

[Bookworm]

I once signed up for a group lesson at Deer Valley and ended up being the only one in my group - got a private lesson! Even if that doesn't happen for you, you could get a lot out of a group as well.

 

[SkiMI]

I will share one more thing, because I think it might help. I returned to skis after almost 20 years off. Because we had had a lesson and I remembered how much I loved it, and saw how much speed demon son loved it, I went ahead and bought skis (I still had functional boots). First time I felt out of control or scared, I felt myself move back, but at that time, I had spent about 2 weeks stalking this board like the lurker I am/was.

One thing that came to mind was COMMIT (I think it was @Ursula & @liquidfeet?) and I pushed my weight forward. The skis flipping SANG ... they were so happy. (I don’t think they have feelings for real, but...maybe?) While the speed scared the absolute crap out of me, the control and balance were fantastic. I basically did a turn and stopped, did a turn and stopped, all the way down the hill.

Now, every time I feel a little tentative, I push FORWARD on my boots and focus on that one word, COMMIT. It declutters my mind.

It’s hard to do all the things when you’re scared, ask your instructor for 1-2 things that will make the biggest difference FOR YOU and just anchor on those?

I’ll remember this tomorrow when we arrive —FORWARD and COMMIT. Thank you!!!

 

[SkiMI]

I once signed up for a group lesson at Deer Valley and ended up being the only one in my group - got a private lesson! Even if that doesn't happen for you, you could get a lot out of a group as well.

I signed up for a group lesson. I’m secretly hoping there aren’t many others but don’t want to be disappointed. Crossing fingers though. ; )

 

[SkiMI]

Yes, but it’s almost all freeway. If the forecast is for snow at valley levels, it can be a real slog. Otherwise, it’s an easy and very pretty drive.

It looks like SnowBasin isn’t a choice on my Epic Local pass reservations. Weird as some pricey resorts (Vail and Beaver Creek) are for a total of 10 days.