How did you start skiing?

[Greeley]

I learned to ski in 1978 during my senior year in high school. We had the option to take skiing for our PE class, so I did. We went to Fun Valley in Iowa which has about 175' verticle. All I remember from the first few times, was my gymnastics coach standing at the bottom of the hill yelling at us not to get hurt.
I went to Winter Park later that spring for my 1st 'real' skiing. I was hooked! I spent the next winter living in Minneapolis and went skiing most weekends on the big 350' hills. I went to Colorado for my 1st week long trip in 1984 and haven't missed a season since.

 

[Squaw]

My parents got me going on skis when I was around 4... 1957 is on most of the early pictures my mom has. Started at Squaw Valley, but really grew up skiing at Sugar Bowl. Every other weekend until high school. Donner Summit was my home away from home.

Can really relate to so many of the stories in this thread!!

I'm the youngest of three, so I was the tag along. Apparently my parents, brother and sister took turns to come check on me, while I took a nap in the family station wagon. They'd ski a few runs on what was then the big rope tow at Squaw -- now? Maybe Exhibition or Red Dog??? -- and swing by the car to see if I was awake. Can you imagine! What a different world the 50's were.

YEP...leather laced boots. OHH I hated those! Made me cry to get them laced. Hurt my hands to pull on the laces. Cable bindings. Wood skies - NO METAL EDGES. Poles that REALLY had baskets on the bottom. Pants that flapped in the wind. Well, hey! they do the same now!!!

My dad died when I was 9, and to this day many of my clearest memories of him are connected to skiing. Including him painting the bases with this green stuff at the start of each season.

Skiing took on new life when I discovered friends who skied, and how cool skiing had become, around 8th grade and early high school. Always before I was the odd one, for going skiing and getting those goggle tans. Lost touch with downhill during college - too far to drive, few friends who skied. But then my sister conned me into joining one of the Singles League clubs in the San Francisco area. Met my husband there...and the rest is history: kids who are awesome skiers, a husband who still skis my pants off and season passes at Squaw.

Though I must say, with my age finally catching up to that early grey hair that runs in my family (son at 16 has it!), that I have been feeling like I need a T-shirt of a grey-haired Diva getting air with the words, "Don't Let the Grey Hair Fool You."
Jen

 

[w.ski]

YEP...leather laced boots. OHH I hated those! Made me cry to get them laced. Hurt my hands to pull on the laces.
Jen

I couldn't agree more! I remember finally getting them all laced up, first inner boot, then the outer boot, and then my brother would start telling me how much my feet itched until, of course, my feet were itching like crazy and I was in tears. Every ski trip would start this way.

Anyway, I started at 3 years old (at least this is what my mother tells me) at Otis Ridge in Massachusetts. I'm also the youngest of 3 (have 2 older brothers) and got taken along as soon as I could be put on skis. I only remember 3 things from those early times: 1) being cold 2) falling off the rope tow 3) falling off the poma lift

Ski Diva's first post made my memories fast forward to the late 60's. I was a cool (or so I thought ) teenager with a psychedelic lime green parka, blue jeans, and my Head 360's (best birthday present ever). I still have those skis. Every now and then I look at them and wonder if I could make it down the mountain on them now.

 

[SkiNurse]

Growing up as a kid in Massachusetts, our winter sports also consisted of sledding & ice skating w/ a few pick up hockey games along the way. i didn't even know anyone that skied.

At age 19, after living in California for 7 years, I finally had the opportunity to go skiing with a work trip to Mammoth. Intersting enough, after I moved to California it seemed that EVERYONE skied..except for my family. So, I heard about skiing from all sorts of people and it made me very curious. This was not Northern California, but the Ventura/Santa Barbara area.

So, this was 1984. We get to Mammoth and the next day when a group of us was suppsed to take a lesson, there was a huge blizzard that buried the lower lifts. So, the lesson was cancelled. The next day lifts were cleared out, but we had not re-scheduled the lesson. some of the people were expereienced skiers so they were away on another part of the mountain. One friend had been on lifts before and taught the rest of us how to get on & off. Of course, I was watching what other people were doing to ski. Figured it out pretty quick. Very similar to ice skating as far as using your inner & outer edges to turn and how to stop. After that, little trips to Mountain High & Snow Summit in the Big Bear area. Basically, though, it was going 3-4 runs and then going to the bar.

I moved to Colorado in 1991 and was fortunate to date a native for a couple of years. Incredible skier. He taught me the love of the skiing. Very patient. Pushed me to my limit, but never to his.

What an incredible feeling it was when it all came together. That first time I felt that good ski turn that fluidly connected to the next turn, I realized what other people had been talking about.

 

[Robyn]

I learned at Bogus Basin at the age of around 1.5 or 2 I guess. Actually the winter before I'd been in a back pack with my mom for the season. My dad was the head coach at Bogus Basin Ski Racing Alliance so I basically didn't have a choice. I don't remember lessons specifically but can't say that I didn't have them either. I do remember joining Mighty Mites as soon as I could and raced until I was 11 or so. Who'd have guessed I'd be a coach later on?

I have a lot of admiration for those that learn later in life as I'm not sure I would have. I have a friend who comes out for an annual trip and absolutely loves it although she's only skied 3 times. The first time for her was with college friends who took her to the top of the mountain and left her to her own devices!

 

[Severine]

After years of fear... and years more of hearing hubby talk about skiing in his youth, 4 years ago I decided to get hubby a gift card for a local ski area to get him back in the game. He decided to drag me along. 1/1/2004... I was 26 years old. Took a lesson and found it wasn't so bad after all. I quickly got hooked and managed 18 days in that late-started season.

I do feel that learning later in life has held me back somewhat though. I have a lot of fear to work through, something the little ones who zip down the hill know nothing of.

 

[Kano]

Like Robyn, I learned to ski on Bogus Basin. I was a little older than her, though. 44 if memory and math skills serve me correctly!

It took a couple of years, but when we bought the Durango, Earl decided that now that we could get up the mountain in the winter, we should take up skiing. He skiied when he was in high school, and maybe some in college -- it was before I knew him.

Bogus has this great "Passport Program" where for about $200, you get four lessons, skis, boots, poles (rental) and a season pass. Earl signed us up, our kids too, for the last series of the season -- we'd get to ski for like six weeks, then the whole next season too. I was out of town, and missed the first session.

My first day was pretty scary -- I was playing catch up, basically, with the rest of the group, and so I was skiing a bit beyond where I felt comfortable. The boots didn't fit well, and hurt like heck, which added to my less than enthusiastic start. I figured I'd stick it out through the lessons, but I was pretty much sure I wouldn't be skiing any more after that....

I stuck it out. I still wasn't delighted with skiing.

It was the next fall, when I started hearing commercials for season pass sales, and was excited to hear that a new ski season was about to begin, that I realized that the sport had snuck into my heart. I decided to buy a pair of boots, since if I was going to do this, I HAD to have happy feet!

Like Severine, I've been dealing with a lot of fear issues -- stuck primarily to the green slopes for the first year, with a couple of terrified blue runs.

I mostly skiied alone while the family did their thing the first couple of years, and then I started joining them when I felt comfortable for the day. I still do a couple of runs on the bunny hill every outing, just to feel how my body's working that day, and how the snow feels. Then I head over to the more interesting, challenging runs and join my husband on the "bigger" blue runs.

Surprised myself by enjoying skiing a WHOLE lot more than I expected to, and I get more excited about it every year!

Kano

 

[jaydog]

Those of you who took skiing as a college PE class, I envy you! And here I thought I'd scored a coup by taking golf for a PE class...

But anyhow, on with my story. I got into skiing at age 26 so I could do patrol as a winter job. Sound a bit backward? Here's how it all went down: After four summers of working for the National Park Service as a wildland firefighter and a park ranger, I was finding out that good winter jobs were hard to come by. So I had some time on my hands in December '05 to go haring around Europe with a friend. Oh by the way, she told me, we were going to do a lot of snowboarding. Okay, I thought, that should be a challenge. I had never in my life been interested in skiing or boarding. When I got there, she told me that as a beginner, I would be better off learning to ski.

Somewhere between the initial planning stages and falling down before getting ten feet up the paddle pull in Zakopane, Poland, it occured to me that that I had the answer to my winter employment problems. Patrol would allow me spend the winter skiing around and rescuing people, to go along with my summers of hiking around and rescuing people. I would just have to learn to ski. Easier said than done, of course.

All the instruction I had from my friend the boarder was "make a V with your skis to stop, put pressure on one ski to turn, and don't cross your tips." I thought I was starting to get the hang of it, but on the fourth day (we had moved on to Innsbruck, Austria by this time) I took a nasty head over heels fall and ended up with an aching knee, hip, and back. Being an EMT, I evaluated myself and was pretty sure I hadn't broken or sprained anything, but I decided I'd had enough for the time being. If I hadn't been set on doing patrol, I probably wouldn't have continued skiing. (and led a half-empty life ever after, never knowing what I was missing...)

Flash forward back to the States, where I called up a summer co-worker who conveniently happened to be a patrol supervisor at the Summit at Snoqualmie in WA. Sure I'll hire you, he said, I bet you could get to be a good enough skier in two seasons or less. So I got a job there as a liftie, which meant a free season pass, and more importantly, free group lessons. I skied as much as I could, and made slow but steady progress. The following winter, I liftie'd again, and joined the volunteer patrol, where I had many expert skiers to help me along. I thought I was doing it just to have a job, but somewhere along the way, I actually started to (gasp!) enjoy it! I wonder how that happened...

So here I am, two years later, about to start my first winter as a paid patroller!

 

[Kimmyt]

you're my hero!!

 

[num]

I'm glad to hear your story, jaydog! Though I'm a teacher by career (which I love), I'm a certified EMT and former rescue swimmer.

I started skiing a season ago, and fell in love with it instantly. From day one I have been thinking that I need to really get the skiing thing down, because patrolling really calls to me. On snow EMS, how could it not?

I live in Chicago, far from anything that could be called ski country, but there are a bunch of small hills in Wisconsin. All of the patrollers I've talked to were skiers forever, and much later down the line learned rescue skills to train for patrolling. All the "join our volunteer patrol, we'll teach you!" sessions are basic rescue skills, not how to ski like a patroller, which makes total sense, but isn't for me.

My plan: lessons, practice, lessons, practice, lessons, and when my skiing is up to snuff I'll see if one of the areas around here will let me volunteer patrol with my extremely limited schedule (that's a whole other problem....)

 

[skigrl27]

I grew up in Connecticut. My home town had this little blip of a ski area called Mt. Southington. There were about 20 "trails" though they were very short. Back then we got more snow - but it was mainly man-made stuff.

I was about 6 years old, so it was 1985. My Mom got me some lessons and I've been skiing like a maniac ever since. I loved it from the very first day.

 

[dloveski]

I think I've posted this before. 1969--Brighton, UT in a blizzard. Dad dropped me off with my 2 younger bros. Sears rental equipment (ugh) and Sears coats. My parents agreed to pay for one lesson. Rest was up to us--they were hoping we hated it, they did not want to pay for an expensive sport with four kids to educate.

It was a horribly frustrating (and wet and cold) first day. We loved it!! Still skiing today. My brothers are BC Teleskiers. Our kids are skiers/boarders.

 

[persee]

I had wanted to ski ever since I was little. Before JrHS my parents had promised to let me learn (in the hudson valley of new york, not sure what area I would have learned at). I got a bright blue down jacket, stirrup pants, goggles and a beanie. Then they backed out - don't remember if the excuse was money or something else. I continued to want to ski throughout highschool and this is what drove me to go xcountry skiing with a group at school since it was free. I went to college, had other interests, etc got distracted and forgot about skiing.

Fastforward to 4 years ago... my husband skiied throughout childhood and highschool, but gave it up when he went to college. He starts talking about getting back to skiing and all of a sudden the sleeping giant is awakened again. I remember just how much I wanted to learn to ski and can't wait for the following winter to come around. He buys skis and boots, and everything over the summer. I start buying clothing, and decide due to my bad ankles to buy boots before I even take a lesson. I do pretty well with this and show up better outfitted than most of my classmates to my first lesson on December 26th 2004 with rental skis. I catch on pretty quickly and by day two I'm cruising down a regular green slope at Cranmore with the 146 length rental skis. I decide perhaps these skis are too short so I go to the rental and exchange them out for some 154s. These skis are in much worse shape than the 146, but I'm still confident. Show up my next day for lessons, a little off balance on the longer skis for the first 20 minutes or so, but I'm riding the lift and cruising on a regular green run by the end of the lesson. Spend rest of the afternoon playing on the generic green runs with my husband, very proud of myself and wanting to get my own skis. Get skis a week or so later, but then due to a minor home disaster don't get out skiing again for over a month. Get out on my new skis and I suck. I've forgotten everything I'd learned and can't make it down a slope. Ready to give up after I fall, husband stops because I fall and has the snow on the edge of the trail give way and he tumbles down a nasty slope - luckily he was wearing a helmet! Husband finally gets back up and we limp down the rest of the trail. I'm nearly crying but he convinces me to go get a private lesson to see if I can work out what the problem is. Take private lesson - it goes well as I figure out that my problem is posture and I'm back to skiing and having fun. Never looked back from this day on.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Ah, memories What a neat thread! I'm totally enjoying everyone's stories.

So here's mine:
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a bored, mid-20's Chicago single (Hey, num, it's true!). Found a travel club that offered weekly weeknight ski lessons at a small Wisconsin hill - even a charter bus there and back. Okay, why not? I was a never-ever. It was a fun, fun group, and I fell in love - booked a trip to Colorado after my first lesson! After 2 months of lessons with same class group, we were all fast friends. Went to Colorado, came back a bonafide intermediate, then fell in love with my ski instructor from WI! Fortunately, the feeling was mutual

We got married 4 months later.
That was 33 years ago.
Obviously, skiing is a VERY BIG part of our relationship
This kind of story is just way too hokey to have made up!!

 

[Robyn]

Ah, memories What a neat thread! I'm totally enjoying everyone's stories.

So here's mine:
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a bored, mid-20's Chicago single (Hey, num, it's true!). Found a travel club that offered weekly weeknight ski lessons at a small Wisconsin hill - even a charter bus there and back. Okay, why not? I was a never-ever. It was a fun, fun group, and I fell in love - booked a trip to Colorado after my first lesson! After 2 months of lessons with same class group, we were all fast friends. Went to Colorado, came back a bonafide intermediate, then fell in love with my ski instructor from WI! Fortunately, the feeling was mutual

We got married 4 months later.
That was 33 years ago.
Obviously, skiing is a VERY BIG part of our relationship
This kind of story is just way too hokey to have made up!!

Ahhh, that is just too cool! I keep hoping I'll meet my one and only on a ski lift somewhere. That way I'm guaranteed to have someone as dedicated to it as I.

 

[num]

So here's mine:
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a bored, mid-20's Chicago single (Hey, num, it's true!). Found a travel club that offered weekly weeknight ski lessons at a small Wisconsin hill - even a charter bus there and back.

Bus to the hill and back?! Does the club still exist?

Went to Colorado, came back a bonafide intermediate, then fell in love with my ski instructor from WI! Fortunately, the feeling was mutual

We got married 4 months later.

I've got to ask, what hill was it? Was it Wilmot, or maybe Alpine Valley? I wonder if I know any instructors who worked with your husband!

 

[Rockette]

I stared figure/speed skating when I was only 7 years old, and by the time I was 8 or 9, I was extremely good, especially at speed skating. Had a tournament one weekend at Lake Placid, NY with two days off, and decided to try skiing when I was up there (I think I was 8 or 9 at the time). I ended up being on the blues by the end of the day. The rest, was history.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Bus to the hill and back?! Does the club still exist?

I've got to ask, what hill was it? Was it Wilmot, or maybe Alpine Valley? I wonder if I know any instructors who worked with your husband!

Hi Num, sorry it took me a few days to catch up on this thread. Wow, this is 33 years ago, I don't even remember - it was a travel club out of the north shore, we met the bus in a parking lot in Lincolnwood. This was to what then was called Playboy Club, then became Americana, what is it called now, Mountain Top??? (Have no idea.) DH taught there and then at Alpine Valley for about 8 years, after having done 8 years at Devils Head when we lived farther north. This was all so long ago, however.

We have mucho to talk about especially if you are just getting started and want the low-down on what's good/where. Let's PM! I've skied everything in that region except the Milwaukee stuff, all the way north to Lutsen.

 

[playoutside]

I was 5 yrs old at Craigmeur in NJ, lived just 1 mile away. Parents didn't ski, none of the parents did as I recall. It was 1968-9 and what a different time it must have been. Most Moms stayed home for the kids; most shared cars with the Dads and often there was no car until Dad returned from work. All the moms decided the kids would ski in the winter --do you think they wanted us out of the house much (I'm the third of 6 kids)!! The moms worked out a driving schedule to drop off and pick up.

Each day all the kids in the neighborhood would pile off the bus, run home, put on snow clothes and ski boots. We'd grab our skis and waddle to the end of the street because the Mom of the day would be loading up a station wagon with a ton of kids to drop at the mountain! I remember sitting on piles of skis in the back of a station wagon for the short trip to the hill. Seat belts? never! Limits to how many kids you can put in the car? huh? Drop off a load of 5-10 year olds without an adult for supervision? You bet!! Did we have fun? Hell yeah! Could we have used a parent at the hill sometimes? Probably.

We did this through elementary school. I always had an afterschool pass. Skied until 3-6PM M-F. Never, ever used my poles until I was a teenager (and I wonder why I occasionally drag them lazily today!).

One of the greatest sins we could commit those days was not being at the top of the T-bar at 6 when the mom was picking up. Most Mom's left dinner on the stove when they came to pick us up -- they were furious if we were late.

 

[LilaBear]

Just found this and I'm really envious of those of you who learned as children - and still love it and get reward from it today. Well done to those of you who learned as adults.

I first skied in Manchester UK, on about 300 feet of plastic matting, in the dark and the rain. My parents had taken a ski vacation and wanted to practise for their next one so the family got dragged off 'oop North in the evenings. I hated it, poma lifts, nailbrush surface with lethal loose wires and a wooden fence across the bottom which was the only way to stop - my knees took quite a bashing because the only instruction I got was "you can't learn how to stop until you have learned how to ski". Unimpressed.

Couple of years later and I'm skiing in France - still bad and way behind everyone else, but what a great apres ski. Then I got to love it, hanging out with my friends and falling around in heaps.

At some point I hit a certain level of competency, and now I'm there for the skiing.