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Learning to ski in mid 40's?

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@SparkleBunny, there is another way (not using the pizza), a better way, to slow yourself down and stay as slow as you want. Someone, or even me, may have already posted this but we are on page 3 so I'm going to point it out again.

Point your skis across the hill and spend time going that way before heading downhill in the next turn. The longer you go across the hill, the slower you go because gravity doesn't pull you sideways, just down. If you point your skis ever-so-slightly upward, you slow down even more and can come to a complete stop.

So end every turn pointing across the hill. You can practice this with your pizza for as long as you want. In fact, if you delete the pizza it works even better and faster, because you won't have one ski still pointing partly downhill. Sometimes that ski, the uphill ski, fights to take over and make you head down again.

Tip: if, when you go across the hill, that uphill ski in your pizza keeps turning your skis to point downhill, just stand on the other ski and lighten that one. You don't have to lift it. Just stand mostly on the other one and it won't have the power to take you downhill.

Good luck on gaining control over your speed!
 

SparkleBunny

Certified Ski Diva
Thank you for the tips @liquidfeet. I am working on the sideways going across the hill thing. Maybe I'm not pointing my downhill ski enough, but it feels really fast to me, while my uphill ski doesn't have much weigh on it at all and I work to push the uphill edge into the snow, while I basically have all my weight on the downhill ski. Actually I make it all the way across quite often which makes me freaked out because it feels like I'm gonna fall off the edge, lol. I think this was what made me revert back to pizza for the steeper hills. I also feel I'm skidding down the hill as I'm moving across.

But I will keep that in mind next ski day, and try to point my skis uphill more!
 

EasternCanadaDiva

Certified Ski Diva
If you know how to snowboard, I think skiing will be super easy for you. I took an hour group lesson and then I was on my first lift by myself and skiing down the hill comfortably without falling once. I snowboarded before I learn skiing, I guess that help. I also rollerblade and skate.
 

groomer groover

Certified Ski Diva
I will continue saying that it's easier said than done, but I believe one should not compare their progress with the progress of others around them. You are not them and they are not you. The only comparison criteria is yourself, compare yourself as of yesterday with you today, if you must.
I think you should be happy, proud to be learning such an awesome sport that will improve maybe other areas of your life besides being able to ski.
Yes, absolutely! I will just add that if you can center your assessments only on your own progress, remember that learning is not necessarily totally linear with each day better than the previous.

Our bodies are different each day for loads of reasons, among them: rest, hydration, diet, mental state. Add the conditions of the terrain changing, and it's so many variables. My encouragement is remembering that you-against-you isn't the same as you-against-your best you.

Learning is hard! I'm grateful I started at 45, but boy that first season was a lot of work for me, physical but mostly emotional. Nobody was pushing me to progress faster than I was ready to, but I was so eager to be able to catch up to my friends who'd been skiing for decades. I pushed too hard, too fast and ended up injuring myself and then rushed the healing process to get back out there and made it worse.

I think I'm wiser now, just three seasons in. I'm trying to be anyway! When I'm with my more advanced buddies, I'm content to have them join me for a run or two and then we go our separate ways and meet back up for a break together most times. I'm not concerned about slowing anyone down and we still share the experience with each other even if we aren't together most of the time we're on the snow. I might never join them on black diamonds or maybe that will come in future, but I'm focusing on what I can do to enjoy myself in the moment and have longevity as a skier.

I'm pleased with the progress I've made with technique, but moreso with overall confidence and peace with my learning trajectory being what it is. It's been a journey that included being bumped down two experience levels at a ski camp (humbling but absolutely the correct call) and that still includes over-confident and over-cautious moments. But, I'm out there doing it, and really enjoying it this season!

You have a major head start on me, a kid grew up inside with books and TV, so skiing is literally my first sport. Bring patience and kindness to each day out there, and know you absolutely can do this and for years and years to come.
 

TheGreenOne

Angel Diva
I think I'm wiser now, just three seasons in. I'm trying to be anyway! When I'm with my more advanced buddies, I'm content to have them join me for a run or two and then we go our separate ways and meet back up for a break together most times. I'm not concerned about slowing anyone down and we still share the experience with each other even if we aren't together most of the time we're on the snow. I might never join them on black diamonds or maybe that will come in future, but I'm focusing on what I can do to enjoy myself in the moment and have longevity as a skier.
That's what I do - I have performance anxiety in general, so my technique gets worse if I'm in eyeline of anyone I know. Better we go do our own things and meet for food and breaks
 

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