Skiing: was it love at first sight?

[ski diva]

Time and time again you read posts where people say they either loved or hated skiing, the first time out.

So what about you? Was it instant love or hate? And if you hated it, what made you stick with it?

Believe it or not, I hated skiing the first few times I went. I kept falling. I hated the rope tow. I kept getting out of the tracks. Plus it ruined my gloves. The only thing that kept me at it was that I wanted to get better than my sister.

Honestly, I don't know why I kept going. I think my dad dragged me along, whether I wanted to go or not.

Incidentally, my sister hasn't skied since like 1972. I kept with it; she didn't. I think I'm better than her now, don't you?

 

[abc]

Neither.

I've been pretty sporty so skiing was just a new activity for the winter and had to be learned. (I grew up in very warm climate and never saw snow -- except on TV)

It wasn't exactly easy. But I knew I needed to learn it well enough to enjoy it. Or I might die of cabin fever before I get to graduate at Michigan! So it's really just something I do, not something I love. Though I was coordinated enough I didn't fall all that much more than average. As such, I didn't hate it either.

Now that I'm back to living in semi-warm climate, skiing is no longer a neccessity but rather a recreation I can choose to do or not to do. Though aside from the expense part, which often creep into my mind as thought of quitting, I do enjoy it enough to keep at it through the years.

I think I qualify as one of your sterotypical tourons on skis who invade the mountains in winter.

 

[Jilly]

I don't quite remember. I was all of 5 years old. I remember being scared and sitting down on the back of the skis. The family joined a ski club the next year or the one after. We got lessons as part of the membership. Rope tows, bear trap bindings, wet mitts and winter boots with your running shoes inside. Why did we stick with it??

Now I don't think I could make it through a winter without 40 ski days!!

 

[SkiNurse]

I remember seeing the Steamboat commercials w/ Billy Kidd skiing in waist deep powder through the glades and thinking "I want to do that". The first few years I skied (I didn't start until age 19), I was quite the bunny w/ the matching outfits and equpment. I liked it, didn't love it...and I defintely wasn't Billy Kidd.

Fast foward to moving to Colorado and dating the right guy. Colorado native, amazing skier and teacher. He taught me to love the sport and skiing with him I really could see how beautiful it is.

Now I can & love to ski in waist deep powder at Steamboat in the glades!

 

[Jenny]

I didn't ski for the first time until I was 32. Our group of friends skiied, and I didn't want to be the only one who didn't so I gave it a try. I was cold, and unhappy, and cranky, because that's how I get when I can't do something perfectly.

The bunny hill was the bottom part of another hill that everyone (or it seemed like everyone) used to get back to the lodge so there were people flying past me. After a few times down, I told the friend with me to go away so I could figure things out - she was experienced and I wanted to make sure she had fun instead of being stuck babysitting.

But, I kept at it - and discovered hand and toe warmers, which pretty much took care of the cold part. And practice took care of the unhappy and cranky! We probably only went a couple three times that first year - then they took me out to Breckenridge in December 1996, which was scary, but it turned out to be fun.

Now I'm way better and wouldn't give it up!

 

[CMCM]

I really WANTED to learn to ski in my early teens. I was obsessed with Jean Claude Killy in the Olympics, and I remember loving Robert Redford's film "Downhill Racer." I started to go skiing in my senior year in high school....my equipment was all bought at a ski swap and I knew zero about choosing the equipment. I ended up with boots that were too small, so they hurt and my feet got cold. I didn't have the proper ski clothing, so the rest of my body was cold too. I couldn't afford lessons. I wasn't entirely miserable because I went 12+ times that year, but never got in the least bit beyond a basic snowplow. I wasn't motivated to try again until many years later. I was a sporadic skier at best, with many years of gaps between attempts. I never got serious until a few years ago, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE skiing now! So what can I say.....it just took time!

 

[ski&bfree]

The minute I went down the bunny hill I was so frustrated because I knew I could do it, but I wasn't grasping the technique. After about an hour I caught on and was on to a bigger hill. It was instant love from then on. It's become such a passion of mine; I really love it. Even though I haven't skied for very long, I intend to keep at it for years to come and improve where I can.

There's so much more for me to learn with regard to equipment and technique. I'm still at the very basics..

 

[LilaBear]

I hated it the first time. On a dry ski slope in the UK, the type that's a honeycomb of wire and nailbrush material. Was given a summer ski holiday as a present - skied on the Glacier in Tignes in the morning and went climbing, rafting, whatever in the afternoons. Thought it was OK. Went to Bulgaria the following year and did not enjoy it again. Went the following year to Trois Vallees, and I was a horrible skier, but made great friends and had a wonderful vacation - after that I was hooked. I have skied every year since, except one. Moved to Colorado so that maybe, just maybe I can get a 40 day ski season.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Love love love
It was love at first turn (for the SPORT - what ELSE? :D:ROTF
(that happened later!)
Never looked back.
Obsessed/possessed!
(I was adult at the time - 25)

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

I really liked it the first time I tried it. I had gone to a ski resort with no intention of actually skiing. I also do cross country skiing and had planned on spending my time doing that, plus other activities that the area offered. But then I thought that since I was going to a ski resort, I should at least take a lesson--just to try it. I ended up really liking it and taking another lesson. I never even got to the cross country ski trails that vacation.

My ski feelings are kind of like what abc said above. It's one more activity that I do. I really like it a lot, but if I was forced to give it up for whatever reason, I'd be very dissapointed but I'm sure I'd find something else I liked just as much to replace it. I just really enjoy trying new things. I'm still in the low intermediate phase of skiing, so I have so much more to learn, which is one of the things I enjoy about it.

 

[Shannon D]

My first time skiing was a 5th grade field trip to the Broadmoor. There were about a zillion kids on the single slope and I was in a very poorly run lesson. I seem to recall the main instruction technique was yelling out, "turn, turn, now fall, stop!!!"

That summer, I moved to Glenwood and my parents put me in lessons at Snowmass. It was love from day one.

 

[Sierra]

No! Mine is love at the second sight.

My first time on skis was a nightmare. I could barely speak English, let alone understand the fine points of a never-ever lesson. It was New Year's Eve, and the resort was super crowded. Temps were in the teens and it was icy. I had rented straight skis and badly fitted boots. The bunny slope did not have a tow, so never-evers had to side step up the hill a little bit and then go down.

I finished the lesson without having been able to do a single turn. I was frozen and had developed bad blisters from the side stepping. The experience was so discouraging I did not try to ski again for 12 years!

My second try, 5 years ago, that's another story... Great resort, great instructor, right gear...
I am a certifiable ski nut since Thanksgiving weekend 2004

 

[HotChocolate]

Mine was love at first sight....It was about 6 or 7 seasons ago. I finally convinced a gf to take lessons with me and down we went to Hunter Mountain, NY. We fell alot but had the best time ever, I was caught hook, line and sinker. It would have been nice to have been exposed as a child, I would be hucking cliffs by now.

I remember looking up at the mountain as we approached, and thought OMG I will never go all the way up there!!! Haha!!! little did I know.

I haven't stopped since. I love it love it love it!!!!

 

[tdamon]

It was in love with skiing before I can even remember. I was on skis at the age of two and I don't remember a day I didn't like it. My mom told me when I was five I would tuck the entire length of the run, no turns. I think I ran over someone's skis at one point. It's in my blood. I have never missed a season.

 

[volklgirl]

Absolutely love at first turn!

Before alpine skiing at 14, I used to ski cross country. After my first time on the bunny hill, I put the cross country skis away and haven't touched them since. I still have them somewhere (they'e been hanging around untouched for 29 years!!! ).

 

[G Hoodie]

The only thing that kept me at it was that I wanted to get better than my sister.

Ahhh competitive rivalry at it's finest!

My very first time out, I was in 8th grade and went with some friends that were practically born on skis. They took me to the top of the hill, no lessons and said, "Point your skis down the hill and go!" Suffice to say I fell a LOT and even smacked the lift tower face first. Hated it and didn't go again....

... until I met my DH about 10 years later. He is a certifiable ski bum and wanted me to learn to enjoy winter (especially in our gray, rainy NW). We went XC skiing a couple times first, which was a great way to start. I had a hard time staying on my feet on skinny skis, but I got used to having big planks strapped to my feet. Then I took a downhill lesson at Bachelor with some friends. I'm afraid of heights, so I got really nervous on the lifts and at the top of the hill at first! But I decided to suck it up and get over it because I wanted to keep up with DH! I fell a lot at first, like everyone else, which was frustrating. But, I pushed myself to get better and my hubby is a great teacher. He provides some great competitive drive for me!

So to make a long story short... it was certainly an acquired taste for me, but now I can't get enough. It's turned into a real passion - I think I'm more obsessed than DH! Being a gear junkie doesn't hurt either.

 

[Kiragirl]

I really WANTED to learn to ski in my early teens. I was obsessed with Jean Claude Killy in the Olympics, and I remember loving Robert Redford's film "Downhill Racer." I started to go skiing in my senior year in high school....my equipment was all bought at a ski swap and I knew zero about choosing the equipment. I ended up with boots that were too small, so they hurt and my feet got cold. I didn't have the proper ski clothing, so the rest of my body was cold too. I couldn't afford lessons. I wasn't entirely miserable because I went 12+ times that year, but never got in the least bit beyond a basic snowplow. I wasn't motivated to try again until many years later. I was a sporadic skier at best, with many years of gaps between attempts. I never got serious until a few years ago, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE skiing now! So what can I say.....it just took time!

I remember loving Robert Redford in ANYTHING!

oh, yeah, I loved skiing from the first, too!

 

[jaki2379]

LOVE!!

Love at first sight!! I had never skiied before and never thought I would like it (being out in the cold?? what are you crazy?!?) but then I was dating a guy who loved to go. He brought me out to our local hill after some prodding and I absolutley loved it and was going down the intermediates that first night (not much a feat - smalll mountain - Wachusett for all of you NE'ers). I became OBSESSED and had to go every weekend after that. I was 22 when I started and I am 29 now but have come a long way since then!! Thank god my husband is as obsessed as me! Can't wait for 11/15/08!!!

 

[Rossi]

Boyfriend in High School started me skiing, first time it was all ice(i didn't know at the time that is New England skiing) so I took my skis off and walked down because I didn't know how to ski or stop and I didn't want to die. It's better to start near the bottom of the hill not the top if you never skied before.
There were years I skied maybe once or twice a year but there was something about skiing and trying to improve that kept me skiing through the years.
I loved skiing walking down the hill with skis in hand as much as I do today, that old boyfriend is long gone and today he probably couldn't keep up with me but Im so glad he brought be skiing that icy day.

 

[Kano]

I've said it before: hated it.

Sure am glad to read that there are others who hated it too!

Karen in Boise