Speed/acceleration confidence issues

[Knitjenious]

We live in upstate NY, and there isn’t much else to do over winter. So we thought it will be a good thing to learn and do as a family

Substitute "Western NY" for Upstate NY and that was me and my family 5 years ago. And now I am the most ski-addicted of the three of us! (Even more than my husband who grew up skiing here.)

And skiing is a LOVELY way to enjoy winter. You have a great plan, and I hope the joyful part of skiing won't take too much longer to reveal itself to you.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I suspect that flat work amd no hill even bunny hill.will be key to confidence.

Do you know how to stop in a wedge/pizza on a flat hill after pushing yourself forward with poles?

If not, I am not sure that any hill.should be attempted before the next lesson. Don't get turned off to the sport before having a chance to learn it. Groups can be discouraging if others learn much faster.

I have had students need over 10 hours of practice before understanding how to turn. Our beginner area has an uphill at the end that helps people stop who might miss a turn or two.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[marzNC]

I have had students need over 10 hours of practice before understanding how to turn. Our beginner area has an uphill at the end that helps people stop who might miss a turn or two.

Have you ever see the "banked turn" feature that's part of Terrain Based Learning (TM)? That definitely helped my daughter's BF (mid-20s) get started. He just did a group beginner lesson but the teaching area was too crowded since it was a holiday weekend. It had been too long since he was on skis the first time and he didn't figure out how to turn.

 

[Iwannaski]

Our beginner area has an uphill at the end that helps people stop who might miss a turn or two.

Our “home hillock” ends in a creek. I’m putting in a google maps picture here, because I think it’s amazing more people don’t end up there. In the pic, carpet-served beginner area circled in yellow. Creek highlighted in blue.

 

[Christy]

A moat, to keep you all in. No out of control skiers making their way to the parking lot!

 

[jumperlass]

Have you ever see the "banked turn" feature that's part of Terrain Based Learning (TM)? That definitely helped my daughter's BF (mid-20s) get started. He just did a group beginner lesson but the teaching area was too crowded since it was a holiday weekend. It had been too long since he was on skis the first time and he didn't figure out how to turn.

I had initially written a whole paragraph that included info about this (and about the relative flat starting points) based on local knowledge. Song Mountain (~35 minutes from @Archk1234's original site in Fayetteville, NY) has a nearly flat starting point, where you can walk super-slightly uphill and the hill steepens a little if you choose to go higher--but there's a very flat area, and areas where if you push off you might be able to glide down a little, before you would walk up enough to have enough distance or slope to be able to try turning. It's very beginner-accessible. Greek Peak (~50 minutes from the Fayetteville site) has flat areas, then progressively longer and less-flat stages. They use banked areas to help new skiers learn turns, exactly as you're talking about. I don't think they've done as much terrain work on Alpha Slope this year as they've done in recent years of more snow, but that's kind of Stage 4 of the learning area anyway. Stage 3 is where there's a gentle serpentine with a series of banks to help you learn to turn--there's always an uphill area on one side or the other so you can slow down if you're uncomfortable! My kids had moved on to exploring the mountain before Greek moved to the terrain based learning system, but it seemed to work well for my SIL and nieces last year. Greek has a pretty thorough ski school in comparison to 4 Seasons, and they definitely have experienced instructors who've worked with anxious adults...but @Archk1234 might really just be looking to keep trying at the local place her family is already familiar with. And that's cool, too!

 

[liquidfeet]

I don’t skate.. but do bike.
I got a young 16 y/o female instructor both times. She was lovely but looked overwhelmed at my balance issues lol

I Honestkydon’t know what specifically about speed scares me..

i appreciate everyone’s advice & have signed up for 1:1 lessons for myself coming weekend. will keep you posted

You need an OLD ski instructor with 20+ years experience, who has a high level of certification (or someone close to that description). Call the ski school and ask for that kind of instructor for your upcoming lesson. Pay the extra to get this kind of instructor. Do it!

Your 16 year old instructor knows next to nothing. How can she? She's a rookie instructor. You didn't know that going in, but after your lesson experience, now you do.

It takes a seasoned, experienced, kind and knowledgeable instructor to work with a strongly cautious never-ever adult skier like you. When you take lessons from this instructor, you will learn. That's all you need - the right instructor. Take more lessons from the same person as you progress and you'll find the skiing to be blissfully intoxicating, in a good way.

In addition, when you rent boots, rent a size or two smaller than you'be been using. Squeeze your foot into a boot, stand up, and breathe. Wait. Wait. Breathe. There will be no pain. But the feeling will be unfamiliar. That's not pain.

You should feel the boot tightly grabbing your foot and lower leg all around, with no air spots anywhere. But it should not be so tight that it cuts off circulation. A properly snug boot is going to feel wrong. Just breathe and check for pain or cut-off circulation. It takes a few minutes of waiting to check for sure.

As you buckle up the boots, make sure no part of your pants legs sticks down into the cuff. You need that cuff to clamp onto your leg, not your pants. Wear tall ski socks that peep out of the top of the boot, not short ones. Avoid cotton. Wear only ONE pair of socks; this helps your boot hold onto your foot properly. This will ensure that you have the best fit possible, meaning the plastic of the boot shell is close to your foot, snugly enclosing it into the boot's interior.

Why is this necessary? Because your foot is your steering wheel. You don't want a loose steering wheel.

If you wear a boot that is looser than I'm describing, you will have next to no control over the direction your skis point nor how high up on edge you can get them. When you can't control the direction they point nor the edge angle, you won't have any grip, you'll have trouble getting the skis to take you in the direction you intend, you'll consequently gain speed and need to sit on your thigh to stop before disaster strikes. Loose boots justify insecurity.

Don't let poorly fitting rental boots convince you that it's you causing the lack of control. It's most often the boots, because beginners don't know how a boot should fit, and often the person behind the counter (also a rookie) will hand you a boot two sizes too long for you. Insist on trying on one size shorter than the first one you are given, then two sizes shorter. Take the time to stand and breathe and check for genuine pain, not just unfamiliar discomfort, and cut-off circulation with each boot you try. Once you get it right, write down the size and ask for that each time you go skiing.

Best of luck! You can do it.

 

[jumperlass]

You need an OLD ski instructor with 20+ years experience, who has a high level of certification. Call the ski school and ask for that kind of instructor for your upcoming lesson. Pay the extra to get this kind of instructor.

I'm...not sure her current place, which I think is a driving range in the summer, will have such an instructor. You instructor types will know better than I, but I'd think such experienced folks would affiliate themselves with larger ski areas. Here's a summer satellite image, with the right hand side being their tubing area and the left side (with the trees) their space for skiing: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0350468,-75.9717818,252m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4

It's a tiny place that a friend of mine frequents with her son because it's cheap and they live within 10 minutes, and any easy access to skiing or boarding is fun. I would 100% have used it (if I'd known it existed) when my kids were small and starting out, and we were stressed about ski expenses but wanted them to learn since we now live in CNY! But I'm not sure they have 20-yr instructors on call.

...if she really wants to learn from someone who can definitely teach her, like you're describing...she might need to look at dedicated ski places. Song or Labrador Mountain are about half an hour away and might well have such instructors. Greek Peak definitely does, within an hour's drive. Those are all resorts south of Four Seasons. Dry Hill, about 75 minutes due north, might. Snow Ridge, about the same time to the northeast, almost certainly would.

@Archk1234, if you do end up coming to Greek for a lesson and want to practice some afterwards, drop me a line. I'd be happy to hang out with you on the flats or wherever you like. I skied like 6 or 10 times in my twenties and then relearned in my forties, so I empathize!

 

[marzNC]

I live in upstate NY. I started at the Four seasons ski school. We do have bigger ski resorts close to our house.. but this is the smaller one & I heard it’s good to start here…

While the terrain at Four Seasons looks good for a beginner, the ski school may not have that many instructors with experience teaching nervous adults. An instructor who has only been teaching a few years, and who started skiing as a kid or before age 25 may have trouble relating to the natural fear of speed for many adult beginners.

As noted by @jumperlass in Post #26, you have other options in the region. I haven't skied at Song, Labrador, or Greek Peak but I have stopped by for a look during the off-season. I've also read plenty of posts by the locals who ski there on NYSkiBlog. I know an intermediate woman who enjoys Greek greens and blues. We met up for a walk at Cornell a few years ago when I was in the area on the way to Lake Placid for another reason.

 

[marzNC]

In case any other folks in the Syracuse area are reading . . . Royal Mountain at Caroga Lake, NY might be worth checking out. It's only open weekends and holidays, including the entire Pres. Day week when schools are out in NY and western MA. A bit longer drive but probably emptier slopes than Greek Peak.

Royal recently installed a new magic carpet. One of the instructors has been posting regular updates on the regional ski forum.

 

[nopoleskier]

In case any other folks in the Syracuse area are reading . . . Royal Mountain at Caroga Lake, NY might be worth checking out. It's only open weekends and holidays, including the entire Pres. Day week when schools are out in NY and western MA. A bit longer drive but probably emptier slopes than Greek Peak.

Royal recently installed a new magic carpet. One of the instructors has been posting regular updates on the regional ski forum.

Thanks for the plug for My Home Mt :-) And Thursday 2/23 is going to be FREE Demo day

Yes- we have a nice group of instructors you can ask for more seasoned, we also are training 16yr olds to teach but requesting someone that has more experience is very acceptable.

Our beginner hill has a perfect fall line, and a very slow and low double chair lift- everyone learns to side step down the hill when you get off the lift so don't freak that you will be skiing down it until you are capable. You won't be taken on the lift until you are ready, the new bunny runner is great so you don't have to walk up the hill although you will have some drills going up hill to train your muscles.

I'll also suggest checking out Deb Armstrong videos they are very helpful to prep you as to what to expect.
Safe and FUN is the goal, don't worry about going fast! Learn to ski well slowly then add speed.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

Have patience and enjoy the beauty. Take lessons from a skilled instructor. When you call for the lessons, tell them that you are hesitant and need a good teacher. Remember sometimes a little speed makes skiing easier but definitely know how to stop. Good luck @Archk1234 …welcome

 

[floatingyardsale]

Get an older instructor! Seriously, the 16 yo is probably great but probably was never scared herself and hasn't lived long enough to try anything new as an adult. Crusty old dudes who learned before there were shaped skis are the best.

42 isn't too young. I started in my late 30s.

But also - it's OK if this turns out not to be your thing. My best friend is athletic and loves cross country skiing and gave downhill the old college try and she finds it too terrifying to bother with. The good part about being 42 is deciding that you don't have to do hobbies that you don't like.

 

[Jilly]

Get an older instructor! Seriously, the 16 yo is probably great but probably was never scared herself and hasn't lived long enough to try anything new as an adult. Crusty old dudes who learned before there were shaped skis are the best.

Hey...I resemble that statement...

@Archk1234 you've got some good info here...go ski!!

 

[skinnyfootskis]

Oh and I restarted at 50 after 32 years of not skiing.

 

[jumperlass]

Thanks for the plug for My Home Mt :-) And Thursday 2/23 is going to be FREE Demo day

This sounds great!

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I want free Demos.

 

[Archk1234]

We must live near each other! My family started on that path for a similar reason several years ago. I'm no instructor--just a middling intermediate skier--but I also have heard that 4 Seasons is a good place to start--though I think they might be more kid-oriented? I don't know. I didn't learn there. It's a super economical way to try skiing out, if their group lessons work for you. If I'd known about it, I almost definitely would've opted for them when my kids were newbies. I live just far enough south of Syracuse that we'd already been skiing for a year or two before I even heard of them, though.

What a small world!
we live in Manlius NY

 

[Archk1234]

I was going to suggest getting a private lesson. Then, less pressure.

Just try to relax. I know it is easier said than done. I have a pretty bad fear of height. People who does not have that, they can say whatever they want, but they do not know what it is like, clueless. I still have to fight it, but my love of skiing does overwhelm it most of the time.

If not still not any better and not fun after your provate lesson, regardless of nothing much else to do, try doing something else.
Snow shoeing might be fun also. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
If you are that stressed and not having fun at all, there is no point.
Of course, people can say whatever to encourage you, but this is your decision. No one else's.

Skiing should be funshould not be cause of any stress. Everyone is different.

Sending you a hug.

Thank you! This is so helpful

 

[Archk1234]

Thank you everyone for your kind messages! I read & re-read them so many times

and I had a private lesson at four seasons this morning — by myself, without my son or husband around lol

My instructor this morning was a 66 y/o lovely female… who is the most nicest & patient person I have ever met.. and even though I still fell multiple times & was still very slow to catch up.. but I enjoyed learning from her

she shared that she has experience teaching adults my age… and i have signed up to learn from her specifically twice a week for the rest of the season.

I know I will take a lot more time to learn as compared to others… but I am ok to keep trying

thank you everyone