Starting skiing later in life

[marzNC]

Yes, definitely the "good for me" type. I felt like a never-ever, but I didn't do any drills. Just tried to get around.

Sorry, when I asked about walking around on a flat with only one ski what I was curious about was whether you had ever been asked to do that last season as a novice skier in a beginner lesson. Probably shouldn't have called it a "drill." My sense is that it's often part of the introduction to the first experience on skis. As explained to me by my friend who has a PSIA-E Master Teacher Certification and I observed at Loveland. He's been an instructor for a long time and in our age bracket.

I remember watching the never-ever class for young kids at Massanutten just walking around on snow in ski boots before they ever get to put on their skis. On my daughter's first day at age 4 (13 years ago), she got bored during the first 45-min segment because they were just playing games in ski boots and not sliding on skis. She was much happier after the morning break when they started taking the magic carpet. She was was riding the lift with the instructor and three other 5yo girls after lunch. By 2pm when ski school was over, I had a budding ski buddy in the making.

Since we've also been talking about the first two days on snow, I was thinking that for a skier who is still a beginner or even intermediate later in life, getting re-aquainted with the feel of sliding on snow during the first day or two of a season with only one ski so that there is less chance of a fall might be useful. Especially on a day that's icy all over the open trails.

The scariest part of my first ski day this season was making my way down the icy slope to the K1 Lodge in my ski boots only when going in for a break. By the end of the day I decided that going the long way around that was much flatter to go in the doors that face up the slopes was a better idea.

 

[Skier31]

I thought it decently simulated half of skating, no?

It does but skating is too complicated for beginners. Beginners should be encouraged to slide on two skis and to learn to flatten their skis and turn their legs without a push off move.

 

[newboots]

I thought it decently simulated half of skating, no?

I thought it was for never-evers to get the feeling of sliding on a ski?

 

[Skier31]

I thought it was for never-evers to get the feeling of sliding on a ski?

Some instructors use it to get the feeling of sliding on a ski. I don't use it for a couple of reasons:

1. It is awkward and intimidating for new skiers to use only one ski.
2. They end up pushing off the leg with the boot on. Pushing off of a ski to start a turn is not the turning mechanism we want to encourage.
3. There are better ways of getting people to feel the sliding. Specifically, find a place with a slight uphill. They can give themselves a push with their poles to get going and the uphill will slow them down.

 

[liquidfeet]

This walking in a circle with only one ski on is known as "boot work." Students will walk with both feet, but there's only one ski on. They are to slide that ski forward in the circular path. I think mrznc said "push" but she meant push it forward, tail following tip; this is not a skating move, just a simple slide forward along a circular path. It's done with never-evers before they get on any pitch. The point is to let them know that the ski is easier to slide forward in the circular turn if it's tipped ever so slightly to the Big Toe Edge (BTE). The ski will naturally tip as they walk in a circle and that BTE helps the ski move along. When it's tipped to the Little Toe Edge (LTE) they have more difficulty. Remember, these are beginner adults, and the skis and boots are totally unfamiliar to them.

Progression: instructors first have the adults walk in a circle in the direction that will put that BTE on slight edge, then have them walk the circle in the other direction, which puts the ski on its LTE. Much harder to slide that ski forward the second way. Then they move the ski to the other foot (students learn that the ski doesn't care which foot it's on) and do the two circles again, being asked which edge, BTE or LTE, feels easiest. When they report the BTE is easier, the instructor lets them know that they will be using that BTE as they turn. It's not a skating exercise. Just a get-the-ski-to-go-in-a-circle and learn that it's easier when the very very slight edging happens on the BTE.

I've seen some instructors have the group walk in a circle on a very very slight pitch; the circle goes up, across the hill, then down, and back across the hill. The students end up getting a bit of "help" from gravity as they complete the circle. I don't do this to them because our terrain does not make it safe; they are in the middle of cross-traffic.

 

[liquidfeet]

My favorite thing to work on when it's really icy is sideslips and their variations. Do these exercises on as gentle a slope as possible. These exercises can be done on glare ice, frozen suede, skied-off trails after lunch, or anything you consider too icy to actually have any control on. After you do them, you'll have that control.

1. Point skis across the hill. Slide down sideways along a straight-downhill path. Work on keeping that path straight; that's the hard part. If you can't side-slip at all, if your skis refuse to slip downhill, you are probably leaning your body uphill, with too much weight on the uphill ski and too much edge on your skis. Lean your upper body out over your downhill ski a little, so that it has most of your weight on it. Now try again. The skis do need to be flat enough to slip sideways; if you still can't get the sideslip going, flatten the skis a tiny wee little bit with your ankles. If that doesn't work, move your two knees a little ways downhill. That will do the trick. Do all of this at a snail's pace on unintimidating terrain.

2. Same thing; vary speed of sideways-downhill sliding, by varying the edge grip from your skis. Higher edges slow you down, if your skis are sharp. Lower edges, closer to flat against the snow, speed you up. Keep working to travel straight down the hill. This takes some skill; it's a great sill to build.

3. Falling-leaf: do the same thing, but bend forward at the ankles to tilt whole body over fronts of skis ... and see what happens. You should slide forwardish, instead of straight downhill. Open up ankles to tilt body back over tails and see what happens. You should slide backwardish, instead of straight downhill. You can turn and look back there if you like, or not. Body tilts forward and backward like a metronome when you bend and unbend your ankles.

4. Variety and control of the side-slipping: work on sliding straight downhill, sliding forward, and sliding backward on command with that ankle work in the falling-leaf exercise. Add some speed control to this by varying the edging. If skis are indeed sharp, higher edging will slow you down.

5. Add a slight turn: sideslip downhill sideways, and do two things very slowly and progressively: bend forward at the ankles, and turn the skis to point downhill. At this point you can let them point all the way downhill, or stop them from doing that and turn them back uphill, or you can make a complete turn. In any event, work up to making a complete turn, continuing the slipping as you go. S-L-O M-O turns. No rushing anything! Ice doesn't like rushing. You'll lose control.

6. Make side-slippy turns this way in both directions, coming to a stop. Then link them. The point? Getting used to the slipping as the turn goes through its phases.

7. Vary your downhill travel speed with edging; try more edge, try less edge. Have fun; this is trial and error day work. You'll know your skis better, and you'll be comfortable slipping on ice after working on this for a few hours.

 

[EdithP]

Dear Cygnet, I hope you are still here and making more progress. When I read your story I thought I must respond, because I am so much in your situation. I am now 63 and only started skiing five years ago, usually having no more than 5 days a year to ski in. When I read your story I stopped chastising myself for the sloow progress I am making, I reminded myself where I was before my first memorable trip to Slovakia when I first learned the thrill of going down a green trail on a mountain. Since that time it is of course a very different story, even if I continue to feel very inferior , especially as one is continually bombarded with messages about people starting parallel turns within a week of day zero, not being scared (which helps, as they admit), being willing tochallenge themselves. ,. Then I think: I will never get anywhere with skiing. Who knows how much time I even have left to learn? And then I read stories like yours which admit to all the pain, frustration and fear and then - the exhiliration of skiing. I hope you are here forever with your encouraging example!!!!!!!!!

 

[liquidfeet]

Welcome to the forum, @EdithP. Where do you usually ski?

 

[EdithP]

Hello, liquidfeet and thanks for the warm reception. ! I live in Poland. My first trip, where I learned the rudiments was in Slovakia, a village affair, very basic, with a button lift, however. My mainstay is in the Polish Tatras, Bialka -our favourite beginners' ski centre, which mostly has easy pistes and in addition a hot springs spa, all at a very reasonable cost. I go there with my adult children, who give Mom this treat once a year .I have also been twice in the French Alps - rather above my head, granted, but I was with a bunch of friends who are all very good . I decided to tag on for the social aspect of it, and somehow made it, no doubt thanks to their very sweet attitude intaking turns to go down the easiest trails with me. (which were still rather harder than what I was used to) . I very much hope to keep that French trip on the calender and to add another ski outing during the winter. And you? As a ski diva extraordinaire you must be some hot stuff on those mountains!

 

[liquidfeet]

@EdithP "extraordinaire" just means I've been around a long time on the forum and posted a lot. It doesn't reflect how I ski. Keep posting!

 

[mountainwest]

I live in Poland. My first trip, where I learned the rudiments was in Slovakia, a village affair, very basic, with a button lift, however. My mainstay is in the Polish Tatras, Bialka -our favourite beginners' ski centre, which mostly has easy pistes and in addition a hot springs spa, all at a very reasonable cost.

Welcome, @EdithP! My husband is originally from Poland and I have visited the Tatras with him (in September for hiking - years before I learned to ski). Such a beautiful place!

 

[EdithP]

Welcome, @EdithP! My husband is originally from Poland and I have visited the Tatras with him (in September for hiking - years before I learned to ski). Such a beautiful place!

Oh, how nice to hear that! I have myself been to US, but on the urban turf strictly. Unfortunately.

 

[EdithP]

For some reason this thread popped up on the screen suggesting there was some new material and then I thought I would re-read. SO MUCH inspiring stuff! I wonder how it went for all the lovely 60+ posters in subsequent years?

At the same time I thought I would ask: what exactly is it that intimidates us mature beginners SO MUCH? Is skiing really so terribly difficult once you pass a certain number of years (which? some people who confess they started late in life reveal being over 60, but then some are over 25 with everything in between). This got me thinking: what makes me feel so stressed out even after all those year? I will list my ideas, I am sure many of us will have others, and maybe we will create a useful material for instructors who would wish to be helpful?
My No 1 - feeling of being ridiculous. There is just SO MUCH negative thinking surrounding physical activity at certain, never clearly defined, stage of life. It is never put in words exactly, but all those hints of "some things are better left to the young", or talk of other individuals who refuse to face the plain fact that neither their bones and muscles not general fitness are the same they were in their 20s and nevermind how many hours of yoga they are willing to do per week. I know that I should NOT be listening to that voice in my head, but easier said than done. When I hear how MANY skiers make it their business to comment on people they saw from the lift , on the disgraceful technique, and, yes, the age of "offenders" it makes me squirm when I think of exhibiting myself to their scrutiny.
No2 - (related to No1) feeling of it really being too late to ever achieve a decent standard. All those snide remarks from instructor participants of ski fora "have you ever met who would be any good on skis who started at 50?" . Of course, "any good" is as vague a concept as "decent". All those discussions of how much a learner is expected to master during his first week on skis starting from never ever
No3 (again related) - my unspoken fear that I am only tolerated by my instructors as a sure source of income, me being so determined to persevere. This one is lately beginning to wane, as I am very clearly getting better than some of the young beginners, but it was haunting me for years.
No4 - that in fact I am being in denial. That I so much want to learn to ski to the standard I predetermined that maybe it blinds me to the reality in which maybe I would do best to stay on the bunny slopes and green runs.
Any thought from others?

 

[liquidfeet]

You ask about mature beginners being intimidated. I think anyone starting to ski at an age over 50 must have a brave and adventurous character. Or they wouldn't have gone skiing in the first place.

0. Feeling intimidated by skiing isn't confined to older people. Skiing is inherently dangerous. Falling is expected as one learns. In other words, intermittent public failures (falling while others are watching) are going to happen no matter what. There usually are no injuries from these falls but still we don't expect to fall during daily life. So a beginner knows they are doing something dangerous. Recognizing this is better than not recognizing it since our bones are more brittle than when we were young. And we have to get back to work to pay the bills. I think intimidation is not only understandable but normal.

Fear of humiliation is not limited to older people. Some people stop skiing because they fall too many times and others can see that happening. They feel judged by strangers. Teens are especially prone to this issue. They don't want to appear like a "loser" in public, nor especially in front of friends. Anyone who worries about being judged by others because they are skiing at a skill level lower than advanced/expert, but who continue to ski anyway, is being courageous.

Fear that it's too late to ever achieve a decent standard happens to beginners when they discover that building new skills takes waaay more time than they ever expected. I don't know if it takes older people longer to learn and embed new movement patterns into muscle memory. But it is obvious that they don't have as many years in front of them as a five year old beginner. Let's remember that many kids who start young stay in a wedge for years. As adults who ski well they won't remember how long it took because as kids they weren't paying attention to the calendar. They were just having fun. Can we as older adults (I'm 73 and started at 53) let go of the calendar in our heads and just have fun while also building skills? I can't. But I'm used to how long it takes to get better at this. Being a ski instructor helped make this obvious to me.

Feeling like a burden on the instructors - I think this is sort of like feeling like my cough isn't bad enough for me to make an appointment which will waste my doctor's time. Of course I should make that appointment. I need to know what's going on. I've had friends who ski with me but keep apologizing for taking me away from skiing by myself because they think going slow with them is a burden on me. NO! Silly friends. I want their companionship. And when on the job, instructors are teaching not because of the money (laugh) but because they like the active interaction they have with their students. They get great satisfaction when a student makes a breakthrough. Some instructors prefer to work with frustrated skiers dismayed by how long it's taking them to reach their goals. Part of the job is helping them through those plateaus, where things are happening inside the body-mind connection that aren't visible on the surface. Plateaus happen between breakthroughs. If one leave the plateau by quitting, then they won't be there when the breakthrough was going to happen.

I hope other peole join in on this conversation. I'd like to hear more views.

 

[ceestan]

I learned to ski as a kid, and I'm sure glad I did, knowing what I know now about how much fear can get in your way. No one else in my family knew how to ski, and we didn't have a lot of money, so I didn't get to ski much growing up (just school trips here and there, or friends' parents bringing me along.) As an adult, I got hit by a car and broke my fibula in a pretty devastating way that required 4 surgeries over 5 years. The first time I went skiing after breaking my ankle, I had a moment of panic and fear as I rode the lift up. I thought to myself, "This is NUTS. It's freezing out here and I'm just gonna go slide down this mountain! This is insane. I can't believe people do this!!" That was the first time in my life I experienced those types of thoughts while skiing. I took it for granted as a kid that it was normal and not scary, but it's perfectly reasonable for people to consider it extreme and scary -- it kind of is!

On top of that, there is the embarrassment of falling or not doing something well, that hits you a little harder when you're older I think. My husband once scoffed at the idea of gatekeeping in skiing, saying it's made up and anyone is welcome to ski (he is an athletically gifted, tall, white male from an upper middle class family who skied regularly, and fits in all the stiffest narrow race boots and can ski the longest, most top-end skis, so of course HE is welcome to ski and is apparently oblivious to barriers for other people). Nevermind the fact that skiing in EXPENSIVE, I had point out that we were just laughing at a Jerry of the Day video on Instagram, and reminded him of the time my ankle surgeon referred to "SPORs" (Stupid People on Rentals) on the mountain, and how prevalent that culture of making fun of beginners is in skiing. That kind of shut him up about it.

I consider myself lucky to be an adventurous person who embraces a beginner mindset. I took a lot of lessons and set very specific goals for myself constantly. There was a time coming back from my injury when I couldn't keep my skis parallel and I would find myself absolutely blasted after a few crud or powder turns. I skied by myself a lot because I couldn't keep up with my husband and his friends, and my own friends who were more my ability level didn't come out often. But I loved skiing, and even though I wasn't going very fast, it was the fastest and most freeing thing I'd done since I got hit by a car. Anyway! I have a lot of compassion and solidarity with folks who are just starting out or coming back from an injury. Keep on keeping on and eff the haters!

 

[BlizzardBabe]

Fear of humiliation is not limited to older people. Some people stop skiing because they fall too many times and others can see that happening. They feel judged by strangers. Teens are especially prone to this issue. They don't want to appear like a "loser" in public, nor especially in front of friends.

I feel this every time I see a bump run under the chair. I'd love to practice more, but I'm not doing it "there."

 

[Eera]

It's one of the biggest regrets that I have that I didn't embrace snow sports when I lived a 15 quid flight away from Geneva and Lyon: these days a ski trip is a $20,000 exercise that takes a year of planning. Ah, hindsight.

I started snowboarding in my 20's, broke bones and jacked it in having reached very little competence. It was only in my early 40s after marrying someone who grew up in the Australian Alps that I started again with family in tow, so my kids are happily doing black runs as tweenagers whereas I'm picking my way down a blue - but you know what? I'm having fun being in my own zone.

Having done extreme sports in my 20s (I was rated in the top 5 for mountain biking nationally at one point) I do get frustrated by just not being able to pick stuff up as easily as I used to, and a lot of that is due to fear: I don't bounce like I used to, I've had bones poking through my skin and it takes a long time to recover; I don't get off the ground with the elan and spring in my step like I did - in fact watching me trying to pick myself up is reminiscent of a hippo stuck in a mud wallow so I don't push myself into situations where I could fall, and that's restrictive.

But...it's fun, which is why I'm still doing it. I find the amount of mature-aged ladies on this site who are out there and slaying it absolutely inspiring so improvement with private lessons is very much on the cards so hopefully it'll get even more fun in the years to come.

 

[AJM]

I grew up skiing (not terribly well but with a lot of enthusiasm!) then took a break due to location, career etc and picked it up again in my 30's, I've just turned 60 (yikes! How did that happen so quickly?) and have probably made more progress in my technique over the last 3yrs or so than in all the years I've been skiing. A lot of it thanks to this forum.
I'm at the stage now where I trust my gear (are you listening boots?) and also, despite having a spectacular crash back in 2022, my body and my ability, these things have given me so much more confidence which I feel has translated into my skiing ..... I'm of the mindset that "Yup I can ski that and will give it a go".
This newfound belief in myself has also opened up other sporting opportunities for me, I've taken up Paddleboarding this (NZ) summer along with hiking, often by myself and I'm ready to tackle our upcoming ski season with gusto !!

 

[AJM]

I grew up skiing (not terribly well but with a lot of enthusiasm!) then took a break due to location, career etc and picked it up again in my 30's, I've just turned 60 (yikes! How did that happen so quickly?) and have probably made more progress in my technique over the last 3yrs or so than in all the years I've been skiing. A lot of it thanks to this forum.
I'm at the stage now where I trust my gear (are you listening boots?) and also, despite having a spectacular crash back in 2022, my body and my ability, these things have given me so much more confidence which I feel has translated into my skiing ..... I'm of the mindset that "Yup I can ski that and will give it a go".
This newfound belief in myself has also opened up other sporting opportunities for me, I've taken up Paddleboarding this (NZ) summer along with hiking, often by myself and I'm ready to tackle our upcoming ski season with gusto !!

Ok just realised my post isn't really as relevant as I thought it was in this thread Oh well just believe in yourselves ladies and give the hypothetical middle finger to those that doubt you or you feel may be judging you unkindly for getting out there and giving it a go

 

[Spokes]

I've always wanted to ski - but only started in my mid 50s (I'm now in my early 60s) and have found it so difficult. Being really scared in my first few days of lessons and significant injury quite early on didn't exactly make a good foundation. But I love snow so I've kept at it despite very low self confidence. Last year was the final straw. I signed up for a 6 day course early season but it didn't work out. I was asked to leave the group I was originally assigned to because I wasn't confident/fast enough. When I told the instructor in the new group that I didn't like going 'this fast' his response was 'this isn't fast'. My fragile confidence was shattered. What was even worse was this week's experience blighted my holidays (for me and my family) for the rest of the season. I quickly got into a negative downward spiral of 'That was a rubbish turn, I'm a rubbish skier, I'll never be able to do it' etc etc and was unable to appreciate what I had achieved.

The good news is that this was a wake up call!! I realised that I could not afford to think and live like this. I had to do something about it. And so, over the summer I have been reading books, posts on this website and generally trying to understand why I think and feel the way I do, and learning coping mechanisms and techniques to become the skier I want to be. And the good news is that it's working! I've just come back from a week in Austria. There were times when fear got the better of me and I had to side slip down rather than ski, when that negative voice started whispering destructive comments - but I refused to listen to them. I didn't panic when the snow was rough and bumpy and I didn't criticise myself when my turns weren't perfect. There were times when I skied well. I am beginning to believe that I can be a good skier.

So, thank you ladies, for all your posts over the years of your ups and downs, of your successes and failures, of your fears and achievements, and especially to that someone who said that learning to ski when you're older is hard!

i am an adaptive skier who started skiing in my early 40s, and I use a ski bike for both downhill and Nordic; it has made a HUGE difference in being able to feel safe and participating. I never knew how to ski before the adaptive program I am part of, but there is an organization called the American Ski Bike Association that has a database of ski-bike friendly places. Maybe you could try a ski bike?