Worst ski advice you've ever received.

[ski diva]

We skiers -- especially we women skiers -- get loads of advice. So I was wondering: have you ever gotten any advice that was particularly bad?

 

[kiki]

Most of the advice I've not liked has been to ski less, to stay home amd take it easy, not to push myself. Most people say I'm crazy to get up at 4 in the morning and spend 3 hours each way driving to and from the ski hill, and that i shouldn't spend money so much money on gas, on gear and skiing overall.

 

[Abbi]

Most of the advice I've not liked has been to ski less, to stay home amd take it easy, not to push myself. Most people say I'm crazy to get up at 4 in the morning and spend 3 hours each way driving to and from the ski hill, and that i shouldn't spend money so much money on gas, on gear and skiing overall.

I’m laughing! When I still worked I used to do that all the time! Every weekend! All my non-skiing friends that I was insane! Of course they thought my sailboat racing was insane too, at least the non-sailing ones did!

 

[santacruz skier]

"All the really good women skiers are on this ski."

 

[Jilly]

No body skis with that DIN setting!!

 

[Christy]

When I was in boots that had too much forward lean and I was getting killer quad burn after about 10 seconds of skiing, someone told me I just needed potassium and I should eat a banana before skiing.

Also the time my skis had been just tuned and they were unskiable--literally uncontrollable--and when I took them to Fanatyk Co in Whistler they said, oh, it's just the beginning of the season, you just need to get your ski legs under you. (They actually needed the tips detuned).

 

[badger]

Anything my husband says. Just kidding, sort of. Excellent skier, bad teacher.

 

[tinymoose]

Boots that are too wide are fine when you're a newer skier.

 

[mountainwest]

Although this advice wasn't given to me, it was in a terrible 2-hour group lesson I took last season (male instructor, two other women in the class) and I can't help but share it. By the end of the lesson, the instructor had provided zero feedback to any of us, but asked if we had any questions. One of the other women spoke up and said, "Yes, do you have any advice for me?" The instructor's reply was, "Don't take any wooden nickels." (And that was all he said. No, it wasn't just a joke leading into some real advice).

 

[liquidfeet]

"You're overthinking it."
I hate it when people say that to me.

 

[nopoleskier]

at a Cross Country Ski PSIA clinic. "You need to slow down, your kick is too powerful" (XC ski you have to have Kick to have propulsion to move!) it was a "HE" examiner said he was training for a race and was going to give us a workout.. LOL until I kept passing him, not sure how he did in his race..

 

[BlizzardBabe]

"If your knees hurt at the end of the day, switch to snowboarding."

 

[alison wong]

Winter 2013, my 2nd season to learn how to ski and was a struggled beginner that time. One weekend, I took a beginner group lesson at a local PA hill.

Before our lesson started, I mentioned to my instructor: "I am afraid of speed." My instructor: "Then skiing is not for you!" (he snapped back at me and skied away).

Fast forward 5 years later, I am still here, progressing and thriving, but still don't like (and afraid of) speed. Up to this date, I am still trying to figure out: is skiing ONLY for folks who like speed?

While I am searching for this answer, I also came to realize, skiing for me means many other things:
1) I enjoy the social aspects of skiing. I made several new friends through skiing and they become good friends (even though I call them my seasonal friends).
2) Persistence, patience and perseverance. I struggled to "get" this sport in the beginning but I stick w/ it and finally I started to see light at the end of the tunnel past season.
3) How to face and conquer my inner fear, I can apply this skills to other things in life.
4) No more couch potato in winter. I can get out to the mountain, enjoy the cold crispy air, very refreshing!
5) Last but not least, this sport is the best way to fight winter blues.

 

[MilkyWookiee]

PIZZZZZAAAAAA! I think teaching a technique with the intention of unteaching it is a bit counterproductive.

I also had an ex (and his father) hounding me about how important it is to ski with my feet glued together. It wasn’t until I did the women’s clinic at okemo that I was able to have an instructor show me how bass ackwards that is for anybody who isn’t still skiing on straight skis.

 

[kiki]

@alison wong totally with you on the aoeed things and what you live about skiing. It makes lessons hard as I want to progress without having to speed.

 

[liquidfeet]

Winter 2013, my 2nd season to learn how to ski and was a struggled beginner that time. One weekend, I took a beginner group lesson at a local PA hill.

Before our lesson started, I mentioned to my instructor: "I am afraid of speed." My instructor: "Then skiing is not for you!" (he snapped back at me and skied away).

Fast forward 5 years later, I am still here, progressing and thriving, but still don't like (and afraid of) speed. Up to this date, I am still trying to figure out: is skiing ONLY for folks who like speed?

Of course skiing is not only about speed! There are wonderful sensations one can generate while making turns that effectively slow one's downhill travel waaay down. People who don't know this are missing out on many of the direct "physical" pleasures of skiing. Your instructor was a nincompoop.

 

[vickie]

@alison wong -- You are not alone. I also fear speed ... sometimes more, sometimes less. Going faster than I want to go has never brought me joy. If it's feeling good and I want to press for speed, I may for a run or two but that's about all. It's never "oooh, I just did 11 mph. Now I'll go for 12."

Speed is just not something for which I want incremental improvements. Technique is.

 

[nopoleskier]

There are wonderful sensations one can generate while making turns that effectively slow one's downhill travel waaay down. People who don't know this are missing out on many of the direct "physical" pleasures of skiing.

^^Yes!

 

[alison wong]

@alison wong totally with you on the aoeed things and what you live about skiing. It makes lessons hard as I want to progress without having to speed.

I raised the same question years ago on a ski forum and @liquidfeet mentioned several good points about how to tackle this fear of "acceleration" as one skis downhill. I remembered she said practise "J" turns on greens (both L and R side), get the feeling that you are able to stop by pointing the skis uphill. It shall help to "ease" the fear of speed, because you know in the back of your head that you have means to stop.

Your instructor was a nincompoop.

You are too polite to call him that. I have much less polite word to describe this guy!

There are wonderful sensations one can generate while making turns that effectively slow one's downhill travel waaay down.

Yes, I finally have that sensation last season at Alta. Making swooping wide turns on a pair of baller skis -> this combination can be addictive... wanting more and wish the trail could run on forever and I don't have to stop...

Going faster than I want to go has never brought me joy. If it's feeling good and I want to press for speed, I may for a run or two but that's about all. It's never "oooh, I just did 11 mph. Now I'll go for 12."

Speed is just not something for which I want incremental improvements. Technique is.

Yep, me too! I also don't understand why people like to use Apps to keep track of their speed? I'd freak out if I knew I was at xx mph... better not knowing and just enjoy the run.

 

[Jilly]

PIZZZZZAAAAAA! I think teaching a technique with the intention of unteaching it is a bit counterproductive.

Which is why the CSIA teaches "fast track to parallel" if the student is capable. Otherwise it's wedge turns for stability.