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Your Turn Women's Clinic at Holiday Valley 1/25-1/26/2023: an unglamorous intermediate's report

Knitjenious

Angel Diva
Just returned from two days at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY where I attended Lisa Ballard's Your Turn Women's Clinic.

Background: I started skiing 4.5 years ago at age 38 and have historically gotten anywhere from 10-20 days a season on relatively tiny hills in Western NY (Kissing Bridge and Buffalo Ski Center.) Intermediate skier -- but barely. I learned about this clinic a couple years ago and have been working for the last 2 seasons on getting myself to the point where I felt like I was ready to try maybe try it out. All that to say, if you've found this forum and you're just getting started or returning to skiing and maybe you're anxious or you're not as young and athletic as once you were, ME TOO. Let's keep being badasses anyway. :smile:

The full clinic was limited to 32 attendees, and during breakfast on the first morning we were divided into 4 groups based on the skier profile forms we'd filled out. I definitely came in knowing I would be placed in the lowest level group. We headed up to ski and warmed up on a nice green run before moving on to some slightly steeper terrain. It pretty quickly became clear that I was the slowest skier there, which like, SOMEONE has to be so it was me. hahaha. But I was staying focused on working on my skills and turns and it was okay. And I made a buddy in my group who was similarly newer-ish and occasionally timid-ish and we kind of took turns backing each other up on setting whatever limits we needed to stay in our prime learning zone. (We nicknamed ourselves "Team Healthy Boundaries.")

Mid-morning our group met up with Lisa Ballard, the headliner of the clinic, and she did some drills, worked with us on pole plants, and filmed our skiing for review at lunch. I had been curious about pole plants but too intimidated to try them without explicit instruction. All of it was helpful, and now I have a broader repertoire of drills to practice on my own. It was snowing throughout the day and while the fresh snow was nice, it was also kind of choppy out there. But it's been such a snow-less year around here, so who would dare complain!

At lunch we watched our videos before heading back out with the group. Part of the clinic included demo skis, and while I'd not taken out demos on the first morning (thinking I might as well get instruction on my daily skis first), I did decide to try a demo for the afternoon. Cue REGRETS. hahahaha.

I normally ski an Atomic Vantage x77 CTi W in 154 cm (which is short for my 5'7", 210 pound self) and decided to take out the Nordica Wild Belle 84 in 162 cm. Which, longer, wider and heavier than my daily driver and I was already tired. I survived, but I felt like I was fighting it at times and it wore me out even more. At one point in the afternoon, I spun off from my group to take a couple easier run on my own to just practice. I was out of my zone of being able to absorb more information, and my instructor was totally understanding! Team Healthy Boundaries.

At dinner, the clinic included a panel discussion with Lisa and some other instructors about the mental aspects of skiing and fear -- which I silently and humiliatingly cried my eyes out through because, why YES, learning IS hard. hahahahaha. But the peanut butter pie was delicious and I won a goggles cover door prize and my tablemates were kind.

This morning, second day, I foolishly ignored the advice of some wise divas and decided I would demo more things. First up was the Elan Wildcat 82 C in 158 cm. It was okay enough. Better than the Wild Belle for me. But nothing super special. I was also so very sore from the prior day that I had to step away to stretch and drink some water and rest a bit. While my group was off skiing, I did also take out the Nordica Santa Ana 84 in 165 for a very short run -- but it was a little icy and wow I did not like that ski at all for me. (It rained a bit and then snowed overnight and dropped back below freezing so everything was a bit crusty today.)

Went back to my own skis before catching back up with the group before lunch. At the lunch break, one of the other attendees heard me talking about my sore calves and she turned out to be a physical therapist -- she was kind enough to do some stretching with me to help release my muscles which was just so kind.

For the afternoon, I took out one more pair that turned out to be my faves for the day -- an Elan Wildcat 76 in 158. Which, like, they seem to be more beginner-intermediate based on reviews? And I would probably size up one more if I were buying them. But they were the only pair I didn't feel like I was just wrestling with and I finally started to get in a groove. They are lighter than my current skis, which was nice for the afternoon of my second day of skiing. (I'll probably ask about these in a separate gear thread, because I do actually want to buy new skis this season but want to get the right thing.)

Lisa was kind enough to ski with me for a couple runs during her time with our group on during the final afternoon, and she provided some good reinforcement on the aspects of my turns I'd been working on. We did some follow-the-leader work. And before I knew it, it was time to ski in for the day! I told my group they should just go ahead of me and not wait -- I just felt so slow compared to them all. But the instructor was like "no one gets left behind!" and said it was my turn to be in the front instead of the back. And so I just went for it and honestly had my very best run of the day and made it all the way down a very long run without needing a break and remembered that skiing is supposed to be fun.

In the end, even though I was objectively the weakest skier in the clinic, it was a worthwhile experience that I got a lot out of. It's going to take me some time to process and practice the things I learned. It kicked my butt, but I think it was good for me. :smile:
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
That’s awesome. Way to embody “grow through what you go through”… I wish I could have been there with you. That was the OG plan, but then job timing really threw me. :\

And you found a ski you may like!!!
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was tempted by that clinic when I lived up in Ontario. We did an early season trip to E-ville for my youngest's birthday a few years running and always had fun there. Yay for that last run! I always feel like I ski better when following the instructor's line. Do you think you'll do the clinic again another year?
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
All’s well that ends well, and it sounds like you ended on a high note! Great experience to get outside of your comfort zone and build off of.. that is so important. :smile:
 

Knitjenious

Angel Diva
Cute little video post-event on Lisa Ballard's page:

I'm the chubby one in the red pants, overthinking and rushing my turns on an easy little trail in the "Skiing Better" clip. :rotf:

Now that nearly 2 weeks has gone by and I know what to expect, I would totally go again to the clinic in the future.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Awww you look good! You're being WAY too hard on yourself. Ask me how I know. :laugh:

That trail you're on in the video, is that near the happy glades? Sorta reminds me of that area (been to Holiday Valley a couple times and LOVE the happy glades when snow is good). I really wish I could have done this. Maybe next year! Also, soooo much envy seeing they ran gates.
 

Knitjenious

Angel Diva
Very near the Happy Glades! Sadly not enough snow that week for glades to be open. But this was in that sweet little Tannenbaum lift area. Though now I can't remember if this run was us heading onto Tannebaum/Mistletoe or the top of Crystal.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Very near the Happy Glades! Sadly not enough snow that week for glades to be open. But this was in that sweet little Tannenbaum lift area. Though now I can't remember if this run was us heading onto Tannebaum/Mistletoe or the top of Crystal.
That's a great area of the mountain. Very chill vibe. I think the happy glades were one of the first glades I ever did. Or maybe just the first ones where I thought, "hey, I'm not gonna die." lol
 

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