Latest posts for the topic "beginners advice please"

beginners advice please

Ruby1 — GMT

Hi, we are a family of 4, our children are 10 and 8, we would like to book a ski holiday for next year. We have had 3 x 1 hour lessons at an indoor real snow ski centre. I was very nervous during the lessons and found the instructor was keen to push on to the next thing and I really wanted to spend more time practising what I had learnt in order to gain confidence. As a result of him pushing me (not literally), I ended up careering down the larger slope having not mastered turning at all and the only way I stopped myself from crashing into the wall at the bottom was to sit down, this has now made me dread the thought of going on a skiing holiday. I am really keen to go skiing but I feel I need an instructor who is patient and will work at my level or I may get put off the whole thing. Is it better to go for private lessons as a whole family? We may also be going with another family with children of the same age who are also beginners so they could make our group larger. I welcome any advice and also any recommendations of the best places to go etc. Many Thanks

Re:beginners advice please

dixielad_915 — GMT

Hi there, I'm not very experienced in these matters as I have only been out skiing 5 times, however last year my girlfriend organised a group of 25 friends and family to go to Bulgaria. We were split up into different groups depending on our experience. This worked well as we were split up during the day but got to meet up after lessons were over and ski a few more runs together. You might prefer doing something like that, just so you are only concentrating on your own technique and not too busy worring about your family etc. Your family members might enjoy the experience of having lessons with new people and may meet new friends etc. Don't let one bad experience put you off skiing as it is a sport that can cater for all levels of ability. Just ensure that you are placed in a group were you are of the same ability as everyone else. There is nothing worse than being the slowest member in the group as you feel under pressure all day to keep up. If you choose a destination with good quality instruction (other members of this site will be better placed to advise you on that) you will find the experience so much more enjoyable. Just ski to your level and don't worry about anybody else. But most of all, have fun!

Re:beginners advice please

Tony_H — GMT

This might be a silly question, but why didnt you complain to the instructor at the time that you felt he/she was pushing you too fast? I would be tempted to go back to the indoor slope and discuss this with the manager, and see if you can get a free lesson as a result. Dont let this put you off however, indoor skiing in the UK is nothing like the real thing. You need to book somewhere famed for good instruction, and probably have another 5 or 6 indoor lessons, provided these are better and you learn from them, before you go. But I strongly suggest you avoid Bulgaria at all costs when it comes to going.

Re:beginners advice please

Dave Mac — GMT

Hi Ruby, I can understand why you wouldn't complain at the time, But I would reiterate Tony's other points. Go and explain to the manager what the issues are, and get a solution organised. You can even mention that the instructors performance is being discussed on J2SKI! It is significantly advantageous to get in some practice of this nature. I would do some now, so that you don't carry your nervousness over the summer, and then get two or three a month prior to your trip. You are going to fall from time to time, but that feeling of lack of control, when just starting skiing, is scary, can be very off putting. Regarding a good place to start skiing, ccoincidentally, I have been seeking J2SKIers recommendations for an Austrian location, good for beginners and advanced skiers. One suggestion was Filzmoos. Checking this out, it looked lousy for advanced skiers, due to the disparate locations of the mountains. But it looked very good for beginners. Important points for you are: - a good ski school, gentle slopes, (green & blue runs), accomodation reasonable close to the slopes ~ skis weigh twice as much when you are not used to carrying them. I also advocate Niederau, being as it is my second home. The red ski school is highly rated in European terms. I always suggest Austria, because of the historic and local tirol buildings and atmosphere, good local costs, and great accomodation. In France, Risoul seems to offer good slopes for starter skiers. But the accomodation... ??? and mountain costs in France are high compared with Austria. Good luck!

Re:beginners advice please

Trencher — GMT

Ruby1 Another avenue to explore in your position, is what cross training can you do to ease ourselves into skiing. As Pav has said, "don't ski to get fit, get fit to ski". Skiing is very much about balance and movement. If you don't have already, find some other activities that will develope these attributes, I would definately recommend inline skating for skiing and skateboarding for snowboarding (both done with protective gear). Every family should have a wobble board. Kids love them and adults should swallow thier pride and have some fun. If you are fit, co-ordinated, and have a sense of balance, learning to ski will be much easier. You'll have fun whatever though. Trencher

Re:beginners advice please

caron-a — GMT

Hi Ruby1 The one good piece of advice I would offer you is not to learn with your children. As wonderful as it sounds it would benefit you the least. From experience, the children progress much faster than their mother(!) and the instructors do generally tend to push the pace more towards the middle to top end of the group rather than bring it down the to slower end of the group. this would be very unnerving and could put you off for life, I've seen it happen. You must make sure your lessons are at a pace you're happy with whether it be with a private instructor or in a group where you could easily be moved around if the pace was too fast or too slow. Go for it and enjoy it! Caron

Re:beginners advice please

Ruby1 — GMT

Thank you so much for all your advice. Regarding complaining about the lesson I had, it was not in this country, it was my last lesson and we were going home that day. I do have a dry ski slope local to me but any indoor snow slopes are too far away. Would you recommend having some dry slope ski lessons? Thanks again

Re:beginners advice please

Dave Mac — GMT

Yes Ruby, go on the dry slope. It will let you continue to get used to the awkwardness of ski equipment, and also, should enable you to gain confidence and control. Then when you go to the snow, it's sooooo much easier. Also, adding to my earlier answer, when you choose a resort, there are advantages for choosing a smallish resort. You won't need extensive skiing anyway, and the likehood is that there will be fewer hotshot skiers getting in your way. And the other thing, is that Inghams do good ski school/ski hire deals. Some include passes where appropriate. Tony H is your man for wringing deals out of Inghams.

Re:beginners advice please

Tony_H — GMT

For a small fee, I will find anyone a holiday anywhere at a fantastic price )

Re:beginners advice please

SkiGirl — GMT

Hi Ruby1 Bear in mind that when you take ski lessons it is most likely that the adults and kids will be separated. The norm is to meet up for lunch and then at the ski school meeting place at the end of the day. Can recommend the 1st Wildschonau Ski School in Niederau, Austria for lessons. :-)

Re:beginners advice please

chaletslovakia — GMT

It's difficult to advise you of a sure-fire instructor. Even if you go to a highly recommended school; you will unlikely get the same person who received the accolade. One trick is to try to meet a potential instructor before you book to try to get a vibe off them - if you get a bad vibe then you are better off sourcing another. (I realise the logistics of this pre-booking but it can be done once in resort). The key is to tell the instructor what you are experiencing. If things are moving too fast then inform them.

Re:beginners advice please

IceGhost — GMT

Have fun, don't push yourself too hard, have a darn good health insurance plan, take your time. You'll love it. I found it helpful to talk to other skiers and heed thier advice :P Befriend and orthopedic surgeon

Re:beginners advice please

Trencher — GMT

IceGhost wrote:

Have fun, don't push yourself too hard, have a darn good health insurance plan, take your time. You'll love it. I found it helpful to talk to other skiers and heed thier advice :P Befriend and orthopedic surgeon

To give a little perspective, I'm on the slopes fifty to seventy times a year. I have never needed to see a doctor for any injury from skiing or snowboarding. Trencher

Re:beginners advice please

catford — GMT

Hi Ruby, We are also a family of 4 (2 adults at 40+ and 2 kids, 10 & 15, who were 9 and 14 when we first went). We have been skiing for the last 2 years, and hopefully again in 2009. On both occasions we have had group lessons. It can be a bit of a rabble to begin with but I have found that it soon settles down and you find yourself in the appropriate group. Its easier if you're complete beginners as you would go straight into the beginners group. Our kids have left us behind now and are in different groups!! but they want to snowboard next year. I had never skied before we went and my wife had been when she was at school. We went to a local dry slope for a family session but I just wanted to know what it felt like with skis and boots on. It was easier to learn on real snow in the resort. Personally I wouldn't spend money on dry slope lessons Enjoy it. Just ski within your capabilities, and don't worry if you feel others are making more progress, you will get there. I couldn't get the prallel turns last year but this year it clicked and I was fine and was able to ski red runs this time with confidence. All the best to you.

Re:beginners advice please

julietP — GMT

Personally, I would never compare indoor lessons to those out on the alps. In my experience, indoor lessons are rushed and geared towards the best person in the group - lessons on the snow are quite the contrary. I had an indoor snowboard lesson in milton keynes which completely put me off snowboarding. My Partner (a seasoned skier) had a few lessons on snowboarding in the alps and loved it. I suppose the lesson here is that nothing compares to being out there - in terms of lessons as well as scenary/atmosphere etc. We are taking the kids next year (14 and 9) and I am completely sure they will be better than me! I can confirm though that the norm is separate lessons for adults and children, then meet up for lunch and ski together in the afternoon.

Re:beginners advice please

bandit — GMT

julietP wrote:

Personally, I would never compare indoor lessons to those out on the alps. In my experience, indoor lessons are rushed and geared towards the best person in the group - lessons on the snow are quite the contrary. I suppose the lesson here is that nothing compares to being out there - in terms of lessons as well as scenary/atmosphere etc.

Perhaps the OP could look at learning on a dry slope. My own experience: I took 4 hours of tuition on a dry slope, and had some practice time by myself. After the ski-off in resort, I was put into a group who all had 5 weeks on-snow experience. So, yes, lessons could be seen as rushed, but then again, I think I learned more in the tuition time. If I was in a group having tuition, and the lesson was geared to the weakest group member, I would be asking to move groups, since I don't expect to be standing around. I don't need to pay an instructor to stare at the wonderful scenery, I need a lift ticket for that. It will all depend on how you view lessons, for some folks, it's a social activity, for others, it's to improve their skills.

Re:beginners advice please

julietP — GMT

Bandit, with all due respect you seem to have missed the point here. You are replying to someone who is nervous about skiiing due to a negative experience on indoor slopes. I'm not saying that it is necessary or indeed always the case that lessons on the snow are geared towards the weakest in the group. What is true however is that there is a lot more flexibility in moving between groups which is not available on indoor slopes where you've booked a 1 hour lesson. I would also add that the scenary and atmosphere of the alps (or any ski resort) does add to the experience of skiiing be you a beginner or expert.

beginners advice please

bandit — GMT

Ruby1 wrote:

Hi, we are a family of 4, our children are 10 and 8, we would like to book a ski holiday for next year. We have had 3 x 1 hour lessons at an indoor real snow ski centre. I was very nervous during the lessons and found the instructor was keen to push on to the next thing and I really wanted to spend more time practising what I had learnt in order to gain confidence. As a result of him pushing me (not literally), I ended up careering down the larger slope having not mastered turning at all and the only way I stopped myself from crashing into the wall at the bottom was to sit down, this has now made me dread the thought of going on a skiing holiday. I am really keen to go skiing but I feel I need an instructor who is patient and will work at my level or I may get put off the whole thing. Is it better to go for private lessons as a whole family? We may also be going with another family with children of the same age who are also beginners so they could make our group larger. I welcome any advice and also any recommendations of the best places to go etc. Many Thanks

The point, as I understand it, is that this group are no longer beginners. Unless the other family, have also had instruction to the same level, there will be a mismatch. If the OP views skiing lessons as a social activity for the family, that may be fine. How will the OP feel if the instructor wants to push on because she is the best in the group. The views from either a dry slope or a snowdome, are pretty irrelevant if you are intent on learning. However, the views from many of the UK dry slopes are quite amazing. The standard of tuition is also quite high.Instructors are qualified through either BASI or ASSI. Ruby could seek out a patient dry slope instructor in this country for a couple of private lessons to get her confidence back.

Re:beginners advice please

AJ — GMT

Ruby 1 i would suggest you have some private lessons and learn at your own pace,That way you will learn to love skiing and not loath it.If you enjoy what your doing then you will gain confidence and progress at a much quicker pace.Good luck and stick at it. AJ Adele

Re:beginners advice please

skidaddle — GMT

Ruby1 Please don't let one bad experience from a seemingly thoughtless instructor put you off many years of potential enjoyment! A couple who holidayed with TonyH and I in Sauze this year had a similar experience before we went. They paid a significant amount of money for a days lesson, where from what I can gather they learnt almost nothing of use nor relevance. The idea of private family lessons sounds a good one - you'll spread the cost, be together as a family and learn as a family whilst having loads of fun laughing at one another and celebrating your progress. Try to find a resort with a reputable ski school (there are many) and don't worry about being pushed too far too quickly - its not in any instructor's best interests to do so. BUT, if you feel uncomfortable at any time tell him or her and ask to be shown again or if you can repeat the previous bit, which you were happy with. Also, one gripe of mine is that people these days seem not to want to have the necessary amount of lessons. Yes, I know they can be pricey, but they are worth it if you are in any way serious about our wonderful sport. Go for it and have fun, because thats what its all about...

Re:beginners advice please

billrol — GMT

Hi Ruby1, As mentioned by others on this thread, please don't be put off by one bad experience. The thrill of "getting it right" and feeling the wind in your face going down the mountain is just fantastic. We are also a family of 4 and have been skiing now for 5 years. Our kids have always had separste lessons to us. Our kids were 8 and 6 when we first went.It's a break for us, but more importantly (I think) it's a break for them away from us and teaches them life skills (meeting new people and interacting in groups). Yes the kids will pick it up quickly and this is another good reason to let them have sepperate lessons. We have been skiing as a group of 14 for the last two years with families we met whilst on skiing holidays. As you are going with another family (I assume you know each other pretty well and that the kds are OK together),private lessons may be an option. You will find that when a number of you book the price starts to fall and the diference in cost between group lessons and private (with four of you in each group) will be offset with the more 1:1 tuition you get. As for skiing in this country I'd definitley recommed it. A couple that came away with us the last two years had never skied before and really benefited by haveing some slope time under their belts. As for indoor slopes there are quite a few around and NOW is the time to utilise them to the MAX. For some very odd reason they drop thier prices during the summer and it can work out substancially cheaper this time of year as a result. If the nearest "Dome" is a good distane away, make a day of it! Bulgaria..... we went there for our first two years and as long as your not precious about skiing in the Alps it's a good cheaper option to see if you'd like to keep it up, and if you do keep it up you'll be pleasantly supprised by the extent of skiing when you do go to the Alps. Hope this helps and remember just enjoy :D