Latest posts for the topic "Ski instructors and convention"

Ski instructors and convention

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:55:20 GMT

For private lessons in Austria and Switzerland, an hour or all day, is tipping expected ? Especially after an all-day session, thanks?

Ski instructors and convention

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:17:05 GMT

dustyfog wrote:For private lessons in Austria and Switzerland, an hour or all day, is tipping expected ? Especially after an all-day session, thanks?

Not while I have breath in my body

Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:00:19 GMT

dustyfog wrote:For private lessons in Austria and Switzerland, an hour or all day, is tipping expected ? Especially after an all-day session, thanks?

If the instruction has been good and you have achieved progress, then do what you feel is appropriate. Salaries for ski teachers (in ski schools) in Europe are not high. It's not a job where they expect to get rich, so gratuities from happy clients are normally most welcome.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:42:01 GMT

teaching children's groups in niederau, i used to get LOTS of boxes of chocolates from happy parents!
but yes, if you are happy, with the instruction, the odd fiver is welcomed!
L.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:53:19 GMT

I think tipping all sports instuctors is the norm if you have had good instuction and made good progress. My Son coachs tennis, but his is a bit different he has coached some of his people for a year or more, sees them every week so gets to know them a bit more and they generally are a bit better off. Christmas he had enough bottles of quality booze to open an off licence and one pupil gave him a new Xbox as a gift of appreciation.........but I have suspicions about that one
We usually give a tip to our ski instuctors.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:00:53 GMT

Many thanks. Am from NY where I been following this as convention, ski instructors who teach my boy are usually young kids in their teens to mid 20's, and I tip them, generously, since almost all have taught him well (he is an awesome skiier, he just turned 6 and is a carver-machine!), most importantly, I am implicitly grateful that his love for the sport grows after every period with them (this also applied to our trip to Sunshine Village in Alberta last year), and they bring him back safe, those chairlifts always make me wonder, and hence their safe escorting of my boy is deeply appreciated by me and his mom.

On the other hand, adult instructors, many of whom are my age or considerably older, often regular professionals in Medicine, Finance, Real Estate, Engineers etc, that is a bit trickier. Lets put it this way, if and when I am good enough to instruct( a ways to go still), I would decline any tips. Anyway, the instructor who spent some time with me this season and with my son, he is older than I am, got a pair of POC Lobes Goggles (Black, with green lenses), that seemed more kosher so to speak and I believe he genuinely appreciated that gesture.

It comes down to who is instructing. And reading your knowledgeable responses, it appears in Europe, its more of a full-time profession and hence appreciation, even monetary is expected. Thanks much, any other insights are appreciated. I think I understand the differences between Europe and North America a bit better now.

The dude who said " not while i have a breath left" or something to that effect, I laughed out loud reading that..have a good day folks.

We will be in Lech-Zurs over the Easter period, praying for good snow and great skiing, and looking forward to an unparalleled instructor who we have corresponded with. Son's skiing should improve exponentially, skiing with native Germanic and other European kids, while Dad is going to ski with a shredded rotator cuff and damaged arm..but as my friend Kenny's granny said it " we are'nt here for a long time, make sure its a good time" ... hence surgery after we get back.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:02:17 GMT

Hi dustyfrog Think you're right in that there is a difference between the States and Europe. I think the europeans do "hope for" a nice tip at the end of the week, whereas in your part of the world it's not "the done thing" Just have to say that I LOVE NY.
And the "dude" you mentioned isn't even Scottish!!! He's a meanie from south of the border

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:14:28 GMT

i feel quite bad now, i have never thought of tipping the instructor, and no i am not a meanie, i tip waiters etc, i feel quite bad now after such an excellent weeks instruction in N, i did buy him a beer and a schnapps though on the last day does that still count???

looks like i will just have to nip back and tip him

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:17:30 GMT

Eljay wrote:Hi dustyfrog Think you're right in that there is a difference between the States and Europe. I think the europeans do "hope for" a nice tip at the end of the week, whereas in your part of the world it's not "the done thing" Just have to say that I LOVE NY.
And the "dude" you mentioned isn't even Scottish!!! He's a meanie from south of the border

When I have spoken to ski instructors, mind you that was Valmorel 1999, the year I got married, she owned more properties then I do, summer on the coast, Vendee I think, winter in the alps I'm sure she works very hard but tip I don't think so, I thanked her and I remember giving her a slugg from my hip flask, a good cognac, I think that's enough .

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:19:50 GMT

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:23:52 GMT

Eljay wrote:

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:54:58 GMT

Ian,
I think it depends on how much the instructors get paid. In Bulgaria, for example, I believe they get paid very little (or they did when we went there 6 years ago), and I have heard it said, on another website, that the instructors tips make up half their wages (don't know if it's true though). I tipped both the kids instructors in Bulgaria, even though one was awful, because I felt sorry for them. And I tipped the cleaners as well.

I didn't tip the instructor last year in France though, because I got the feeling that he had plenty of money and the instructing was just a winter hobby for him. I think you have to be careful with tipping. I did pay for his lunch though, when he took us around the 3 valleys on an all day trip, but it was a prior arrangement because he had a nasty habit of losing his pupils during the day, and I didn't want to be left behind somewhere, lost, in the wrong valley, and I was the worst in the group. The deal was, I would pay for his lunch on condition that he didn't lose anyone during the day.

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:12:40 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:I have never even given it a thought to tip an Instructor

You see Mr W this forum is very informative...............and next time around maybe you will........

Or maybe you won't

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:31:39 GMT

I am cracking up totally...but definitely see the cultural distinctions ... how does an instructor lose their students! You are kidding me....That instructor should be arrested for gross negligence. Remarkable information flowing through this forum

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:36:16 GMT

dustyfog wrote:I am cracking up totally...but definitely see the cultural distinctions ... how does an instructor lose their students! You are kidding me....That instructor should be arrested for gross negligence. Remarkable information flowing through this forum

Think it would be fair to say that that is not the norm. The instructors are usually pretty civilised. (at least in my experience) I guess there are times when they want to lose some of their pupils though

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:40:56 GMT

Dustyfog,
I'm afraid to say this story is entirely true. I did write about it somewhere else, on another thread, somewhere else in this tangled ball of string, I mean ski forum.

The instructor regularly used to begin the lesson with, say, 10 students, and at the end there would only be 8. He lost me the first morning, when I fell over on a green run, because although he knew I'd fallen he didn't wait for me and skied off with the class to the next lift. If it hadn't been for my daughter, who waited for me, and told me where everyone else was, I'd have wasted the whole morning's lesson.

I did complain about him to our T.O. rep, who followed it up, but apparently the ski school just laughed about it - he was well known for it but he'd been there teaching for years.

I am now quite phobic about losing my instructor, and follow them so closely that during the last holiday my poor instructor stopped rather sharply and I had to do an extreme emergency stop and showered him with snow. He was kind enough not to tell me off but to tell me that my emergency stop was much better than the one I'd done when we were practicing it as an exercise.

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:41:03 GMT

dustyfog wrote:I am cracking up totally...but definitely see the cultural distinctions ... how does an instructor lose their students! You are kidding me....That instructor should be arrested for gross negligence. Remarkable information flowing through this forum

Um ,it's many years ago now, but I have been "lost" by my ski instructor, in both Italy and Austria. In Italy, I found another group and asked to join them, and in Austria, I eventually found my teacher and the rest of the group after about an hour. He'd not missed me.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:47:16 GMT

This is bordering on a laugh riot! One thing though, an instructor better not lose my boy, though he is usually way ahead of the class, but on the flats he is slower, small frame, so skating momentum is less, but once downhill begins, he is all controlled velocity. Bottom line, lets say any incident bordering on that will have lifelong consequences for said instructor.

That aside, I still cannot believe, you folks believe that when you pay for a service, you do not expect at the very least, safety and security. The least the guy or woman can do is make sure his crew is safe. That is the basis of leadership, sounds a lot like a bunch of clowns in those teams of instructors. They have an obligation and duty to protect those they instruct.

Still, its hilarious. Maybe being from the US leads me to have a different reaction, but you folks are hilarious.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:53:06 GMT

And by the way, bandit, the blog you have is tremendous...where are ski pics from? glorious! Your saga with your spanish hacienda had me in splits! especially the last zinger with the incredible sand-castle.

For your entertainment if nothing to do : here is video of my son and me in Alberta, in April 08 - me raw beginner, around 8th time on skis then, and my boy just turned 5..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8-421g2wAM

and here is his Dad Mar 15, 09 - long way to go to catch up with my son(he is so much faster, we have raced, he turns it on, when he sees me approach since i usually give him a few seconds) but skiing injured but no quitting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZ_yB0hmZc

i still am shaking my head at instructor's losing their charges...unreal..you cannot make this sh*te up!

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:55:32 GMT

You can never be over cautious when it comes to your children. Since hearing that this can happen my boys carry a laminated card with our phone numbers and where we're staying printed on them. They'll also have walkie talkies this year.

Firstly because I don't want them lost but, secondly (and most importantly), I don't want them put off the sport

In all seriousness, I go for companies who promise smaller class numbers and who are English speaking. It makes a huge difference in my experience.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:00:34 GMT

dustyfog wrote:And by the way, bandit, the blog you have is tremendous...where are ski pics from? glorious! Your saga with your spanish hacienda had me in splits! especially the last zinger with the incredible sand-castle.

For your entertainment if nothing to do : here is video of my son and me in Alberta, in April 08 - me raw beginner, around 8th time on skis then, and my boy just turned 5..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8-421g2wAM

and here is my Mar 15, 09 - long way to go but skiing injured but no quitting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZ_yB0hmZc

i still am shaking my head at instructor's losing their charges...unreal..you cannot make this sh*te up!

How good is your little boy gonna be, he's brilliant for 5 yrs old

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:06:22 GMT

Dustyfog,
The videos were great, thanks very much.

I think ski instructors are a bit more careful with the children, and very rarely lose one.

Caron-a, I agree with you, you can't be too careful where kids are concerned. I think it's a very good idea giving them those cards and walkie-talkies, just in case,

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:09:12 GMT

Your kid rips Be proud!

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:09:40 GMT

Thanks, he is a joy to behold, as any parent feels when they see their kid take to a sport like a fish to water (he boogie-boards too, second favourite sport)

Anyway, My son now is all carve, in fact, he has run into a new unforeseen problem, given that he has basically forgotten how to wedge, and the stem-christie is his stopping routine, when the snow is heavy, and his speed is rising and I discerned, he himself is realizing how fast he is going, that stopping on steep inclines, i.e. 25degrees+ on black diamonds is a tough one, especially when snow is heavy, and face-plant risk is high! I found him in early March, lying there at the bottom of a relatively steep black diamond, he told me "dad, i could'n stop in this snow, my skis got caught!" it was tragically funny.

Here is a video of his escapades, he is made to watch all the time from Dec07, to remind him "It's all about controlled speed" - he has learnt that lesson well! Watch the "dot" at the top of the screen explode into view and land perfectly on his head!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KeEigKz7mk

And Caron-a, I am about to take his suit to his mom's place so she can sew onto a laminated card with name, phone number, plus a bright distance-viewable strip on it! She volunteered, reading your post, I am doing that asap..

And once again, you folks make a Dad feel good this afternoon..

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:10:25 GMT

Rose I reckon it's because it's not so far to fall when you are small, that takes the fear away

dustyfog I would hope that the teachers of children take more care, I learned as an adult. Thanks for the on my blog. My ski photos are mostly of Val D'Anniviers which is in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. For more spectacular photos from the same valley look at ise's photos here..

http://snowslider.net/

He takes better pictures than me, but I'm prettier

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:21:14 GMT

The pics are breath-taking.

Here is an unrelated question, me being what I self-rate as a lower-intermediate skiier,(instructors say I am better, well you have seen, and I am realistic) and knowing that camera angles are seriously deceptive, they make things look a lot easier than they are, but to find the sort of un-tracked powder stash you folks seem to uncover relentless, you must alpinists and seriously expert powder hounds, no? I mean, one first needs the confidence on the mountain, climbing to places or hiking without ever having gone there before, that by itself is cause for trepidation of all sorts, and then one has to have the conviction, you are able to ski down pretty much anything...

this is going to take some time to go through..but here in warm, balmy, manhattan - that stash looks irresistible. just got to get good enough to get up there.

Skiing is good for the soul!

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:40:50 GMT

dustyfog wrote: Skiing is good for the soul!

Amen to that

P.S I heard that Mrs W tips the instructor to lose Mr W

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:07:14 GMT

Eljay wrote:

dustyfog wrote: Skiing is good for the soul!

Amen to that

P.S I heard that Mrs W tips the instructor to lose Mr W

Unfortunately she has yet to succeed, what a lucky woman Mrs W is

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:36:30 GMT

dustyfog wrote:
Here is an unrelated question, me being what I self-rate as a lower-intermediate skiier,(instructors say I am better, well you have seen, and I am realistic) and knowing that camera angles are seriously deceptive, they make things look a lot easier than they are, but to find the sort of un-tracked powder stash you folks seem to uncover relentless, you must alpinists and seriously expert powder hounds, no? I mean, one first needs the confidence on the mountain, climbing to places or hiking without ever having gone there before, that by itself is cause for trepidation of all sorts, and then one has to have the conviction, you are able to ski down pretty much anything...

Personally, yes I'm an alpinist, I'm out in the mountains all year round skiing, climbing and trekking. There's some technical skills required over and above normal skiing but if you're with a guide it's pretty minimal and it's simple enough to learn enough to be safe there. If you're talking responsibility for yourself some more skills are required of course. Once you're out there a lot of ski tourers aren't such great skiers often, a few basic turns are good enough.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:20:29 GMT

dustyfog wrote:

Here is an unrelated question, me being what I self-rate as a lower-intermediate skiier,(instructors say I am better, well you have seen, and I am realistic) and knowing that camera angles are seriously deceptive, they make things look a lot easier than they are, but to find the sort of un-tracked powder stash you folks seem to uncover relentless, you must alpinists and seriously expert powder hounds, no? I mean, one first needs the confidence on the mountain, climbing to places or hiking without ever having gone there before, that by itself is cause for trepidation of all sorts, and then one has to have the conviction, you are able to ski down pretty much anything...

Skiing is good for the soul!

For me personally, I consider myself an ordinary skier who does some off piste. It's really helpful if I ski with someone who has already skied a particular slope off piste, as I have a poor sense of direction In no way could I ever be considered an expert on skis, I do keep on learning a little bit each time I go. I like to enjoy my time in the mountains, take in the view, and don't have the burning desire to tackle 50' slopes like ise, though I will have a go

As for the terrain, where I ski, and where ise lives nearby, has easily accessible off piste

You seem to have progressed quite quickly on skis, so you could ask your next teacher to introduce you to off piste and powder if conditions are good, and the terrain is forgiving. Start small and build on the good experiences

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:52:35 GMT

Eljay wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:I have never even given it a thought to tip an Instructor

You see Mr W this forum is very informative...............and next time around maybe you will........

Or maybe you won't

I agree with the latter comment, I have never tipped a ski instructor, and by the way all I get is a Christmas kiss from my customers and thats just the blokes, skip the kiss I'll take the cash

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:05:52 GMT

Ise - dude, those are some tracks - thanks for encouragement.
Bandit, you are a class act, and your words are solid motivation.
Eljay, Mr W - you guys are a riot, a real riot!
Rest, appreciate wisdom, learnt a lot and learning more,..

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 11:04:01 GMT

If I EVER so much as took my eyes off the 9 or 10 children in the children's groups i've taught in Niederau, (red ski school), Sepp Schellhorn would rightly send me packing, and I would never work there again.
As a teacher in the UK, perhaps I have a keener sense of child protection than others, but everyone one in Niederau looks after the children. Even the instructors from the 'other' ski school would scoop up a child and take him /her back to hotel/ski school/ another instructor if they found one, 'lost'.
dustyfrog is right: to lose anyone in a group is gross negligence. L.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 21:55:03 GMT

Endorsing Idavies view of the Niederau red ski school, childrens classes demand the utmost.

Have also to endorse Idavies instructor credentials, since she taught both of my sons to ski.

Now, do I tip you L? Or do you reimburse me cos the beggars are catching me up?

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 22:56:21 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:Endorsing Idavies view of the Niederau red ski school, childrens classes demand the utmost.

Have also to endorse Idavies instructor credentials, since she taught both of my sons to ski.

Now, do I tip you L? Or do you reimburse me cos the beggars are catching me up?

I do not really want to start up the whole "N" debate up again, but the last couple of reviews given have been completely biased, we have heard in other threads that at busy times eg half term there has been
problems with kids in the "N" ski school being left unsupervised at the top of lifts, now granted this can happen in any village or country in the world so my concern is who do I believe you guys who visit year after year or the individual visitor reviews. I love the LGb but I give an honest open review including this year a poor instructor for Little W , all the previous 5 years the Instructors have been brilliant but this one was poor. I know you guys are really passionate about your resort but I as J2ski member would appreciate a more open honest representation of a ski resort so I can make a valued decision as to whether the resort would suite my family, the PR stuff I think can be left to the local tourist board.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 07:50:14 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:

Have also to endorse Idavies instructor credentials, since she taught both of my sons to ski.

Now, do I tip you L? Or do you reimburse me cos the beggars are catching me up?

What ski instructor qualification does Idavies hold?

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 21:59:36 GMT

bandit wrote:

Dave Mac wrote:

Have also to endorse Idavies instructor credentials, since she taught both of my sons to ski.

Now, do I tip you L? Or do you reimburse me cos the beggars are catching me up?

What ski instructor qualification does Idavies hold?

My apologies, that was a bad choice of phrase, I ought to have used the word effectiveness. I have no wish to cause embarressment. The effectiveness is without question, since I know that L was working with the Wildschonau ski school 18 years ago, and still is. Schellhorn is an outstanding head instructor, he spends most of his day, patrolling classes and observing what is going on. I know that when action is required, it takes place, and people do not get to stay with the school, unless they are effective. The ski school is highly rated in Tirol.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 22:14:14 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

I do not really want to start up the whole "N" debate up again, but the last couple of reviews given have been completely biased, we have heard in other threads that at busy times eg half term there has been
problems with kids in the "N" ski school being left unsupervised at the top of lifts, now granted this can happen in any village or country in the world so my concern is who do I believe you guys who visit year after year or the individual visitor reviews. I love the LGb but I give an honest open review including this year a poor instructor for Little W , all the previous 5 years the Instructors have been brilliant but this one was poor. I know you guys are really passionate about your resort but I as J2ski member would appreciate a more open honest representation of a ski resort so I can make a valued decision as to whether the resort would suite my family, the PR stuff I think can be left to the local tourist board.

Ian, Everything I write is honestly written, please note.

I have written about the shortfalls of Niederau, including the fact that it is a small resort, and my belief, (recently modified), that it was unsuitable for snowboarders, that the reds are a bit difficult, little nightlife.

A high percentage of what I write, (about N.) is in response to peoples queries. I cannot help being well placed to give information.

Of course I'm not unbiased, I have been going to the place for 40 years. I drop the odd pearl about other resorts too, just don't have the in-depth to make much of a contribution.

We are what we are.

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:14:57 GMT

As some on this forum warned, it happened, Skischule Oberlech lost sight of my son, was not thrilled with the type of instruction generally, first he was too good for one group, which they should have figured out, and then he was in the middle of the pack and that was good after we notified the Director of on-snow operations. But funny thing is after the race (he came 10th out of a pack of about 30 v good austrian and german kids, and he finished, it was sad to see so many wipeouts of the kids on the slalom course on a rather steep red run, black in NA for sure). That was all great but after lunch, he wandered off to the Hotel at Oberlech, smart boy, because we came looking for him and instructor had no idea. Had a word with the Director later, polite but matter-of-fact that where we come from, you lose our kid, we come looking for you armed...no if s and buts, do not lose our kid. They got the message. Regardless, thanks for the candor folks, that helped. Cannot imagine that happening at a major place in NA.

Good counsel here. By the way, skiing under the tutelage of Klaus Mair of Sofaskischool fame was a tremendous experience and he took my son's skiing when my son got off ski school to the next level. Awesome trip..a few pics of my son and Klaus:

contemplating the Black at Zurs...

shredding that Black

Top of trittalp t-bar with Klaus M, above Lech, part of long run into Zurs

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:02:13 GMT

Hi Dustyfog,
I'm afraid I couldn't see your pictures.

I'm sorry you lost sight of your son for a while, but I'm glad I was proved correct about how sometimes instructors 'lose' people.

I didn't like to tell you before you went, but an instructor in Switzerland 'lost' my friend's 10 year old after a slalom race, because he thought my friend had her son, only she didn't, he had gone in the lesson with the instructor. The boy fell over, got left behind, and became stuck, on his own off piste as it was getting dark, and the instructor had no idea until the end of the lesson when my friend went to get her son, and he didn't have him. Very luckily, another group was ski-ing off piste and they found him, trapped in a 'bowl', before it got dark, and brought him back. If they hadn't found him I don't know how the emergency services would have found him, because they had no idea where he was, and this story could have had a really tragic ending.

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:51:46 GMT

Unfortunately, the kids seem to end up with the less experienced/less mature instructors. As a general rule, I find female instructors, much more reliable than male instructors when it comes to kids. I don't don't think this is because of maternal instinct stuff, it's just the way the female brain works. It's why my wife can find things I can't, even though I thought I'd looked in that place already

Trencher

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:02:56 GMT

I still can't open the photos. I just get a message saying 'forbidden'. What have I done wrong now? (More axe-men lurking somewhere after my head again?)

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:04:26 GMT

photos posted, hopefully you can see them now. And AllyG your story is bone-chilling! I mean if the instructors cannot find the kid, an immediate distress call should go out to Ski Patrol..no?

my son is 6 by the way..

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:04:52 GMT

Hey, I can see them now

Thanks very much - they're great photos!

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:16:58 GMT

Dustyfog,
Were you paying the instructors to look after your kid at lunch time? I know they do that sometimes with young children, and I would have thought if that was the case they should have been keeping an eye on your son, especially if he is only 6.

I thought what happened to my friend's kid was truly awful as well, and I thought she should have put a complaint in, but she didn't. The problem started because the instructor didn't check how many kids he still had in his class after the slalom race, because some of them went off with their parents.

As you probably know by now, I have been farming for many years, and it is standard protocol to check the numbers of cattle/sheep etc. when moving them from one field to another, because you never know what might have happened to one of them.

Once, I was bringing the cows in for milking, and I was counting them in, and I noticed one was missing, and I went to look for her. I found her lying in the field, on a piece of barbed wire which had punctured one of the blood vessels in her udder. In spite of the fact that we got the vet, she still bled to death. But at least I had noticed she was missing. On other occasions I have gone back to look for one, and been able to save it because it was something less fatal like milk fever, or grass staggers, which we could treat.

One would expect ski instructors to at least give their pupils the same degree of care that I used to give to our cattle, and notice when one is missing. I have found that instructors are generally very good about this, but not always, and I think sometimes they forget that to us, reared far away from the ski slopes, the mountains can be very frightening at times, especially when we are lost.

Ally

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:20:10 GMT

Carving brings us closer to our inner self, especially when we see our kids shredding it! ...lech-zurs is something else!

Oberlech from across Lech on the Ruffikopf Gondola :

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:21:45 GMT

Well paid for lunch as requested by ski school. On another note, the instructor was a woman..not sure I agree my son has done well with women instructors mostly but guys have been terrific too..

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:24:02 GMT

dustyfog wrote:Well paid for lunch as requested by ski school. On another note, the instructor was a woman..not sure I agree my son has done well with women instructors mostly but guys have been terrific too..

The hatchet man will be after you, great photos, but you might want to make them a tad smaller

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:26:34 GMT

Your little boy is amazing, you should be very proud Great pics as well

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:48:26 GMT

Great to see the kids skiing

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:18:46 GMT

photo-sizes reduced as suggested. thanks

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:43:26 GMT

Here is a video of the trip..its fun..though it is 9 minutes long..
http://www.vimeo.com/4335854

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:19:14 GMT

dustyfog wrote:Here is a video of the trip..its fun..though it is 9 minutes long..
http://www.vimeo.com/4335854

Well done fella watched the whole vid you could see that Dax made great improvements in the turns as the vid went on, and also very impressed with the vid, I take it you did the editing your self ????

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:55:32 GMT

That was absolutely brilliant

Re:Ski instructors and convention

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:55:24 GMT

Thanks folks. It really is an ode from a father to his son...I do lots of things today, some long-forgotten and some new like skiing because he came along, and for that his mom is key..she is quite the incredibly unconventional mom with a lot of italian in her mommy-ness..my son is lucky

And yes, I did the editing, you should be able to tell a rank amateur did it, though I was taught by a skiier, Adrian Seligman in Canada who made us the first video as a gift...he is a photgrapher/artist/ski bum/level III instructor who skis around the planet, young kid too..

Anyway here is the old video ... from April 19-26, 2008... I was a rank beginner, since really strapped on skis in very early Feb 08..but Adrian taught me the first key things..and is now a globetrotting buddy, this is in sunshine village alberta, canada..this was Adrian inspired while the recent one is klaus inspired:

http://vimeo.com/4340712

Have a good day all, just an ode from an old man to his son, who gave him so much to live for! As my friend Kenny's granny said" We are'nt here for a long time, make sure its a good time" - figured that out with the arrival of my boy...