Sorry to hear that Huwcyn and hope things eventually click for your partner. I'm sure with the right instructor you'll ski together one day, it might just take a bit longer than you first thought.
Best of luck -)
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Thank you, Lynn. I'm OK with the idea now of possibly not being able to do a run of any length together. At the beginning of this season however, it was a major 'thing' for me.
Oh! I'm in full agreement Ian. In fact, I gave up my ski lessons on the third day in order to be on the lowere slopes with her (not physically with her) whilst she was practicing what she had been taught.
I think that's the most important point – it's meant to be fun, for everybody. Not everyone is destined to be the next Lindsey Vonn.
As long as we can enjoy what we are skiing, be that blue runs, extreme off piste or somewhere in the middle and can do so without killing ourselves or anyone else, then does anything else really matter?
I'll never be a great skier and accept that. I can't really carve my skis in one direction due to a hip injury and no amount of lessons will change that. Moguls are still my nemesis but I hope to get the hang of them one day.
My philosophy is to try to be as good as I can be at doing what I love. I can do no more than that. -)
I think you've hit it on the head there. Problem is, at what level do you decide to plateau off at and decide you're happy to stick at?
It could be easy blues bumbling around a small area low down and missing out on all those fantastic sights higher up, in which case you'd never become a confident red run skier. And what about that first black......do you never do it and stay on reds, or have a go and try to conquer?
Moguls - you and me both, but I have a go and try my hardest as well, but I haven't yet been able to ski down with soft knees at top speed like you see some people doing. But I'm sure as hell going to keep trying.
And when do you decide to venture off piste for the first time? Or dont you?
I think this confirms that much of what you end up doing is all about a state of mind. You often can when you dont think you can, and have to literally be thrown in at the deep end to find out sometimes.
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Started by Sharonbeas in Beginning Skiing 26-Feb-2013 - 57 Replies
Lynn_D
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Huwcyn
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Lynn_D wrote:Sorry to hear that Huwcyn and hope things eventually click for your partner. I'm sure with the right instructor you'll ski together one day, it might just take a bit longer than you first thought.
Best of luck -)
Thank you, Lynn. I'm OK with the idea now of possibly not being able to do a run of any length together. At the beginning of this season however, it was a major 'thing' for me.
Huwcyn
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Ian Wickham wrote:Huwcyn wrote:I can offer another illustrative anecdote here.
Earlier this season, I started a thread on here as a result of my frustration with my partner who was starting to believe that she would never ski to any significant standard, and was considering changing to cross-country. I turned to the forum for help as I did not see that this would answer anything, as my hope was that, one day we could ski the same slopes together.
As you would expect, there was lots of good advice, and one was to invest in private lessons, and to my relief, she agreed to get some lessons on a dry slope in the weeks leading up to our holiday. She came on well, and her speed and confidence increased such that she was happy with herself and looking forward to ski lessons in resort. Much joy for me!
We both decided that three days ski school would suffice this year, and we duly joined our respective groups after the grading session. Our first session was on the same slope, and we were able to meet for lunch. She was full of it! Loving it! That first afternoon, I was off to the more difficult slopes with my group, happy in the knowledge that she was progressing well.
I was later to be disappointed however, after meeting up at the end of the day, as she was struggling again, and indeed by the next morning she had decided that she was going to pull out of lessons. The problem was that she was being moved along too quickly - she's the type that requires a lot of practice to build up confidence, and being taken through steps too quickly did not suit her. She'd fallen, and had lost her confidence. She has still not moved on from snowplough turns!!! Now, I had hoped that she would be parallel skiing by the end of the holiday, and at least be able to ski a modest blue run with me. I have had to re-assess my ambitions for the future now, and have abandoned any hope that we will be skiing together, ever. She enjoys the skiing, but at her own level, and I have to accept this, and we think that next year the best thing for her will be one-to-one lessons for as long as we can afford. Everyone progresses at different rates, but being taught properly is key, so enrol in lessons whether in a group, or private. You cannot do without them
The importance that I can see is that it does not stop at lessons, you have to put into practice what you have learnt, I will give you an example ..... It will be very easy after Little W lessons to say right thats over follow me, we find out from the instructor what she will need to practice and we will work on that in the afternoon. That way it tends to cement into their head. Good luck and don't give up on her, as Tony as previously said everybody at sometime has that light bulb moment where everything makes sense and comes together. :thumbup:
Oh! I'm in full agreement Ian. In fact, I gave up my ski lessons on the third day in order to be on the lowere slopes with her (not physically with her) whilst she was practicing what she had been taught.
Bant a ni!
Lynn_D
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Totally different scenario but it's taken me several years to persuade my husband that black runs in Italy aren't necessarily scary (and are often easier than the red alternatives due to being in better condition).
His skiing is pretty much the same level as mine, it's just that I like to push it and challenge myself a bit more.
Finally had a breakthrough this year when he actually volunteered to ski a black with me. I think my response was "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?!"
Think we've cracked it. :D
His skiing is pretty much the same level as mine, it's just that I like to push it and challenge myself a bit more.
Finally had a breakthrough this year when he actually volunteered to ski a black with me. I think my response was "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?!"
Think we've cracked it. :D
Ranchero_1979
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
congratulations:-, people need to remember anything for progress. The real problem with skiing is that expectations are normally way too high and hence people feel they are under achieving. Reality is to be 1/2 decent skier you need 10 weeks and better than that is going to require 20+. At 20+ weeks less that 10% of people will be able to ski moguls, offpiste and carve with real authority. And most of us will never get there, we will enjoy our skiing but no cheers from the chair lifts.
Lynn_D
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Ranchero_1979 wrote: And most of us will never get there, we will enjoy our skiing but no cheers from the chair lifts.
I think that's the most important point – it's meant to be fun, for everybody. Not everyone is destined to be the next Lindsey Vonn.
As long as we can enjoy what we are skiing, be that blue runs, extreme off piste or somewhere in the middle and can do so without killing ourselves or anyone else, then does anything else really matter?
I'll never be a great skier and accept that. I can't really carve my skis in one direction due to a hip injury and no amount of lessons will change that. Moguls are still my nemesis but I hope to get the hang of them one day.
My philosophy is to try to be as good as I can be at doing what I love. I can do no more than that. -)
Catford
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Yes, lessons lessons lessons, this is the first year I have not gone in Ski School (7 years), but I will go again, you can always learn something.
Tony_H
reply to 'learning to ski' posted Feb-2013
Lynn_D wrote:Ranchero_1979 wrote: And most of us will never get there, we will enjoy our skiing but no cheers from the chair lifts.
I think that's the most important point – it's meant to be fun, for everybody. Not everyone is destined to be the next Lindsey Vonn.
As long as we can enjoy what we are skiing, be that blue runs, extreme off piste or somewhere in the middle and can do so without killing ourselves or anyone else, then does anything else really matter?
I'll never be a great skier and accept that. I can't really carve my skis in one direction due to a hip injury and no amount of lessons will change that. Moguls are still my nemesis but I hope to get the hang of them one day.
My philosophy is to try to be as good as I can be at doing what I love. I can do no more than that. -)
I think you've hit it on the head there. Problem is, at what level do you decide to plateau off at and decide you're happy to stick at?
It could be easy blues bumbling around a small area low down and missing out on all those fantastic sights higher up, in which case you'd never become a confident red run skier. And what about that first black......do you never do it and stay on reds, or have a go and try to conquer?
Moguls - you and me both, but I have a go and try my hardest as well, but I haven't yet been able to ski down with soft knees at top speed like you see some people doing. But I'm sure as hell going to keep trying.
And when do you decide to venture off piste for the first time? Or dont you?
I think this confirms that much of what you end up doing is all about a state of mind. You often can when you dont think you can, and have to literally be thrown in at the deep end to find out sometimes.
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New and improved me
Topic last updated on 22-December-2013 at 19:46