Tag Archives: learning to ski

A Learn-to-Ski Rookie Mistake to Avoid

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When I was a little girl my father always told me, “If you are going to do something, do it right.”  I wished I had listened to him instead of making a classic rookie learn-to-ski mistake.  I got the wrong equipment for my ability level.  A ski swap seemed like a good idea at the time, but was a place I really had no business going.

My husband and I moved to Park City last fall and were very excited about learning to ski.  So we picked up some gently used skis, helmets, poles, gloves and a really nice jacket for my son (which I have since claimed as my own) at the National Ability Center ski swap.  We love donating to a great cause but when you think about it for a minute; I really didn’t have the slightest chance of finding the right skis.  As expected, I didn’t. I found this out when I tried them out on the Wide West run (the bunny hill) and took off like a rocket!

After a few practice runs, I decided to try a green run so I hopped on the Carpenter Express with my friends and headed for “Success.” I must have been a sight crossing back and forth across the run.  My friends were probably thinking, “Doesn’t she know she is supposed to go down the hill?”  But every time I pointed my tips down the hill, I flew. I muddled my way down with some coaching from my friends but spent most of the day back on the Wide West run because I just didn’t feel confident.

When I got home that night, I “googled” my skis and bindings.  I read the words, “slalom, racing, expert, and carving” and knew I was in trouble.  None of those words even remotely applied to me.  So the next day, I decided to get some help from the experts at the Deer Valley rental shop.  A smiling green jacketed technician set up me up with some skis, Rossignol Avenger 74s that actually fit my height, weight and ability.  They were shorter and much lighter with auto-turn technology– I saw words like “stable and forgiving” and I knew I was in the right place.  My technician also gave me some tips on some runs to take.  He said, “Take Ontario! It is wide and very beautiful – nice beginner run.”  He took the time to show me exactly how to get there and off I went.

Guess what?  I had a wonderful experience with controlled turns and I was actually skiing down the hill, not back and forth across the run (making life much easier for the skiers behind me also.)  The right equipment made all the difference in the world.

Do you know what I am doing next?  I am avoiding the second most common beginning skier mistake – not taking lessons.  I decided to take my father’s advice after all and enrolled in a couple sessions of lessons.  I haven’t met the smiling instructor in a green jacket who is going to take this rookie and turn her into a skier in three hours, but I am looking forward to doing so.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

The joy of learning

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Sometime between my Little Guy’s first runs and the second day of this season, I lost the fear and found the fun.

I was worried I could not keep him adequately safe on the hill, all by myself.

I was worried he would not listen.

I worried I was not worried enough.

And then I relaxed.

I started pouring on the praise, and using the chairlift as a time not only to soak up the moments of one-on-one time, but to point out the turns other skiers were making.

I watched him find his love of learning, as he set out upon yet another run, and tried his best to emulate those turns. I saw his determination grow. And I heard his rallying cry.

Then again, so did the rest of the people skiing Wide West on the first Sunday in January. As he wedged his way down the racecourse, I heard him release a primal scream of joy. “Aaaaaaaaaah!” All the way down the hill.

 Did he want to turn into the Magic Carpet area and try a few turns without the edgie wedgie?

“Aaaaaaaaah!” in the affirmative.

 Once there, his screams continued. The laughter they encited was contagious.

He continued as we returned to the racecourse—our runs in the Magic Carpet corral were only semi-successful, but he was determined to strut his DIY wedge for all it was worth.

Again, the scream of joy.

Again, the laughter of onlookers. Powerless against the charms of the scream, I looked up at the chairlift riders and informed them, “The sound effects are at no additional charge.”

Exuberance, your name is Little Guy. And I adore you.

For me, the teaching moments were not as much for his benefit as for my own. The only thing that matters when you are skiing with a three year-old is this: It’s a party. On Skis. Nuff said.

Wide West

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When it comes to skiing as a family, managing expectations is key. We don’t, for instance, expect to ski first-to-last chairs. Big Guy can handle it, but little guy is good for about three runs, max. 

We also don’t expect to do what most people would consider skiing. Family ski days cater to the little one. Big Guy offers tips, a pole-tow, or just encouraging words. Dad and Mom offer pointers, encouragement, lifts up from falls, and also try to keep the little guy safe from other beginners.

 A note to other families: It’s great that you want to videotape your kids. We do it, too. But it’s a good idea to either recruit someone to man the camera while you manage the skiing kid, or enlist another adult from your party to do so. 

Little Guy got knocked down by a child, perhaps 5 years old, who was skiing down the “Candyland” section of Wide West, completely focused on his ski tips, and rather out-of-control, so he did not see that there was another child on the course.

Even that is a teaching moment, showing both kids that skiing is as much about coping with the unexpected as it is about sport performance. More on that in another post.

But I definitely encourage families with young beginners to do some laps on Candyland—the course is set up to coax beginners into making turns, and it’s on a mellow-enough grade that they have to work hard to go super-fast. Most importantly, it gives the kids (and their parents) a taste of success, so they have something to build on with each additional run.