How Not to Learn How to Ski
Editors Note: This article comes from SeniorsSkiing subscriber Chet Kaplan from Brooklyn, NY
Credit:4maksym
I tried to learn to ski in my early 50’s, going on a day trip whenever I could. I rented equipment and was always eager to get as much free advice as possible. “Lean forward!” “Hold your arms out as if you’re carrying a tray!” “Bend your knees!” “ “Always face down the hill!” “Breathe!” Somehow, despite all this slightly confusing information, I managed to begin to parallel ski because I got very tired of snowplowing.
The second season of my ski career I was invited join two friends who were excellent skiers at Whiteface Mountain. Knowing that we could not possibly ski together, they urged me to join the Mountain Tour to become more acquainted with the area, so I signed up.
The guide took us up a lift to the top of a run and said, “Follow me!” As I looked down at what seemed to be Mt. Everest, my brain went into overdrive as I struggled to comprehend what I had gotten myself into.
I realized I had not yet made out my will, if I did go down and did. An instant later, I convinced myself I’m probably a much better skier than I imagined, so I began down the hill at what seemed like 100 mph.
Within a few seconds, I fell and found out later that I tore some cartilage in my chest. But I was alive! That ended my ski season, but I healed in time for ski season number three.
The next season a group invited me to join them in Utah. I thought that this was a wonderful opportunity to become a good skier, so I quickly signed on. My friends were supportive, offering me lots of advice, all for free! “Press down with your big toe!” “More flexion!” “Stand taller!” “Bend your knees more!” “Move your hips forward!” My favorite was “Chet, relax, this is supposed to be fun!”
I did begin to ski more parallel until the day we went to the Canyons and opted to do the Mountain Tour. I was directed to join the more advanced group. Instead of changing to the slower group I followed some advice which was, “The only way to improve is to take more risk and go with more advanced skiers!” This was my golden opportunity!
My group got off the lift and went to the top of a steep mogul run. After looking down, I quickly told the guide that I had never skied anything like that. He said not to worry, just follow him. The last time I heard “follow me” it did not turn out well. So, I decided that if again I made the wrong decision, the first thing I would do after returning home would be to immediately register for a new IQ test. Falling very hard on the first mogul, I tore a calf muscle. After some time in PT, I was advised that this is all part of learning to ski!
Determined that I would start having fun by becoming a good skier, I then joined “Ski College” in Park City in early December for several seasons. This involved 5 hours each day of group instruction for 5 days with a “Certified instructor”. One day, I asked the instructor for any advice on how I was doing. He said “Fine”. The next season I had an instructor who only advised, “More angulation!” That was all he ever said. At the end of the week, I asked how he thought I progressed, and he said, “More angulation!”
It’s very possible that the best advice I ever received was from myself. When I am completely balanced, relaxed and comfortable on my skis, I register what my body needs to do to achieve that feeling. I’m also very lucky to ski with wonderful folks in the 70+ Ski Club who rarely give me advice. Maybe I’m finally learning to ski?
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Hey Chet, lotta bumps and bruises! But good you’re still skiing. I’m a life-long skier, and this will be my 15th season as a ski instructor at Stratton in Vermont. I’ve got a few thoughts to share with you, and with other readers.
1. Skiing is not difficult to learn well enough so that you can ski down easy runs, over and over, and have a lot of fun. Becoming more and more proficient over several seasons takes some focused effort.
2. Wherever you are now in your skiing journey, I would strongly suggest you take a few more lessons…but do it the right way: find a great instructor who can dial into where you are, what you want, and help you get there. Great instructors are out there, but like with any instructional activity, there’s not many of them, so the trick is to find a great instructor.
3. How to do this? Ask friends if they can refer you to someone really good. When you’re visiting a ski resort, take time to visit their shops, restaurants and ski stores. Every one you visit, make a point to be friendly and chat up the salespeople about “who are the best ski instructors at this resort…I really need a few lessons with someone who’s actually great?” Ski resort villages and ski towns are tiny communities, and everyone knows everyone. If you’re down to earth and a decent person, chances are someone will tell you a name or two…write the names down, get phone numbers and/or emails. Then followup.
4. Ski instructors get paid a tiny fraction of the fee charged by ski resorts…so don’t think they’re getting the $200-600 that you might pay for a lesson. Maybe they’ll get $30-40. If you find a really good instructor, tip the person, and book another lesson right away. The best instructors are very busy, and once the ski season begins it’s more and more difficult to find instructors with availability for lessons.
5. The difference between the average and the great instructors is huge, and you will be amazed by how much you’ll quickly learn working with a top guy or gal.
Good luck! Skiing is too much fun to not be the best skier you can be.
Spot on, concise advice. It is not too late, but unlearning bad habits adds another factor. I take a lesson or two every ski season and started 1966 on wood skis with cable bindings. You can ALWAYS learn something and improve. That is part of the great sport we love.
Michele, wow, you and I started skiing around same time…I had cable bindings, wood Northland skis. Only 9 days til my first lessons of 24-25! Have fun…and STAY ALERT!!
Thanks for the article, Chet.
Certainly agree with the advice given by John. I would add that no one becomes a better ski by skiing more difficult slopes unless “I got down it” is your only goal. Building sound technique on very manageable slopes is the way to become a competent skier who is also having a lot more fun.
Starting my 53rd year teaching skiing, your story made me cringe because I saw a younger me in some of your descriptions, telling you what to do(from my perspective) rather than helping you learn.Effectve teaching has come a long way. PSIA has adopted a more student based learning model,that hopefully makes the frustrating and messy learning process more successful. A couple of tips on good teaching1) does your teacher ask why you are taking a lesson, and work with you to come up with a plan that you both agree on? 2) while doing things on the hill,does your instructor ask you lots of questions( including follow-up questions, or does he or she “tell” you what to do? Fun skiing involves constant decision making on your part. We don’t learn decision making by being told what to do, we learn by making decisions.
Sherm, those are top considerations from a ski instructor’s viewpoint, and questions a “great” ski instructor SHOULD ask! We were lucky enough to enroll in the ski school at Gray Rocks, in Canada, for several years, and I don’t remember a single instructor there NOT asking those questions! Yes, being told what to do along with follow me do not a skier make! Thank you!
I have enjoyed skiing all my life and still find it so helpful to watch instructions on the internet based on your skill level. Have fun !!
My experience of learning to ski was not so traumatic. Having cross country skied previously the transition was not too hard. Lessons definitely helped me to get parallel and carving. And I see plenty of older skiers who really don’t know how to carve; it is painful to watch. You don’t get better doing the same thing over and over. My tip is to take a “group” lesson at a very quiet time at a small resort with a friendly and knowledgeable instructor. You might be the only customer. There is no reason on earth to pay hundreds to take a lesson with some top young racer. That’s a big waste of money. One thing I would add is that I also found it helpful to learn steep slope survival. We’ve all been at the top of a steep slope that was clearly beyond our skill level, with no bail out possible. Knowing I could get down to the bottom in one piece, one way or another, took a lot of fear away. No, it wasn’t going to look pretty, but so what. Sometimes it’s about staying out of rehab.
Chet, John’s advice is spot on. I’m sorry your early adventures in skiing were so injury filled. Ouch! A universal mistake is trying to learn from your buddies – unless they are certified instructors or coaches. Its the blind following the deaf lead by the dumb. You will learn the most on relatively flat slopes where you’re relaxed and can experiment with new things. Instructors should work for you not to feed their narcissism by proving themselves superior skiers. Unfortunately we all know people like this. As a ten year old kid a coach I idolized told me to follow him as he took off at light speed down The Grand Prix at Mt Tremblant. I was totally out of control, almost made it to the bottom when I crashed hard and broke both of my wooden skis – blue Kneissel Combis – my pride and joy. I hit so hard I ripped my ski pants and in retrospect believe I mooned everyone I passed. I survived and skied well enough to make the bottom of the McGill ski team where I did listen to my friends – they were on the Canadian National team and I learned a lot from them.
I really enjoy reading your article .
Keep on skiing in the slopes you are comfortable without breaking bones and other body parts.
Happy Holidays!
Spell it out. What makes a great instructor? Patience, empathy, and communication skills would seem to be key. Interestingly different instructors convey techniques and explain things differently…and that is probably a good reason to take a few lessons with different instructors.
Chet, That was one of the most psychically painful stories I’ve ever read. For bona fides, I’m on the high side of 73 years, a physician, a longtime instructor at Breckenridge (an excellent retirement gig, by the way), and I hold Senior Specialist certification from PSIA. That last is all about helping seniors learn to continue to have fun on skis. I feel for you in your multiple injuries, years wasted, and unrealized fun. With all due respect, it is unfortunate you apparently did not take real ski lessons with real instructors, who might have saved you much of that grief. Still, that is water under the bridge. Whatever your current skiing status and abilities, please consider that as we age our bodies change, we accumulate injuries, and if we want to continue having fun on skis we must learn different techniques and approaches. We must learn to ski smart, ski efficiently, and protect our bodies. It is not too late to learn to be a better skier and protect yourself so you can keep on (finally) having fun.
I began skiing in my 40’s. Watching someone else making S turns for a snowplow while I couldn’t turn at all. The ‘instructor’ just said “Point the big toe.” What does that even mean???
Later. after describing my experience to a co-worker, he explained ‘just shift your weight from one leg to the other’. That’s how I learned to ski. Later refined with the video series by Lito Tejada-Flores.
Thanks for a great story.