Learning to Ski?

[shebestova]

How difficult is it to learn how to ski? I absolutely love the snow, but I am worried that I will be horrible at it! :eek: I have never played any sports and I wonder how difficult it would be for me.

Is part of the fun being able to enjoy being out in the snow? If so, I definitely got that covered. :)

[ManteoChik]

I never found it difficult, although I have pretty good balance - and I learned as a child.

As a child, you don't have as much fear as when you learn things like that as an adult. Fear of falling, or hurting yourself, or running into someone...lol. I will say, I've cracked my heel and separated my Achilles tendon twice skiing - and I *still* LOVE to ski. :) Both times were not my fault. The first I was hit by a snowboarder who was out of control and the second was falling...I shouldn't have been skiing anyway because my foot wasn't fully healed. :o

[BridalLace]

for me, the hardest part about learning to ski was understanding how to stop. i didn't get that you have to use the edges/sides of the skis to stop - not the bottoms, which are smooth after all. it took me about 8 total times to really get the hang of it. you have to 'snowplow' which is what some people call it - make a inward-facing triangle out of your skis - to get the idea of how to stop, because as a beginner, that seems to be the only way to learn to slow down. some people recommend learning from a certified instructor to really get some good tips on how to do this.

i love skiing, just wish i could go more often. have fun!

[Ribbit]

I learned to ski as an adult, and I am not a sporty person at all. I absolutely love it, but I have to say I learned in some pretty primo snow...I learned at a resort in Canada with very soft, powdery snow and big, wide, easy runs. Since learning, I've skied in some pretty awful stuff, and I think had I started in that I wouldn't still be skiing today. I guess I'm a snow snob now! :p

Anyway, for me, the biggest fear I had to get over was turning downhill. Even a green run can seem super steep and intimidating when your skis pass through that moment of pointing straight down hill (but this is only for a moment - beginners spend much of their time paralleling back and forth across a run). I'd say it is SO worth it to have some one-on-one time with a good instructor who can watch what you are doing and give you direct pointers. That got me up and skiing and enjoying myself much more quickly than friends who told me horror stories about learning from friends or SO's or family members. (Not that you can't learn from a friend, but I've heard many a story of novice skiers ditched on a too-hard run and told, I'll see you at the bottom! :eek: )

[tlew12778]

I learned as a kid as well. I would definitely recommend lessons with an instructor. You don't want to get too comfortable doing something that is totally wrong. This is DH's problem with snowboarding right now (which BTW, I think it easier than skiing for an adult).

[emmasart]

I learned to ski as a tween. Once you get the handle of stopping and getting on and off the lift its not too bad.. I tried/kinda learned to snowboard and never really got the hang of it even after 20 times and multiple instructors. I dunno if it was just that I was more frightened of hurting myself when I was older or if snowboarding is just more difficult or what, but I just can't figure it out... I second taking a lesson or two, and then going a couple of more times by yourself before you really get the hang of it.

It took a while but once I got the hang of it is when the fun really started for me. Good luck!

[Rancid13]

I learned to ski when I was about 14 or 15. I took a half-day lesson which included an all-day lift ticket and had it down by the end of the day (on the bunny slope). Within a couple of days I was able to join my parents on some of the more difficult (blue square) runs. I would highly recommend taking a lesson, even if only for a couple of hours, from a professional.

Most ski resorts have their own "ski school" and I think it's very much worth the $$ for the lessons to start out with. It's easier being told by an instructor what to do and how to do it, than have a friend or family member try to teach you (unless they are good at teaching & have lots of patience!).

I did the same thing the following winter when I learned to snowboard (the ONLY reason I learned to ski was b/c my parents wouldn't let me snowboard until I'd learned to ski first) and I thought it was a great learning experience! 13 years later and I'm still snowboarding and I owe it all to the wonderful & patient ski/board school instructors. Learning to ski was a lot easier for me than learning to snowboard; it took a good many visits to the mountain for me to feel comfortable on the board.

[amd1005]

I agree with everyone who said a lesson, even if only for a half day, is a great way to start. Although, my husband started skiing only a few years ago, never took a lesson, and is already attempting (and landing) jumps and the half-pipe. The first time we went, my parents and I took him on the bunny slope for the first two runs.....then talked him into going to the top of the mountain. My dad told the guy on the gondola that this was how he was going to "get rid of his future son-in-law" :D

[Happy1]

I agree with the lesson part. I tried to learn to downhill ski when my DH and I started dating (one of our first dates actually) and I was a miserable failure. But I had fun. I have an issue with coordination though and I couldn't figure out how to stop. Had I really wanted to and stuck with it I'm sure I would have gotten it but I fell at wierd angles and wrenched my knee (I don't have the best knees to begin with) so I opted to go to the snow tubing slopes while DH and his buddies skiied. :p

Nikki :D

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I learned to ski at a young age, starting with lessons. Then I joined a ski club called Avalanche. It was really cool, every Sunday for 8 weeks I got on a bus with a ton of other kids and we went up to the slopes in Tahoe. The first half of the day was lessons and the 2nd half was free ski so we got to go do whatever we wanted.

I don't ski anymore although I wish I did. I think I was pretty good at it and it was a lot of fun for me. But now the cold doesn't really sound all that appealing to me and it is a very expensive sport. You need all the attire, skis, boots and poles (rent or buy), lessons??, plus the cost of a lift ticket. The lift ticket alone is anywhere from $60-$100 per day depending on where you go. I can't afford an extra curricular activity like that with a mtg and 2 kids in daycare:rolleyes:

[ash313]

I am going in two weeks and I am scared!!!!

[KrissyCat7]

I learned at about the age of 8. I dont remember it being difficult. I did take several lessons though and would highly recommend taking one. Have fun!:)

[snoopy30]

I learned to ski the "right" way when I was 22 and it was no problem. As long as you have a good instructor you're fine. Now that's not to say that a little athleticism and coordination doesn't help (I did ballet for many years when I was younger and I think that really helped me). But luckily there are so many different levels of runs at ski resorts so you can find something to suit your skills. And of course there's always hanging out by a fire with a cocktail or hot chocolate if skiing doesn't pan out ;)

[ysolde]

I learnedd to ski (adaptive skiing) as an adult, with specialized instructors. Once I got over my fear of the lift (and my initial fear of, "I have to get down this mountain HOW?" (with adaptive skiing, you can't learn on bunny slopes or even the more level (green) trails -- you start on the mid range (blue) trails; otherwise, you will never get down the hill)), I had the time of my life. I have done it a few times now, andn am at the point where I am accompanied by very experienced (and strong, and handsome) able-bodied skiers (I can't get on and off the lift on my own) but ski pretty much on my own. I love it!

[Rosebud]

Well, I'll be the dissenter and say that I started trying to learn to ski in my mid-twenties and have not been able to pick it up despite repeated attempts. I can't stop properly and the whole going downhill quickly thing scares the crap out of me because I don't feel I can control my speed or stop when I want to. I'm fairly competent at other sports, but this one is just terribly hard for me. And frankly, falling and being scared all day long isn't something I consider fun.

I do think you should definitely take a lesson. Maybe multiple lessons. It's not easy to pick this up as an adult, IMO. I just have had friends try to teach me and maybe it would have gone better with an actual instructor. I'd also recommend sticking to the bunny slope until you're really, really confident. The intermediate slopes are MUCH harder. Don't let your friends convince you that you can handle it. Wait until you're sure.

I have sworn that my kid will learn to ski at an early age when he has no fear and his center of gravity is lower. :D

[Ribbit]

I just have had friends try to teach me and maybe it would have gone better with an actual instructor. I'd also recommend sticking to the bunny slope until you're really, really confident. The intermediate slopes are MUCH harder. Don't let your friends convince you that you can handle it. Wait until you're sure.


I can't emphasize the importance of having a proper lesson right away. I have heard this type of story countless times from people who swear they will never try skiing again. The problem is, no matter how great of skiers your (general your) friends are, they are not trained to instruct. AND, when people have taken the time out to go to a mountain and pay for the lift tickets, they really want to be skiing at their level, not waiting around on the bunny slope for their friends to learn.

I seriously doubt I would have learned to ski as an adult if I hadn't had an instructor right there, skiing backwards in front of me at my speed, telling me exactly what I needed to do - when to bend my knees, lean forward, drop my poles, shift my weight, etc. There are so many specific little things that make skiing easier and more enjoyable, that someone who learned to ski as a child may not even realize they need to show you.

[looch]

I've had lessons as a child, around 8 years old, but didn't practice enough to become good at it. I was also fearful of heights by that age, so I never really enjoyed it.

I haven't skied in years, but I did again when I was in the Alps in 2006. it was okay, I was with my co-workers, who were all much better than I was. I managed a half day before conking out in the lodge. I don't think i can invest the time necessary now to be able to become decent this time around, so I stick to hiking and sledding!

[tracer]

I have skiied since I was about 6 years old. DH and I gave it up about 8 years ago for snowboarding which we really love. We haven't been in years, since we started having kids. But now that we have kiddo's we plan to get back into skiing as soon as next year. We think it will be easier to teach our then 4 and 3 year old boys than snowboarding. We will start with ski school and if they enjoy it go from there. Luckily they are both coordinated so I hope with that and being young they can take to it. I really miss it, the snow, scenery and just the experience. Although being cold all day at this age doesn't excite me much! :)