Anyone learned to ski as an adult?

[plansrme]

Snow ski, that is. If so, how did it go? Glad you did it? Was it embarrassing to have your children ski circles around you?

 

Terri

[Jann in TX]

My kids had a blast making fun of me every time I fell... and yes, they skied circles around me!

 

If you are in decent shape then you should do fine. Make sure you do lots of stretching before you start because you WILL be sore!

 

It is so worth the extra money for a private lesson. I tried a group class but there was a whinny 12 yo girl who took all of the instructor's time...grrrr With the private lesson I was able to 'cut' in on the lift line--and made several (4-5) runs down in the lesson time.... the class only made it down once in the same amount of time... My instructor even let DH tag along for a few runs...

 

The second day we were all on our own having a blast.

[Melinda in VT]

Depends on how generous you are with your definition of skiing.;)

 

I am not athletically gifted and am a slow learner when it comes to physical tasks. The only person in our family who is not a better skier than I am is the 3yo--and only because he's never been on skis. At least once a season, I wonder why I can't be the ski mom who hangs out in the lodge with hot chocolate and a good book.

 

But there have been a couple of great days when we are all (minus the 3yo) out skiing together and I am glad I learned.

 

(In contrast, my husband also learned as an adult, and he is a solid black skier.)

[Blue Hen]

My DH insisted that we go on a skiing honeymoon, to Aspen! The problem was, I could ski expert runs, ski-racer in high school, and he had never been on skis. I reluctantly agreed. Mid-Monday-morning, his first day on skis, you would have found us sitting on a bench by the lodge and the way I remember the conversation it went like this:

 

"DW, if our marriage is going to survive this honeymoon you cannot be my ski instructor. I'm going to go sign-up for lessons."

 

At this point the white-haired gentleman at a nearby bench could be seen laughing wildly, grabbing his stomach in laughter-pain. I kid you not and even after all these years--almost 26---I could still pick this guy out from the crowd.

 

DH signed up for lessons and at the end of the day he decided to sign-up for their 3-day learn to ski package. I reluctantly went off and skied the expert runs each day. When he rejoined me on the ski slopes on Friday we were skiing all the intermediate ski runs. It was worth having him take lessons and be with other beginners. We were at Aspen for over 2 weeks so we had plenty of time to ski together: beginner, intermediate, and even a couple well-chosen expert runs.

 

BTW, DH is the most uncordinated person I know so if he could learn in his mid-20's you can too. Lessons were key.

 

Carole

[Melinda in VT]

My DH insisted that we go on a skiing honeymoon, to Aspen! The problem was, I could ski expert runs, ski-racer in high school, and he had never been on skis. I reluctantly agreed. Mid-Monday-morning, his first day on skis, you would have found us sitting on a bench by the lodge and the way I remember the conversation it went like this:

 

"DW, if our marriage is going to survive this honeymoon you cannot be my ski instructor. I'm going to go sign-up for lessons."

 

 

This made me laugh. We have many, many guests (almost always guys) who come up with their spouse/girlfriend who has never skied. The guys get the women on the lift, take her up to the top, and try to teach her to ski on the way down. They come in to breakfast the next morning fighting because he wants to ski the second day and she wants to go. home. now.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I learned in my mid-twenties. I tried in 8th grade, but the 30 minute lesson I had was worthless. When I was an adult, I learned from a friend who explained a few important concepts to me that my earlier lessons missed - you turn by digging in your edges, not turning the fronts of your skis. I personally had no problem that little children were skiing circles around me on the bunny slopes. It's all in your attitude. If you think you should be embarrassed, then they will pick up on it. If you think it is important to show them that you can always learn something new, then they will respect that.

[Tracey in TX]

I learned to ski as an adult. While I did well, I have an irrational fear of falling off a mountain and dislike being cold. So, my poor children have never experienced skiing, but know they would definitely ski circles around me.:lol: (Just can't get excited about spending boo-ku bucks on a cold vacation, even though they'd love it.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I went cross-country skiing as an adult. I was told "you don't need to learn to do cross-country". Hah! At the first hill I was yelling "How do I stop? How do I steer?! Auuuuuuugh!" as I went flying down the hill.

[MIch elle]

The mountain had a women's only, learn to ski lessons and that's how I learned. My dc were young and went into their own lessons while I did my women's group lesson. It was a terrific way to learn. I still only do this small mountain and never black diamond trails. It's great to enjoy getting out in winter and breathing that fresh air!

 

I hope to be a better skiier this year (we start in Jan.) because of Wii Fit.

[Unicorn.]

Snow ski, that is. If so, how did it go? Glad you did it? Was it embarrassing to have your children ski circles around you?

 

Terri

 

I did. Lessons, must take lessons. I had a great instructor, he was about 65-70 yrs old. I was 37, overweight and out of shape. I had a blast! Did it embarrass me- Nope, and I embarrass very easily. It didn't even embarrass me when I couldn't stop and had to throw myself to the ground to avoid hitting my instructor!

 

The dc are going to outski you. They are closer to the ground, have better balance than adults, and shorter skis! That doesn't mean you won't eventually be better than they are! Go, Learn, have fun!!

[plansrme]

I posted a "thanks" earlier and it didn't show (operator error, I'm sure). I'm both encouraged and amused by your responses and think we'll give it a try.

 

 

Terri

[chai]

We're doing it now! We just moved to mountain country, so our whole family is learning to ski. We've gone twice so far. The first day, we all took lessons. DH and I took an all-day group lesson. DH was frustrated at the pace--he would have been better in a private lesson. I was doing fine until we had to go up the "big" hill. Did I mention that I am terrified of heights? By the end of the day, I was so tired that the ski instructor had to help me down the mountain. (This was the easiest beginner slope!) Meanwhile, dd, age 9, had an all day lesson and had been down this same slope many times. We were all exhausted and sore at the end of the day.

 

Everyone we met kept telling us that the first day is the worst, so we went back again. This time, we skiied the same slope on our own. DD and dh went sailing down the hill. I slooooowly went down the same slope. We skiied for two hours; I think that they lapped me several times. I was too terrified to be embarrassed. But I did it! :001_smile:

 

We will keep going back and I will probably keep skiing by myself. I've just decided that these green runs are not going to defeat me!

[Vida Winter]

Yes, but lessons from a good instructor are key. It's great fun, and you'd be surprised how many retired folks enjoy the sport.

[Janet in Toronto]

DH is 52 and started skiing last year. He signed up for a day of lessons and loved it! He bought skiis and took more lessons. He'll probably take a couple of hours of lessons on his first day out this year (this Saturday). He tried snowboarding first (both our teens board) but it was too difficult to get the hang of it. Skiing was easier for him.

[Remudamom]

My dh took me skiing for the first time when I was 34. I hated it. The biggest problem was that the "bunny" slopes for adults were way up the mountain. When I was practicing there I was fine. The trouble began when I discovered I was expected to ski down the mountain on a slope that was way too much for me.

 

I tried, I really tried, but I finally got ticked off, sat down on my butt and refused to move. Somebody came and got me on a sled type thing and brought me down. For the duration of the trip I just watched my son who was four, on the bunny slope at the bottom of the mountain and had a blast.

[MBH]

My husband who was an instructor thought me downhill and cross-country skiing when I was 25 years old.

 

We had a blast. He was very paitent with me (we were newly-weds back then).

 

To this day I wish we could go, but my children's swimming competition keeps us too busy. I don't think they know what they are missing.

[Aggie]

I learned to ski as a teen, but I learned (and I use THAT term loosely) to snow board last winter. Here's my account...

 

After a chat with my sister last night ("Oh, *everybody* snowboards now...no one skis anymore!" she says), I decided to try snowboarding today. We have this great little non-profit mtn here....for 25$, you get rentals and all day lessons and lift tickets! It's worth it to at least try to find out if I like snowboarding or not for that price, ya know?

 

So this college kid, this child, this baby, my instructor, takes me out to the first slope. (I must say that yesterday, from the comfort of the lodge and with my skiing eyes, this slope looked like a flat area) Today, though, at the top of that monster slope, I had to slide down and try to turn that board. Every single time the board went down the hill, I crashed. I never just fell. I wiped out. And with _style_, too, I might add.

 

It's good to remember here that I'm overweight, and 48yrs old.

 

So then, after what had to have been 24hours, the instructor takes me to the double black diamond slope, as he was confident I had mastered turning. I have no earthy idea where his confidence came from because I had not a drop of it. Again, yesterday, from the lodge, I thought this slope was the bunny slope, but it really was a double black diamond. I promise.

 

Now his goal is to teach me to stop. Why, oh, why, wasn't that the first thing he taught me, I wondered. It wasn't long before I arrived at the conclusion that stopping on a snowboard is actually much more difficult than crashing into fence or building or tree. And much more embarrassing.

 

So then I spend the next gazillion hours speeding down this slope at the speed of light with the 12yo instructor hollering from the top of the mountain, "TURN! LEAN BACK! LEAN FRONT! TOES! HEELS!" After each obligatory wipe out, he would come buzzing up and teach me *again* what I was supposed to be doing. I left claw marks on the slope from where my arse was sticking straight in the air, but my hands were on the snow trying in vain to stop the momentum of a heavy woman headed downhill backwards.

 

He finally, kindly, asked if I needed a break. I kissed him on the lips for having such mercy.

 

I then got the 6yo boybarian off the slopes and we went in to have lunch. Boybarian didn't want to waste any time, so he wolfed down his meal and headed straight back to the slopes to practice his speed-demon, mogul jumping.

 

I, however, found the lodge to be so very comfortable and kind to my bruised, broken body. And a good place to contemplate whether or not I need to actively pursue a trip to the ER via a snowboard. After about an hour, all sense that I ever had was completely gone again and I headed out for round 2 of suicide by snowboard. I was determined to conquer the snowboard. Determined, dad gummit.

 

This time, the instructor, whom I was calling a bastage in my mind, made me strap both feet in the board, and would PUSH me down the hill so I would get more speed! "You need more speed!" he would say as I sailed off uncontrollably to my certain wipe out. I was crying for my mama on more than one occasion.

 

The day ended with me crashing more ways than I ever thought physically possible. Did y'all know that one can fall on one's face and have your feet hit the back of your head? I never would have thought that possible before today. Every bone, every muscle, every fiber of my being is sore. On that mountain I left every shred of personal pride and confidence. That single piece of plastic took away my dignity, my grace, and my love for excitement.

 

I sit here now just a shadow of the thrill seeker I was a mere 24hrs ago. I like safety. I love my skis. And I'm trying not to harbor hatred for that possessed piece of plastic those kids call a snowboard.

 

Oh, I might add that as I shuffled out of the lodge at the end of the day, I heard another mom comment she's going to take lessons next week. I warned her that she was, like me, too old for this particular activity. I don't think she's going to heed my warning, so I'll meet her at the ER next weekend after I take my second snowboarding lesson.

 

Sucking down advil,

Aggie

[Aggie]

Suicide by Snowboard, Part II

 

It was a gorgeous winter day as I headed out to the slopes for my second encounter with the snowboard. The air was crisp and cool, the sun shone brightly, there wasn't even a hint of wind or any precipitation. Perfect as it gets.

After last week's horrendous experience, I was determined to learn how to do this today. I *was* going to go down the hill, turn, and stop. Even if it killed me.

 

As I walked from the van to the lodge, I passed Evan, the instructor from last week. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure he ran screaming from the mountain when he saw me because I didn't see him the rest of the day.

 

The mom from last week, Carol, was in getting her boots and boards the same time I was. What a coincidence! It was sure to be an interesting, if not entertaining, day on the slopes with the 2 of us out there. While I was getting my board fitted, 2 cute college girls came in to get their boards. So, who do YOU think the 2 college boys in there ran to help? Even though I was there first, they dropped me like a leper, and those 2 almost broke their necks to help the other customers. They threw a board at me and wished me luck, then turned to wait on their cuter customers.

 

Our child-instructor today, Katrina (so you know right away this is going to be a disaster), complete with a diamond nose stud, didn't even take us to the flat area. We move right away to the double black diamond slope where she proceeds immediately to push each of us down the mountain. I could hear her as I sailed away, "You need more speeeeeeed!" I had my wits about me today and yelled back, "If it comes in a pill, I'll take more speeeeed" followed by my first crash of the day. I did not fail to notice that Katrina pushed Carol much more slowly than she pushed me. I'm sharp that way.

 

Amazingly, most of today's crashes, though fantastic, were not the near-death crashes like last week. There were a few moments when I felt in absolute control. Carol even complimented me on how good I looked going down the slope. That in itself was a huge confidence booster, and just what I needed after the full depletion of confidence last week.

 

It wasn't long, though, before Katrina grew weary of repeating the same instructions. Over and over. She soon excused herself from the geriatric lessons. I can't know for sure, but I'm thinking there was a bottle of an alcoholic beverage Evan was waiting to share with her. "I feel your pain," he must have said.

 

Not to be bested by a piece of plastic, Carol and I stayed out there cheering each other on. It was now to the point that it didn't matter whether or not I had control, I just wanted to LOOK like I was in control. The old adage..."it's better to look good than to feel good" rang true today. Carol was so positive and encouraging! She told me many times, "You looked so good. Before you crashed." (And for the record, I meant to run into the fence. Twice.) So I would try again, positive I was going to be crowned Queen of the Mountain, The Best Geriatric Snowboarder, or Most Improved Snowboarder EVER.

 

Unlike last week (if you recall, I never fell last week....I always crashed), I did gently fall a few times today. It was glorious to not body slam the mountain every single time I stood up. There were, however, a few heart-stopping crashes. Once again I proved it's possible to bury my face in the snow and have my short chubby legs bend over and smack my head with the snowboard til I saw stars. I followed Carol's lead and went inside for a rest. The eternity we had only been out there was only an hour and a half! If time flies when you're having fun, let me tell you, it drags on while you're on a snowboard.

 

After a short rest, I headed back out and talked Carol into coming back, too. She was getting way too comfortable in that lodge. And, misery loves company, ya know. We have by now worn out our welcome in the lessons. The college kids refuse to work with us and send out the big guns....the grown-up in charge of the whole mountain. Even though he had been snowboarding for 27 years, he also skies and has to be close to my age. Right away I love him. He understands where my center of gravity is, how the board is so different from skis, and how older students need to hear more than, "You gotta stop falling, dude."

 

I can't honestly say that I've conquered that board yet, but it was fun today. I actually stopped a few times without crashing. According to my new best friend, Carol, I looked good. Only 2 muscles hurt from when one foot stayed firmly planted in the snow and the other foot, with snowboard attached, went down the hill at mach speed. I can say with complete confidence that a 48 year old woman doing splits under those circumstances is not pretty. I recall clawing the snow in an uncontrollable descent only once. My head, from the snowboard smacking it, hurt a lot less this week. Improvement in small increments, but improvement.

 

Tomorrow I won't be overdosing on advil, I'll be able to walk without moaning, and my eyelashes won't be sore.

 

'Twas a good day. A good day, indeed.

 

Aggie

Most Improved Geriatric Queen of Snowboarding

 

 

PS....learn to SKI! Be a two-planker!

[Liz CA]

Snow ski, that is. If so, how did it go? Glad you did it? Was it embarrassing to have your children ski circles around you?

 

Terri

 

As the wife of an enthusiastic skier, I was on skis for the first time in my life at the age of 26 and while pregnant. I seemed to have better balance then - :lol:

 

Here is what I suggest. This worked well for me:

 

After that "pregnant" first time, we took the baby with us 4 years later and put him in ski school. That freed me up to take a real (group) lesson after having practiced a little more with dh.

The group lesson was invaluable. Our instructor had many tips and now I am able to ski the blue - intermediate - runs at the Tahoe resorts. Dh insists I could take a few black ones (difficult) but I don't see why I should break something at my age (we are talking 18 years after that first time)

I love to leisurely ski down a hill I am comfortable with and no, I absolutely don't care that my son could ski faster and better than I could when he reached the tender age of 6.

I never thought I would come to like it so much. It's good exercise and fun!

[Valerie in Chicago]

I learned at 29. DH & I were dating, and his mom lives in a swanky resort ski town, so we went for a visit. He's conquered every single slope in the region, I'd never been on skis in my life. So I took a day-long lesson. It was so worth it! The first thing that we did was have on only one ski and push around in a circle. I fell over. But the instructors promised that what happened in ski school stayed in ski school. And by the end of the day, I was reasonably comfortable. DH took some time from the black diamond slopes to hang with me.

 

By the end of it, I felt that I'd earned my trip to the MIL's outdoor hot-tub and a large adult beverage. Because really, that's what it's about, isn't it? The hot tub and the drinks at the end of the day.

 

And, of course, the cute ski outfit.

:D

[Liz CA]

I tried, I really tried, but I finally got ticked off, sat down on my butt and refused to move. Somebody came and got me on a sled type thing and brought me down. For the duration of the trip I just watched my son who was four, on the bunny slope at the bottom of the mountain and had a blast.

 

I remember something similar. Dh and I were skiing on an intermediate run which temporarily turned into a difficult run before it was labeled intermediate again. Why they do this? I have no clue! There is probably a camera on a tree nearby recording how people like me sit on their butt and slide down.

 

However it did not dampen my general enjoyment of skiing at my very imperfect, intermediate level!

[Stacia]

1. Yes, you can learn to ski as an adult.

 

2. The kids will ski circles around you.

 

3. Motrin is your friend. :001_smile:

[lynn]

My nana learned in her 60's