mister moose
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,119
- Points
- 63
The thread on why lessons are so expensive got me thinking about all the bad teaching I’ve seen over the years.
Last weekend at Killington I came upon and watched a mid 30's father on a board teaching his 6 year old pre-novice son how to ski on a black diamond slope. The son had trouble holding a wedge, had a favorite foot, his hips were off center and twisted, and consequently he couldn't turn on the steep slope. He behaved as if he was terrified of building up the slightest bit of speed in an attempted turn, likely because he knew he would immediately lose control on the steep slope. His father kept saying things like "Turn! Turn!" and "Why don't you turn?" The boy would fall down at every attempt, and soon just slumped down in teary tired frustration. He father had no clue what his son was doing wrong, or what he himself was doing wrong. Then the real money line came. "If you don't get up, I'm going to go down the hill without you, and you'll have to come down alone." Great. That’s going to help the kid ski.
At this point I asked if he'd like a little help, and the dad said, "No thanks, I got it."
Oh, no my friend, you don't have anything even remotely close to it, is what I wanted to say, but I just said ok, and skied away.
If you ever had thoughts of teaching your buddy, your girlfriend, your husband, or your child how to ski, please consider all of the following:
Do not, do not, DO NOT take your protégé out on trails that you like to ski so you won’t be bored, and think you can teach them there. The idea is to teach them, so take them on terrain that is entirely appropriate for their ability. If you take them on terrain that is beyond their ability you will take so much time getting down you will be even more bored. Your student will learn nothing and end up hating the experience, and quite possibly hating you for the day.
Do not expect someone to learn if you can’t demonstrate and describe clearly how to do a particular maneuver. “Just turn” or “Just stop” or “Just carve” or “Just lean” doesn’t cut it. Your student has no idea how to “Just” do it. Trying to teach riding a board while on skis, or teach skiing while on a board is the most ludicrous version of this I have ever seen.
Do not take them up a lift, any lift (I said ANY LIFT) until they know how to stop and turn. (Yes, the flat magic carpet type areas are an exception if they know how to at least stop, but you likely won’t have the patience to try that, I mean geez, that’s so boring…) Not going up the lift means you walk up a v-e-r-y gentle slope, and practice stopping, then turning. There should be no fear of speed building since there is practically no slope.
Select the terrain that is best for the student. If you ever have a hint of selecting what is best for you, you aren’t teaching. You are tormenting.
Remember teaching how to fall, and how to get up are very important prior to getting out on steeper, more crowded terrain.
Think about how you are going to teach how to load the lift, and how to unload.
Remember, you are trying to get someone to like the sport. You will hopefully have years skiing together in the future. That means this is a long term investment. That means they need to have fun. This time. Right now. Safely. Don’t lose them forever in a fit of seething frustration. Ski with them at their level. Their level. That would mean selecting a trail where they smile and say how much fun it is. Yelling, crying, arguing and hitting immovable objects all mean you selected the wrong terrain.
If the relationship is important, then treat it as such. Read a few articles or books on teaching your child/friend/spouse to ski. Or put them in a good ski school.
Last weekend at Killington I came upon and watched a mid 30's father on a board teaching his 6 year old pre-novice son how to ski on a black diamond slope. The son had trouble holding a wedge, had a favorite foot, his hips were off center and twisted, and consequently he couldn't turn on the steep slope. He behaved as if he was terrified of building up the slightest bit of speed in an attempted turn, likely because he knew he would immediately lose control on the steep slope. His father kept saying things like "Turn! Turn!" and "Why don't you turn?" The boy would fall down at every attempt, and soon just slumped down in teary tired frustration. He father had no clue what his son was doing wrong, or what he himself was doing wrong. Then the real money line came. "If you don't get up, I'm going to go down the hill without you, and you'll have to come down alone." Great. That’s going to help the kid ski.
At this point I asked if he'd like a little help, and the dad said, "No thanks, I got it."
Oh, no my friend, you don't have anything even remotely close to it, is what I wanted to say, but I just said ok, and skied away.
If you ever had thoughts of teaching your buddy, your girlfriend, your husband, or your child how to ski, please consider all of the following:
Do not, do not, DO NOT take your protégé out on trails that you like to ski so you won’t be bored, and think you can teach them there. The idea is to teach them, so take them on terrain that is entirely appropriate for their ability. If you take them on terrain that is beyond their ability you will take so much time getting down you will be even more bored. Your student will learn nothing and end up hating the experience, and quite possibly hating you for the day.
Do not expect someone to learn if you can’t demonstrate and describe clearly how to do a particular maneuver. “Just turn” or “Just stop” or “Just carve” or “Just lean” doesn’t cut it. Your student has no idea how to “Just” do it. Trying to teach riding a board while on skis, or teach skiing while on a board is the most ludicrous version of this I have ever seen.
Do not take them up a lift, any lift (I said ANY LIFT) until they know how to stop and turn. (Yes, the flat magic carpet type areas are an exception if they know how to at least stop, but you likely won’t have the patience to try that, I mean geez, that’s so boring…) Not going up the lift means you walk up a v-e-r-y gentle slope, and practice stopping, then turning. There should be no fear of speed building since there is practically no slope.
Select the terrain that is best for the student. If you ever have a hint of selecting what is best for you, you aren’t teaching. You are tormenting.
Remember teaching how to fall, and how to get up are very important prior to getting out on steeper, more crowded terrain.
Think about how you are going to teach how to load the lift, and how to unload.
Remember, you are trying to get someone to like the sport. You will hopefully have years skiing together in the future. That means this is a long term investment. That means they need to have fun. This time. Right now. Safely. Don’t lose them forever in a fit of seething frustration. Ski with them at their level. Their level. That would mean selecting a trail where they smile and say how much fun it is. Yelling, crying, arguing and hitting immovable objects all mean you selected the wrong terrain.
If the relationship is important, then treat it as such. Read a few articles or books on teaching your child/friend/spouse to ski. Or put them in a good ski school.
