Killington 2012-01-29 -- Taking the girl I love skiing for her first time

[Bene288]

I think any advanced skier can easily give lessons to their spouse or kids. It's the question of whether they want to or not. I'm sure most parents use the ski schools more like a day care. I've never taken a lesson for anything. I was raised on the "just get out and do it" methods. You do not need formal education for everything. I think that if a beginner goes with an advanced skier, or even upper intermediate, there should be no need for lessons. Basics are basics, and learning to ski is just observation. My uncle first got me into skiing. He gave me a good run down of the basics. I did a little reading on the technical aspects of skiing and did a lot of watching and that was it.

 

[Abubob]

short life? Do you know how old I am? Ive taught several people to both ski & golf.

So you believe in taking lessons? But only from untrained amateurs as yourself? How did you learn to ski? Who taught you? You mention being an athlete. What did you do? Again no training?

I mentioned short life because you seemed to answer from no experience. You seem to have plenty of experience and aren't afraid to spread it around. You're either over confident or very good (no doubt you choose the latter).

 

[BLESS]

So you believe in taking lessons? But only from untrained amateurs as yourself? How did you learn to ski? Who taught you? You mention being an athlete. What did you do? Again no training?

I mentioned short life because you seemed to answer from no experience. You seem to have plenty of experience and aren't afraid to spread it around. You're either over confident or very good (no doubt you choose the latter).

Like i said.....i dont think everyone needs to take lessons to learn how to ski. Some people may.....but i didnt. Nor did my wife or friends. I didnt need lessons to learn how to play golf either....and im a pretty fine golfer. These sports came naturally to me....as they also do to other people. I already said this but ill say it again.....if you feel that you or your family will benefit from lessons, then by all means go for it. But i think its unnecessary to crucify somene who doesnt see the need. As far as being taught by other people, i certainly was.....for the team sports i played. The individual ones i picked up easily on my own. Of course, the " untrained amateurs" gave me some pointers.....they were good enough. If me learning to ski on my own is being " over confident" then so be it. Not sure what im " spreading around" besides my opinion, which of course are based on my personal experiences. Im sorry if it offends you that my wife and i didnt need lessons to learn how to ski.

 

[Abubob]

Like i said.....i dont think everyone needs to take lessons to learn how to ski. Some people may.....but i didnt. Nor did my wife or friends. I didnt need lessons to learn how to play golf either....and im a pretty fine golfer. These sports came naturally to me....as they also do to other people. I already said this but ill say it again.....if you feel that you or your family will benefit from lessons, then by all means go for it. But i think its unnecessary to crucify somene who doesnt see the need. As far as being taught by other people, i certainly was.....for the team sports i played. The individual ones i picked up easily on my own. Of course, the " untrained amateurs" gave me some pointers.....they were good enough. If me learning to ski on my own is being " over confident" then so be it. Not sure what im " spreading around" besides my opinion, which of course are based on my personal experiences. Im sorry if it offends you that my wife and i didnt need lessons to learn how to ski.

You said, "WHO THE F&CK takes lessons?" then you say, "As far as being taught by other people, i certainly was.....for the team sports i played."

Would you have been as good at what ever you were coached in if you were self taught? I doubt it.

Taking lessons is the same as being coached and it makes people better skiers faster and they enjoy the sport that much more. While all ski instructors vary in their own abilities to teach and coach they are all trained to do just that. You shouldn't dismiss taking ski lessons so easily.

 

[BenedictGomez]

i dont think everyone needs to take lessons to learn how to ski. Some people may.....but i didnt. Nor did my wife or friends. I didnt need lessons to learn how to play golf either....and im a pretty fine golfer. These sports came naturally to me..

I hope he's not a pilot.

 

[oakapple]

Come on folks, lighten up on Bless. Okay, he's good at a few things, and it seems to come naturally enough for him and he enjoys what he does. There is nothing wrong with that.

If he'd said, "Athletics come naturally to me, and luckily I also have a knack for teaching others," no one would've cared. But of course, such a statement would have been so unremarkable that he likely wouldn't've said it.

Instead, he said, ""WHO THE F&CK takes lessons?" And this is the same guy who said, "Am I way off in thinking that getting down the greens, blues and blacks were really the easy part of skiing?" This suggests, not merely that he is good at it himself, but that he basically has no f&cking clue what is going on with anyone else.

But this phenomenon is not unknown among skiers. Our original poster sounds like he is pretty good at skiing, but thought he could teach his GF, and wound up doing everything wrong. No one is vilifying him, but it's just kinda funny.

 

[BLESS]

Come on folks, lighten up on Bless. Okay, he's good at a few things, and it seems to come naturally enough for him and he enjoys what he does. There is nothing wrong with that. I wish many things come to me like that (Actually, some do, for which I am thankful). There are many things that I am fairly good at and enjoy doing just fine.

There's hiking and backpacking, no lessons.

Biking, no lessons.

Swimming, I did take lessons, Dad was in the Navy and kept signing me up.

Canoeing and kayaking (Love kayaking). No lessons. Haven't done more than class 2 rapids, no white water kayak.

Baseball, had some little league coaching, but played ball long before that.

Carpentry, I am a pretty good carpenter since 1976. I did take 2 years of voc ed for it.

Plumbing and electrical, just followed the lead of the licensed guys and paid attention, no classes.

Drywall, just watched and practiced.

Painting, same as drywall.

Look at your own lives. Many things you did because you had a knack for it, others, you emulated others, and other things you got some kind of training. We've all got "it" in some areas of our lives and don't have "it" in other areas. Do we really need a pissing match about who has "it" in skiing?

ahhhh someone else who gets it, thank you. Now if you told me that you were going to give me a million dollars to solve some basic algebra or geometry problems....I couldnt do it. Agreed, we all have things we're good at, and things we're not.

 

[Nick]

ahhhh someone else who gets it, thank you. Now if you told me that you were going to give me a million dollars to solve some basic algebra or geometry problems....I couldnt do it. Agreed, we all have things we're good at, and things we're not.

basically it all depends on the person

 

[Abubob]

Agreed, we all have things we're good at, and things we're not.

So if you're not good at something or a complete noob but wanna get better?

... go ahead ... say it! :roll:

 

[BLESS]

So if you're not good at something or a complete noob but wanna get better?

... go ahead ... say it! :roll:

Love the rolleyes....reminds me of when I was 12.



IMO if your not good or wanna get better at something, I would ask a friend whos good at it, before I go pay a complete stranger to do it...to each is own I guess.

 

[BLESS]

If he'd said, "Athletics come naturally to me, and luckily I also have a knack for teaching others," no one would've cared. But of course, such a statement would have been so unremarkable that he likely wouldn't've said it.

Instead, he said, ""WHO THE F&CK takes lessons?" And this is the same guy who said, "Am I way off in thinking that getting down the greens, blues and blacks were really the easy part of skiing?" This suggests, not merely that he is good at it himself, but that he basically has no f&cking clue what is going on with anyone else.

But this phenomenon is not unknown among skiers. Our original poster sounds like he is pretty good at skiing, but thought he could teach his GF, and wound up doing everything wrong. No one is vilifying him, but it's just kinda funny.

Im confused by this. What do you mean I have no clue with whats going on with others? The people on the mountain? the people I taught? huh?

I was joking at the people who take lessons.....I dunno, the 20-30 people I know who ski very well and ski all the time.....none of them have ever taken lessons. I just kinda assumed that not a lot of people did I guess.....I have already apologized for the ignorant frame of mind there, and repeatedly said that if you think you'll benefit from them, then go ahead. Ill save my $ and concentrate more on making myself better. Just a personal choice.

 

[oakapple]

Instead, he said, ""WHO THE F&CK takes lessons?" And this is the same guy who said, "Am I way off in thinking that getting down the greens, blues and blacks were really the easy part of skiing?" This suggests, not merely that he is good at it himself, but that he basically has no f&cking clue what is going on with anyone else.

Im confused by this. What do you mean I have no clue with whats going on with others? The people on the mountain? the people I taught? huh?

I admire the fact that you're a natural athlete. But you seem to have no clue that many people, probably most, are NOT naturals; that such people actually get better, more quickly, by taking lessons. You also seem to have no clue that the ability to teach is itself a skill, and in general being a good skier does not automatically make you a good teacher. (The first post in this thread gives plenty of evidence of this last statement.) Ski instructors actually go to school themselves, to learn how to teach others to ski.

It could very well be that, among your many skills, you are actually as good at teaching as those who've specifically been trained to do so. It may also be that you have no clue about what you don't know, and that the people you've taught would have learned even quicker, or that their technique would be even better, if they'd worked with an instructor. Given the general tenor of your comments, I suspect the latter is true.

Are lessons worth the money? I dunno. No one offered to teach me for free, so either I would have had lessons, or I wouldn't have learned at all.

 

[BLESS]

I admire the fact that you're a natural athlete. But you seem to have no clue that many people, probably most, are NOT naturals; that such people actually get better, more quickly, by taking lessons. You also seem to have no clue that the ability to teach is itself a skill, and in general being a good skier does not automatically make you a good teacher. (The first post in this thread gives plenty of evidence of this last statement.) Ski instructors actually go to school themselves, to learn how to teach others to ski.

It could very well be that, among your many skills, you are actually as good at teaching as those who've specifically been trained to do so. It may also be that you have no clue about what you don't know, and that the people you've taught would have learned even quicker, or that their technique would be even better, if they'd worked with an instructor. Given the general tenor of your comments, I suspect the latter is true.

Are lessons worth the money? I dunno. No one offered to teach me for free, so either I would have had lessons, or I wouldn't have learned at all.

I hear what your saying. I just didnt find it that hard to learn. I assumed most people could do it with some patience & practice, without taking lessons. Maybe people do learn quicker with lessons. I dont know. It still doesnt change my mind....part of the fun of skiing for me was learning on my own...a personal pride kinda thing. I was always of the "just go out there and do it" mindset. to each is own.

 

[SkiDork]

Even Linsey Vonn takes skiing lessons - its called coaching.

Tiger Woods takes golf lessons too. Coaching again.

 

[C-Rex]

This thread is filled to the rafters with awesome.

 

[BLESS]

Even Linsey Vonn takes skiing lessons - its called coaching.

Tiger Woods takes golf lessons too. Coaching again.

bleh. Of course they get coached and take lessons. Theyre elite, the best of the best. 99% of people skiing and golfing arent trying to be tiger woods or lindsey vonn...theyre out there for fun.

 

[Cheese]

bleh. Of course they get coached and take lessons. Theyre elite, the best of the best. 99% of people skiing and golfing arent trying to be tiger woods or lindsey vonn...theyre out there for fun.

Nah, more likely they're too proud or too cheap to take a lesson.

 

[Cheese]

Cheap???? Naw, that's being frugal. You spend oodles on the gear and clothing, gas to get there, maybe lost a day's work to ski mid week, bought a $70 or $80 ticket, and now, someone says you aren't really having enough fun skiing unless you pay another $80 for a lesson that will eat most of half your day on the slopes.

Indeed, frugal is a better word than cheap. I only meant to suggest that investing in ones own improvement isn't a bad move. I think someone already mentioned elsewhere on this forum $800 worth of lessons might yield better skiing than the same investment in a pair of skis.

 

[BLESS]

Indeed, frugal is a better word than cheap. I only meant to suggest that investing in ones own improvement isn't a bad move. I think someone already mentioned elsewhere on this forum $800 worth of lessons might yield better skiing than the same investment in a pair of skis.

Im quite happy with how I ski without having spent a dime on lessons. Im sure plenty of others are also. Im not trying to be Bode Miller out there.

 

[andrec10]

Im quite happy with how I ski without having spent a dime on lessons. Im sure plenty of others are also. Im not trying to be Bode Miller out there.

And you probably look like crap skiing too!:argue: