Teaching your spouse/friend/child how to ski

[marcski]

Good way to think about it. i have an internal conflict when I ski with others because I always want to go do more ,faster, steeper, but still do it with the people I'm skiing with. Inevitably I push them to do things they don't want to do and I end up pissing them off :lol:

Oh yes, that is me. When I do get days to ski for myself, I will opt to go solo rather than ski with someone that.....will hold me back as far as the speed at which I ski or the terrain that I enjoy.

But, when I'm with my girls, its totally a different animal.

 

[4aprice]

I've taught both of my girls. I never push them to do things they don't really want to and it is ALWAYS about them when we ski. Skiing, at least for me, is more about enjoying the time in the great great outdoors on beautiful snow covered slopes and mountains with people that I enjoy spending time with and/or love and less about becoming as technically great a skier as one can get. With that said, my girls, (8 and 5) at least IMHO, are quite efficient and technical skiers who can ski a variety of terrain. But more importantly, they LOVE the time out on the snow. Mostly because, they know, its super quality time with Dad. I've been skiing for 40+ years now and have been skiing since before I can remember...how many years are my girls really going to want to ski with me? I'm going to take full advantage of every one of those days when I can.

My wife skied before we met so skiing was a way of life before raising a family. I don't know how much credit to take for teaching my kids even though I have taught skiing in the past. We were fortunate enough to start them both at 3 1/2 by enrolling them in a week long program called Powder Pandas in Aspen. Theres nothing better then a week on ski's at that age. Of course we continued to ski back home here in the east and we did not put them in lessons and skied with them all day. Like you say Marc its all about getting out on the snow and enjoying it. I spent plenty of times on the novice hill. We used tatics such as the tip seperators (particularly with the boy) to great success. I'll never forget the day they both took off the 1st time down Rangeview at Bretton Woods and it was like yup they got it. The girls now a ski instructor and the boy a J-2 racer. They still ski with us alot of the time. I take the boy with me when I want to do the hairy stuff so he came call the patrol should I f up.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Warp Daddy]

I've taught both of my girls. I never push them to do things they don't really want to and it is ALWAYS about them when we ski. Skiing, at least for me, is more about enjoying the time in the great great outdoors on beautiful snow covered slopes and mountains with people that I enjoy spending time with and/or love and less about becoming as technically great a skier as one can get. With that said, my girls, (8 and 5) at least IMHO, are quite efficient and technical skiers who can ski a variety of terrain. But more importantly, they LOVE the time out on the snow. Mostly because, they know, its super quality time with Dad. I've been skiing for 40+ years now and have been skiing since before I can remember...how many years are my girls really going to want to ski with me? I'm going to take full advantage of every one of those days when I can.

Great perspective Marc - to me with my kids it too was about "MAKING memories" out there !! My greatest days on the snow are when i'm skiing with my family and NOW with the 4 grandkids who are in their teens and 2 who are 11.

 

[scott]

Great perspective Marc - to me with my kids it too was about "MAKING memories" out there !! My greatest days on the snow are when i'm skiing with my family and NOW with the 4 grandkids who are in their teens and 2 who are 11.

Memories are the best part. Ones of the best days on the mountain was with my oldest during the Snowacane. Skiing powder over his waist all day and he didn't want the lifts to close.

 

[SkiDork]

Nope

oops - my son told me the guy I was thinking of has the first name "Todd"

 

[scott]

oops - my son told me the guy I was thinking of has the first name "Todd"

Yes, Todd and his boys can ski. He was around last year.

 

[WakeboardMom]

You folks who are talking about teaching your kids are probably people who grew up skiing or were upper-level skiers when your kids came along. That scenario didn't fit with us.

We were much better off putting the kids in half-day lessons than trying to teach them ourselves. We learned to ski at 18 and 21; had kids at 24 and were in no position to teach them proper techniques. At the time, we were still taking an occasional lesson ourselves.

Some have mentioned the expense of lessons. My kids were in on-mountain daycare from the time they were six weeks old (the two oldest) and they all progressed into other programs. I guess we were fortunate in that it was never a problem. It was all part of the deal if my husband and I wanted to ski.

It was never a question of dumping them somewhere so we could rip it up. It was doing the best thing for all concerned. There were more hours spent skiing together than not...usually with me being last, no matter what kind of trail we were on.

That's still the way it is, but at least now it's on tougher trails. ; ) "Mom, we're doing Angel Street. You're doing it, and I don't want to hear any whining!"

 

[hammer]

You folks who are talking about teaching your kids are probably people who grew up skiing or were upper-level skiers when your kids came along. That scenario didn't fit with us.

Didn't fit with us either...

For our kids we put them in after-school ski programs for a few years. The son did fine but got bored with the lessons after a while, and the daughter did fine with the lessons but was really there for the socialization and the fried dough.

In our family, my son is the best skier...not a technician but he can handle steeps, bumps, and glades pretty well and always skis faster than his old man. My wife is a more cautious skier but can skid a nice short turn and can ski moguls better than I can. My daughter...lets just say I think she wants to try out snowboarding.

 

[Smellytele]

My wife worked at a ski area for a few years when our kids were learning. They all had free all day Saturday lessons/group skiing. Also when they were younger they were in the day care all week long at the ski area and going out skiing for free. My oldest started at 4, middle one just before he was 4 and my youngest just before he was 3. We would also ski with them on the weekends. By the time each was six they could ski just about anything. Middle one at 10 still doesn't like bumps and is more cautious than the other 2.

 

[Nick]

Crap! I did a search and missed this thread. It's the same as mine /rant

 

[lloyd braun]

I taught my son 3.5 years old, to ski last year. it worked fine. some can do it, some cannot.

the problem with those that "cannot" is that they themselves are not good skiers. How can you help someone learn to ski when you can't show or explain how to do this yourself?

so to the original poster....are you one of those in the "cannot" level? why would make a blanket statement like. "don't do not" etc.....

 

[Smellytele]

I taught my son 3.5 years old, to ski last year. it worked fine. some can do it, some cannot.

the problem with those that "cannot" is that they themselves are not good skiers. How can you help someone learn to ski when you can't show or explain how to do this yourself?

so to the original poster....are you one of those in the "cannot" level? why would make a blanket statement like. "don't do not" etc.....

I believe you just made blanket statements as well in your post -
"the problem with those that "cannot" is that they themselves are not good skiers. How can you help someone learn to ski when you can't show or explain how to do this yourself?"

 

[Glenn]

I helped one of my wife's co-workers/friends last year. I ran "blocker" and gave her a few pointers.

If you ever want to see how intimidating it is for a newer skier, take a few runs with them at their pace. You'll have a new respect and will probably give a bit more room next time you see a newb on the slope.

 

[SkiFanE]

I taught my son 3.5 years old, to ski last year. it worked fine. some can do it, some cannot.

the problem with those that "cannot" is that they themselves are not good skiers. How can you help someone learn to ski when you can't show or explain how to do this yourself?

so to the original poster....are you one of those in the "cannot" level? why would make a blanket statement like. "don't do not" etc.....

False. I've been skiing since I was 5yo, haven't had a lesson in probably 35 years. But I ski quite well..just have no idea what I'm doing, just do it...it's all muscle memory and instinct at this point. I cannot teach others. We got all 3 kids skiing on our own (youngest started at 2.5yo), but then once they got capable of standing and a simple snow plow, we sent them to lessons.

 

[drjeff]

I helped one of my wife's co-workers/friends last year. I ran "blocker" and gave her a few pointers.

If you ever want to see how intimidating it is for a newer skier, take a few runs with them at their pace. You'll have a new respect and will probably give a bit more room next time you see a newb on the slope.

Totally agree!! I completely changed how I ski trails that tend to have a higher population of beginner/lower level skiers after running "blocker" for my kids when they were starting out. I realized that the mentality of "I'm totally in control so therefore if I buzz by someone at a high rate of speed it's not big deal" DOESN'T apply to the person who just got buzzed by/intimidated/had the sh$t scared out of them by the high speed, close proximity pass

 

[lloyd braun]

But I ski quite well..just have no idea what I'm doing, just do it...it's all muscle memory and instinct at this point.

there you have it folks! skiing made easy.

 

[Glenn]

Totally agree!! I completely changed how I ski trails that tend to have a higher population of beginner/lower level skiers after running "blocker" for my kids when they were starting out. I realized that the mentality of "I'm totally in control so therefore if I buzz by someone at a high rate of speed it's not big deal" DOESN'T apply to the person who just got buzzed by/intimidated/had the sh$t scared out of them by the high speed, close proximity pass

Yep! To someone who is new...everyone is out of control and skiing to close.

 

[SkiFanE]

there you have it folks! skiing made easy.

Can't tell if you are joking...but after 40 years on skis, I should be pretty good by now. I don't remember HS trigonometry...or my ski lessons from elementary school.

 

[Nick]

False. I've been skiing since I was 5yo, haven't had a lesson in probably 35 years. But I ski quite well..just have no idea what I'm doing, just do it...it's all muscle memory and instinct at this point. I cannot teach others. We got all 3 kids skiing on our own (youngest started at 2.5yo), but then once they got capable of standing and a simple snow plow, we sent them to lessons.

Very true... I spoke German growing up in my house. But I always did horrible in German class in school, even though I could actually speak the language, unlike everyone else in the class.

I knew how to speak it.... just not how to explain how to speak it

 

[Black Phantom]

Very true... I spoke German growing up in my house. But I always did horrible in German class in school, even though I could actually speak the language, unlike everyone else in the class.

I knew how to speak it.... just not how to explain how to speak it

Did you get A's in English?