The First Ski Lesson – How to Learn More from Ski Instruction
The sun is out, the sky is blue and you have arrived at the ski school for your first ski lesson. You are a little nervous but there is a buzz in the air and you are with your buddies.
What sort of preparations should you have already made for your skiing lesson and what should you be hoping for from a ski instructor?
It would be a good plan to take a look at this short video – he would have performed better with a skiing lesson or two (You’ll doubtlessly want to turn the sound down) – Skiing Lesson video clip.
Even as a ski instructor this was slightly worrying, but I guess you’ve recovered.
Before you start your first lesson you need be warm enough with the right ski clothing and also have the right kind of sun cream. It’s crucial to have warm clothing as well as goggles and glasses as you can get very cold and ocasionally wet, and the reflective light from the sun high in the mountains can be powerful.
I’m hoping in addition that you have had some experience on an artificial slope before you came out and that you have got fit at the gym.
You have just hired your skis, boots and poles from the rental shop, and have got to the slopes without tripping up or dropping any of them on the way.
Top rate ski instruction at the beginning depends on telling you as little as possible, perhaps only encouragement, and allowing you to do the work. After all you learned to walk on your own didn’t you as a baby? As a ski instructor myself, I don’t explain anything to start with, and regardless of the type of pupil, concentrate on having fun and giving those who need it the initial push to get them on their way. Watch this ski instructor chosen for the simplicity of actual instruction. And yes, I’m joking.
You may not even know how to do your boots up the right way, and they are complicated. Your ski instructor should then show you how to put your skis on and which way to point them! Believe me, some of this is not as easy as it sounds. He doesn’t need to explain any technical explanationjust now. My philosophy is simple – skiing is fun and too much explaining is boring!.
You will have to do some loosening up exercises initially and this is not for show. If it’s below freezing, then it’s very important to be warm. Your teacher will then get you to clump around a bit, and take steps up the hill a for a few metres. If he sees you are doing well the next project will be the T bar or chair lift.
Getting you on and off ski lifts is the ski instructor’s job and he will either go to the top while he asks the lift man to help you on, or find another instructor with one at the top and the other at the bottom.
As far as the actual ski instruction goes remember this – the good ski instructors are the ones whose instruction is short and to the point and demonstration simple and easy to understand. If it isn’t you could always go off and have fun on your own. Remember, you are paying for ski instruction – query him if you are in doubt or don’t understand!
Visit Ski Jungle for more info about skiing lessons