 Poster: A snowHead
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does anyone out there have any kind of miraculous advice to help me learn how to ski with confidence???? i have gone for 4 years and every year do fine for day 1 and 2 and then somehow lose it completely and by day 3 can barely get off the nursery slope again! then i begin to blame my boots, my thighs hurting etc etc until i am almost in tears- i have a deep seated fear of hurtling down the slope to my death although my husband says it is most unlikely that that would ever happen with even my best efforts because of the snail's pace i travel at! i can manage a blue most days and have tentatively tried a red but always end up in tears and agony when finished. i so so want to be able to ski and join my husband on what i know could be a great experience- could anyone think of any technique or give an inspirational one liner to help me move on?? many thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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tommygirl, welcome to snowHeads. Do you still have ski lessons? I'd say that is the key to helping you. Just a few minutes ago I posted almost the same question about skiing a bit quicker, although at a higher performance level. I don't think there is an easy fix to this problem.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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tommygirl,
Have the same issue with my friends wife who annoyingly can ski but has no confidence. Private lesson si a genuine help. If you have no confidence being in a group can have little value going 1:1 allows you to make mistakes and learn without pressure. Also worth asking here if you know which resort you are going to for advice on good instructors as lots are known here 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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tommygirl, Welcome.
I would make sure you are ski-fit aswell before you go.
Lots of squats, core strength work, calf and hip flexor stretches.
Lessons aswell are an absolute must, as when you have that breakthrough it will be so worth it 
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agony when finished.
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Where hurts?
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 12-12-07 17:48; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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tommygirl, relax and breathe (simple cure for stress). And try to think less about what you're doing with your feet, and more about the fun you're having. There's times when my head gets so full of the things I should be doing that I can't do anything, so I "reboot" my brain and my body by going to a gentle run, and doing some simple turns on it, then building up to bigger.
That works for me, but it might not work for you. Try it and see.
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thank you so much holidaylover, rob and gwaelod for taking the time to reply to me . it's encouraging to know someone else has gone through this too! i think i will definitely try the private lessons this time as i have read the thread on private instructors and people seem to make great progress with them. i am going for a full days tuition at tamworth snowdome this saturday for the 'learn to parallel in a day' course and hoping this will contribute to the 'move on' mission! we are going to les arcs next march for our family holiday, staying with 'ski adventure's' so if anybody knows of a good private instructor there i would be most grateful and if not, maybe a good school??? we have been to la tania near courcheval for the last 4 years as my husband love the 3 valleys for his skiing but i felt i wanted to change this year as i think some of my fears are built on some bad falls and experiences like that which play on my mind every year i go back! i have had group lessons with esf every year for the week and while the instructors have been good and i have tried to follow their lead i have often ended up at the back of the class because i am slow (and often the oldest at 41!) and i can feel my confidence sapping as the lesson progresses and feel embarassed holding people up. i know that the bottom line is that the fear thing is all in my head and i have even got hypnotherapy cd's to help me overcome the nerves! my poor long suffering husband has even bought me one of those new rim cap hats that has the integrated structure like a helmet to help ease my fears - i declined a proper ski helmet as i did not want people to think i thought i was some kind of chemmy allcott that couldn't get out of the snowplough!
all the best and thanks again
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tommygirl,
Ski Adventures is in Arc 1600. There is a Ski school in Vallandry which is not that far away
http://www.skinewgen.com/vallandry/index.asp. They have a great reputation, some others my know of instructors in Arc 1600 though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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tommygirl, I'd second the recommendation for the Newgen school in Vallandry. If you're booking a private lesson or two John or Ruth would be perfect for you.
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thanks a million for the advice-much appreciated
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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tommygirl, I tried skiing 10+ years ago didn't have lessons and ended up in the same boat as you described - I've sooooo been there and you will find you're not the only one on here who has.
Two years ago I went back to the slopes, but only because I had children who were being encouraged to go on skiing holidays by their Swiss Godmother and I couldn't not let them have the opportunity, but neither can I let them roar around the mountain unaccompanied at ages 5 & 7!! Dad is not fit enough to ski, so it fell to me to overcome my fears (of more or less everything - the speed, the steep slope, the lifts, the feeling of being out of control etc. etc.) - I went back to the slopes in a small resort and had private lessons at the age of 38 (old enough though many here started older than that). An hour private lesson a day for a week and I was struggling down an easy blue, but now had the confidence to launch myself at the top of that real blue run (not just the kiddie slope) and gently snowplough down without my instructor. This year I went back for another week of the same and its getting there gradually - however, I'm now at the stage where I want the progression to actually happen quickly and actually want to ski - so much that I've now got all the kit (Check out my thread on frustration in 'the piste' section - http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=33162, esp. bottom p1 and top p2 when we're getting honest) - however, I'm still nervous about going too fast, nervous of most of the lifts and going down something that is outside my 'steepness comfort zone' (doesn't take a lot of getting to that one!). What has changed is that I now want to not be nervous - I think its the lessons that have helped. As has getting some protective gear - its amazing the confidence I gained by snowploughing in a helmet - now I ski with it all the time.
Welcome to the nervous novice group of us on here - there are a few of us dipped in around all the 'experts'.
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tommygirl, definitely go with NewGen in Vallandry - John is really good with nervous skiers. I also echo what rob@rar said about skiing faster - it is the same thing regardless of the actual speed. I get to a certain speed then my head says "no". It is faster than it was, but still slower than I need to go if I'm on a race course, or trying to keep up with Mr Docsquid.
Last year I completely seized up on a black run that I should have got down easily - indeed, had done something much harder than that before - it was horrible (end of season snow, twigs and rocks poking out, with sheet ice in the gaps between rocks, but even so - it wasn't actually that steep). I don't think I'll do it again, now I've been there and through it, but we'll have to see. We all have mental blocks to get over.
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You know it makes sense.
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tommygirl, I am not an expert or instructor, but I have found that my legs hurt too, particularly at the end of the day when tiredness oblitorates technique.
A solution I found worked was to say to myself 'Throw myself down the hill'. This gets your weight back over the skis where it should be and removes stress from your upper legs (quads).
It is a natural resonse to all the tireness, pressure and lack of confidence to sit back a bit - backing away from the scary slope. Skis dont work well with the weight on the tails and you feel even more out of control. Vicious circle.
You are very unlikely to fall over forwards, so give it a try, reach out, feel the tips of the skis bit into the snow, regain control.
And remember, knee damage is most likely if you are sitting back and twist into a fall - thats how I broke my ACL. So keep attacking the hill (ok, I am a bloke so 'attacking' is more natural, I cant think of a good passive equivalent though) 
You will find (I hope) that far from being more tiring, you will last longer.
Group lessons are a problem for tail-enders. But remember that while you are struggling to keep up, everyone else is stopped and praying that you take a little bit longer so they can get their breath back - take your time, be unrushed and they will be secretly thanking you.
But as others have said, a good individual lesson will help out too.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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tommygirl - Learning to ski is hard physical work, it becomes physically less demanding as you get better and better and better up to the point when you start doing more adventurous stuff when it starts getting harder again. And as lampbus, says - the more you lean forward the slower you go and the more controlled you are.
1) are you using hire boots? If so - invest some money in your own boots and get them fitted here or in resort by someone good. Pain saps the will.
2) go to the dome as much as you can, preferably without the people that know you so you can make a twit of yourself in privacy.
3) Get on your bike and get your thighs really fit.
4) As WTFH says - remember to breathe, at least one breath every turn if not more. Try singing too.
5) Try and ski with people your own standard, Being the slowest in a group is a confidence killer.
6) Have a glass of wine at lunchtime... or before...
and it that doesn't work, try snowboarding - so you are not competing with your family and have softer boots and are allowed to sit on yer bum all the time.
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Poster: A snowHead
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thanks so much to all who have responded to my plea for advice! i really appreciate all the things that have been said and i will definitely take on board the suggestions and give it another whirl next march! all the best
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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tommygirl, another suggestion (which some will decry...). Have your private lessons, and afterwards, go and do the same slopes, in the same way, as you did with the instructor (and, as others have said, ignore the people who try to persuade you to go on slopes that are new to you, and which might sap your confidence). Then get an MP3 player with some music you really like. It will help you to relax, rather than clench everything. Think especially of your feet. You might find you are gripping the bottoms of your boots with your toes. If you can relax just your toes, you'll be well n the way to relaxing other things. And I also agree about getting your own boots. Wear them a bit at home, around the place, to get used to them. And get beginner boots; they'll be more comfortable. Don't make the mistake my very nervous sister in law (a bit older than you) did. She got very expensive, high end boots, thinking that the more she paid, the more comfortable they'd be. A helmet is a good idea too - loads of people wear them, nobody will think you're daft, and in any case, who cares what everybody else thinks?
And please tell us how you get on at the Snowdome.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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pam w thank you for your suggestions- what you said is exactly what i do ! clenching those toes for dear life which exhausts me and causes pain and cramping and numbing. i really love music and the mp3 player has been suggested to me by my husband although i would be worried about not being able to hear a skier or snowboarder coming behind me and blowing me out. i'm concious that all these posts i'm doing are going to make me sound completely neurotic! i am in real life a practical and reasonable person! but i would say that it has dawned on me that i am more prone to anxiety than i would previously have admitted to! you're right about the helmet - i shouldn't care about what others think i know so i will try that too. i went to the snowdome last year and had a 3 hour lesson but it was very dissappointing- the instructor was a very young girl who really did not organise the class, spoke like a mouse so we couldn't hear a thing and generally focussed on 2 older people in the group and just made us go up and down the slope continuously without any real teaching- another girl and myself just hooked up together and tried to encourage each other for the duration. i didn't learn anything new but at least got a bit of time on the slope although it was an expensive recreational ski. i'm going again saturday and hoping it will be better this time but beggars can't be choosers really as there is nothing else available nearby. thanks again for your help.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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i would be worried about not being able to hear a skier or snowboarder coming behind me and blowing me out.
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this is a misplaced fear. Even for experienced skiers, if some out of control person suddenly swooshes down behind you, you hardly have a chance to look, judge their line, judge what evasive tactics they might be about to do, and adjust your own course. A wiser course of action is to try to stick to your own line, turning in a predictable sort of manner. If anyone DOES hit you, then you are much better off being a relaxed music listener than a completely tense bundle of terror, still less someone turning in panic in an unpredictable manner. My nephew had a very bad whiplash injury when an idiot crashed at high speed into his back, in a slow roadworks section. He looked in the mirror, saw it coming and braced himself. Nobody else in the car was injured at all. Sorry your "ski in a day" was not a success. It was maybe not the best for you, as you already know the basics, which is all that sort of course can cover. One to one in resort, and not trying to ski all day, taking plenty of time out for a vin chaud and to enjoy the view, is probably a better idea. And try the helmet....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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tommygirl, if you want some company and moral support at the Snowdome, let me know. I'm not able to do weekend mornings because I teach Nordic Walking, but otherwise OK, other than this week as we're going to Tignes.
A problem of being at the back of a group is that you don't get to see what the instructor is doing, hear what he/she is saying, and if the group set off as soon as you arrive, then you get more tired too! If you are nervous, and we all learn at different rates, then please do try a private lesson.
And what's wrong with a helmet, exactly? I wear one!
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thank you very much docsquid for your kind offer- i would certainly be very grateful of a bit of moral support as i will be going up to the snowdome before our next trip in march for a couple more practice sessions so i will contact you before the next 'try'. have a great trip to tignes and enjoy!
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tommygirl, wacky thought here, and it assume you have no kids, or can get them to stay with grandparents.....but have you thought of not paying snowdome lessons and book a weekend away skiing, or if you can afford the time off work a midweek out of peak season, short break, where you have, say 3 days of 2 hours private instruction with someone like Easiski?
I'd hazard a guess that you'd come on leaps and bounds, and enjoy the march holiday a whole lot more.
regards,
Greg
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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david@mediacopy, david i did try to reply to your pm but somehow sent it back to myself (nearly as bad at I.T. as i am skiing!)anyway just to say many thanks for taking the time out to send me the pm re the ski school, i will certainly check it out and give it a go-all the best-tommy
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kitenski,
greg - really loved your idea but i have 4 kids, 3 of which are at home and the 2 youngest are 4 and 2 so it is very difficult to get away for that time frame but you have planted a seed in my head! i might actually be able to do the mid week idea as it would be easier for my husband to mind the kids rather than the weekend- i would soooooooo rather spend the money on a 'real' experience that could help me improve so i might just try and wangle it somehow!
all the best
tommy
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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it would be easier for my husband to mind the kids rather than the weekend- i would soooooooo rather spend the money on a 'real' experience that could help me improve so i might just try and wangle it somehow!
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tell him it will be an investment in his future skiing career....
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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tommygirl, My pm is usually subject to Admin referral so it's probably not your fault (nor Admin's for that matter)
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just a note to say thanks to everyone once again for your words of encouragement and all the great tips. went to the snowdome on saturday for the 'learn to parallel in a day' class and it was great. i can parallel! i felt really sick with nerves at the beginning and dreaded the first run down the slope (i know it is nothing to the experienced but to me it felt like everest!!) the instructor was a really nice relaxed guy called andy clark and he did wonders for my confidence. he was just really encouraging and really helped me understand what and how to do what i needed to. half way through the day the penny dropped and i just began to push down hard on the turning ski and steered with the other and i went parallel! i really put all the advice here into action too and sang along with the xmas tunes that were playing, breathed every turn and tried to enjoy it. my husband and kids came along at the end of the day for a snow play session and my husband was amazed at my progress and also at how fast i was able to come down the slope-he said my posture and stance was very good too. andy the instructor said i had really improved and needed to build on that by practising as much as possible before the holiday- i was really delighted with the feedback.... i could have cried! i really hope that i will be able to transfer the knowledge to the real slopes though. i am going to invest in a week of private lessons to really try and consolidate and move on. all the best
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You know it makes sense.
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tommygirl, Well done - congratulations 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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tommygirl, that's what I like to read!
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Poster: A snowHead
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That's great tommygirl.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh tommygirl, that's just fantastic!! I'm delira for ya
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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tommygirl, Way to go, positive mental attitude - works wonders as you've found out - next stop a real snow slope
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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tommygirl, try out some shorter skis. If you are a nervous skier there is not much to lose and it could be that easier turning and increased control will help you break through.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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tommygirl, well done! That's great to hear. And just to echo what others have said above - John Thomas at New Generation in Vallandry is an excellent instructor and very good with nervous skiers. John is also a snowHead
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tommygirl, A great thread, and a great achievement. Keep the momentum going.
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tommygirl - YEAH!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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forget paul mckenna- i have gained more confidence from this forum than i ever have listening to the ' i can make you ski' CD!! i really appreciate everyone taking the time to write even a few words of support - it has given me such a great boost that i am off to the snowdome tomorrow morning to practice my parallels with my sister in law! i emailed new generation to ask about the private lessons but they say that vallandry is only accessible from arc 1600 by skiing there! as there are no road links and it would take me about 45 mins to ski there and i would have to be very comfortable on blues- they said john is training instructors that week as well so is unavailable unfortunately. does anyone know of any good instructors or school in 1600 that i might try for private lessons?? all the best to you very lovely people
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FAQ
