 Poster: A snowHead
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The best way to get the most out of a private lesson is to be totally honest about your current skiing ability. Although we will try to accomodate your wishes it is difficult for us to give you what you want if you are saying "I want to ski parallel turns in the bumps" if you current ability is a wedge-christie with weight back and main turning force is from your shoulders! Or "I want to ski a black run" when you are still power-wedging down the easy blue runs. Over a series of full day private lessons I may be able to fulfill your wishes if you are reasonably athletic, but in a two hour private there is so much more I would need to address just to keep you safe, that it would just not be possible.
In a group lesson it is true that usually the slowest person's speed is that at which the class moves, so again be honest about your ability. In our first time skier lessons (2 hours long), we expect the majority of students to learn to stop, use the chair lift safely, and have an introduction to turning. This is in one 2 hour lesson. Athletic students generally progress to linked wedge turns in this time. Generally our lessons have about 6 students at this level but may be as big as 12 or more on a very busy holiday weekend, but usually we split the class if there are 8 or more students - it just depends on the number of instructors available.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pollittcl, taking into account the above,
Wouldn't you rather have 3 days instead of two,
and two days instead of one?
If you were to have them (with one student that is) how would you structure the lesson on day 1? 2? 3?
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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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comprex, so with the wedge-christie turner who wants to ski bumps I would probably structure three days as follows (assuming that the individual can retain what he/she learns) :
Day one, am - work on fore/aft balance, solidifying the athletic stance and getting used to feeling the shins against the fronts of the boots.
pm - work on lateral balance, and the use of rotation from the feet, ankles and knees to replace the upper-body rotation which is the main turning force in the turn.
Day two, am - revisit day one's lessons to increase muscle memory.
pm - work on upper body stability and a solid pole plant.
Day three, am - work on medium to short radius turns, introducing a parallel initiation.
pm - introduction to bumps.
That's a very basic lesson plan, and probably isn't that feasible due to people's learning styles and retention levels. I would do an into to bumps lesson with an advanced wedge christie skier who already had a solid pole plant in a reasonably balanced athletic stance.
I don't often have the luxury of having adult students for more than a couple of hours, and there are certainly some people who I would like to teach for longer, but who can't or don't want to afford either the time or the money. Most of my multi-day privates are children and most of those are for only 2 or 3 hours each day.
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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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Hi Skiday - this has to be one of the best things I have read on this website - your attitude to teaching skiing is fantastic. I am a type 1 Technical learner and have just returned to skiing after a 15 year break. Taught myself to ski 25 years ago by reading a book before I got to the Resort and could take lessons. Because i knew the theory I found I picked up the actual sking on the snow bit no problem. The husband and i took our 3 children last year (youngest was 4) and they loved it. We went to a very small resort (Mellau) with german friends who we knew from Abu Dhabi( we are aussie expats) There was hardly an instructor there who could speak english, us and our friends had not given much thought to this fact when they asked us to join them but the kids learned regardless. The kids have insisted we go somewhere where they can really learn this year. We chose Kitz as when I booked I had not had time to do all the research and wanted a largish resort with English speakers for instructors. Now to my question (you have got my life history above!) Do you know anything or anyone at the Rote Teufel ski schools that you can recommend. I want to take private lesson or two for myself (skis and technique have changed over the years) and for my two elder girls so we can make the most of our time there and please tell me I have not made a huge mistake picking Kitzbuhel over other resorts  Would appreciate your or anyone elses feedback. Also, do instructors get stroppy if you keep asking them to repeat something or tell them how you would like to be taught??
Many thanks
carolwags
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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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My tip for group lessons is to try and always be the first person to follow the instructor. You get to watch exactly how he skis, get to ask questions and have the chance talk to the instructor every time he stops to let the group catch up.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm having group lessons with ESF in Morzine in a couple of weeks and I just seen that in Feb/March they reduce their lesson from 2.5 hours a day to just 2 hours (09:00 - 11:00). Now in a way its good to have lots of free time to practice and get on with skiing, but how would you make the best of a 2 hour group lesson?
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Jeraff, Enjpy it. Talk with the instructor, make sure he/she knows what you want. Smile. Try to be at the front of the snake (i.e. behind the instructor), but don't hog the position. If there is something you don't like, tell someone.
Mostly, enjoy !
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[b]carolwags[/b A good insructor won,t show their frustration won,t become stroppy Its up to the instructor to instruct, if you don,t understand keep asking.If a pupil fails to understand the instructor it's up to him/her to explain in a different way . Instructors only become stroppy when they fail to get over the point. Repeatedly saying the same the same thing (doing it myself here , but its, a thing that makes me see red) and worse saying IT louder is a failing of them not you. There are manyways to explain the same thing. The good instructors get over what it is they mean, never (how dare they) stroppy. Have a great holiday.
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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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lower, if you do that too determinedly, it could make you pretty unpopular with the rest of the group.
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lower, If an instructor lets one person in the group monopolise "instructor time" they're probably not that great an instructor.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If an instructor lets one person in the group monopolise "instructor time" they're probably not that great an instructor.
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Quite agree. I have had a range of group lessons over the years and have found that instructors generally give a clear indication of who they want to follow them, meaning that everyone gets the chance and nobody is left flailing along at the back getting frustrated. If I was in a group with someone who insisted on being right behind the instructor all the time I'd expect the rest of the group to be looking for an opportunity to trip them up/stick a pole between their knees/push them over a cliff. Instructors often seem to pick the person who is weakest at a particular exercise, to follow them. Hence I followed the instructor all the way down the bumps on some horrid black run in La Plagne years ago .... he was probably afraid I'd die on the slope and be a bad advertisement for his teaching, if he left me behind!
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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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It's so much better to be the one that follows the instructor, particularly in a beginner/early intermediate class, because that is where you get to watch most closely what he/she is doing, and just trying to keep up helps you to ski better beacause it's true, some speed makes turning etc easier!
What annoys me is those that cut in on a group leson, I mean the instructor will go, and say "X, follow me" X goes followed by Y, Z ,A etc you go in your turn and try to follow the tracks of those in front only to find D and or E zipping inside you!
I've learnt now that if I'm not selected to follow the instructor I'll wait untill the rest of the group has gone, give it a few secs, then follow.
This strategy is also quite useful since I am often able to assist the group's 'constant faller' to stand/retrieve equipment etc.
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Booked my first ever boarding trip today. Great to hear good things about Kirchdorf instructors as I spent hours and hours surfing the net trying to find a resort that would be good and ecnomical for us and still wasn't sure even when I eventually booked!
I went with the Thompson all inclusive deal and got an amazing price which was almost too good to beleive. Therefore it's great to hear that the quality is good and not 'get what you pay for' !
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