 Poster: A snowHead
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ive had about 6 lessons on dry slopes and a week of morning lessons on snow. I was parralel turning first morning on snow. This year im going to ski school in class 2(its the 3rd group up,intermediate group who ski reds mainly and try to improve their parralel turning) in france with esf.
Im an intermediate at the moment ably skiing majority of reds. my technique is rather good. I get bored and fustrated in ski school a lot, how many more weekes with of ski school do you think i should have?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Christopher wrote: |
| . I get bored and fustrated in ski school a lot, |
I would find a different ski school.
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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.
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Christopher, you'd get more out of a one to one lesson for a couple of hours. though be prepared for a competent instructor to dismantle your 'rather good' technique. 
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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 biggest regret in skiing is that I stopped lessons after just a few weeks of ski school as a teenager. I then spent years perfecting my bad habits which hindered my progress a great deal, and meant that there were large parts of the mountain which I couldn't ski. Fortunately I found a good ski school and decided to return to having lessons, and my skiing (and my enjoyment of skiing) has improved no end. I still have lessons (normally a week of group lessons and a number of private lessons each season) now, and even though I'm a competent skier there is still so much more I want to learn to be able to ski all the mountain in all conditions. I don't look on lessons as wasted time as I enjoy them as much as free skiing. If you are bored and frustrated in your lessons you're in the wrong ski school.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Less weeks than weeks in Therapy. 
What does the smell of roses look like? How deep is a hole? How long is a piece of string? AGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHh
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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
What does the smell of roses look like? |
Summer rain on fertiliser.
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I've had hundreds of lessons (though I have to say that my technique is not rather good ....old, fat, uncoordinated, scared etc etc). I have never been bored, you're with the wrong teacher mate! either that or the wrong level of lessons.
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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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Christopher, can I hazard a guess here that you're in the middle of a bust-up with your Dad about whether or not you should go into ski school this holiday?
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| Quote: |
how many more weekes with of ski school do you think i should have?
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I'd check out language school first. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Christopher, None, get some boots fitted, by a pack of Fags and go play in the snow with the chicks.
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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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I agree with Lizzard, apart from the company and safety on the hill group lessons are very slow compared to a bit of intense one to one. So if you have some fiends around get out with them and enjoy yourself and just have a few sessions as and when.
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You know it makes sense.
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Christopher, there's no easy answer to that one - but it sounds at least as though a different instructor might be better? You'll probably have someone else this year. Also, are you going in very high season when classes are probably bigger? Smaller classes would be better too.
I would suggest that you probably want to continue taking lessons until you're not actively learning in class any more. I reckon that as you improve you want the ratio of practice to instruction to head towards practice. You never stop needing lessons/training/coaching though - assuming you want to continue to improve!
Here's another idea. Last Easter my brother suggested that his two daughters took 2 hours private lessons every day rather than 4 hours ski school. This worked out at about the same cost - but with only two in the "class" it was better for their skiing and much more fun. You might want to do a little research at http://www.esf-montgenevre.com/
For example - 6 days of 2.5 hours is €98 per person. however, 6 days * 1 hour is € 206 for 2-3 people and € 230 for 4-5 people. So if there are three of you at about the same standard (and this isn't so important in a good private lesson) you can get 6 * 1 hours for less than the thee of you would pay to go into ski school. If your ski school class has 12 people in it... you can probably see the benefit.
Even if there are only 2 of you, 6 1 hour private lessons is only € 10 more expensive.
Maybe worth thinking about...
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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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David Murdoch, excellent ammunition if he is having an argument with Dad - value for money always carries a lot of weight with parents.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Christopher, I agree with rob@rar. I was foolish and skint as a kid so only had a couple of weeks tuition then at Uni and after skied with friends and fiends- this was great - we skied alot- on piste- off piste and I had some spectacular wipeouts! This went on for about 7-8 years, I had not much choice as at Uni I was skint and running on empty and after that I spent too much on beer and chasing girls (very successful with the beer- girls less so).
Over the last 10 years though I have taken lessons- at first a 'get out of intermediate plateau' week then mostly private lessons / some guided off piste and skied with groups (SCGB- which is mostly great) with strong skiers in them. Lessons are very useful -without them I would be far too knackered to ski as much as my technique is now far more efficient, also bumps, powder and steeps are far easier.
If your basic problem is a lack of cash then the decision is up to you- big group lessons can be totally crap, private lessons with friends and family are not the same, guided off piste is a revelation.
The free alternative is a bit random- tagging along with a good skier/group prepared to take you out is fabulous if you are fit, young and can pick yourself up- endlessly (I just haven't been able to do that for about 10 yrs or more)- but you need to be in very good hands or you might end up in trouble (lost / out of your depth / needing rescuing / in a slide / much worse). I have learnt alot of things like this (skiing/ climbing) but you won't get the same help.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sorry -other suggestions; videos- Martin Heckleman' ski tips series, a bit odd but great vids on basic technique and then differenttype sof tun- really helped me and Mrs ed get to grips with bumps. Useful 'common mistakes' sections . I didn't like Warren Millers DVDs mind (whichi sa pity because I bought all of them all at once- any offers?).
Books- 'the all mountain skier' is ok
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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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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
Less weeks than weeks in Therapy.
What does the smell of roses look like? How deep is a hole? How long is a piece of string? AGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHh |
..........................How much pressure should there be on my ski ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Christopher, you also might find the "race" instruction classes (if they're running them) might be more fun?
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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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| Christopher wrote: |
ive had about 6 lessons on dry slopes and a week of morning lessons on snow. I was parralel turning first morning on snow. This year im going to ski school in class 2(its the 3rd group up,intermediate group who ski reds mainly and try to improve their parralel turning) in france with esf.
Im an intermediate at the moment ably skiing majority of reds. my technique is rather good. I get bored and fustrated in ski school a lot, how many more weekes with of ski school do you think i should have? |
...It dependes on how useless of briliantt the skee teecher is and whether he or her can actually help you to lern proper. It might only take another 46 weeks of lessons if you go wunce a year or if the instrukta is baad longer..keep us poasted.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| little tiger wrote: |
http://forums.ski.com.au/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=10&Number=294012&Searchpage=1&Main=13221&Words=slalom+CarveMan&topic=0&Search=true#Post294012
check the posts by Carveman(an aussie examiner trainer) and Dr Wood Duck(an aussie trainer)...
then let us know how you think your rather good technique would stack up against them...
just for reference sake this is a picture of Carveman skiing
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...That is not a very clear picture. I have some amazing photos that make Marc Giradelli look hopeless - but
he is God.
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| little tiger wrote: |
check the posts by Carveman(an aussie examiner trainer) and Dr Wood Duck(an aussie trainer)...
then let us know how you think your rather good technique would stack up against them...
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Lighten up and give the guy a break It was a perfectly reasonable question from a novice skier, and suggesting that he compares his technique with an instructor examiner falls somewhere short of helpful!
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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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rob@rar, if an examiner/trainer and a trainer are still taking clinics to improve technical skills(and making improvements) I would suggest that no-one is exempt.... I do not know of many people that ski as well as Carveman or the duck... I would guess between them they would have around 60 seasons instructing experience...
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| little tiger wrote: |
| rob@rar, if an examiner/trainer and a trainer are still taking clinics to improve technical skills(and making improvements) I would suggest that no-one is exempt.... |
Did I suggest otherwise?
It would have been a bit more helpful if you could have said that in the first place, rather than posting a still image and inviting the guy to examine the credentials of some Aussie instructors.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I found ski school immensely dull and frustrating in my first week skiing. Lots of hanging about and it felt like the hours would pass with very little time actually learning anything or even moving about on the skis. It was quite a small group, but apart from the the odd word of encouragement/correction, I felt I learned little in a group and actually picked up more (probably bad tips) from friends. One to one or shared lessons since then have been a total revelation..
If I were you Christopher, I'd follow the advice about sharing lessons with some friends of smililar ability/experience to yourself ... it won't cost the earth and you'll probably progress far more.. I'd agree with the comments about being prepared to have your technique 'deconstructed' as well
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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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rob@rar, the thread I linked to included quite enlightening posts by carveman explaining his "revelation" re short turns when he learnt to "really do them" 3 years ago -actually that is the first post on the page I linked to.... later on he even gives a big dissertation on the effects of knuckling down and eating a big dose of humble pie and realising your skiing is incomplete and you are not as great as you think you are.... and working your butt off at the stuff you thought was "ghey".... he even says he knows because he did it all....
the duck backs him up
but hey why read the thread? I can always describe the whole damn thing
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Christopher, do not be daunted by "little tiger". She takes her skiing very seriously and there's nothing wrong with that. But you (I think) need t omake sure you have a great holiday with your family - and hopefully have some great skiing! (And great snow ... )
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You know it makes sense.
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| little tiger wrote: |
| but hey why read the thread? I can always describe the whole damn thing |
Typical
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Christopher, Please ignore some of the pompous self-indulgence on this thread. More interested in themselves than your question
Yes, take more lessons ... if it's good enough for WC-skiers it's good enough for all of us. One-to-one ( if affordable ) will be better than anything else imho.
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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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Christopher,
Being somewhat less facetious than my first post I thinkDavid Murdoch, 's advice is very good indeed.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Frosty the Snowman, Is your fence still lying horizontally in the backyard? If so, i'm all over it like Creosote. 
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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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Christopher, which resorts have you been to ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Frosty the Snowman, Oh if only i could scan those photo's of me at five. Like watching the 'Black and White Minstrels' only................"MUM, MUM it STINGS!, Boo Hooo."
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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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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| Fastman, saint or nutter? |
Well, let me think about that one. Surely not a saint, and don't think I'm a nutter,,, but how many nutters do?
How about FastMan the translator?
Christopher, your question "how many more lessons do I need?" sounds very much like a patient asking his dentist "how many more root canals do I need?". Lessons are not everyone's thing, and it seems you fall into that camp. Some have suggested a new instructor, and that could help. Then again, if the mindset is negative, it may not make a difference.
It really depends on where you want to take your skiing abilities. Little Tiger posted links to the comments of a couple pretty high level skiers that demonstrate there's always more to learn, and that you never really reach an end to learning unless you're satisfied for that end point to reside somewhere below your ultimate potential. There's nothing wrong with making a personal determination to call it quits early, and to be satisfied with the skills you currently have. Many people do make that choice, and proceed to derive much satisfaction from the sport.
But if you are still looking to amp up your abilities, lessons are a proven method to do it. Some people can self teach, and via that method can ascend to a very high level of technical proficiency,,, but a quick glance at the slopes of any resort makes it strikingly clear that the percentage of people who can make that work is quite low. More often the result is similar to what rob@rar said about embedding poor habits.
Bottom line is, this is not a question we can answer for you. We can only arm you with the realities of your options. It's up to you to decide how far you want to go, and the method you use to get there.
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FastMan, C'mon, Saint or Nutter?
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FAQ
. But I don't know how I would ski now if I hadn't 
)