 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all,
Well, on January 8th I'm off to beautiful Obergurgl for a week with a large group of very mixed ability skiers.
My brother is coming along with his partner, and she has never skied before. She's 25, in great shape (fitness wise!) but is a bit reticent to take lessons as she thinks she'll pick it up pretty quickly. She keeps saying 'I learned to wakeboard in a day, so how hard can skiing be?'
Now, I started skiing at 3, and my brother at 1 (!) and we are still learning. I have spent time as an instructor too, though not as a particularly good one when looking at todays hot-shots.
We also have one other first timer, and she is really keen to get into lessons as she has a French husband who has been skiing since he could breathe!
So, to all of you (especially the ladies!), how would you recommend we tell her it's lessons or nothing!? Nobody in the group really has the time or inclination to teach her themselves, and why should they when for many it will be their only 6 days of skiing for the year.
Help!
Ben
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Be honest - tell her you dont want to teach her, always awkward teaching family and friends etc, suggest she has a private lesson and take it from there and with any luck she'll be good enough to join you by the end of the week.
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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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benjj, can you get her to a snowdome or dry slope before you go? She'll be able to see how easy it is then 
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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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Any chance of getting her along to a dry slope or snow scape in the Uk before going? Perhaps introduce it as a taster, dry slopes will not let any beginner lose on skis, so the lessons could be introduced as just part of the trip. She'll either realise she's over ambitious or she could get off to a flying start. Either way it won't be time wasted.
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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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David@traxvax, Aha beat you - but you did put it better than I did.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is she under the impression she will ski with you, or is she expecting to learn on her own?
Can't you explain to her that there is a big difference between what she will be able to ski, even after a week, let alone a day, than someone can ski after, say, 3 weeks, and a big difference between 10 weeks and 20 weeks etc. I have skied about 60 weeks and I know I couldn't ski many of the things our guides might choose to ski for their own pleasure.
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If you learn the correct way you will ALWAYS progress faster - the lady will be MUCH better off with a good looking ski instructor......
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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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If you learn the correct way you will ALWAYS progress faster - the lady will be MUCH better off with a good looking ski instructor......
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If you learn the correct way you will ALWAYS progress faster - the lady will be MUCH better off with a good looking ski instructor......
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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What does sis-in-law do for a living? Ask her if anyone could pick it up in a week on their own, or if they'd get further down the path with her professional guidance.
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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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headcase, triplepostinitus. Give it time ...... go with the flow.
On topic - is there such a thing as a skiing natural ? Who just takes to the slopes without any tuition. After all, how do you learn to ride a bike? No-one can teach you that. Maybe wakeboarding is like cycling - easy to get going by yourself. Skiing - I don't think so. If she insists on giving it a go without assistance, I reckon she'll pretty soon find it's not as easy as it looks and will change her mind. The only real danger is she hurts herself or someone else before she wises up. Use your status and knowledge as an ex-instructor benjj and just lay down the law. The large group can back you up. She'll get nowhere without some lessons. Private if she can afford it and wants to progress as fast as possible.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 24-11-04 14:04; edited 1 time in total
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I saw a friend pick it up with an instructor very quickly, but it was still human nature to hug the moutain and not face the valley etc. Only an instructor will work those bad habits out of you. Just tell her that if she teaches herself, her technique will be rubbish. Book private lessons for a couple of days if she is really keen on progressing quickly.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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benjj, if she's that pigheaded, then she ain't going to be bullied by no-one. Give in. Let her flop around unassisted while the rest of you bullet on up the mountain enjoying yourselves immensely with your instructor. If you hire a private instructor she'll think she'll be able to tag along, so make sure you join a group class - which she definately won't be allowed to gatecrash!!
Bet you anything by the end of the first day she'll have learned her lesson - she'll either a) be in hospital (serve her right) or b) have enrolled herself in ski school.
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Poster: A snowHead
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benjj, better still, get her onto this thread - we'll sort her out!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My sister-in-law and her kids go skiing, and have never gone to ski school. I can't comment on their style as I've never seen them ski, but I do know that one of the kids is too frightened to ski anything other than a green, the other broke a wrist snowboarding , and they spend most of the day in the hotel pool .
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 25-11-04 19:38; edited 1 time in total
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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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I picked up waterskiing in about 3 minutes, but it took a week of lessons to get me to a similar level on skis!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kuwait ian asks if there is such a thing as a skiing natural, the answer is yes, any child who starts at a young enough age. It's impossible to teach kids anything about the concepts of skiing below about age 12 but they'll follow and copy from a very early age. So by the time they'll able to understand exactly why their skis work in a particular way they can out ski most adults.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 24-11-04 14:29; edited 1 time in total
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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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It might not be a lessons thing, in general women are better at doing what they're told in lessons. It might be a cost thing. Maybe she can barely afford it and is looking to save any costs she can.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wow, I go for a spot of lunch and Snowheads come to the rescue, a sincere thanks to you all!
The snowdome sounds like an excellent idea, I hadn't thought of that. I am based in London, and she is up (with my bro) in Cheshire. Seems like Tamworth Snowdome would be a good equidistant place for us all to meet up.
I thought she was being a little pig-headed, but then I can't really remember learning to ski at all I was so young. If ever I have a little Ben / Benjamina he or she will be stepping off on their left foot on some mini blades before you cay say jack robinson!
Thanks again all, Snoheads is the best!
Ben
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benjj, You must have the patience of a saint. The suggestions of a dry slope, (or snow), before you go is a good one but remember that the first few lessons on that stuff are hard work with little reward and could put her off if she's not in the right frame of mind. Having another first timer should have made this very simple for you.
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David@traxvax, but surely you're not categorising a 25 yr old woman as "a child"???????? 
NickW, nah. She's just pigheaded. I'm a pigheaded woman and can spot another one a mile off. She's fit and has probly already mastered a lot sport skills and therefore thinks that it's a little beneath her to be held back in a class to be told how to master a new skill.
WE all know she needs lessons - it's just a matter of her coming to the same realisation. However there's no point nagging a stubborn woman. But a day or so of falling down should convince her....
Good luck!
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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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Ah, stubborn women, is there any other kind!?
You've got it on the 'lessons are beneath me' thing. I think the one way to humble her is that in order to get anywhere in Obergurgl you will need to go up a 4 man chair lift which takes up to 10 minutes to reach the top, when she sees that bad-boy I'm sure she'll be scambling for skischool....!
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Just to help - rent her telemark gear by mistake ! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just to put the alternative point of view - I've only ever had two lessons and those were on Bassingbourne Barracks dry slope. I then went for a weeks skiing at Les Arc - spent the first day on my own practising on one of the blues at Arc 2000 that has a free chair lift. Went skiing with my friends the next day, was skiing reds by the end of the week.
If she wants to teach herself let her, if she finds she can't progress on her own then you can say 'i told you so' and she could get private lessons.
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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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In any case the dry slope (or, much better, snowdome) lesson(s) will be worth her while. Tell her she'll get up the mountain quicker, rather than spending days on the nursery slopes.
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benjj,
Foolproof idea
Send her here, we'll tell her loud and clear
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You know it makes sense.
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Just an alternative view, a friend brought a girlfriend with him who'd never skied before (at his own risk & he'd organised the trip). However... she was very fit and had been a dutch speed skating heroine. (Apparently the canals freeze and they go touring?)
Upshot - no lessons beyond skiing (after a first day of basic orientation) with a generally advanced and technical group and by day 5 was happy and elegant if careful on decent blacks.
So naturals possible but probably a function of tranferable skating to skiing skills.
Not quite sure where you'd skate down bumpy blacks in Holland tho?!
benji I'd agree with the dryslope/snowdome idea if you can make it work.
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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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benjj, It's simple - learning to ski is easy if you're taught the right way to start. If you learn by yourself you'll probably always ski badly. However all your party should refuse to ski with her unless she has lessons - why should you ruin your holiday for a pif-headed idiot? Untaught skiers are also super dangerous on the slopes.
Just tell her straight and get your brother to book her in small group lessons, 2 or so hours a day and leave it to the instructor.
She probably thinks you'll do it for nothing. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have the same problem in reverse, my partner can ski and is coming with our group for the first time. We tend to ski the group together 8yrs to 30yrs experience. I want to ski with the group she believes it will be too slow for her, after skiing last year together I know it will be.
I have said it is your opportunity to meet new friends and she should ski with the lads! Maybe one day out of the six we can go off together. Benjj, tell her it is your holiday as well and not be so selfish, ski with her in the afternoons if she wants to.
You are paying for your holiday, enjoy it. After all that is the reason for going is it not!!!
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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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Loveski - (verb) to ski with one's partner at a lower level than one would normally ski at; (useage)What did you do on your holiday Charles? Well most mornings I went loveskiing with Camilla, however in the afternoon I had some serious fun with Harry and Wills.
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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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Kramer, I must be a lucky man then
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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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Roy Hockley, don't let her meet any male single snowheads! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Courchevel, March 6th if you want to come SKIING with us the invitation is open
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benjj, as a reasonably fit , 30something female who learnt to ski in January this year - tell her to get lessons, and to stop being so stupid! Not only is she liable to be dangerous to herself, but she'll also be dangerous to others, and I'm fed up of being run into by people who think they can ski, but won't take lessons. I've invested over a thousand pounds in lessons since Jan, and I now confidently carve black runs. But, I would never have got so far so quickly without having lessons.
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benjj, I've been here with this one before. A mate of mine refused to get lessons because of money and expected us to teach him. It was ludicrous since I'd only skied a week myself. In the end we sat him down on the first night and told him how it was and what we were willing to do, it was our holiday too. We skied in the mornings and he sat around the apartment and we took him out in the afternoon. He fell into the young, very fit and athletic category. With ski school he would have got so much more out of it. I also went on another trip when a beginner turned up and didn't get lessons (an the advice of the prat described above! Actually rather bizzarely everyone else had lessons of some sort and we could all ski!). Others humoured her but I made no such promise and sometimes went off on my own.
My advice. Refuse to ski with her unless she gets morning lessons! If it's money that's the issue perhaps the rest of you could have a whip round?
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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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It's sorted! I've been very sneaky, but 5 of us have all chipped in and bought her a week in skischool for her Christmas present (and we're keeping the receipt!)
4 hours a day for 6 days, 10am till 12pm, break for lunch, then 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Like it or lump it she is having lessons!
Thanks a million to everyones help, it really is a great place here and is thoroughly appreciated!
Benjj
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Roy Hockley, is that skiing or loveskiing?
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FAQ
,on days 4 & 5 she had private lessons and on day 6 was skiing. Seemed like a waste of 3 days to me 
