Is this skiing or a terrible beginner lesson?

[skiquestion]

So me and my wife went skiing for the past time this past weekend after experiencing 30+ New England winters and dreading each one. We figured having something to look forward to may be helpful. We wanted to take a beginner course, so we booked a beginners lesson at a small mountain that was pretty cheap, $100 for a 2 hour lesson, lift passes, and all the rental gear. It started off pretty terrible from the start. Mind you, the package we bought had capital letters DO NOT BOOK THIS PACKAGE IF YOU HAVE EVER SKIED THIS IS FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS. So we get there, and nobody shows us how to put the boots on. When I politely asked a staff member to show us they gave an exasperated sigh as if this was a huge bother and hastily buckled up our boots without really explaining what they were doing. Already I'm like huh, not really that beginner friendly but whatever. We get the skis and helmet, and they don't give us the poles, and tell us to go out to the hill to the instructor. So I'm thinking alright maybe the instructor has the poles.



We get out to the instructor, first thing she does is essentially scold us like we were 7 year olds who tied their shoes wrong about how our boots were done. Anyway, this isn't my first customer service experience, so right off the rip I accepted that they were dicks all around but I wasn't going to let it get in the way of my time or my ability to learn and brushed it off. HERE is where I'm really curious of whether we got a terrible lesson.



My wife and I asked if we needed poles for the lesson. She stood there in thought for about 7 seconds before saying an unconvincing "eh, I guess not". I don't know much about skiing, but I do know that the poles seem fairly significant. First thing she showed is how to put on the skis and then had us shuffle around in a circle on them. Cool, makes sense. She then took us to a small hill where I assumed she wanted us to practice going down and stopping with the South Park episode in my head (french fry, pizza, french fry, pizza). No, she wanted us to learn turning without first learning to stop. Again, sure, I'm no expert so lets do it. The way she taught turning just...seemed wrong. First, we had no poles, so she had us hold our arms out as if we were holding them. Then she pushed us down and said in order to turn you COMPLETELY turn your head to look back over the shoulder you want to turn and just keep looking over your shoulder. I know I'm new to skiing, but I have seen skiing before, and people generally look like they are looking forward...where they're going. Repeatedly I would turn my head all the way over my shoulder, start going super fast in that direction, she would then start screaming "KEEP YOUR HEAD TURNED COMMIT TO THE TURN, COMMIT", and before I ran into something I would just fall down because she didn't teach us how to stop. She also would not tell me a strategy on how to get up (I knew I would fall, I didn't know it was so hard to get up), and when I asked "hey what's the easiest way to get up?" she said "Don't fall". Cool. I'm a strong guy, no body builder but I'm decently strong, and getting up off the ground with no help is REALLY difficult. She would just stand over you, not even lend you a hand, and just say "nope not getting up that way, nope that won't work". Anyway, I basically started just popping a ski off and hobbling my way down.

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!



Just any thoughts on this experience from skiers would be helpful. I fell on the magic carpet which was super embarrassing as well because...surprise surprise when I asked how to do it she just said "just get on".

 

[Tony Storaro]

So me and my wife went skiing for the past time this past weekend after experiencing 30+ New England winters and dreading each one. We figured having something to look forward to may be helpful. We wanted to take a beginner course, so we booked a beginners lesson at a small mountain that was pretty cheap, $100 for a 2 hour lesson, lift passes, and all the rental gear. It started off pretty terrible from the start. Mind you, the package we bought had capital letters DO NOT BOOK THIS PACKAGE IF YOU HAVE EVER SKIED THIS IS FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS. So we get there, and nobody shows us how to put the boots on. When I politely asked a staff member to show us they gave an exasperated sigh as if this was a huge bother and hastily buckled up our boots without really explaining what they were doing. Already I'm like huh, not really that beginner friendly but whatever. We get the skis and helmet, and they don't give us the poles, and tell us to go out to the hill to the instructor. So I'm thinking alright maybe the instructor has the poles.



We get out to the instructor, first thing she does is essentially scold us like we were 7 year olds who tied their shoes wrong about how our boots were done. Anyway, this isn't my first customer service experience, so right off the rip I accepted that they were dicks all around but I wasn't going to let it get in the way of my time or my ability to learn and brushed it off. HERE is where I'm really curious of whether we got a terrible lesson.



My wife and I asked if we needed poles for the lesson. She stood there in thought for about 7 seconds before saying an unconvincing "eh, I guess not". I don't know much about skiing, but I do know that the poles seem fairly significant. First thing she showed is how to put on the skis and then had us shuffle around in a circle on them. Cool, makes sense. She then took us to a small hill where I assumed she wanted us to practice going down and stopping with the South Park episode in my head (french fry, pizza, french fry, pizza). No, she wanted us to learn turning without first learning to stop. Again, sure, I'm no expert so lets do it. The way she taught turning just...seemed wrong. First, we had no poles, so she had us hold our arms out as if we were holding them. Then she pushed us down and said in order to turn you COMPLETELY turn your head to look back over the shoulder you want to turn and just keep looking over your shoulder. I know I'm new to skiing, but I have seen skiing before, and people generally look like they are looking forward...where they're going. Repeatedly I would turn my head all the way over my shoulder, start going super fast in that direction, she would then start screaming "KEEP YOUR HEAD TURNED COMMIT TO THE TURN, COMMIT", and before I ran into something I would just fall down because she didn't teach us how to stop. She also would not tell me a strategy on how to get up (I knew I would fall, I didn't know it was so hard to get up), and when I asked "hey what's the easiest way to get up?" she said "Don't fall". Cool. I'm a strong guy, no body builder but I'm decently strong, and getting up off the ground with no help is REALLY difficult. She would just stand over you, not even lend you a hand, and just say "nope not getting up that way, nope that won't work". Anyway, I basically started just popping a ski off and hobbling my way down.

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!



Just any thoughts on this experience from skiers would be helpful. I fell on the magic carpet which was super embarrassing as well because...surprise surprise when I asked how to do it she just said "just get on".

This sounds like a fairly bad experience.
Only advice I can offer is this: do not give up. At the beginning skiing sucks. It sucks for quite a long time. And then it becomes one of the greatest and most satisfying activities in life.

So, don't give up.

P.S. No, that's not how your first lesson should look like, and yes, if you are annoyed you cant get up with skis on just unclip the damn planks. At this point you are allowed to hurl them into the woods. For personal satisfaction and revenge.

 

[Philpug]

Thank you for even considering that this is not typical SOP. I am sure some NE instructors will chime in. THANK you for considering giving it another shot. Sadly, this happens not only more than we would like ... but more than we know.

 

[Mike Thomas]

It sucks to read this, you made a few great choices- smaller mountain, took a lesson... I am sorry that it didn't work out better. I'd like to encourage you to try again. Maybe let the community here know where you are located and perhaps you can get some feedback on a different area that will provide a better second experience. A mediocre instructor should be able to get two motivated adults with normal levels of athleticism to turn right left and stop in less than half an hour. A really good instructor can probably entice a full ACL rupture in an hour (I kid, really... that's a joke).

 

[Jerez]

A couple of things:

That was an awful experience, and you should report it to ski-school and get your money back, or request a make-up lesson with an experienced, certified instructor.

That said, very often first timers do not use poles. This is true especially for kids, but poles can just get in the way at first, and some folks can't help but try to use them for balance like a crutch and end up tripping over them.

Also, there is school of thought that one should not learn to pizza (snowplow, wedge etc.) to slow or stop because that can impede progress later. (I'm sure you noticed that most proficient skiers on the mountain are not doing Pizza.) The way you slow down, or stop is in fact to turn. But you have to turn far enough around until the skis are perpendicular to the fall line (the line water would take going down the hill) and possibly a little bit uphill. You instructor should have had you experiment with how the ski edges work and how to stand still on a slope with your skis across and how to sidestep up the hill before shoving you off and yelling at you to turn. (And turning is more than cranking your head around!)

No excuse on any of the other stuff, including surly rental shop employees.

And @Mike Thomas 's suggestion of finding a referral to a good instructor is a great idea.

 

[Henry]

That wasn't a lesson, that was sabotage. The only thing I agree with is to forego ski poles on the first lesson. They just get in the way. Hand position should be in a natural balancing position, just where you body automatically places the hands when you walk an the slickest ice.

Skiing always starts with the feet. (Never the head.) Not the body or leg or arm movement, always starts with the feet. I've taught many first-day lessons, and often by the 3rd hour I would have about half the group making basic parallel turns, of course on the flattest pitch of the smoothest snow on the bunny hill, with the feet steering the turn.

Don't give up. Tell the management of that ski hill how dreadful their beginner lesson was, and move to another hill.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I'm so sorry you went through that. You don't need poles to learn but it sounds like wherever you went had bad poor customer service and the instructors technique left a lot to be desired. Please don't give up. I would start with where your had this lesson. Go to the ski school desk and talk to the supervisor. Explain what happened. I teach in Southern Vermont and I can yell you if this ever happened the person works be comped with another lesson. Hang in there.

 

[Jilly]

As another ski instructor, that is NOT how to teach a lesson. Poles - maybe not right away, but they would have helped with getting back up. No for kids for sure. They just get in the way, or become weapons.

Sliding around to get used to these board on your feet...yes. Then a little straight running with a wedge stop. You need to know how to stop on command! Then move a little higher up and play with direction change. Either in a small wedge or try no wedge. Finally a complete turn in one direction, stop, go the other way. The last thing I like to see is the student using the lift....magic carpet or handle tow. With an explanation of how! Depending on the student that could take an hour, could take 2.

Shop staff need a seminar on customer service.

All in all, please find another place. You did all the right things. This is a great sport and something you can do for a long time.

 

[slidingmike]

Oh my God, that sounds horrific. There were so many great teaching opportunities there. You were absolute saints to go through it and want to ever ski again.

 

[1Turn2Many]

Good call on trying skiing. It’s an incredible, rewarding sport. Don’t give up. Getting outside in the winter is important for mental health. Skiing has a learning curve and is expensive, but is definitely better than alcohol, an apparent popular choice for treating winter doldrums.

 

[Mendieta]

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!

I think you turned into a bad place, not because it was inexpensive. There are expensive places that are bad, and the other way around. The fact that they didn't care about the boots is enough of a give away they are inadequate. Yes, any standard ski school will teach you how to stop "pizza style" first. And then turn to control speed, but that pizza stop is needed if nothing else at the lift, and it helps more never-ever's gain confidence (I still remember my terror as an adult learner).

I would ask here for suggestions of a good ski instructor in your area, wait for good weather, and head there for a private with THAT instructor. It will cost you some money but it will give you so many happy days that it will pay off quickly.

Congrats, you are already hooked in one of the most amazing experiences a human can go through

 

[Jilly]

I'm pretty sure a semi-private with someone here, will be a better way to go.

 

[Crank]

We like to make it tough on newbs because we only want folks who are willing to suffer to become skiers

 

[Seldomski]

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!

I am wondering - did you question the instructor directly about this during the lesson or process the info later?

1 hr lesson to teach a never ever to ski seems like a horrible product - why are these even offered? Seems like it would be impossible to do anything in that amount of time. You could spend 30 minutes just talking about basics of gear and getting in and out of boots and bindings.

If you give it another go, suggest you book something longer so there is time to ask more questions about why you are doing things a certain way. It sounds like you would like to get a better idea of the big picture.

 

[skibum4ever]

We like to make it tough on newbs because we only want folks who are willing to suffer to become skiers

We suffered plenty when we started skiing.

 

[Crank]

We suffered plenty when we started skiing.

Truth.

 

[François Pugh]

So me and my wife went skiing for the past time this past weekend after experiencing 30+ New England winters and dreading each one. We figured having something to look forward to may be helpful. We wanted to take a beginner course, so we booked a beginners lesson at a small mountain that was pretty cheap, $100 for a 2 hour lesson, lift passes, and all the rental gear. It started off pretty terrible from the start. Mind you, the package we bought had capital letters DO NOT BOOK THIS PACKAGE IF YOU HAVE EVER SKIED THIS IS FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS. So we get there, and nobody shows us how to put the boots on. When I politely asked a staff member to show us they gave an exasperated sigh as if this was a huge bother and hastily buckled up our boots without really explaining what they were doing. Already I'm like huh, not really that beginner friendly but whatever. We get the skis and helmet, and they don't give us the poles, and tell us to go out to the hill to the instructor. So I'm thinking alright maybe the instructor has the poles.



We get out to the instructor, first thing she does is essentially scold us like we were 7 year olds who tied their shoes wrong about how our boots were done. Anyway, this isn't my first customer service experience, so right off the rip I accepted that they were dicks all around but I wasn't going to let it get in the way of my time or my ability to learn and brushed it off. HERE is where I'm really curious of whether we got a terrible lesson.



My wife and I asked if we needed poles for the lesson. She stood there in thought for about 7 seconds before saying an unconvincing "eh, I guess not". I don't know much about skiing, but I do know that the poles seem fairly significant. First thing she showed is how to put on the skis and then had us shuffle around in a circle on them. Cool, makes sense. She then took us to a small hill where I assumed she wanted us to practice going down and stopping with the South Park episode in my head (french fry, pizza, french fry, pizza). No, she wanted us to learn turning without first learning to stop. Again, sure, I'm no expert so lets do it. The way she taught turning just...seemed wrong. First, we had no poles, so she had us hold our arms out as if we were holding them. Then she pushed us down and said in order to turn you COMPLETELY turn your head to look back over the shoulder you want to turn and just keep looking over your shoulder. I know I'm new to skiing, but I have seen skiing before, and people generally look like they are looking forward...where they're going. Repeatedly I would turn my head all the way over my shoulder, start going super fast in that direction, she would then start screaming "KEEP YOUR HEAD TURNED COMMIT TO THE TURN, COMMIT", and before I ran into something I would just fall down because she didn't teach us how to stop. She also would not tell me a strategy on how to get up (I knew I would fall, I didn't know it was so hard to get up), and when I asked "hey what's the easiest way to get up?" she said "Don't fall". Cool. I'm a strong guy, no body builder but I'm decently strong, and getting up off the ground with no help is REALLY difficult. She would just stand over you, not even lend you a hand, and just say "nope not getting up that way, nope that won't work". Anyway, I basically started just popping a ski off and hobbling my way down.

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!



Just any thoughts on this experience from skiers would be helpful. I fell on the magic carpet which was super embarrassing as well because...surprise surprise when I asked how to do it she just said "just get on".

If true, that is the worst lesson I have ever heard of or read about.

It sounds more like you were pranked, or someone did not want you to learn how to ski and paid someone to impersonate the instructor. If that isn't the case the instructor obviously does not know how to turn; they might be able to do it, but they clearly don't know how they do it.

The only concession I will make is that there is a school of thought, quite popular these days that poles are not needed at first (I don't subscribe to that school of thought, but I am not an instructor, and not dealing with a bunch of kids playing sword fighting). For some people it's an unwanted distraction from what to do with the feet; for other's not having poles is a distraction.

Next time just ask for a recommendation here. Having a random skier from this board show you how to ski would be better than that lesson. Maybe the instructor wanted to quit, but would not be able to collect employment insurance if they were not fired. You should as for your money back.

 

[Philpug]

Please feel free to contact me with the resort/ski area and the instructors name. We would be happy to help find a way to set you up for success skiing.

 

[locknload]

This sounds like a fairly bad experience.
Only advice I can offer is this: do not give up. At the beginning skiing sucks. It sucks for quite a long time. And then it becomes one of the greatest and most satisfying activities in life.

So, don't give up.

P.S. No, that's not how your first lesson should look like, and yes, if you are annoyed you cant get up with skis on just unclip the damn planks. At this point you are allowed to hurl them into the woods. For personal satisfaction and revenge.

So right about it really sucking in the beginning. Lol. There is a learning curve with the gear even before you get to the actual skiing. Sorry it didn't go so well. Don't let the poor customer experience ruin something that can you bring YOU great joy if you stick with it.

 

[LiquidFeet]

So me and my wife went skiing for the past time this past weekend after experiencing 30+ New England winters and dreading each one. We figured having something to look forward to may be helpful. We wanted to take a beginner course, so we booked a beginners lesson at a small mountain that was pretty cheap, $100 for a 2 hour lesson, lift passes, and all the rental gear. It started off pretty terrible from the start. Mind you, the package we bought had capital letters DO NOT BOOK THIS PACKAGE IF YOU HAVE EVER SKIED THIS IS FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS. So we get there, and nobody shows us how to put the boots on. When I politely asked a staff member to show us they gave an exasperated sigh as if this was a huge bother and hastily buckled up our boots without really explaining what they were doing. Already I'm like huh, not really that beginner friendly but whatever. We get the skis and helmet, and they don't give us the poles, and tell us to go out to the hill to the instructor. So I'm thinking alright maybe the instructor has the poles.



We get out to the instructor, first thing she does is essentially scold us like we were 7 year olds who tied their shoes wrong about how our boots were done. Anyway, this isn't my first customer service experience, so right off the rip I accepted that they were dicks all around but I wasn't going to let it get in the way of my time or my ability to learn and brushed it off. HERE is where I'm really curious of whether we got a terrible lesson.



My wife and I asked if we needed poles for the lesson. She stood there in thought for about 7 seconds before saying an unconvincing "eh, I guess not". I don't know much about skiing, but I do know that the poles seem fairly significant. First thing she showed is how to put on the skis and then had us shuffle around in a circle on them. Cool, makes sense. She then took us to a small hill where I assumed she wanted us to practice going down and stopping with the South Park episode in my head (french fry, pizza, french fry, pizza). No, she wanted us to learn turning without first learning to stop. Again, sure, I'm no expert so lets do it. The way she taught turning just...seemed wrong. First, we had no poles, so she had us hold our arms out as if we were holding them. Then she pushed us down and said in order to turn you COMPLETELY turn your head to look back over the shoulder you want to turn and just keep looking over your shoulder. I know I'm new to skiing, but I have seen skiing before, and people generally look like they are looking forward...where they're going. Repeatedly I would turn my head all the way over my shoulder, start going super fast in that direction, she would then start screaming "KEEP YOUR HEAD TURNED COMMIT TO THE TURN, COMMIT", and before I ran into something I would just fall down because she didn't teach us how to stop. She also would not tell me a strategy on how to get up (I knew I would fall, I didn't know it was so hard to get up), and when I asked "hey what's the easiest way to get up?" she said "Don't fall". Cool. I'm a strong guy, no body builder but I'm decently strong, and getting up off the ground with no help is REALLY difficult. She would just stand over you, not even lend you a hand, and just say "nope not getting up that way, nope that won't work". Anyway, I basically started just popping a ski off and hobbling my way down.

We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. My wife and I throughout the day would ask "what did we do wrong there?" and she would just say "Don't know". Is this what a first time lesson is supposed to look like?? Did we just choose a cheap mountain and a cheap lesson and get what we paid for? Do you really learn without poles and without learning to stop?!



Just any thoughts on this experience from skiers would be helpful. I fell on the magic carpet which was super embarrassing as well because...surprise surprise when I asked how to do it she just said "just get on".

So much to address. Here's my overview as an instructor who for 13 years was often assigned to teach beginner groups.

1. Boot rental
The employees behind the counter in the rental shop don't usually show beginners how to put boots on. This may be an industry-wide issue. The rental shops I'm familiar with in New England need to do better. Also, rental employees often hand boots to renters that are too big, and the renters have no idea that the boots are too big since they have never looked in depth into how alpine boots should fit. The workers behind the counter also are not taught how to fit the boots to the renters' feet, nor how to open the boots to get the foot down in there. The best way to deal with this issue is to take a friend with you who skis, and have that friend help get you into the right boots. If you don't have such a friend, start a thread in the ski school forum about getting the right rental boots and people here will be happy to give you directions on how to do this on your own.

2. No poles
Your rental probably included poles. Usually renters walk over the the pole storage area and choose poles that are a certain length. A chart on the wall explains how to choose the length correctly. But then it is quite common for beginner adult lessons to not use those poles. Some instructors want their beginners to use them, but many more do not (here in New England). I took the poles away from my beginners if they showed up from the rental shop with them. At the end of the lesson, I'd have them go get their poles and I'd show them what to do with them.

Why no poles? Several reasons. Beginners often try to use poles to push their skis around to make a turn. Beginners often try to stop themselves with their poles. Beginners often can't focus on what they are doing with their feet and legs because their brains are prioritizing what their hands are doing since they are carrying these long poles. Trying to push oneself around and trying to stop oneself with poles are both downright dangerous. Poles in the hands seriously impair learning. The skier needs to feel and control what their feet and legs are doing to learn to ski, but if the hands are holding onto poles, the brain fixates on the poles (usually). Ski control is in the feet and legs, not the hands. Learning to turn and slow down and stop without poles can be done in a two hour lesson, if the instructor has some experience teaching beginner adults.

3. Rookie instructor
Ski school directors often assign rookies the job of teaching beginner adults. Higher level instructors who have earned PSIA Level II or Level III Certification often are given higher level lessons as a perk, since they don't make much more per hour than the rookies. Such perks for instructors make working towards higher levels of certification worth the time and expense.

This ski school may have not had time to train this rookie properly. Most ski schools in New England are understaffed. It's not abnormal for new instructors to be thrown into the ring without much training. Back when I first started teaching, this was the case for me. I had no idea what I was doing.

There are several red flags indicating your instructor lacked experience teaching beginner adults. here's a blow-by-blow commentary. My comments in black.
We wanted to take a beginner course, so we booked a beginners lesson at a small mountain that was pretty cheap, $100 for a 2 hour lesson, lift passes, and all the rental gear. First thing she showed is how to put on the skis and then had us shuffle around in a circle on them. This is common practice for beginner adult lessons. It's called "boot work." It gets people used to rotating the left foot first for turning left, and the right foot first for a right turn.

4. Circle ski
Sometimes an instructor will have people do this circle first with boots, then with one ski on, then with that ski on the other foot, then with two skis on. The circle they walk goes a bit uphill then downhill. So these newbies get used to walking up then sliding down on skis. The skiers need to be taught how to walk uphill with skis in a reverse pizza, called "herringbone." This exercise is called "circle ski." It can take up a big part of a two-hour lesson.

She then took us to a small hill where I assumed she wanted us to practice going down and stopping with the South Park episode in my head (french fry, pizza, french fry, pizza). You are describing "wedge change-ups" which are commonly used.

No, she wanted us to learn turning without first learning to stop. I've used this approach. It sometimes works just fine. The right way to stop is to turn fully to the right (or left) and then a bit more, a little uphill, as if you are trying to do a U-turn. Once the skier gets off the beginner terrain and onto any regular, the wedge will no longer stop them, so they really need to be able to do a "turn-stop." Learning to turn fully to a stop can be taught first off, but the students need to have total success in this turning or their skis will take off downhill and their only way to stop is to sit down on their hips. So the instructor needs to now how to teach turning all the way to coast to a stop.

Assuming the students learn to turn fully and a bit uphill, then they can be taught to link these turns as they ski down the first pitch that they have been working on. When I choose not to teach the "braking wedge" to bring the skier to a stop, I do this. Then we ride up the first chair, and link turns down the slope. After they link turns for part of that run and can stop with a "turn-stop" I have them try to stop with a braking wedge. They agree that it is much weaker at bringing them to a stop, and go back to using turn-stops. She may have been trying to teach you this way. Teaching the braking wedge is the usual way to start never-ever adult lessons. Doing it this way instead is not unorthodox, but it can be challenging.

5. Hand/arm management
The way she taught turning just...seemed wrong. First, we had no poles, so she had us hold our arms out as if we were holding them. Yes, that's fine. The hands and arms need to be more-or-less in the position they'd be in if they were holding a cafeteria tray (or poles). Seems stupid at first to beginners since there's no tray and no poles, but it's important to do for balance. Just do it.

6. She pushed you!
Then she pushed us down... She pushed you? Really? She should never have touched you without permission. And pushing you is a serious no-no. You could have gotten yourself started downhill by just walking on the skis. Poles were not needed, nor was a push. This woman did not know what she was doing. She was improvising on the fly.

7. Teaching poor technique
...and said in order to turn you COMPLETELY turn your head to look back over the shoulder you want to turn and just keep looking over your shoulder. Well, this is not good. Turning your head and shoulders in the direction of the turn will work to turn the skis so they take you on a curved path, but this is not the technique that will lead to good skiing. If you turn your head and shoulders all the way to look back uphill, in the direction of the turn, you will indeed get a completed turn that will bring your skis coasting to a stop. BUT this is a very bad way to make turns. It's called "upper body rotation" and is a known fault that infects the technique of novice skiers. It has to be untaught when skiers later find that they cannot control their skis. Only a rookie who has had no training would have a new skier do this.

I know I'm new to skiing, but I have seen skiing before, and people generally look like they are looking forward...where they're going. You are correct.

8. Shouting at you
Repeatedly I would turn my head all the way over my shoulder, start going super fast in that direction, she would then start screaming "KEEP YOUR HEAD TURNED COMMIT TO THE TURN, COMMIT" The way you were turning your head clearly was not working. You must have inadequately turned it, or stopped turning it, or you turned just the head from the neck up and not your shoulders. Her instructions on how to do "upper body rotation" were sadly lacking. Your skis took off downhill (I assume at a diagonal) because you did not successfully get them to point perpendicular to the hill and then up the hill enough to counteract the power of gravity. Had you done this, your skis would have brought you coasting to a stop. So she shouted "commit commit." That's another sign she was a rookie. Shouting at a beginner to commit is not going to do anything but cause anxiety. However, you should not try to improve your upper body rotation. You should not be using that technique at all to slow yourself down or stop. You need a more experiences instructor who will teach you a better way to get your skis to take you across the hill then upward a bit to slow you down (and stop). This will involve using your feet and legs, not your head and shoulders.

....and before I ran into something I would just fall down because she didn't teach us how to stop. Falling down to stop yourself is good. I bet you didn't even have to think about it. The body went into survival mode and wisely saved the day.

9. Dealing with falls
She also would not tell me a strategy on how to get up (I knew I would fall, I didn't know it was so hard to get up), and when I asked "hey what's the easiest way to get up?" she said "Don't fall". Cool. On nearly flat terrain, which I assume you were working on, it's quite difficult to get up from a fall. There are ways other than taking a ski off, but to teach those to you would have used up valuable instruction time. Just take a ski off and stand up. So no, not Cool.

I'm a strong guy, no body builder but I'm decently strong, and getting up off the ground with no help is REALLY difficult. She would just stand over you, not even lend you a hand, and just say "nope not getting up that way, nope that won't work". Giving you a hand might not have worked. You could have pulled her down on top of you. I don't give adults a hand, ever. She should have told you which ski to remove and stood by to oversee the process so you got your ski back on without it sliding downhill out of control.

Anyway, I basically started just popping a ski off and hobbling my way down. We did this for essentially an hour and then the lesson was over. Was this a 2 hour lesson? Did you give up on the lesson before the two hours were over?

10. What comes next
Don't give up! For your next lesson, call and talk personally with the ski school director. Tell this story and ask for an instructor with high level of certification (preferably Level III) who has been teaching beginner adults for 20+ years. Do this ahead of time because the SSD will need to make the scheduling work for such an instructor. A two hour lesson would be appropriate. Then another two hour lesson after you've had time to practice and find what works OK and what questions you still have about the things that don't yet work. Book the same instructor.

11. Eyes on the prize
Skiing is pure bliss. When others are home on the couch, you are enjoying an enchanted world of snow. People all too often give up after the first lesson. Don't let this be you. The hardest days for an adult learner are the first three days of skiing when you take lessons. Expect to sweat and wear out, and be sore the next morning after each lesson. It gets better and better if you keep taking lessons. Your skill-building journey will keep your mind and body active and upbeat during our gray winters, as skill accumulates, you'll find relaxation and bliss.