Need help: how to be a better social skier?

[Brock Tice]

I have issues sometimes skiing with other people. I train hard all summer and beyond on bikes and with weights as well so that I can ski the most and the best possible in my limited time each season. I enjoy pushing myself and generally can just rest on the lift on all but the most intense days.

There are times, however, when I want or need to ski with other people that can't maintain the pace or ski the terrain that I want to.

Ultimately I need to be more patient if I want this to ever work. I try to hide my impatience but I'm not good at it. I recognize this as a character flaw and I make no excuse for it, other than that I'm trying to improve, though not doing well at it.

Have you dealt with this problem? Is there a mental approach or some sort of compromise or tactic that helps? In the past sometimes just splitting up and then meeting a bit later has worked but that defeats "skiing together". It's particularly bad when conditions are great, but then I guess I'm not alone or the saying, "no friends on powder days" wouldn't exist.

Is there any hope for me to become a better person in this regard?

 

[BobMc]

More edibles, less Red Bull.

 

[Brock Tice]

More edibles, less Red Bull.

No illegal drugs for me. I don't drink energy drinks.

 

[crgildart]

Work on skiing switch. Ski one footed drills. Stop and take some photos while waiting for them to catch up.

 

[Josh Matta]

puts Brock on list of people not to ski with

In all honestly with limited time I dont know what to tell you besides finding someone who shares you goals and fitness/charginess level.

I have tons of time especially this year, and ski 80 percent of my free time with my much slower wife. I guess I am really not in a hurry at all.

 

[Brock Tice]

puts Brock on list of people not to ski with

The good news is I seem to have an easier time being patient when it's someone new or a limited engagement of some sort.

 

[Fishbowl]

Just say no.It may seem a little selfish, but if you prefer to ski alone, then do so.

 

[Bad Bob]

Ski the slow line. Round your turns. Sluf your speed and work on skills. Even the WC racers work on skiing slow parallel turns.

 

[slowrider]

Easy terrain, slower skiers? Drills....

 

[scott43]

I can empathize..sometimes people drag me out mountain biking and they...just...suck... And I have a very hard time hanging around. I dunno..I'm riding with purpose..it's not leisure time..to me anyway. I don't even know if I could instruct...just can't imagine..patience I suppose.

 

[Brock Tice]

I can empathize..sometimes people drag me out mountain biking and they...just...suck... And I have a very hard time hanging around. I dunno..I'm riding with purpose..it's not leisure time..to me anyway. I don't even know if I could instruct...just can't imagine..patience I suppose.

I think if I were being paid instead of paying to be there it would be different.

 

[mdf]

Have you dealt with this problem? Is there a mental approach or some sort of compromise or tactic that helps?

It is pretty simple. You decide before you start if this serious skiing or social skiing, and don't expect one to turn into the other.

I enjoy a run or two of social skiing on whatever they are comfortable skiing.

Now if I was expected to do a lot of social skiing that would be a different story.

So I am unclear if your problem is you have trouble doing it at all, or if you feel obliged to do too much of it.

 

[coskigirl]

I always have to set my mind when I’m skiing with friends who ski a significantly different pace than I. Both slower and faster. If I go in ready for something different then how I ski on my own I’m usually in a much better place the whole day.

 

[Brock Tice]

So I am unclear if your problem is you have trouble doing it at all, or if you feel obliged to do too much of it.

I have trouble under certain conditions. I'm still trying to understand those conditions.

 

[mdf]

If you stop and wait more often, each wait will be shorter.

 

[Goose]

Ive often had similar discussions with my brother. Much easier to do on the small hills of the poconos but the problem is still the same. And so we are skiers most our lives but living where skiing is a trip and only happens but not so mnay days per season but a few and been through the years sacrificing terrain and self ski time waiting for our kids to be good enough.

Whenever skiing involves others inexperienced whether extended family or friends there is an important thought that comes to mind. Our ski time as noted is very valuable. Time and money and other obligations and also (given where we live) weather all has to come together and hence why ski days are limited. So you want to make the most of it. Spent (sacrificed) a lot of it tending to having our kids become their own skiers. That takes a long time (even years) when skiing is very limited thing you get to partake in. And so you go with other people new to the sport and its like there is no way Im sacrificing our very valuable ski day/s due to the others being new or a lot less experienced.

If it was something we did iving close buy amountain and were able to do regularly many amny days a year it may not be a big deal. But its not and so when we go we want to ski and we want to ski a lot and we want our grown kids to ski a lot and they want to ski. We've paid our dues and its great we can all enjoy the whole mountain and really ski to whatever our hearts desire. So we go and we make it known we are going to ski with the others a little but then we are off doing what we do. We'll meet back a bit here and there but that's where it ends. Just too expensive, too precious, too daunting the task, and too rare to give it up for others inexperience. Its not at all selfish imo. One the biggest wasted ski days we had was when my inlaws came for a day with us. Im not about to spend half the day on the bunny hill and the other half in the lodge ever again. Imo your more than welcome to come but given the amount of ski time we have per season and the dues we have paid , we are going there to ski. Not to sit and watch you learn. The "zoo" of the weekend pocono resorts are bad enough and the last thing we want is to be right in the thick of it. I advise to take lesson. We will help some and ski together some but sorry...we are gone for a large portion of the day. On the slopes before you even arrive. If things go well and your fam is still skiing later in the day and we've had our fill? Ill meet up and gladly take some runs together.

 

[Goose]

I wanted to add to my last post. if the company is not totally new to skiing but is a tad capable, then we will take more runs together. Ill just use the lessor terrain to practice technique. Ski and sftop ahead. Or wait behind and then ski down sections at a time. And often I can do this anyway especially as the legs get tired (not young any more..lol) so Im more than happy to do that enough times. Offer some help and it can be enjoyable.

 

[Brock Tice]

To Goose's point, and after thinking about this more and discussing it here at home, I seem to have an easier time with it if I can get some good hard skiing in on my own first. If we split up in the morning, meet for lunch, and then ski more together after lunch, I have a much easier time of things. I think the beer at lunch and terrain closing helps.

 

[Pequenita]

The only slower paced people that I social ski with are people that I really, really like, and I adjust my expectations/wear more layers/whatever it takes to enjoy the time I have with them. I agree, though, it's tough to figure out pace with new people before you actually get out there. I almost froze today because someone I was skiing with fell on every. turn. on the second run, and I hadn't skied with them before.


ETA: for instance, I have been making excuses for the last two years as to why I can't make it to the office weekend ski day. Social skiing with my office on a day off from work sounds like a circle of hell.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

I have tons of time especially this year, and ski 80 percent of my free time with my much slower wife. I guess I am really not in a hurry at all.

Happy wife, happy life!

@Brock Tice In all seriousness though, ski a couple of runs socially and then split off for awhile with a plan for a meet up for lunch. I ski with my hubby who is way faster than I. Most days, that's not a problem and I go as fast as I can so as to keep up with the boys. I make a point of starting out ahead of them so no one has to wait at the lift for me. However, there are days that I just don't feel like that. I just say so. There is also terrain that I don't want to ski that he does. It's no big deal. We ski a few together, split up, meet for lunch, and repeat. Social skiing doesn't have to be every run all day.