Private Lesson for couple with different skill levels

[MikeW Philly]

So for those who have seen m e on here the last week, It's probably become very obvious that I'm thrilled my wife has taken to skiing as munch as I've loved it. It's a sport I've done less with the last few years and this really opens up some fun weekend/get aways for us.

So anyway I plan on continuing with lessons for her as she gets into it, ideally private. I also had planned to get a more advanced lesson the next year as I'm well over due with the time I've been away and the need to progress to frankly bumps (hate them and I did it thru raw athleticism in the past then any skill). That being said does it even make sense to do a private lesson half day for both of us, let my wife have the majority of the time and maybe carve out 40 minutes for pointers / items of improvement on me?

I have no problem investing but trying to figure out the right approach for both of us and also for her as she improves. I.E. are 2-3 hour lesson blocks every 5-6 days the right approach.

I realize there is no right answer here but just trying to figure out generally how I should approach enabling her to enjoy skiing to the fullest.

And Ive i'm honest I would love to get her up to blues (west coast not east). I won't push and haven't even mentioned it to her but it's certainly a personal goal as I can be very happy splitting blues with her for 90% of the day before hitting my black runs in beginning or end of day. I guess I'm just saying I want to encourage/support without pushing her to fast or to hard if that makes sense.

 

[Coach13]

I’m not sure where you al ski but a women’s ski group would be perfect for her imo. Many areas have packages where you can sign up and ski for 4 or so hours for like .8 Saturdays or Sundays. These groups usually introduce the skiers to more challenging terrain gradually ss they improve.

 

[MikeW Philly]

I’m not sure where you al ski but a women’s ski group would be perfect for her imo. Many areas have packages where you can sign up and ski for 4 or so hours for like .8 Saturdays or Sundays. These groups usually introduce the skiers to more challenging terrain gradually ss they improve.

So given our location our regular day trip mountain will be blue in the Poconos. I’m getting us both ikon passes for New England primarily (probably 12-15 days there). As she gets comfortable at least 1 trip out west a year.

 

[Coach13]

So this year Blue had a 6 week program for $220.

https://www.skibluemt.com/winter-sports/lessons/adult/

Check something out like that for her for next season. When you travel, she will be more ready to ski and you could supplement this with a lesson here and there on your trips.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Pretty much any private lesson with more than one person is a lesson with more than one level. With a private you are the boss, you can pretty much do anything you want. I had a 2-hr on Saturday where they wanted to spit up and tag team. They were more alike than they thought, and honestly I would have preferred to work with them together, but it works either way. As for your idea, 40 minutes is almost no time. Now I don't know how many lessons you have taken, but I would bet that everything your wife is working on is stuff you could be working on. I'm in the middle of a multi-day private right now with two kids and their dad. Their dad is a better skier, but he could benefit from all the things I am teaching his kids. His skiing works for him on the terrain that he skis, but if he wanted to participate in what the ids are doing, he would get better. I could see maybe skiing with you for the first 40 minutes to see what you need to be working on and then have you work on it while skiing with your wife for the rest of the lesson. Finally, I don't know anything about your wife, but I don't think that aspiring to ski blues is too much to ask.

 

[James]

I think if one becomes a solid blue skier huge parts of the world open up. You can go places and just go by the advanced stuff, but you'll be able to get to say that interesting on mountain restaraunt. Often you can gondola down around advanced terrain to get somewhere else. That's common in Verbier.
The upshot is you can ski for miles comfortably in an amazing place. And go with the kids. That's such a bigger world than confined to a beginner/green zone.

Take the gondola around this, much harder than photo suggests:

To go here, an easy green, but you need to be a solid blue to get there comfortably:

 

[François Pugh]

Best bet is two privates scheduled for the same time. Split up and meet after the lesson. That is if you can find two good instructors at the same place. This way you won't be interfering in your wife's lessons after she's had them. Don't do that.

 

[PeteW]

I apologize for the thread drift but I think I have been on the same spot and can confirm that it is not an easy task for one who rarely has a chance to ski moguls

Take the gondola around this, much harder than photo suggests:
View attachment 68873

 

[James]

I apologize for the thread drift but I think I have been on the same spot and can confirm that it is not an easy task for one who rarely has a chance to ski moguls

View attachment 68878

Yes, Col des Chassoures, Verbier.
This year when we were there the entry was as bad as I've seen it. The left side entry was sheer white ice. The traverse to the right out to the lower pitch was awful. Huge whoop de doos, and then a hole in the middle. Maybe from an earlier avy bomb.
We had the kids and the lower level adults take the gondola. From above the kids saw it and said it "was easy". Hah, I'd get fired at my mt for taking them down that if they got hurt. I honestly don't know how long it would've taken, likely near an hour. You don't know the freak out level till there. Once in, it was pretty good with some chalky cold snow.

If one can sideslip and side step well, you can negotiate an amazing amount of terrain if you have to. Being comfortable sliding sideways and balanced is harder than it appears.

Ironically, the people who slide the most, either as a matter of course, for fun, or situationally, are advanced skiers. Lower levels think it's easy or don't bother. Then when it's needed they can't do it. I'd argue it's fundamental to skiing. You've got to release the edges and let tourself go downhill. People will do something to turn, no matter how bad or awkward. It's survival. They won't do something to release. It's not natural. It has to be learned.

 

[Chris V.]

Marriage requires compromise. Shared ski lessons definitely require compromise.

Splitting the time is certainly an option. But the gains from spending just 40 minutes or so with an instructor will be limited. If you choose to do a full lesson together, both of you leave your egos behind, please. Trust your instructor. A good instructor will come up with a theme on which you can both work, from which you can both benefit. You can both work on the same movements, even if at different levels. Maybe the instructor gives you a slightly harder version of a drill. Or you ski more difficult terrain, next to the groomed run. When you're done, you and your wife have something in common, something you've learned together.

A single half day lesson isn't going to totally "fix" anyone's skiing. If you decide to do a few days, try to get the same instructor throughout, someone you like, to build a consistent, progressive program for you. Then it starts getting good.

There are only a handful of fundamental skills that make up good skiing. All the rest is just variations on a theme, refining the basic movements, and combining the appropriately. When you take a challenge like bumps, what you really need is to strengthen those fundamental moves to a high level. So you could productively work toward the goal of skiing bumps better, in lessons with your wife, even if she never jumped into a bump field, or only into a very easy, gentle one.

Best to be sensitive to each other's preferences, and as the week goes on if you'd each like time apart, or if she'd like to take a day off, do it!