What keeps you from taking ski lessons?

[LKLA]

Nah, Josh wouldn’t do that. He’s a good man.

Me on the other hand...

You still gunning for your personal mug by the end next season?

 

[EricG]

as long as you hook up with a high level instructor. The lesson will cost the same, you just need the right instructor (there are different certification levels, etc)!

A few weeks back I spent the afternoon with a Level 3 instructor and learned a ton. Definitely worth the time and money. You also need to be able to gel with the instructor, some instructors are easier to gel with than others.

 

[LKLA]

You still gunning for your personal mug by the end next season?

 

[KingGrump]

OTOH I look great on double blacks or triple (is there such a thing) blacks.

Are you the same MDskier dude from Epic I skied with?

One's mental self image and reality are often out of sync.
As @Josh Matta would say, Got Video?

A picture may be worth a thousand words. A video must be worth a million words. Maybe even million and a half.

 

[KevinF]

Dude! You have your own mug at the Matterhorn? I bow before you.

 

[amlemus]

Where do you ski? I suggest you get recommendations for your area. The standard ski lessons (say, PSIA here in the US) are exactly what you are looking for, as long as you hook up with a high level instructor. The lesson will cost the same, you just need the right instructor (there are different certification levels, etc)

Also: check some ideas here. Good luck!

I typically ski the I-70 gauntlet (ABasin, Key, Breck). I'll def check out your suggestions! Pretty much want to get to the level where I can be a competent backcountry skier in the near future.

 

[John Webb]

Are you the same MDskier dude from Epic I skied with?

One's mental self image and reality are often out of sync.
As @Josh Matta would say, Got Video?

A picture may be worth a thousand words. A video must be worth a million words. Maybe even million and a half.

Yes & yes except I moved to Tahoe. Cirquerider Tom & Tyler offered to change the handle but I couldn’t come up with a good one. I use my real name on Pugski, as suggested.

I guess I really started something here talking about pretty turns. I ski to have fun and don’t really care what I look like. Must be doing something right as I usually keep going when others I’m with tire out and quit early. A video of my skiing may help if I don’t cringe. Lol

 

[Coach13]

Here’s a new excuse for not taking lessons:

I’ve been skiing with a friend who just got back into skiing. He was never above the beginner level at any point and he still isn’t. He was kinda complaining about not being able to progress, so I suggested he take some lessons. His reply, “I’m not good enough to take lessons!”

 

[KevinF]

Here’s a new excuse for not taking lessons:

I’ve been skiing with a friend who just got back into skiing. He was never above the beginner level at any point and he still isn’t. He was kinda complaining about not being able to progress, so I suggested he take some lessons. His reply, “I’m not good enough to take lessons!”

I can actually relate to that... I had engineering classes in college where I was completely lost. It was suggested I visit the professor during office hours and I replied that I didn't know enough to ask a question, let alone understand the answer.

My only saving grace in that class was that nobody else understood it either,so by grace of the curve, I passed.

 

[Sibhusky]

My only saving grace in that class was that nobody else understood it either,so by grace of the curve, I passed.

This is why there are bridges collapsing one day after they open.

 

[Mike King]

I typically ski the I-70 gauntlet (ABasin, Key, Breck). I'll def check out your suggestions! Pretty much want to get to the level where I can be a competent backcountry skier in the near future.

The best deal for this is to join the lesson club at either Breckenridge or Keystone. If you really want to ski backcountry, I'd suggest Breckenridge. The lesson club is no longer as good of a deal as it initially was, but it is still a good deal. Weekly lessons with some pretty good instructors -- and the opportunity to get real coaching rather than lesson here and there that doesn't have a progression.

Mike

 

[RumbaRockette]

I take a lesson about once a month or so, just to hone skills. They're just too expensive to do regularly.

 

[John Webb]

My only saving grace in that class was that nobody else understood it either,so by grace of the curve, I passed.

One EE class I took had a prof who said he wasn’t
Going to curve. 70 would be passing.

He gave a test where you got +2 for a right answer and -1 for a wrong answer. I got -40 on a scale of 0 to 100 ! Highest score in class was +20. He had to pass most of the class. It was comical.

 

[dbostedo]

I take a lesson about once a month or so, just to hone skills. They're just too expensive to do regularly.

Once a month or so isn't "regularly"? Sounds like it is to me.

 

[RumbaRockette]

Once a month or so isn't "regularly"? Sounds like it is to me.

My secondary occupation is performing and competing as a dancer, so I'll use that for perspective:

I take dance coaching lessons 1-2 times a week with my current partner, and we also practice on the order of 8-15 hours a week.

Compared to that, it's tiny.

 

[dbostedo]

Compared to that, it's tiny.

But compared to most skiers, it's very significant.

 

[GB_Ski]

I really want to take lessons, but can never get a group instructor that fits my style. (Killington was OK, Snowbird was half decent, JH was a waste of time).

I'm actually thinking about doing seasonal long program at Belleayre (Catskill, NY) next season. $450 for 9 weeks of Sat & Sun 9:30-11:30, w/ season pass ($469) is very affordable to me, but I just don't know how good the program is. My wife mentioned I should just pony up and pay a level 3 instructor for 2 hours Sat & Sun for 9 weeks ($3.5K). But can I get the same instructor for 9 weeks?

 

[Kneale Brownson]

I really want to take lessons, but can never get a group instructor that fits my style.

. My wife mentioned I should just pony up and pay a level 3 instructor for 2 hours Sat & Sun for 9 weeks ($3.5K). But can I get the same instructor for 9 weeks?

If the ski school does two-hour lessons (depends on terrain/lift situations at most resorts), you probably could reserve the same instructor for multiple weeks in a row.

 

[KevinF]

I really want to take lessons, but can never get a group instructor that fits my style. (Killington was OK, Snowbird was half decent, JH was a waste of time).

I'm actually thinking about doing seasonal long program at Belleayre (Catskill, NY) next season. $450 for 9 weeks of Sat & Sun 9:30-11:30, w/ season pass ($469) is very affordable to me, but I just don't know how good the program is. My wife mentioned I should just pony up and pay a level 3 instructor for 2 hours Sat & Sun for 9 weeks ($3.5K). But can I get the same instructor for 9 weeks?

I'm curious what you mean by "fits my style". Are you saying they don't ski in a manner you want to emulate, or you didn't "click" with them personally? Something else?

 

[HardDaysNight]

I really want to take lessons, but can never get a group instructor that fits my style. (Killington was OK, Snowbird was half decent, JH was a waste of time).

I'm actually thinking about doing seasonal long program at Belleayre (Catskill, NY) next season. $450 for 9 weeks of Sat & Sun 9:30-11:30, w/ season pass ($469) is very affordable to me, but I just don't know how good the program is. My wife mentioned I should just pony up and pay a level 3 instructor for 2 hours Sat & Sun for 9 weeks ($3.5K). But can I get the same instructor for 9 weeks?

36 hours of instruction for $450 seems like a remarkably good deal assuming they’re with a real instructor! Hard to see how you could go wrong unless the ski school fobs you off with the village idiot or something.