What keeps you from taking ski lessons?

[Tricia]

At most of the resorts around here, you have to pay big $$ to get a requested instructor, and if you pay the base rate the instructor you get is a crapshoot.
I've had enough good lessons in the past 13 (or so) years that I struggle with the idea of not getting the instructor I want and I don't have the extra dough to pay for a request private.

I do, however ski with some pretty incredible instructors from time to time and glean from their expertise.

 

[mdf]

You have to be in the right place in your development and in the right mental state to get a big benefit from a lesson. I think back on my lessons, and there were a few that caused amazing improvement, but there were others where my reaction was "that was an OK lesson, I guess." And all of my instructors were somewhere between competent and great as skiers and teachers (not counting the horrible ones in college gym class). You have to accept you can't hit a home run every time.

 

[Andy Mink]

Ahhh, lessons. I need them. I should take them. The last lesson I have I don't even remember. I was maybe 5 or 6, so 1970ish. I guess I'm "self taught", though "taught" may be a stretch. I skied quite a bit in middle and high school back in PA, then in college at Mt. Rose. After I got married we skied and then kids slowed things down. It became occasional. One season I skied ONE run on a season pass. Crappy weather, bad boots, bad time.

Anyway, I've been in it now for three seasons and have been progressing pretty well on my own. I'm hesitant to take a lesson due to A) money and B) I like to ski, not learn. I did all my learning' in kollege!

 

[LuliTheYounger]

Honestly, I'll own up to more or less being satisfied with where I'm at. I totally think I could be a better skier, but it would take more than a few days a season to make a really meaningful change, and I'm also not particularly interested in skiing any terrain that's much more challenging/riskier than I currently do.

It's also hard not to compare the prices to other sports I do? It's not like I have a history of choosing cheap pursuits (sorry mom), but it's more expensive to take a group ski lesson with an instructor I've never met, in a group that might not be appropriate, than it is to go home and take a private lesson in a sport I actually compete in, with a well respected coach that I've known for years & already have a working relationship with. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who does this kind of calculation & decides to throw the more expensive, lower-stakes coaching to the wayside.

 

[CalG]

Why should I trust a stranger to help me with something so important as MY SKIING!??
It hasn't worked out well in the past, why would I expect it to work out today or tomorrow?

Most of us "skiers", are one clown short of a circus, and that goes for those in the "line up" as well as the rest.

'just a perspective from experience....

 

[geepers]

Ahhh, lessons. I need them. I should take them. The last lesson I have I don't even remember. I was maybe 5 or 6, so 1970ish. I guess I'm "self taught", though "taught" may be a stretch. I skied quite a bit in middle and high school back in PA, then in college at Mt. Rose. After I got married we skied and then kids slowed things down. It became occasional. One season I skied ONE run on a season pass. Crappy weather, bad boots, bad time.

Anyway, I've been in it now for three seasons and have been progressing pretty well on my own. I'm hesitant to take a lesson due to A) money and B) I like to ski, not learn. I did all my learning' in kollege!

Yeah, I'm like that with doctors (and other health professionals). I really want them to have finished all their learning back in college and I don't want them wasting valuable doctoring time studying new medical procedures, latest medicines and technologies. If it was good enough for my grandpa, it should be good enough for me.

 

[geepers]

Why should I trust a stranger to help me with something so important as MY SKIING!??

Skiing is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that.

 

[luliski]

I don't sign up for group lessons because they're expensive and I worry it won't be worth it. There is a women's clinic at the mountains where I ski, offered twice a week, and it's quite inexpensive. The thing that has kept me from signing up for one of those is just having to be at the resort at a certain time on a certain day for a lesson; so I guess that's a lack of commitment. I absolutely would like to improve my skills, but I did take quite a few lessons and ski camp growing up, so I more or less have the basics and really only feel I'm lacking when I try to follow expert skiers or skiers with more confidence around. I really want to do the Taos Ski Week, but can't do it this year.

 

[Eleeski]

What keeps me from taking lessons? Not enough powder days where the cuts in line make getting an instructor incredibly useful.

OK, they often know the secret stashes. They have relevant input on technique. Even good knowledge of (and access to) equipment. And they are really fun to ski with.

But it's really all about line cuts!

Of course if I was a millionaire, I'd just hire them as ski buddies. And enjoy the line cuts.

Eric

 

[Pumba]

Cost.

 

[jzmtl]

$250 an hour is a pretty good reason.

 

[Marker]

The best three lessons I've had were from a Level 3 instructor at Sunday River during their Go 50 ski week. Lessons included with lodging, breakfast, and lift tickets. Not many showed up so the wife and I got privates for essentially free! I think our tip made him pick us out of the line up after the first day...

 

[Tricia]

I did all my learning' in kollege!

Did you learn to not listen to me?

 

[Andy Mink]

Did you learn to not listen to me?

Obviously not!

 

[Chef23]

I am 52 now and have been skiing since I was 4. I have only had a handful of lessons and not in probably 40 years. However in my teens through late 20s I skied a lot with skiers that were better than me and learned a ton with them. I had different friends that were racers and competitive mogul skiers and I learned a ton from them.

In general these days I am comfortable with where I am at and I don't ski that much. If I got a lot more days in I would get closer to my previous level then I might benefit from some lessons but it is unlikely to happen soon.

 

[Crank]

Time & money at different times.

Other than the 2 and a half seasons I was a ski bum I have had limited time on skis. So when I had time I didn't have money and when I had money I didn't have time.

Now I ski at a fairly high level and though my technique is less than perfect it ain't so band either. I am not a perfectionist and can make it down really steep, challenging hills without too much fear and trepidation.

That said, last season I participated in the famed Taos Ski Week. An extremely low snow year meant we skiing on blue groomers coated with man made snow all week. Taking group lessons most of the week did add to my skiing abilities a bit and also kept me from being bored on the limited terrain.

I would consider a Steep and Deep type clinic or a guide to fun terrain and powder stashes type lesson at large and unfamiliar hills. At my age, 62, I feel like I am only heading downhill ability wise and I am OK with where I am and where I am headed.

 

[SugarCube]

. . . Most of us "skiers", are one clown short of a circus . . . 'just a perspective from experience....

Gotta borrow this expression sometime--hilarious!

 

[Lauren]

Many skiers start out describing their skill level as "I can get down anything..."

I often will describe my skiing as "I can get down the mountain". This is often a description I use when I'm making plans to ski with someone I had never skied with before. I've gotten the question/statement, "are you good?", "how good are you?", or maybe an occasional "so-and-so said you were really good". Being "good" is subjective. To some people, I probably suck. To other delusional people, I am one step below being a World Cup skier. I never really know how to "rate" my own skiing, so I'd rather just let them know they don't need to worry about me making it down in one piece.

It's a bit of a paradox - you want to get better, but don't seek out a method to get there. Most posters here are passionate about the sport, yet it seems many don't seek formal instruction. If you want to get better, but haven't taken a lesson in a long time, why is that?

To me, formal instruction is not the only way to get better. I think I get better every day I ski. Maybe my technique doesn't improve ten fold everyday, but I learn something new. I learn from watching people on the slopes, I learn from following people that are better than me, I learn from exploring my own range of motion, I learn from reading something here or elsewhere on the world wide web and trying it out.

It comes down to how you want to spend your time, money and energy. I am quite happy spending all three of those free skiing, because that's what brings me the most joy. That's why I ski, for the joy it brings me.

 

[Slim]

Absolutely, time and money.
At ~$700/day, the choice ispretty much: take a lesson or buy a plane ticket to go skiing another weekend(I have an Ikon pass, so lift tickets are covered).
The other one is time. We usually take a one day lesson during our week long trip, but to do it more often, or on shorter trips, starts to eat into precious vacation time. We have 8 & 11 year old girls, so if we do lessons, we are not spending time with them. Shorter trips make it even harder.
The other part is that, no matter how good the instructor, at this level in my skiing, one day isn’t going to make a noticeable difference in my skiing.
So, if I truly want to progress, I’d have to commit my entire week to learning, and that is more money and time away from my family than I am willing to commit to improving my skills.

At my home hill here in Duluth, my feeling is that the level of instruction and the limited terrain available, is not good enough to be worthwhile.

 

[Slim]

I have a friend who instructs. She teaches based on the groups objectives. Some want to improve but while having fun (like what @Nancy Hummel is saying) so she teaches those folks differently from those who want to do drills and be serious. I think that's something more Schools should adopt and market. I read some of the comments above and I wonder if those folks would want a lesson that caters to a family or group of friends more in the sense of a more relaxed fun-focused with guidance?

@Nancy Hummel is this approach more common at your mountain?

We book private lessons with 2 or 4 of us, so then it’s fun and social.
I have had great instructors every year(PSIA L3) and had a lot of fun and learned somehting every time.

However there is a law of dimisishing returns. By this point, one more day of lessons isn’t going to make a real difference. I asssume it’s the same for most people on this forum(as opposed to beginners and low intermediate skiers).

What I would like would be a multi day 2 hour lesson package. Every morning you’d start the day with 2 hours of instruction and a list of drills to work on. Then go out and practice them on my own, as well as spend time with family.

That I think, would be a great product for ski schools to offer.