At some point, most skiers and riders give up on lessons. “Lessons?” we ask. “Why would we take lessons? We’ve been on snow for years. We’re pretty good and we just want to free ride.” While many of us may recognize that we’d like to improve our skills, we don’t necessarily want to admit it. Or spend the time or money to actually work on improving. Ski school is just for beginners, right?
Wrong — Ski School Is For Everyone
In the past two years, we’ve had the opportunity to take ski lessons with some of the best instructors in the country. Last year, at Aspen Highlands, we hiked and skied Highland Bowl with Sheila. It was a great experience. This year, under great duress, our boys skied with Alan at Alta. They didn’t want to, but when it was over they were believers. Even good skiers can learn something from a pro.
So, if you, or someone in your family, has been reluctant to take a “lesson,” but would like to improve your ski or ride skills this winter, here’s some encouragement.
1. The “Pros” Take Lessons Too. When I asked Earl Saline of PSIA/AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Association of Snowboard Instructors), if anyone is too good for lessons, he laughed. “PSIA/AASI instructors train all the time,” he told me. I noticed he didn’t say “take lessons,” but I understood what he meant.
“Clinics are part of the culture of teaching snowsports,” Saline elaborated. “We take clinics for personal improvement, and to learn things like how to teach a better lesson or connect with kids. I can’t think of an instructor out there who doesn’t take lessons throughout the season.” There, he said it. The “L” word. Even the pros take lessons.
2. Always Room to Improve. Just to be sure, I asked Alan Burriss, an 11 year instructor, who is currently with the Alta Ski School, the same question. He laughed. “If you take a run with Lindsey Vonn or Bode Miller, or any of these professional freeskiers,” he said, “they’ll show you how much better you could be. There is always room to improve.” But that made me wonder, are these pros themselves “too good for lessons?”
A quick call to the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) confirmed that no, they are not. Doug Haney, the Alpine Press Officer for USSA answered my question this way: “Our athletes are absolute professionals, which means they have to train and practice on a near daily basis. Whether on snow to tune their technique or in the gym to improve fitness, they work with the some of the best coaches in the world.” In other words: lessons.
Know What You Want
So now, if you’re convinced (or you’ve convinced your kids), that lessons are a good idea for everyone, you need to decide what you want to learn. What holds you back? Is there terrain you want to tackle? Do you want to learn a new skill, such as running gates and racing? Do you want to learn in a private lesson by yourself or is a clinic more your style?
The lesson our boys took at Alta was really about reading the mountain and exploring terrain off the beaten path. These were the things they wanted to learn. Yes, Alan gave them tips to improve their skiing, but he also introduced them to new skills that moved them well beyond sliding downhill. And, he got them excited – excited to duck rope into the sidecountry (which is allowed at Alta) and excited to take bigger jumps off bigger rocks and land them. It was nothing like the lessons they remembered. And it shouldn’t have been, for they are nothing like the skiers they were then.
Earl Saline suggests that whatever you want to learn, “Be clear about what you want to learn and communicate this to the ski school. There are instructors out there who dedicate their lives to teaching the best lessons possible. Ask for what you want and most ski and ride schools are more than happy to pair you up with the right instructor.”
Enjoy!
© 2012 – 2020, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.
Judy says
I love lessons. I took my first on the first anniversary of my amputation surgery and have had excellent instructors ever since. I just found out there is an instructor at our smaller, local mountain, who used to train Paralympic skiers. I can’t wait to get on the slopes with him.
I don’t take lessons to get to the harder slopes. I take lessons so I can ski more efficiently and use my energy in the best way possible. I also feel like ‘skiing correctly’ helps me avoid injury too. My first instructor taught me how to get up off the snow after I’d fallen, and how to fall correctly. Just as valuable as learning how to make sharp turns!
Judy
braveskimom says
Great points Judy! Learning to ski or ride better can have many benefits, not the least of which is efficiency. Avoiding injury? That’s a good one too.
How exciting that you’ve got an adaptive instructor right there in your backyard! Good luck with the lessons!
Cheers.
James says
Dont’ forget to tip the instructor after the lesson. Instructors always say tips are not expected but always appreciated. There does not seem to be a set percentage that I can figure out speaking to instructors, and it definitely depends on your experience, but I would say $10-$25 a person is a good range for a tip.
braveskimom says
I am quite remiss in not mentioning that and I’m glad you caught it! Yes, James is absolutely correct: Tip those instructors. They thrive on teaching you and your kids and are absolute pros. Show them some $$ love!
Thanks.
Judy says
I just had to tell you this….the other day I asked my 11 year old if he still wanted to take a lesson this season, for snowboarding. He’s skied since he was four and does black diamonds easily, but snowboarding is newer to him.
He said he felt like he was ‘okay’ and didn’t want one. I reminded him (from your post), that lessons are for EVERYONE, and that even experts and Olympic champions took lessons. He was intrigued by this idea so we discussed it for a minute.
Then he suddenly said, “Hey…then where’s the top!?”
He wants to know who gives lessons to the guy at the top of the lessons chain! Great question, huh? 🙂
Judy
braveskimom says
That is funny! Perhaps no one is ever on “top”? Moving target because we can always strive to improve? Cheers!