Girlfriend (hot SFW pics inside) is a skiing beginner: What to do?

[grrrr]

go in with mindset and you will fail

always look for what shes doing right and focus on that

One of the reasons that instructors are a really good idea is that they are taught movement analysis. When you take a good skier, even a really good skier and ask them to tell what another skier is doing well and doing poorly, they very often can't get beyond recognizing "backseat and hands not in front".

As a BF, don't go beyond "you're doing great", even to say you're doing XX great". Leave that to the pros.

[FJ62]

one final tip- if you are going away to teach her rather than day trips- try and emphasize the "vacation" over skiing. When I took him I tried to plan lots of other fun stuff that he would really like to do so just being at the mountain from 8-4 every day wasn't the focus of the trip. We did massages, exploring lake placid, went out to eat, board games, etc etc.. i think the more positive the initial experience, the more likely she would be to stick with it.

Beandip speaks the truth. My fiance is determined that all of our vacations take place in Whistler... not because she wants to ski, but because she enjoys the town. There's a chance your significant other may not even like skiing. Might as well make them enjoy the mountains at least.

Oh... and I agree with everyone on not teaching your girlfriend. I'd skip the books, tips, videos and everything else too. Let them learn at their own pace and only offer encouragement, not advice. Unless it's asked for.

[squatch]

While everyone said "don't teach a family member to ski," there are exceptions to the rule. My dad put my sister in a beginner group lesson designed for kids, and she hated it. She's athletic and a quick learner, and the group scene wasn't something she enjoyed, not to mention it was taught by a guy in a clown suit. She didn't want to go skiing after that until my dad spent a morning teaching her. It helps that my dad is incredibly patient, and actually is a good teacher, and of course the biggest thing was probably that my sister really wanted to be able to do what her older brothers loved doing. However, this is difficult, and isn't something I could do well. Especially if she doesn't take instruction well.

And for the love of god, when you do ski with her, HAVE FUN. Fake it if need be, but every turn, every lift ride, every bit of fucking around wasting time should be fun. Your attitude will be infectious.

[Telepath]

Nononono...he wants to ski with her in the future. It's getting her to the point that she can hang without breaking up first.

Your own qualifications as an instructor are not at issue here. You are the boyfriend and at some level your constructive criticism is just plain criticism and is personal. She will not be objectively listening as she would with an instructor. Instead she might get hurt by constant cues coming from you (and they will be constant because she is just learning).

I believe this sums it up real well.

I want to learn to tele ....

WTF do you want to do that for?

[300hp]

If she is good on hockey skates (which she is) she has strong legs and good balance. I agree with petchelman. I would convey the message she is not learning something entirely new, rather applying her skills to a different medium. she can already roll from edge to edge and pressure her feet, as well as keep her weight centered. It takes beginners years to catch all that. Don't reinvent the wheel, continue with what you've got. I would put her on a shorter ski with a ton of sidecut, roll to the bunny hill and have her ski down, then roll into a turn like she would on skates. Once she sees the skis will carve like her skates, its on like donkey kong.
H.

[Jim S]

FiXeD

And for the love of god, when you do ski with her, HAVE FUN. Fake every turn with her, every ride, every bit of fucking should be fun. You will be infected.

.

[strode420]

i agree with squatch on this one. my dad taught me how to ski when i was a little kid (luckily he is very patient and a good instructor) and the one single day i spent in "ski school" was one of the least fun days i ever had skiing as a kid.

as far as a significant other goes, go the instructor route for sure. my last gf was not the greatest skier but could make it down blues ok (she was right about to the point of learning how to actually carve). she specifically warned me before the first time we skied that i was not to give her any pointers, so i obliged. at the end of the day she broke down and asked me if i had any tips. i told her (after a couple "are-you-sure?"s) that she should keep her hands in front of her instead of at her sides. Her response was "fine" and she seemed kinda pissy for a bit after that. just an example of how sensitive they can be even when they ask for tips.

in a related story, one of my buddies tried to teach his gf to board for the first time. he has no patience whatsoever and is a terrible instructor, his instructions went somewhere along the lines of "ok now bend your knees, no not like that, ok go faster and turn, no not like that, use your edge, no no not like that, lean forward and use your heel edge, no no no" etc etc. she was sobbing her head off in less than ten minutes, and never used her $800 snowboard setup again.

it was a blessing in disguise though, she had the herp. and she moved away without the setup so he got a bunch of loot through ebay when he flipped it.



bottom line of the whole story though......WHERE ARE THE EFFIN PICS? we need to see whether she's worth the trouble in the first place

[SethID]

If you do YES where I typed NO:

She will end up crying
You will end up cursing
You will not get laid
You will masturbate
Your relationship will be history to be followed by a "I'm so ronery" thread

YES!!! YES!!!!

However, the one and only time I made this shitty mistake I did get some pitty sex that night. B/c she realized what a fucking pain in the ass she was.

Now that we are married, skiing is something we will never EVER do together.

[rippah]

I should have said that I did take the Austrian Skiing Instructor Test when I was 20 and have taught little kids 7 years ago. Not that this is terribly important.

As other's have noted: your credentials are NOT the issue. It's your GIRLFRIEND. Let someone else do the heavy lifting: they'll suggest, cajole, demand etc. Then you ski up after the lesson and tell her how great she's doing=love forever.

I tell my Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me to "stop telling her what to do".

Ski instructor tells Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me "that instructor is awesome, he's such a good skier. His tips really helped."

Now THAT'S fucking funny! And true!

Finally, I'm not sure if anyone has said it before, but make sure her first few days are NICE days. We may all love the snow-driven whiteouts when all the crowds go home and every lap your tracks are filled in, but that's not a day to learn to ski. No matter how hardy your gal appears, once frustration sets in any other physical discomforts can become a deal-breaker. To that end make sure you kit her out with proper ski gear too.

Good luck.

r.

[girlski0912]

WTF do you want to do that for?

I dunno...looks fun.

[dookeyXXX]

it was a blessing in disguise though, she had the herp...

How the HELL is that a "blessing in disguise"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[Snowy Wintergarden]

Get her an instructor.

[Shaggy]

How the HELL is that a "blessing in disguise"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

He managed to dodge a bullet by splitting up before he got it?

[irbis]

Get her an instructor. I have been married to a woman who stayed a beginner for a lot of years. Still is. She's also my ex wife and while our skiing experiences did not end our relationship as such, they did not help in the least.

My 2 cents. To summarize: GET HER AN INSTRUCTOR

[Lonnie]

Alright, we got it figured out. Case closed.

Now where the hell are those pics!!!!

Edit: Humm. Just had another thought. You BOTH could take snowboard lessons....

[granville686]

Truth in this thread!

I tell my Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me to "stop telling her what to do".

Ski instructor tells Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me "that instructor is awesome, he's such a good skier. His tips really helped."

amen
My GF is learning to ski right now, she's starting to get parallel turns

[Tippster]

Depending on where you're going look for a women-only group lesson. My wife did that several times - once in Vail, once in Whistler, and loved it. Women instructor, women in the group, everyone being sensitively supportive really helped her.

I still need to keep my mouth shut about things like keeping hands forward and stuff. She can ski everything now and catches herself when she forgets something, so it gets easier every trip.

[Ira]

Truth in this thread!

I tell my Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me to "stop telling her what to do".

Ski instructor tells Mrs Webb to to keep her hands forward and don't be afraid to bend her knees and shift her weight while initiating a turn in crud. She tells me "that instructor is awesome, he's such a good skier. His tips really helped."

Ty,

the same exact thing happened with my wife after I tried to teach a little skiing. after that disaster, I got her a lesson with a freind of mine and what do you know, "that instructor was awesome!" and I used to Teach a LOT of skiing to lots of people (not saying I'm an expert, but I know how to get across the basics...)

DO NOT TRY TO TEACH HER UNTIL SHE HAS HAD A REAL LESSON...

just to add to what everyone else just said

Ira

[flatNshallow]

By now you get the picture...

Half day private lessons and ski with her in the afternoon... Having someone else teach her = good for her learning curve, your "wanting" to ski with her despite the fact that she's obviously not up to your level = good for your relationship!


Did this with my daughter on a trip with the GF and her daughter... In the am my daughter got lessons, the GF skied with her daughter (they are of comparable ability) and I was free to get my ya ya's out... in the afternoon we all skied together. Worked like a charm.

[grrrr]

Now that we are married, skiing is something we will never EVER do together.

I sure as hell wouldn't go that far. I was married to a terminal novice once. Even when we skied together I knew enough to keep my mouth shut, but she still got pissed because I was also waiting on her. Of course, she was always pissed at me about something.

I finally dumped her. Good riddance.

Now, I can't even follow my own advice...but I am an instructor and I still know when to keep my mouth shut. When she asks for tips, I can help her and she really appreciates it. When she doesn't ask, we ski together and have fun.

[strode420]

He managed to dodge a bullet by splitting up before he got it?

precisely

[bedtime4bonzos]

I'm in the process of teaching my gf to snowboard. We've gotten through it all right so far (and she's improving faster than anyone I've ever seen), but I'd still recommend getting an instructor if you can justify the cost. There have been some tense lift rides...

Of course, if you really want to test your relationship, then by all means give it a shot yourself... you'll definitely learn more about how well you two get along (for better or worse).

Do it... I dare you.

[Shredhead]

Dump her now and find one that's already a ripper.

[BigDaddy]

Post pics and I'll let you in on the famous Australian girlfriend learning experience...

[freshie247]

If possible,Always pay someone else to take the bullet