Go With a Pro: Taking a lesson helps all skiers and
riders
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While most people hunker down when the weather
report forecasts a blizzard, a growing number of folks
are grabbing their gear. Once the pastime of only the
wealthy and athletic, snow sports are now at the fingertips
of anyone with an inclination to have fun. New incarnations
of skiing and snowboarding, modern gear and advanced
teaching methods practically guarantee you’ll
be giddily making turns regardless of your slope-side
expertise (or lack thereof). Resort programs and beginner’s
gear make learning easier than ever, clinics and performance
products help intermediates break through plateaus,
and telemark skiing, freeskiing, freestyle snowboarding
and expanding terrain challenge experts in all disciplines.
“Often people are afraid of not having what it
takes or that learning to ski or snowboard will be difficult.
In fact, all it takes is balance while sliding on snow,
and this can be easily learned with guidance,”
says Earl Saline, adult director of Winter Park’s
Ski and Snowboard School and an American Association
of Snowboard Instructors (AASI)-certified instructor.
“There is no right or wrong as long as you are
safely having fun.”
Kiesa Kay was once a terrified
wanna-be skier looking to ski with her daughter and
friends. “I tried skiing in my youth and was a
hurtling mess. I tried once more in my 30s and ended
up flailing backwards and yelling at the feet of my
husband’s friends. At age 40, I decided to try
again -- with a lesson,” says Kay. “The
instructor was wonderful. She had me start on a bunny
slope instead of a beginner run, and kindly took me
step-by-step through what I needed to do. It was a completely
different experience. Now I love skiing!”
Taking a lesson from a qualified
professional reduces anxiety as well as accidents. More
than simply teaching mechanics, instructors tune into
your needs, be they technical or experiential. Camaraderie,
history and learning about nature and the outdoors are
as much a part of the experience as improving snow-sliding
techniques.
One Saturday, PSIA-certified ski
instructor Jack Sciacca had a large family from Oklahoma
with people of all ages and abilities show up for ski
lessons. “Some made it off the lift and down the
hill; others built a snowman. It’s not all about
making Olympic skiers. It’s helping people enjoy
their own experience on the mountain.
“There are no boundaries
and it’s never too late,” says Sciacca,
now director of Monarch Ski and Snowboard School.
But beginners aren’t the
only skiers and riders who benefit from professional
instruction. Skiing and snowboarding are more passion
than sport. Shaped skis and advanced snowboard designs,
new teaching methods that cater to the individual and
the experience rather than mechanics, and increasingly
varied terrain at resorts all aid “terminal intermediates”
in breaking through to new levels.
“The old perception was
take one ski lesson and you’re good to go,”
says Sciacca. “But lessons enhance your experience
at all levels, especially breaking through to new levels.”
“Not only will a pro share
favorite stashes, but they can help your skills and
confidence skyrocket so you can ski or ride more challenging
terrain than you thought,” says Scott McGee, a
PSIA Nordic Team member and chief trainer at Jackson
Hole Mountain Sports Center. “Particularly at
new and challenging mountains or in venturing into new
tricks or terrain, with a guide, advanced skiers and
riders can master areas they wouldn’t have otherwise
been able to or even known about.”
With the proliferation of inbound
and lift-access “extreme” terrain -- Telluride,
Aspen Highlands, Jackson Hole, Mt. Hood Meadows and
Keystone all recently expanded adventure terrain --
a guide can safely open skiers and riders to entirely
new mountain experiences.
At all levels, from novice through
expert, ski and snowboard camps enhance confidence and
capability, as well as immerse attendees in the mountain
experience and introduce them to new friends. A multi-day
camp with intimate attention on individual needs is
one of the most successful ways to overcome fears and
blocks.
“Teaching methods are so
much more advanced than they have been in the past,
whether you’re new to the sport or ready for more
advanced terrain,” says Mark Dorsey, assistant
executive director of PSIA. “They’re going
to give you what you want.”
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