We’re over half way through January, how?
January means it’s the New Year! And that means some New Year’s resolutions. This year I want to learn how to ski well* by the end of March, I want to be able to save my money** and I’d like to travel more. But baby steps, let’s start with skiing first.
I got my skis from valet and made my way over to the Newbie Circuit. I dropped my skis down, flipped them the right way up and looked at them … for a long time. ‘How do I put these on again?’
There I was moments before thinking, ‘Yes, I’m going to crush the slopes today’. There I was now thinking, ‘uhh..?’
A couple of the instructors were nice enough to realize I was confused. He explained, brush off the snow from the bottom of your boot using the binding of your ski (the part where you toe clips in) and then simply put toe and then heel in until it clicks.
It was suggested I make my way to stage 2 to practice stopping again. I didn’t argue. Spaghetti legs.
Here I met my next instructor. She taught me to engage my glutes when pizza’ing to get an abrupt stop. It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds and honestly the most frustrating part is the fact it’s so important, you have to nail it.
If you’d prefer more 1-on-1 time with an instructor then coming midweek would be an ideal time for you. The slopes are typically quieter so the instructors have more time for individuals, plus there is more parking and less queuing. Win, win!
After several runs of stage 2, and a 1-on-1, I made my way back to where I’d left off from the week before, stage 3. The instructor explained to me that maybe just coming down the hill with a bit more speed will fire up the glutes to engage more. I had ‘mastered’ a slow controlled stop, but the abrupt stop was … err, a bit iffy.
I glided onto the magic carpet, and moved on up to stage 3. I was happy to see one of the instructors I knew was working up there. I asked him for advice on turning, he explained to me to lean into the turn, shift my weight from thigh to thigh as I was going down and focus on edge control. Easier said than done, but I got the hang of it, I think.
After a couple runs I called it a day.
Next week I want to make it onto stage 4, a shorter but steeper hill. This means I’m going to have to engage the real pizza maker to have control. And who knows, might even make it onto the Graduate Hill! Overall I’d like to thank the instructors on the hill that day who have endless patience, I’d also like to thank them for being cameralady/men as well as teachers for me.
Stephen, The Newbie.
ps. Please follow my journey on film too – Click Here!
*subject to interpretation
**The Saving Chronicles?
