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Learning to ski - being taught by a friend or by an instructor


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I had a very informal introduction to skiing ie. not an instructor, and it hasn't harmed me at all. Obviously paying to get some good instruction is a good thing if you want to learn 'properly' (discuss) and have the cash to do so.

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Instructor.

 

Obviously as Thursday said if your friend is an instructor - go for it.

 

You could get lucky with a friend - and they might teach you well, you might learn from them easily and it all might be good. But a good instructor will have heaps of tricks up thier sleeves and know how to explain things in multiple ways - they will have seen it all before. You might also end up learning bad habits off your friend.

 

If the object is to have fun - I would recommend professional instruction. Your friend gets to go off and have thier fun while you learn in a supported environment. And then you HAVE the skills and can have fun with your mate.

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Firstly if your friend actually knows how to ski well then it's really just selfish of you to expect them to waste their day teaching you unless of course they would enjoy doing it (I know I wouldn't).

And even though someone may be a good skier it doesn't mean they are a good instructor.

If you really want to impove quickly so you can enjoy yourself more then paying for lessons is definitely the way to go.

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Originally Posted By: Go Native
Firstly if your friend actually knows how to ski well then it's really just selfish of you to expect them to waste their day teaching you unless of course they would enjoy doing it (I know I wouldn't).


I often happily spend time teaching good friends and I certainly do not think of them as being selfish.
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Same. Taught some friends the basics of snowboarding in a morning session of 3 hours.

They got that down and in the afternoon let them loose on the slopes and they were fine except for the usual balance issues. Two of them loved it so much they went and had more lessons but said the instructor didn't feel they needed more lessons at beginner level.

 

I got a few beers out of it and some friends to go boarding with as well.

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I agree with Ski. I've taught countless friends how to snowboard and have never considered it a waste of a day. Furthermore, all you really have to do is get your friend up and running. I've always found it quite easy to bomb a run or two while my friend is making their way down the hill.

 

When I was quite young I was taught how to ski by an instructor but when I switched over to boarding a few years back I had a friend point me down the hill and give me a few tips.

 

Really, if you are only spending a few days on the hill then I would suggest just having a friend give you a few pointers (because you'll never be up to your friends level after only a couple of times anyway!). If you are interested in advancing quickly than take a few lessons. (Keep in mind that the learning curve is different for everyone. My experience and from the times I helped friends out I would say it takes about 3 days in a row on the hill before you'll feel like you've really made a lot of progress)

 

Moreover, if your friend has no problems giving you a few pointers than take advantage.

 

Is it more helpful for total beginners to take lessons or should one wait until they've had a few tries at snowboarding before they get professional instruction? Any thoughts? Personally, I think its more useful to have had a few days of getting banged around before you shell out loads of money. At least that way you'll know if you actually like snowboarding before committing to lessons...

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Originally Posted By: Black Mountain
Is it more helpful for total beginners to take lessons or should one wait until they've had a few tries at snowboarding before they get professional instruction? Any thoughts? Personally, I think its more useful to have had a few days of getting banged around before you shell out loads of money. At least that way you'll know if you actually like snowboarding before committing to lessons...


I am of the opposite opinion Black Mountain.
Our first visit to Japan the season was winding down and english speaking instructors were hard to come by - there were some, but we booked them for the kids first, and whatever was left we took for ourselves. I had to wait two days before my first lesson - I couldnt use a lift, I couldnt stand up, I had NFI. I am not the most athletic individual, and never surfed or skateboarded.
I did head over to the Gondola base, which was closed through the week and hiked up a little way to practice and came down again - I thought I was getting it.
Then I had my lesson - it was hysterical - on my ass or my face more times than sliding - but with explanation of weight shift, and what I was doing wrong and how to correct it I was riding the family run/lift circuit quite happily from then on.
One lesson made a huge difference.

As for knowing if you like it or not ... I saw this poor girl getting dragged down the Village Trail at Thredbo by her boyfriend - a competant boarder. She could not even stand up and get a heel edge, or get up onto her toe edge - it was like something out of Laurel and Hardy episodes. Now after THAT experience I am sure she HATED snowboarding. But she wasnt snowboarding - she was getting dragged down the snow by her boyfriend. If she had done a lesson at the beginners area with other n00bs [falling, laughing, having good crack] then she might be of a different opinon.

Just my view.
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I did say 'unless they would enjoy doing it'. If you enjoy it then teach your friends. Personally I can't stand it. For me there's nothing worse than hanging around bunny slopes for any amount of time. I also know that I'm not a good teacher regardless of how good I am, I just don't have the patience.

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Another point to factor in there also...

I did not mind helping friends and spending time on the greens, but my advanced friend lost her ski partner (me) and was unimpressed. You cant be all things to all people.

 

Sometimes it is OK to hang around and help the newbies, and sometimes it is not.

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MB,

 

You are probably right. If I showed up at the hill by myself without having ever been on a board I would probably consider getting a lesson. But having even one friend with me, regardless of whether or not they know how to snowboard well, I'd probably just prefer to give it a go without lessons. (which is basically what I did the first time anyway).

 

Then again, maybe my situation is unique as a started skiing (and skating) when I was about 5 years old followed shortly after by skateboarding, wakeboarding and then some years later by surfing all before I learned how to snowboard. (kinda strange that a Canadian boy like myself learned to surf before snobo, eh?) I didn't feel all that uncomfortable the first time I strapped on a snobo.

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