A few weeks ago a group of coworkers went skiing. Since Jess and I had never put skiis on before, we thought it’d be a good idea to get group lessons. As the squad walked up to Breckenridge Ski Resort Peak 8 I was excited and nervous. Breckenridge is no joke. Base elevation is already a whopping 9,600 ft with a 13,000 summit elevation. The resort boasts 187 trails ranging in difficulty, and thousands of skiers descend the slopes daily. It’s an incredible sight to see some of the trails while walking through the town.
Day One Instructor
After making it to the Peak 8 base, we met up with the instructor and a group of rookie skiers. The instructor sized everyone one up with a few questions about experience, then we swiftly headed out to the bunny slopes learning area for a rundown. On day one, the instructor taught us some basics. We learned about posture, how to control speed, and how to turn. To be honest, it didn’t come naturally for me, and the instructor would tell me “good job” even if I clearly wasn’t getting it.
After lunch the instructor viewed our progress and made a call to take a few of us up the lift to a more advanced training zone. Looking back, I wasn’t ready for this yet, and I fell 3-4 times skiing down to the practice area. After a few hours of practice, I wasn’t really improving. It was a frustrating experience. I finally asked the instructor, “What am I doing wrong? How can I improve?”. I was met with reassurance that I was doing great and that skiing “takes a little more practice”.
Day Two Instructor
Day two, Jess and I got another group lesson to continue to learn and practice. I wasn’t looking forward to falling more, and I questioned if skiing was the sport for me. When we arrived, we hit the jackpot. We were the only two people there for lessons which meant we essentially scored a private lesson with an experienced skier named Ron. Ron was a short and skinny old mountain man. As we headed up the mountain I noticed something different about Ron. He kept saying “I always see people skiing the wrong way, we’re going to learn the right way to ski today”. I felt hope.
We got up to the training area and just like the day before, I fell. Instantly, Ron pointed out exactly what I did wrong. “Don’t lean back like that!”, he yelled. It was blunt and he was right. At first, I felt embarrassed and I even felt on guard. He was right though. We continued on and this time I fell again. Ron yelled “Why do you keep leaning back? Lean forward, use the skis as a tool!”. He continued pointing out each part of my skiing that needed to change. It wasn’t personal, it just wasn’t “the right way to ski”.
Lessons from Ron
I took some notes on what Ron was saying that day:
- The skiis are a tool, use the wedge (pizza).
- Weight on the balls of the feet behind the toes.
- Shins should be tight against front of the boot.
- Hips should be forward at all times.
- To turn left shift weight to right side ball of foot.
- To turn right shift weight to left side ball of foot.
- Lean forward, center of gravity should be in the front of ski.
- Don’t squat, look down, or panic.
- Wear one pair of wool socks to reduce shin pain.
After getting yelled at by Ron for a few hours he gave me my first “Yes! Do you feel that? Feels good doesn’t it?”. It did feel good! It felt natural, I was skiing! He deemed us ready to head down the green slope, and I made it down without falling.
My Realization
I did a little thinking on the flight home about this experience. I realized that without the blunt feedback I received from Ron, I wouldn’t have enjoyed day two, and I probably wouldn’t have wanted to ski again. Although Ron called me out, he was right, and it lead me to change my behavior. I hope to receive more blunt feedback in the future so I can get better and learn new things. Thanks Ron, I really appreciate it.
