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New respect for instructors

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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
So last night I went out with a bunch of people and tried to teach of few kids who have never skied before.  I couldn't do it.  I know what I'm doing on my own skis, but I couldn't figure out how to translate what comes naturally into tips or instructions.  Props to you instructors out there.
Mar 14 2009 7:05PM
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Ski.Ballet
Posts: 2860 - Karma: 200
I know exactly what you mean. It's so hard to tell someone what to do or what skiing properly should feel like.
Mar 14 2009 7:11PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
I am an instructor.

I want to kill every little ignant kid who I teach.

Cept for the nice ones, they can stay.

I have a group of 5 4 year olds and they think that they own the world, one of them told me to "Go fuck my mother"

Seriously, Park Crew is the best job I've ever had
Mar 14 2009 7:13PM
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Crack.
Posts: 6020 - Karma: 84
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this is what I was first taught with a lesson...it doesn't help!!
Mar 14 2009 7:14PM
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keithskibum
Posts: 33 - Karma: 11
Teaching can be hard because it's either your good at explaining things and breaking it down to simple steps or you just can't. I took a teaching clinic on my mountain, but I was too young to teach, but it's a good way to ski and have a job at the same time. That's what I'm doing with the rest of my life because I'm able to explain things easily to people and I have patients and love for the sport.
Mar 14 2009 7:31PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
ignorant.


Mar 14 2009 7:33PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Meh I sort of agree.  I've never taken a ski lesson but I had a snowboarding lesson once and only picked up one good piece of advice the whole time, which anybody else could have easily told me.
Mar 14 2009 7:39PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
I hated ski school. when i was three or four and i was very new to the sport, i would cry and my parents always had to come get me.

I ended up just teaching myself to ski over the years, and even tought myself to snowboard. i like it that way, when i earned it myself, didnt pay someone else to show me how all the time
Mar 14 2009 7:45PM
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Ski.Ballet
Posts: 2860 - Karma: 200
I agree that some instructors make ski school worthless, but the good ones will know techniques and ways to think about skiing that are so helpful.
Mar 14 2009 7:48PM
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Jib-Ninja
Posts: 2819 - Karma: 20

Yah, normally i am mad good at teaching people new shit. I tought in total like 8 people how to skateboard, and they all turned out better than me. And im fucking good. But last year one of my snowboard buddies tried sking, and he already wasnt that good at snowboarding, i mean he could only throw 3's and backsides on boxes...nothing on rails. lol. But he tried sking and he sucked dick, it took him like 30 mins to get down a blue, mabye it was a green even. I COULDNT EXPLAIN IT!!! But i still want to be a ski instructor.

Mar 14 2009 8:09PM
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looneygeorge
Posts: 633 - Karma: 14
I usually explain it like this:
when you want to turn, put weight on the leg thats on the side you want to turn. and then normally teach them how to pizza slice turn, when we are at the bottom of the first slope, they are normally already trying to pizza slice less and less.
it helps to show them, and exaggerate how you move when you turn.
Mar 14 2009 8:31PM
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Alex_thedroog
Posts: 3433 - Karma: 2
I instruct, and I like it. It is kind of satisfying to teach someone how to ski. But I let them know that I will only be respectful to them if they are to me. Most of the time the little ones have a blast.
Mar 14 2009 9:14PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
im an instructor... little kids arent usually dicks to me or anything but theyre just frustrating as hell when they dont want to do something... although teaching adults who are pussies and wont even try to snowplow is even worse.
Mar 14 2009 9:20PM
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keithskibum
Posts: 33 - Karma: 11
I think you means stem cristies. It's a mix between a pizza and a parallel turn. When you initiate or end the turn you pizza then you make the skis parallel after initiating the turn/ in the middle of the turn. But whole way of teaching pizzas is being taken out because you don't want something that has to be taken out later for example you have to take out the pizza eventually when you get better(you don't see moguls skiers pizzaing.) So mountains are getting the idea that it's faster to get kids good when you don't pizza and go straight for parallel skiing. It can be done and it was taught to my little sis. She was really good in about 8 classes. From barely getting down the mountain to parallel slideing turns. So if you can don't teach kids to pizza, but it takes a good instructor to be able to teach just parallel skiing.
Mar 15 2009 11:03AM
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Gnarwall
Posts: 1180 - Karma: 50
I teach (6-7 year olds)

Its funny because their moods are completely dependent on the weather. Rain makes them complete assholes, snow makes them neutral and the only time they are actually pumped and ready to learn stuff is when its hella sunny out.
Mar 15 2009 11:57AM
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babujib
Posts: 5039 - Karma: 104
Mar 15 2009 12:11PM
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looneygeorge
Posts: 633 - Karma: 14
Yes, but then again - some kids are really slow learners, and some kids actually listen and learn really quickly. that method sounds really good to people that listen and learn quickly, I normally teach kids from Denmark (absolutely no mountains, not a single resort), and they are really bad learners, have no balance whatsoever - so teaching them to pizzaslice to get them more comfortable on the hill works really well, because when they have confidence on the hill - they are more open to changes, that makes them feel 'less' safe and comfertable, ie: parallel skiing.
  But that's just my way, and so far it has worked pretty well :)
Mar 15 2009 12:15PM
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*TURBONERD*
Posts: 15081 - Karma: 9,158
ya im an instructor, u never know what kinds of kids youll get. just yesterday i had a 3 year old that i had to lift up on the chair, but was skiing blacks no prob funny stuff
Mar 15 2009 12:30PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
this is not true at all


i have my BASI and CSIA level 2 instructors thingys... you never try and go straight for parallel turns. 95% of beginners would never be able to do that.
you do maintain something from doing 'pizzas' later on, because youre still teaching them to put more pressure of their outsdie ski and manage that pressure to make them turn in a pizza, along with teaching them to rotate their skis to form that pizza, which is essentially the same elements you would use much later on.
Mar 15 2009 12:41PM
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keithskibum
Posts: 33 - Karma: 11
yeah i no like the up and down motion and pressure, but PSIA is changing there system on my mountain to teach that. I think it depends for each mountain because each mountain has a different teaching system.
Mar 15 2009 1:33PM
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