Learning How To Ski As An Adult
I’ve always loved ice skating, and as a little girl had dreams of growing up to be just like Tara Lipinski. I mean, our last names are similar enough. Well, unfortunately, I desperately failed at this ever happening and can confirm that I did NOT win an Olympic gold medal at the age of 15. But hey, I’ll keep trying.
Other than ice skating, I’ve never been much of a winter sports girl. I grew up in North Carolina, and my Polish parents hate the snow. To say the least, skiing never came up when planning our upcoming family vacation. The only time I ever came close was when I went on a snowboarding trip in high school. Why snowboarding? I figured I knew how to skateboard, so it couldn’t be much worse. I also probably just wanted to be “cool.”
I don’t remember much of that weekend, other than falling on my butt about… 250 times. At some point, I think I must have snowboarded myself into a tree because my trip ended with cracked goggles and a poor 15-year-old Olivia who was too sore to sit down properly for the next three days.
Despite the total lack of control that I had over the board, my inability to stop, and the raw feeling of my bones hitting hard ice repeatedly, I’m pretty sure I enjoyed myself. Or I was miserable, I really can’t remember. Long story short, the trip was very painful, so when my European fiance (who loves skiing as all Europeans seem to) suggested that I learn how to ski so we can have a lovely, sporty, skiing family one day, I wasn’t too keen on the idea.
I’m almost 30. If skiing was meant to be for me, I probably should have learned by now… right? I had fears of breaking my leg before our wedding later that year or feeling paralyzed at the top of a very high mountain. I should note that I absolutely hate heights.
Despite my attempts to avoid going on a “weekend ski trip,” I eventually gave in. I begged for us to stay at a place with a hot tub, so if all else failed I could stay back and relax. This didn’t happen. Instead, I booked myself two private lessons and purchased a bunch of ski clothes because apparently, you can’t wear jeans down a slope. I was already feeling a bit bitter about how much this weekend was costing us, but I was also a little bit excited to learn something new. And nervous as well, because I’m nervous about everything.
The adventure began bright and early on Saturday morning, when we packed up the car and hit the road, direction Belleayre. We arrived at the mountain 2.5 hours later, changed into our ski gear in the parking lot, and waited in a very long line to get our boots and skis.
Finally stepping out onto the snow, Jean showed me a few tips to start off. You know, the basics: how to put on my skis, how to stop, etc. We practiced in the learning area, going down a baby slope. Eventually, I met my private instructor, who took me out onto my very first slope (and my first ski lift in 15 years)! If you have some extra cash, I highly recommend booking a private lesson for an hour. It was extremely helpful going with a professional, who is calm, collected, and knows what common mistakes to look out for. They also have a great way of explaining things. As we went down, he showed me what to do and pointed out little tips and tricks while also explaining what I was doing wrong. Best of all, when I skied off the side of the slope and fell into a bunch of bushes, he pushed me out.
I felt a bit more confident after my lesson and was able to join Jean and our other friend to ski down the same green slope my instructor showed me. I managed to make it down slowly but surely, and then dragged everyone to come to eat something at the lodge. Another tip if you’re going skiing for the first time: make sure to have a big breakfast. I only had a croissant that morning and was dying by the time we actually sat down around 2:45.
The next slope we went on that afternoon was also green, but it seems that I had forgotten everything over lunch. Once I got off the lift, I was meant to follow everyone. Fortunately for me, they were all in a pretty big rush to catch another lift before the slopes closed at 4 pm. I panicked. Another tip when learning to ski: take your time and don’t feel intimated or pressured by anyone that you’re with. You need to get comfortable on your own two feet at your own pace (no matter how slow) before rushing to catch up with others. In the end, they went ahead and I told Jean that I wasn’t confident enough to follow. And I’m glad that I didn’t.
My first ski day, in summary, was great. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It wasn’t too cold or too hot, and everything was off to a good start. I was a bit bummed out that I hadn’t had more time to practice, but in the end, I think a full day would have killed me. We were only on the slopes for two hours or so, and I was in searing pain thanks to my hip. I could barely walk that evening. So on that note, another tip for newbie skiers: don’t do too much your first day. You’re using muscles you may have never used before, and putting strain on your entire body. Get a good night’s rest, and pick back up the next day.
But before you go to bed, don’t forget the après-ski. We did things à la française and had raclette, which is basically a LOT of melted cheese, ham, and potatoes. And a lot of wine. It was absolutely wonderful after an eventful day, and there was no guilt about all the fat being consumed. We then played games for hours in front of a burning fire.
The next morning I woke up walking all funny. It felt like I had developed a limp overnight, and I hadn’t really slept that well. Nevertheless, I was going to give day two my best shot. We started the day off with a huge breakfast, and when we arrived back at the mountain I went directly to meet my private instructor for another lesson. He took me straight to the lift.
Seeing that I was doing OK, he deemed it safe enough to take me up to a higher slope (by taking the lift our friends were rushing to the day prior). Once at the top, I got to see an amazing view and go down a “purple” slope, as he called it (it was technically blue). He was a retired instructor and I was so happy to go with him at a comfortable pace. He explained how to ski parallel, how to do a hockey stop, how to snake my way down the hill, and how to use the poles. When we hit a steep part of the slope that freaked me out, he showed me how to get down slowly. The lesson was better than the day before, and I felt much more confident. Also, I had forgotten about my hip - which miraculously stopped hurting.
We spent the majority of the day on that same slope, practicing what the instructor had shown me and Jean helping me learn by pointing out errors I was making as well as giving me tips. I was very grateful he skied with me, as opposed to leaving me on my own. Practice makes perfect, as they say, and I was nowhere near perfect but I was enjoying myself. At some point though, I got super tired and needed a few breaks. Who knew skiing could be so exhausting? I certainly didn’t.
Once again the day was beautiful; there was no wind, not a cloud in the sky, and at one point I even took off my jacket because I was so warm. We finished the day off with one easy green descent and then took off our boots — a well-deserved treat. Ready to go, we packed up the car and hit the road, stopping by a diner on the way home and scarfing down a BLT. That night, I took a nice, hot bath (another tip) and was in bed by 10. We slept like babies, and I had dreams of snow, skiing, and sunshine. Not a bad way to start off the work week, if I do say so myself.
What did I think of learning how to ski as an adult? I’m pretty proud that I can say “I know how to ski.” Well, at least sort of! Although it was a bit scary at times, especially when I felt out of control, it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. My snowboarding weekend still remains a bit hazy, but I’m pretty sure I can confidently say that learning how to ski doesn’t involve quite as much crashing into ice. Maybe I just got lucky?
As someone who has never really participated in outdoor winter sports, I can say firsthand that it was heavenly to be outside (and happy) on such a cold day. I tend to find winter extremely depressing, especially in the city, when the last thing you want to do is go outside. The opportunity to spend the day in the snow and sun was a breath of fresh air… and lots of it. Frankly, I can’t wait to go back and learn more, which brings me to my last and final tip: keep practicing! As my instructor told me, you need to build up muscle memory and then skiing will eventfully feel like riding a bike. You’ll just know how to do it.