Were you a terrified, first time skier, who learned to love it?

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Ooci
Ooci Posts: 247 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If so, I'd really love to read your story.

We're going in March and I'm absolutely petrified - of the lifts, of the claustrophobia in the lifts, of the heights, of there not being a toilet in the lifts (I have IBS) of the skiing - especially feeling out of control and sliding, which I do not like.

You may wonder why I'm going when I have all this emotional baggage. But, I had similar baggage about tennis - being laughed at, never being picked as a partner, never being able to return the ball, looking stupid, etc etc etc and now I can't tell you how much I love it - just 9 months on. Everyone wants to play with me and I often win. I've gone from never having hit a ball in my life to being pretty lethal at the net. Tennis has given me the confidence to join my husband on this ski trip and make him proud. Tennis and losing 40 lb.

Am I going to love skiing as I learned to love tennis? Please say yes!

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    My best guess is: you won't be anywhere near a lift (at least not a long one) the first day. You'll know more then about whether or not you'll like it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Over Christmas break I went downhill skiing for the first time ever. I took a lesson, and I wasn't the most awkward dweeb there! A win! I'm going back the end of this week, free lift day.

    IMG_2239-MOTION.gif
  • loratliff
    loratliff Posts: 283 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    My best guess is: you won't be anywhere near a lift (at least not a long one) the first day. You'll know more then about whether or not you'll like it.

    Yep. Splurge on an all-day lesson at least on the first day. It will make all the difference!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    I think it is different for everyone. Definitely enjoy finding out and experimenting!

    For me personally, my family wasted countless $$$ for lessons for me. I NEVER was able to learn well enough to enjoy, but I could see that if you were good it would be fun.

    On a positive note, I am very claustrophobic and fear heights. I actually can have panic attacks about it. But seriously, the lifts never bothered me! I know it doesn't make sense, but that is the way it was.

    Good luck.
  • SatchTango
    SatchTango Posts: 7 Member
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    Tennis is far more difficult than skiing, and skiing isn't competitive. Stay on the j-bar and bunny slope the first day, and you'll be fine.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    loratliff wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    My best guess is: you won't be anywhere near a lift (at least not a long one) the first day. You'll know more then about whether or not you'll like it.

    Yep. Splurge on an all-day lesson at least on the first day. It will make all the difference!

    Good call. Even a group lesson. And if your buddies say: hey, just start by going to the top with us, you'll figure it out, given your worries, the answer should be no.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Over Christmas break I went downhill skiing for the first time ever. I took a lesson, and I wasn't the most awkward dweeb there! A win! I'm going back the end of this week, free lift day.

    IMG_2239-MOTION.gif
    Fabulous!

  • makingmylifebetter
    makingmylifebetter Posts: 37 Member
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    Just don't let whoever you go with push you into doing more than you feel ready for.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    First time I ever went downhill skiing was about 9 years ago when I was 25. I got some lessons and was hooked the first day. Went out and bought my own gear the next weekend and it has been a major part of my winter life ever since. I quickly got good at it and there is pretty much nowhere I won't ski on any mountain
  • wendyking1979
    wendyking1979 Posts: 71 Member
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    Yes, I was a terrified first-time skier. No, I did not learn to love it. Mild concussion on my first ski trip, torn MCL on my second. I no longer strap things to my feet that I can't control. LOL

    HOWEVER, I am the clumsiest person on the face of the planet, so I wouldn't use that to base anything on. I really hope you have a fun time!!!! :D
  • bfergusonii
    bfergusonii Posts: 208 Member
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    I went skiing for the first time 18 months ago. I am 47 years old and had my doubts. I took a group lesson and was not the worst one there so that was encouraging. I spent that entire trip just skiing on the bunny slope and few gentle greens. I absolutely fell in love with skiing and have been back three times since then and we are going again over spring break. In just four trips I have skied every blue slope at both resorts and on the last trip went down a few of the black diamonds. This spring break we are going to hit all the black diamonds. Should be awesome.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,263 Member
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    wendyking1979 wrote: »
    Yes, I was a terrified first-time skier. No, I did not learn to love it. Mild concussion on my first ski trip, torn MCL on my second. I no longer strap things to my feet that I can't control. LOL

    HOWEVER, I am the clumsiest person on the face of the planet, so I wouldn't use that to base anything on. I really hope you have a fun time!!!! :D
    QFT...

    Anyone who asks me about skiing gets my standard answer: "I can hurt myself for free. Why be cold AND pay for it?" That said, I have a TERRIBLE sense of balance. I know my limitations. I think it's awesome that you have the confidence to even consider doing this though. That's fantastic! I am an adult learner swimmer who has never, ever been comfortable in water. I now LOVE swimming.

    Good luck!!

  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
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    Ahh, lovely to read all these posts - thank you so much!
    bfergusonii wrote: »
    I went skiing for the first time 18 months ago. I am 47 years old and had my doubts. I took a group lesson and was not the worst one there so that was encouraging. I spent that entire trip just skiing on the bunny slope and few gentle greens. I absolutely fell in love with skiing and have been back three times since then and we are going again over spring break. In just four trips I have skied every blue slope at both resorts and on the last trip went down a few of the black diamonds. This spring break we are going to hit all the black diamonds. Should be awesome.

    I love this! I want to be the same!


    jgnatca wrote: »
    Over Christmas break I went downhill skiing for the first time ever. I took a lesson, and I wasn't the most awkward dweeb there! A win! I'm going back the end of this week, free lift day.

    IMG_2239-MOTION.gif

    You look terrific - if I can do that after 5 days I'll fall down on my knees in gratitude!

    girlwithcurls2 wrote: »
    wendyking1979 wrote: »

    Anyone who asks me about skiing gets my standard answer: "I can hurt myself for free. Why be cold AND pay for it?" That said, I have a TERRIBLE sense of balance. I know my limitations. I think it's awesome that you have the confidence to even consider doing this though. That's fantastic! I am an adult learner swimmer who has never, ever been comfortable in water. I now LOVE swimming.

    Good luck!!

    I couldn't swim til I was 25! Yay to learning new skills and getting new confidence in adulthood!


  • fitbethlin
    fitbethlin Posts: 162 Member
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    I was the worst person in my group lesson. Like, truly truly awful. I did two days of lessons, then rode down a couple very simple greens with my husband the next day. I wouldn't say I fell in love with it, but I had one of those lovely ah-ha moments on day 3 and it felt amazing.

    The next year, I learned to snowboard. And that I'm in love with! Which is good since I just moved to Denver this year. Surprisingly, snowboarding was a lot easier to learn. I think with two skis with two edges on two feet there were just too many variables for my coordination-challenged self. Now that I'm more confident with snowboarding, I want to go back to skiing and give it a try. :)

    The lifts are something you learn how to deal with during the lessons. The first time I rode, I was nervous, but I had a good instructor and it's amazing how quickly that can become second nature. (And I get nervous about getting up on a ladder to change lightbulbs!) I haven't been to a place in Denver or Tahoe that had a super long lift where I'd be worried about bathrooms. You do end up in a gondola sometimes to get to the base (Breckenridge, Northstar, etc), but that's a 5 - 7 minute trip. If you are having trouble that will prevent you from going 10 minutes without a bathroom, then that's probably not a day to do anything other than hang out in a lodge.
  • Pupslice
    Pupslice Posts: 213 Member
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    I tried it years ago and was not enthralled. All I remember about the lessons is when your skis look like this || it was called French fries and when they're like this /\ it was called pizza. And all I wanted to do was go back to the lodge and eat French fries and pizza lol.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Hmmmm. Wouldn't say I was terrified, but it def took me a while to get used to. I didn't take up downhill skiing until my son wanted to learn (seven or so years ago), so I was already in my late 40's and quite aware that I was neither indestructible nor immortal. I learned to like it a lot, but I'm still not an aggressive skier -- you very seldom find me off the groomed slopes.

    Not sure where you're going, but I've never been on an enclosed lift in my life, so claustrophobia has never been an issue (agoraphobia, perhaps). Starting out, you'll probably be on a magic carpet or bar tow -- the bunny hill lift is usually a bit later, depending on how fast you learn.

    Def get some lessons. You'll have lot of bad instincts (like standing upright and leaning back) that you'll want to nip in the bud -- a good instructor will get you through that faster. And don't plan on spending all day on the slopes -- until your muscles adjust to the new movements, you'll start losing coordination after a few hours which makes it icky. A couple-three hours in the morning, a nice long lunch break in the lodge, and maybe a few more hours in the afternoon, tops.

    Enjoy! Once you learn how, it's about as close to flying as you can get without wings.

    (thinking about taking tomorrow off and hitting the slopes -- looks like they're getting fresh powder today!)
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
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    It's fascinating to read your replies - thank you for taking the time to post.

    I'm a UK MFP user, we're going to Zurs, Austria. I'm expecting all different types of lifts. This Sunday we're going to Snowdome in the UK, which has a snowy slope, and I'll be having my first lesson.

    Thanks for all the encouragement. Closest thing to flying sounds amazing. And I thought bicycling downhill was good!
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
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    Pupslice wrote: »
    I tried it years ago and was not enthralled. All I remember about the lessons is when your skis look like this || it was called French fries and when they're like this /\ it was called pizza. And all I wanted to do was go back to the lodge and eat French fries and pizza lol.

    Love it!! Hope you got your French fries and pizza.

  • diegops1
    diegops1 Posts: 154 Member
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    When I started skiing we still had rope tows and pomas. That was ok. Then came the chair lifts. I am terrified of heights. That was not ok. As to going down hill, I am terrified of being out of control in any situation and I was definitely out of control for several weekends. But everybody my age in Colorado was doing it. All the women were doing it. My girlfriend at the time was going to "Bikini Days" at Arapahoe Basin. So I forced myself. After a few years I ended up a ski patroller. I don't know what you call them in the UK, but in the US they are the people who handle the rescues and emergency medical aid.

    However, I solved my fear of heights by converting completely to nordic skiing. I haven't been on a lift since 1997. I ski up the hills and down the hills and across the flats, but I hopefully will never be on a lift again. My wife tried to get me on a teleferique in Switzerland in the summer to see some of the sights and I dug in my heels like a horse not going in the trailer. I think I was probably rearing and snorting before I ran away back to the hotel room.

    Another however, I climb rocks and mountains and somehow don't mind the heights in that environment. I guess I trust the rocks more than the steel cables. This is contrary to my experience because I have never seen a ski lift cable break or come off track, but I have seen lots of rock fall and been involved in some serious mountaineering accidents. Not my injuries, but people I had to rescue.

    Keep up the skiing and you too could end up a patroller, or whatever they are called in the UK.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Back in the day I was a ski instructor in Vail co. Taught thousands just like you who went on to love skiing. You are only afraid of the unknow, gaining a bit of knowledge and skill will give you the confidence to go enjoy all skiing has to offer. Take a lesson or two. Maybec even a private lesson if it's in the budget.

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