What? Your Quick Guide To Translating Ski Instructor Lingo

Sometimes, in an effort to be polite or sensitive, we don’t say exactly what we mean. This is a brief guide to things you might hear from your instructor, and what she is really trying to tell you.

“What do you want to get out of your lesson?”
Your instructor really wants to know what your expectations are. It’s YOUR lesson and you should be ready and willing to voice any preferences, fears, etc. You want to be a better bump skier? Keep up with your spouse? Just not feel like you’re going to fly into a tree at any given moment? In a group lesson, your instructor may not be able to tailor everything to your specific needs, but she can find a common thread for the group and build a lesson that works for everyone.

“Tell me about yourself.”
This is more than just polite chairlift chitchat. Your instructor wants to get an idea of what your life is like. Your job, your family, where you live, what you do for fun – all these things are clues that help your instructor put together a useful lesson.

“Any questions?”
This is the time to speak up if you are confused or unhappy. If the lesson isn’t heading in a direction you like, say so. Too easy? Too hard? Speak up. You have no idea what your instructor is getting at with a certain exercise? Letting on you aren’t getting it is not a failure on your part. There are lots of ways to teach the same thing, and your instructor just hasn’t yet hit on the one that works for you.

“Anyone need a break?”
OMG it’s cold and I can’t believe no one wants to go inside and get warm.

“Little is very independent”
Your child didn’t listen and didn’t want to participate in what the group was doing.

“Your equipment could be holding you back.”
Why on earth are you using 10 year old skis and boots you borrowed from your brother? While ski equipment may not change radically every year, there are enough changes over the course of several years to make it worth investigating new gear. Skis that are the right size for you, and designed for the type of skiing you do, really can make a difference – you’ll be less fatigued and less frustrated. If you only ski 10 or 12 days a season, renting makes sense. And especially if you are flying anywhere. The airlines are not generous about checking ski equipment, and it can be more cost-effective to rent stuff once you get where you’re going. Plus, you get to try out new gear every year.

"It's OK, no one gets it on the first try."
It's OK, no one gets it on the first try. The resort where I teach attracts a lot of wealthy people who tend to be very accomplished in their lives. They have achieved a high level of success, and have high expectation of themselves. They can get really frustrated when, presented with something that is new to their skiing, they can't just nail it right off the bat. You can just see them thinking "I can run a multi-million dollar corporation. Why can't I make a pair of skis do X?"

Give yourself a break. Give yourself time to understand the concept, then give yourself time for that concept to be translated to movement -- to go from your brain to your muscles. Of course the instructor makes it look easy -- she's done it thousands of times, and is getting paid to show you how to do it.