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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ski snobs

152 replies

DuchessofCuntbridge · 27/01/2015 13:43

I am going skiing next week for the first time in my life (I am late 20s). It is insanely expensive and I am still wanting to vomit at the cost, but I can finally just about afford it so am having a go. I haven't even so much as touched the tip of a ski before so it's a whole new experience.

I work in the city with a lot of very posh public school educated people who, whilst generally lovely, do often have warped views of the world.

So far at work, I have had to endure weeks of shocked faces and chants of "oh HOW have you never been before" from people at work. The same people then launch into seemingly endless diatribes about various resorts and asking me where I am staying, all of which is generally incomprehensible to me because its full of names of places I don't know and glaciers I have never heard of or descriptions of slopes/runs I will never be able to understand until I have seen one. When I do get a word in edgeways and tell them I am going to Tignes, I then have to listen to a lot of drivel about when THEY went there and how "it wasn't as good as X other place but it's better than Y place, and you should absolutely go to this insanely overpriced bar because it's just AMAZING for après ski... etc etc.

Even if I make it through all of this, I then have to endure hours of advice (often involving lengthy explanations of turning tips and "pizza and chips" demonstrations) as everyone seems to fancy themselves a ski champion - even those who have only been once.

What is it about skiing that brings out the snob in people? Why oh why can't people just say "oh that's nice, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. have a lovely time!? AIBU to tell them to shut up?

OP posts:
DuchessDisaster · 27/01/2015 15:08

Skiing is great fun, but you are right, it is an expensive hobby.
Personally I prefer quieter, non-tourist slopes in Austria, so if you want to wind any of your enthusiastic colleagues up, ask them if they have done the Atomic Test Run in Forstau and how they found it. I am willing to bet that few will have heard of it, although Atomic is a well-known brand of ski.
Have a great time, do NOT ski under the influence of alcohol!

RandomFriend · 27/01/2015 15:08

No, you don't need to go to indoor slopes. Just do some ski training exercises if you can or some general sport if that suits you better.

Great move to book the semi-individual lessons. The instructors are geared up to helping people learn, that money is well worth it.

Ignore your colleages's silly talk and enjoy it when you get there.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/01/2015 15:09

Sorry Blush my second post was a bit gushy and teenaged! I'm not a writer for My Guy or Jackie I promise!

HootyMcTooty · 27/01/2015 15:12

I've been skiing and snowboarding and fucking hated it. Went with a large group including DH, who said "you don't need lessons, we'll teach you". Well I didn't see those fuckers for dust once we hit the slopes.

NoImSpartacus · 27/01/2015 15:12

Ha ... you made me feel quite good about myself as I have my PADI Open Water license too !

LillianGish · 27/01/2015 15:13

If you enjoy it you'll probably find you turn into a bit of a ski bore yourself! It can easily become a bit of an obsession as you're about to find out!

Original poster
DuchessofCuntbridge · 27/01/2015 15:15

Darkblueyes - I can ice skate pretty well actually... so I might be ok!

NoimSpartacus - thanks for that - made me feel better!

OP posts:
funnyossity · 27/01/2015 15:16

Your shared ski lessons will be brilliant.

I was thinking of the scary and impersonal "Follow me!" massive group style lessons I did first week. I felt I only survived because I'd done a bit of low key dry slope and Scottish mountain practice with my kind DH!

Original poster
DuchessofCuntbridge · 27/01/2015 15:16

Lillian - someone else said that to me. But I think I have bitched about it for so long I don't think I can legitimately become a ski bore myself!

OP posts:
Innocuoususername · 27/01/2015 15:18

Hooty makes a good point, lessons are a good idea for many reasons, but in a mixed ability group they also guarantee that for some of the day you will have people to ski with at your pace. Your friend who has done a coupke of trips to the dry slope may find the others are not so keen to hang around the greens and blues with her.

SacredHeart · 27/01/2015 15:21

Try telling people you are going to snowboard..... The cat-bum faces!

I only went skiing as I'm half Polish so we went to Poland to visit the family and ski. I never really took to it but I love snowboarding but that apparently makes me scum Grin.

kittykarate · 27/01/2015 15:24

Oh you're doing semi-private lessons! That will be great for you, as you don't have a big spread of abilities and there will be so much more focus on you. When I've had small group lessons (mainly because everyone else dropped out - cross country lessons has high attrition) the instructors often take you off on little adventures that you wouldn't get in a big lesson.

NoImSpartacus · 27/01/2015 15:28

If you can skate quite well you know that you already have balance, which is half the battle already won.

If you can get as 'ski ready' as possible without actually having lessons you will feel much more confident and prepared. Core strength will really help as will having strong legs (points out the obvious) so lunges and squats will be great, being aerobically fit will also enhance your experience.

NoImSpartacus · 27/01/2015 15:31

sacred now that's advance level ski snobbery !!

sparechange · 27/01/2015 15:34

OP
No, you don't need lessons before you go. Semi-private lessons on varied slopes with very experienced instructors are the very best way to learn.
The basics you would learn on an indoor slope - snowploughing and snowplough turns - will take you a morning to master on the slopes. If you do that indoors, on a 200m long slope, you'll spend more time on the lift than you will skiing.
If you went there with a few basics under your belt, it would hurt but by the end of the first week, you'll be indistinguishable from someone who did 5 hours of indoor lessons first.

Stubbed · 27/01/2015 15:34

I love skiing but didn't go for the first time til I was 24 or 25. You don't need to do lessons, I just picked it up from friends. I also hear these boasters about their skiing but usually they ski for an hour then their legs hurt and they give up. I've got old unfashionable gear and look a mess but still manage to ski pretty much anywhere don't let them get to you.

ApprenticeViper · 27/01/2015 15:43

BitOut haha, don't worry about it, we are entitled to get a bit gushy about our DPs every once in a while! Just don't make a habit of it Wink

Duchess honestly, don't worry about indoor practice before you go if the budget won't stretch to it. Your lessons in Tignes with just one other person will be loads better and more tailored to your ability than the group lessons I was used to, which were definitely of the "Right, follow me!" variety. Plus your ice-skating experience will definitely help. I really hope you have a fabulous time, and please come and update this thread when you get back!

Want2bSupermum · 27/01/2015 15:45

Bless! I know exactly what you are talking about. I strongly suggest you take lessons in a small group of teenagers or adults. I have taken DD aged 3 twice to the slopes 2 hours from us here in America for lessons and there are plenty of adults who have not skied before. When I come to ski next month I will be taking a lesson first and then get going.

As for advice, I would say relax and don't be embarrassed about falling over, looking silly etc. If you relax and fall you are less likely to have a bad fall. Don't know what gear you have but I spend a lot on gloves and socks. I get my ski pants from uniqlo and if skiing everyday I would have 3 pants as they will get wet and there is nothing worse than being wet.

I still wear my C&A ski jacket that I got in 1992. Does the job and the ski bores you talk about avoided me because I don't look cool enough. Check out the charity shops!

Want2bSupermum · 27/01/2015 15:48

To be clear I don't suggest taking lessons before you go. It is a waste of time. If you have been a couch potato I would do some walking to get used to doing some exercise and squats/lunges to help your legs out.

Do take some radox bath soak with you. Your legs will kill ya and a hot soak will be just what you need!

carabos · 27/01/2015 15:52

I didn't ski until was 40. For years our closest friends, who are keen, expert skiers and with whom we often holiday, had tried to persuade us to go with them. DH had skied a few times before, but me, never.

Eventually we gave in and went. It was insanely expensive (Verbier). First day we got there, the others went off to have a cheeky half day and DH and I wandered about, had a nice lunch and then went and stood at the bottom of the Medran lift watching the skiers come home. After about 20 mins I said "I've just wasted £800. There's no way I will ever ever be able to do that".

Cutting a long story short, I skied home to Medran on the Wednesday, skied my first red run on the Thursday and we've skied at least once a year since (I'm now 51). It's much much easier than it looks and you make very rapid progress. I had a private lesson the first day to get me on my feet and DH helped me after that. I've had a few private lessons since when I've wanted to learn a particular thing, but now I will go anywhere on the mountain.

We go to Chamonix these days as we have a friend with a place there so we don't pay for the accommodation. Cheap flights to Geneva and hire a car. We have our own kit.

You may be surprised - IME you'll either take to it like a duck to water and love it and become a ski bore yourself or you'll hate it.

Original poster
DuchessofCuntbridge · 27/01/2015 15:52

Thanks all. I am pretty fit - I go to the gym 3 times a week and although my core strength isn't great (I cannot plank for more than 10 seconds), my legs are alright so I hope it'll be fine :)

OP posts:
Butkin · 27/01/2015 15:57

I skied for 20 years (snowboarded for the last 5 years) before we had DD but haven't been since and definite withdrawal symptoms.. People who like it (and not everybody does) do tend to evangalise about it because they are excited and want to pass on their knowledge. As somebody said it is just like golfers, fishermen or whatever sport people love.

I always wish I'd gone with school (they ran trips but I didn't fancy it then) and didn't start until I was about 20..

It is expensive though because you've for the lift pass, the lessons and the hire (I guess you hire helmets these days as well).

Tignes is a great resort so good choice although it can be cold at this time of year so wrap up..

I've gone with beginners and given your situation I would have gone for a course of lessons at a dry slope (or preferably snowdome) because it would mean you'd spend less time on the beginners slopes and therefore get more value from your lift pass. Probably too late now though..

It will take you years to learn to ski well if you only go for a week or two a year though. I had lessons every year for the 15+ years I skied) and always went with a guide thereafter to get the most fun from the resort. I found snowboarding much quicker to learn and after a week of intensive lessons felt I could conqueror anything and much easier on my aging knees.

Have fun and hope to hear about your experiences when you get back.

wobblyweebles · 27/01/2015 16:01

OP you seem to be spending an awful lot of time talking about skiing on here.

cough bore.

:-)

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 27/01/2015 16:03

Yep, love skiing and scuba diving! Sadly not done either very recently Sad

revealall · 27/01/2015 16:09

One thing I forget is that I am really scared of heights!why did no one remind me that mountain are very high and have very steep sides.

So whilst I loved the idea of skiing on the nursey slopes, I was terrified on the top of a normal run looking at a vertical drop.
It was fun in places but it's a lot to pay for getting tired and wet everyday.